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Maintainer of everything and everyone

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person.
BG 8.9, Translation and Purport:

One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.

The process of thinking of the Supreme is mentioned in this verse. The foremost point is that He is not impersonal or void. One cannot meditate on something impersonal or void. That is very difficult.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

The Personality of Godhead, both in the Bhagavad-gītā and in all other scriptures, has definitely instructed men to follow the Lord only. The Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything.
SB 1.5.30, Purport:

A pure Vedāntist, or a bhakti-vedānta, instructs followers exactly according to the instructions of the Lord Himself. The Personality of Godhead, both in the Bhagavad-gītā and in all other scriptures, has definitely instructed men to follow the Lord only. The Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. The whole manifested creation is existing by His will, and by His will when the whole show is finished He will remain in His eternal abode with all His paraphernalia. Before the creation He was there in the eternal abode, and after the annihilation He will continue to remain. He is not, therefore, one of the created beings. He is transcendental. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that long, long before the instruction was imparted to Arjuna, the same was instructed to the sun-god, and in course of time, the same instruction, being wrongly handled and being broken, was again instructed to Arjuna because he was His perfect devotee and friend. Therefore, the instruction of the Lord can be understood by the devotees only and no one else. The impersonalist, who has no idea of the transcendental form of the Lord, cannot understand this most confidential message of the Lord.

SB 1.5.31, Translation:

By that confidential knowledge, I could understand clearly the influence of the energy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the creator, maintainer and annihilator of everything. By knowing that, one can return to Him and personally meet Him.

One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun and, being transcendental, is beyond this material nature.
SB 1.9.30, Purport:

In the momentous hour of leaving his material body, Bhīṣmadeva set the glorious example concerning the important function of the human form of life. The subject matter which attracts the dying man becomes the beginning of his next life. Therefore, if one is absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he is sure to go back to Godhead without any doubt. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.5-15):

5: And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

6: Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

7: Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

8: He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha (Arjuna), is sure to reach Me.

9: One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun and, being transcendental, is beyond this material nature.

SB Canto 2

"O Lord, You are the maintainer of everything, both material and spiritual, and everything flourishes by Your mercy."
SB 2.4.14, Purport:

One who is dazzled by the effulgence of the impersonal brahmajyoti cannot know the personal transcendence; therefore in the Īśopaniṣad (15) it is prayed that the Lord shift His dazzling effulgence so that the devotee can see the real reality. It is spoken thus:

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa
satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham
tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu
satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye

"O Lord, You are the maintainer of everything, both material and spiritual, and everything flourishes by Your mercy. Your devotional service, or bhakti-yoga, is the actual principle of religion, satya-dharma, and I am engaged in that service. So kindly protect me by showing Your real face. Please, therefore, remove the veil of Your brahmajyoti rays so that I can see Your form of eternal bliss and knowledge."

SB Canto 4

SB 4.11.26, Translation:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul of all living entities. He is the controller and maintainer of everyone; through the agency of His external energy, He creates, maintains and annihilates everyone.

SB Canto 5

Actually the supreme proprietor of everything is Lord Viṣṇu. He is the maintainer of everyone.
SB 5.12.7, Purport:

The Lord incarnates and sets things in order when things are mismanaged by so-called kings and heads of government. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Of course this takes many years, but the principle is there. When the king or governmental head does not follow the proper principles, nature deals out the punishments in the forms of war, famine and so forth. Therefore if the governmental head is not aware of life's goal, he should not take charge of ruling the people. Actually the supreme proprietor of everything is Lord Viṣṇu. He is the maintainer of everyone. The king, the father, and the guardian are simply representatives of Lord Viṣṇu, empowered by Him to look after the management and maintain things. It is therefore the duty of the head of the state to maintain the general populace in such a way that people will ultimately know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Unfortunately the foolish governmental head and the general populace do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to understand and approach Lord Viṣṇu. Without this knowledge, everyone is in ignorance, and all society is crowded with cheaters and cheated.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

The Lord is the supreme maintainer of everyone and the chief personality among all personalities.
CC Madhya 9.131, Purport:

