In this way Lord Caitanya actually took the subordinate position before Rāmānanda Rāya. This has very great significance. If one is serious about understanding the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he should approach a person who is actually enriched with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should not be proud of his material birth, material opulence, material education and beauty and with these things try to conquer the mind of an advanced student of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who thus goes to a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, thinking that he would be favorably induced, is deluded about this science. One should approach a Kṛṣṇa conscious person with all humility and put relevant questions to him. If one goes to challenge him, such a highly elevated Kṛṣṇa conscious person would not be available for any service. A challenging puffed-up person cannot gain anything from a Kṛṣṇa conscious man; he would simply remain in material consciousness.
Nature of Krsna
Expressions researched:
"Krishna's nature"
|"krsna's nature"
|"nature of Krishna"
|"nature of Krsna"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
Mahārāja Bharata, although a great personality, thought of a deer at the end of his life, and so in his next life he was transferred into the body of a deer. Although as a deer he remembered his past activities, he had to accept that animal body. Of course, one's thoughts during the course of one's life accumulate to influence one's thoughts at the moment of death, so this life creates one's next life. If in one's present life one lives in the mode of goodness and always thinks of Kṛṣṇa, it is possible for one to remember Kṛṣṇa at the end of one's life. That will help one be transferred to the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. If one is transcendentally absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one's state of being at the end of one's life.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Similarly, one who understands the pure parental love of Nanda and Yaśodā for Kṛṣṇa will be saved from being dragged into material parental affection. If one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the supreme friend, the attraction of material friendship will be finished for him, and he will not be dismayed by so-called friendship with mundane wranglers. If he is attracted by servitorship to Kṛṣṇa, he will no longer have to serve the material body in the degraded status of material existence, with the false hope of becoming master in the future. Similarly, one who sees the greatness of Kṛṣṇa in neutrality will certainly never again seek the so-called relief of impersonalist or voidist philosophy. If one is not attracted by the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, one is sure to be attracted to material enjoyment, thus to become implicated in the clinging network of virtuous and sinful activities and to continue material existence by transmigrating from one material body to another. Only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can one achieve the highest perfection of life.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the great authority and philosopher in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has discussed the abode of Kṛṣṇa in his Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord refers to "My abode." Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, examining the nature of Kṛṣṇa's abode, refers to the Skanda Purāṇa, which states:
- yā yathā bhuvi vartante puryo bhagavataḥ priyāḥ
- tās tathā santi vaikuṇṭhe tat-tal-līlārtham ādṛtāḥ
"The abodes of Godhead in the material world, such as Dvārakā, Mathurā and Gokula, are facsimiles representing the abodes of Godhead in the kingdom of God, Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma." The unlimited spiritual atmosphere of that Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma is far above and beyond the material cosmos. This is confirmed in the Svāyambhuva-tantra, in a discussion between Lord Śiva and Pārvatī regarding the effect of chanting the mantra of fourteen syllables.
CC Madhya-lila
The word rahaḥ-sthāne, "in a secluded place," is very significant. Talks about Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes—especially His pastimes in Vṛndāvana and His dealings with the gopīs—are all very confidential. They are not subject matter for public discussion because those who have no understanding of the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes always commit great offenses, thinking Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary human being and the gopīs ordinary girls. Following the principle of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who never discussed the dealings between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs publicly, devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are enjoined not to discuss the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana in public. For the general public, saṅkīrtana is the most effective method to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If possible, one should discuss the principles enunciated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu followed this principle very strictly and discussed the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gītā with learned scholars like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Nectar of Instruction
The holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, His quality, pastimes and so forth are all of the nature of absolute truth, beauty and bliss. Naturally they are very sweet, like sugar candy, which appeals to everyone. Nescience, however, is compared to the disease called jaundice, which is caused by bilious secretions. Attacked by jaundice, the tongue of a diseased person cannot palatably relish sugar candy. Rather, a person with jaundice considers something sweet to taste very bitter. Avidyā (ignorance) similarly perverts the ability to relish the transcendentally palatable name, quality, form and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Despite this disease, if one with great care and attention takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting the holy name and hearing Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes, his ignorance will be destroyed and his tongue enabled to taste the sweetness of the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia. Such a recovery of spiritual health is possible only by the regular cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
The basic Vedic injunctions never allow a person to enjoy sex with any woman except his own wife. Kṛṣṇa's appreciation of the gopīs appeared to be distinctly in violation of these rules. Mahārāja Parīkṣit understood the total situation from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, yet to further clarify the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs in the rāsa dance, he expressed his surprise. This is very important in order to check the unrestricted association with women by the prākṛta-sahajiyās.
In his statement, Mahārāja Parīkṣit has used several important words which require clarification. The first word, jugupsitam, means "abominable." The first doubt of Mahārāja Parīkṣit was as follows: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had advented Himself to establish religious principles. Why then did He mix with others' wives in the dead of night and enjoy dancing, embracing and kissing? According to the Vedic injunctions, this is not allowed.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Why we are giving so much importance to the words of Kṛṣṇa? Because this language is absolute. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's language, or Kṛṣṇa's words, they are the same. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's forms... We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa's form. That is also Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, are we wasting our time by decorating a doll, a statue, and we are struggling so hard to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa? No.
This science is unknown to the atheist class of men. The atheist class of men, they do not know the absolute nature of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His instruction—anything of Kṛṣṇa—that is Kṛṣṇa. That is not different from Kṛṣṇa.
The example I have several times repeated: just like you put an iron rod in the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, and gradually it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is transformed into the nature of fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, if you constantly remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you at once transfer yourself to the higher nature of Kṛṣṇa, and that is your liberation. And if we can die in higher nature, then this formula, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... (BG 4.9). oh, he does not come back again to this material world. So we shall have to try, we shall have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way, that we shall permanently exist in higher nature. And if we can die in that higher nature, then our place in the transcendental world is reserved. That is the whole thing.
Just like the same example, just like putting the iron rod in the fire, and the iron rod becomes hot, red hot, gets the nature of fire, similarly, if we constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, being transcendental to these stages of bhaya, fear, and attachment, and krodha, anger, if we put ourself, completely under Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it will be very easy to attain the superior nature of Kṛṣṇa. That is the formula given here, that superior, how to attain that superior nature. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ. That is the main thing. One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante. This very thing, everywhere we will find, this Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa is stressing on His personal feature. Mām eva ye prapadyante: "Anyone who takes shelter of Me..." "Anyone who thinks of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ... So these things are there. Simply we have to take up this thing, Kṛṣṇa. Then everything, the whole solution is there. (aside:) Why these boys are disturbing? They are not sitting, and talking.
Bhāvam means nature also. Just like we call nature, sva-bhāva, sva-bhāva. So mad-bhāvam... This is one nature, this material nature... This is also Kṛṣṇa's bhāvam, means Kṛṣṇa's nature. Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa, but this is