The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, know Kṛṣṇa as the son of Mahārāja Nanda. They do not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as people in general do. The Lord is the supreme maintainer of everyone and the chief personality among all personalities. In Vrajabhūmi Kṛṣṇa is certainly the central point of love, but no one knows Him there as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, a person may know Him as a friend, son, lover or master. In any case, the center is Kṛṣṇa. The inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi are related to the Lord in servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love. A person engaged in devotional service may accept any one of these transcendental relationships, which are known as mellows. When such a person reaches the perfectional stage, he returns home, back to Kṛṣṇa, in his pure spiritual identity.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Viṣṇu represents the mode of goodness, Brahmā represents the mode of passion, and Lord Śiva represents the mode of ignorance. Therefore as the maintainer of everything in the cosmic manifestation, Viṣṇu is also the creator and maintainer of Brahmā and Lord Śiva.
Krsna Book 13:

All the Viṣṇu forms were of bluish color and dressed in yellow garments; all of Them had four hands decorated with club, disc, lotus flower and conchshell. On Their heads were glittering golden helmets inlaid with jewels; They were bedecked with pearls and earrings and garlanded with beautiful flowers. On Their chests was the mark of Śrīvatsa, Their arms were decorated with armlets and other jewelry, and Their necks were just like conchshells. Their legs were decorated with bells, Their waists with golden belts, and Their fingers with jeweled rings. Brahmā also saw that upon the whole body of each Lord Viṣṇu, from the lotus feet up to the top of the head, fresh tulasī leaves and buds had been thrown. Another significant feature of the Viṣṇu forms was that all of Them were looking transcendentally beautiful. Their smiling resembled the moonshine, and Their glancing resembled the early rising of the sun. Just by Their glancing They showed Themselves to be the creators and maintainers of the modes of ignorance and passion. Viṣṇu represents the mode of goodness, Brahmā represents the mode of passion, and Lord Śiva represents the mode of ignorance. Therefore as the maintainer of everything in the cosmic manifestation, Viṣṇu is also the creator and maintainer of Brahmā and Lord Śiva.

All the visitors as well as the inhabitants of Dvārakā City were joyful to see Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī together. In other words, the goddess of fortune was now united with the Supreme Lord, the maintainer of everyone, and thus all the people felt extremely jubilant.
Krsna Book 54:

Although the incident of the kidnapping was not a very happy occurrence in the kingdom of Vidarbha, kidnapping was not an unusual affair among kṣatriyas. Kidnapping was, in fact, current in almost all their marriages. Anyway, King Bhīṣmaka was from the very beginning inclined to hand over his beautiful daughter to Kṛṣṇa. In one way or another his purpose had been served, and so he was pleased to join the marriage ceremony, even though his eldest son was degraded in the fight. It is mentioned in the Padma Purāṇa that Mahārāja Nanda and the cowherd boys of Vṛndāvana joined the marriage ceremony. Kings from the kingdoms of Kuru, Sṛñjaya, Kekaya, Vidarbha and Kunti all came to Dvārakā on this occasion and met with one another very joyfully.

The story of Rukmiṇī’s being kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa was poeticized, and professional readers recited it everywhere. All the assembled kings and their daughters especially were struck with wonder and very much pleased upon hearing the chivalrous activities of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, all the visitors as well as the inhabitants of Dvārakā City were joyful to see Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī together. In other words, the goddess of fortune was now united with the Supreme Lord, the maintainer of everyone, and thus all the people felt extremely jubilant.

You are the vital force of all these manifestations and also their supreme cognition. As such, You are the maintainer of everything.
Krsna Book 85:

“The different material phases that are manifest from the beginning to the end of the cosmos under different formulas of time are also Your Self because You are both the cause and effect of this manifestation. The two features of this material world, the predominator and the predominated, are also You, and You are the supreme transcendental controller who stands above them. Therefore, You are beyond the perception of our senses. You are the Supreme Soul, unborn and unchanging. You are not affected by the six kinds of transformations which occur in the material body. The wonderful varieties of this material world are also created by You, and You have entered as the Supersoul into all of them, down to the atom. You are the vital force of all these manifestations and also their supreme cognition. As such, You are the maintainer of everything.

The word "Brahman" indicates the greatest of all and the maintainer of everything.
Krsna Book 87:

The word "Brahman" indicates the greatest of all and the maintainer of everything. The impersonalists are attracted by the greatness of the sky, but because of their poor fund of knowledge they are not attracted by the greatness of Kṛṣṇa. In our practical life, however, we are attracted by the greatness of a person and not by the greatness of a big mountain. Thus the term "Brahman" actually applies to Kṛṣṇa only; therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna admitted that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman, or the supreme resting place of everything.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person who is giving all the necessities of all the living entities... He is actually the provider, maintainer of everyone.
Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Just like you'll find in another verse Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me in love and faith a little flower, a little water, a little fruit," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam... Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is the real point. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person who is giving all the necessities of all the living entities... He is actually the provider, maintainer of everyone. So why He is asking a little fruit, flower and water from you? Is He hungry? No. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Just to induce you again to love Kṛṣṇa. That is the point. Because your, this material condition is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), subjected to birth, death, old age, disease, and so many other material conditions. You have fallen in this condition because you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Just like last night so many people came to discuss with us, but they are not interested in talking of Kṛṣṇa. They are interested how their sense gratification will be disturbed by starting this temple. That is their concern. Here we have come to preach about Kṛṣṇa. They did not ask anything about Kṛṣṇa, "What is this philosophy?

Kṛṣṇa has no attachment, but at the same time, He's maintainer of everyone. Without any qualities. But He is the enjoyer of all qualities.
Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Now we can see, these are contradictory. Sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam. He's the origin of all senses, but He has no senses. Sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam. Asaktam: He has no attachment, but at the same time, sarva-bhṛc ca, He's maintainer of everyone. Nirguṇam, without any qualities. Guṇa-bhoktṛ ca, but He is the enjoyer of all qualities. So this requires elucidation, how these contradictions are adjusted. This requires knowledge.

Somebody is taking that God is without any form because here it is said, sarvendriya-varjitam, vivarjitam. Vivarjitam, specifically He has no indriyas. So if God has no indriya, then He's nirākāra. But in the previous verse Kṛṣṇa has said that, "Yes, I have got my indriyas. I can see everything, I can hear everything." So unless He has got ears and eyes to see, we cannot conceive anything that a man without any eyes can see. Is there any such idea? Or a man without having ears can hear also? We cannot conceive any such thing.

A devotee, when he understands thoroughly that "Here is one Supreme Person, who is the leader, who is the controller, who is the maintainer of everything," then he surrenders unto Him and becomes His devotee.
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Everyone is person. And there is another person. That is God, Kṛṣṇa. That one person is maintaining all these varieties of millions and trillions of persons. This is the Vedic in... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the information.

So Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
(BG 10.8)

Therefore a devotee, when he understands thoroughly that "Here is one Supreme Person, who is the leader, who is the controller, who is the maintainer of everything," then he surrenders unto Him and becomes His devotee. You see? We, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, we are not fools and rascals. We have got our reason. We have got our philosophy. When we know that Kṛṣṇa is actually the supreme controller, the Supreme Person, the supreme maintainer, then we surrender. Then we become Kṛṣṇa devotee. It is not blind. It is not blind. We are strongly convinced that that one person is the Supreme Person. Therefore we surrender. We are not blind followers. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravar..., iti matvā budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So how nice system it is, that "Kṛṣṇa, it is Yours, You have given us. So first of all You eat." This is love. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa can have sumptuous food. He is the maintainer of everyone.
Lecture on SB 7.6.16 -- New Vrindaban, June 30, 1976:

So the father's property everyone can enjoy, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Just like these children, father, mother, whatever gives, "My dear child, you eat it." Similarly if we think in that philosophy, our process, this Deity worship, the father or the supreme maintainer gives us prasādam, we take it. Actually fruits, flowers or grains, it is given by Kṛṣṇa. We cannot produce it. So how nice system it is, that "Kṛṣṇa, it is Yours, You have given us. So first of all You eat." This is love. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa can have sumptuous food. He is the maintainer of everyone. So this is how good feeling, very reasonable. Any man with some sense, he'll take it very seriously, "Yes, everything given by God, Kṛṣṇa. So let us offer it first of all to Kṛṣṇa." And there is no fear that Kṛṣṇa will eat everything and then we shall have nothing to eat. It is not like that. Kṛṣṇa's eating is a different way. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti.

So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Eko. Eko. That one, He's also living entity like you and me. Man is made after God. Therefore God has got two hands, two legs; therefore you have got two hands, two legs. Imitation. So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are also gold. But He is big gold. He is the greatest gold. God is great. We are smallest gold. And if we understand this philosophy, then we become naturally submissive and our constitutional position...

So Kṛṣṇa, although He is the maintainer of everyone, sometimes He takes the part of a beggar.
Lecture on SB 10.22.35 -- Bombay, March 19, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa, not only He's supplying, He's also begging. Just like He became a beggar to Bali Mahārāja. Vāmanadeva. Bali Mahārāja conquered the three worlds and the all the demigods became very much perturbed. So Kṛṣṇa as Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja as a beggar, "Mahārāja, you are very charitable. Will you kindly give Me three feet land?" So Kṛṣṇa, although He is the maintainer of everyone, sometimes He takes the part of a beggar. He's not beggar, but He begs to benefit the, I mean, the charitable. Who is giving in charity, he is benefited. Just like Bali Mahārāja, he gave everything to Vāmanadeva. Sarvātma-snapanam. There are different devotees.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader, supreme maintainer of everyone. That is our position. We are maintained, and Kṛṣṇa is maintainer.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly says that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108), two words. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original, constitutional position. That is svarūpa. Mukti means just like one is diseased, and there are many symptoms of disease. So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So our position is servant, subordinate position. That is the Vedic injunction also. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme leader, supreme maintainer of everyone. That is our position. We are maintained, and Kṛṣṇa is maintainer. We are predominated, and Kṛṣṇa is predominator. This is our relation. How(?) Caitanya Mahāprabhu describing the constitutional position of the living entity, svarūpa. Svarūpa means original position, and mukti means svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the Vedic injunction.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

God is the supreme friend and God is the maintainer of everyone, everything, and He is the supreme enjoyer. These three things, if we understand, then the whole problem is solved.
Conversation with Journalists -- August 18, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: We are simply presenting the fact that everything belongs to God. God is the supreme friend and God is the maintainer of everyone, everything, and He is the supreme enjoyer. These three things, if we understand, then the whole problem is solved. Now, I say that God is the proprietor. Now you refute. Those who will not accept, that "God is not proprietor, I am proprietor," this requires discussion. How you become proprietor? Bhagavad-gītā says, God says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). I am not manufacturing this. It is stated in the śāstra. God is the supreme enjoyer. He is the proprietor. He should be enjoyer. Just like here, if I am the proprietor of a factory, so the profit should come to me, similarly, if God is the proprietor of everything then we cannot enjoy anything without the sanction of God. We therefore eat prasādam.

Correspondence

1974 Correspondence

"One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature."
Letter to Richard -- Vrindaban 20 August, 1974:

Regarding thinking of Krishna at the time of death. It is stated in Bhagavad gita 8th chapter as follows; abhyasa yoga yuktena/ cetasa nanya gamina/ paramam purusam divyam/ yati parthanucintyan (BG 8.8). He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead his mind constantly engaged in remembering me, undeviated from the path, He oh Partha is sure to reach Me. The proccess for remembering Krishna is very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra. How one should think of Krishna, that is given in the next verse: "One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature." So Krishna is not something impersonal or void. So you should read my books and try to understand the nature of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it will be easy for you to think of Him.

Page Title:Maintainer of everything and everyone
Compiler:Matea, Serene
Created:11 of Nov, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=6, CC=1, OB=4, Lec=7, Con=1, Let=1
No. of Quotes:21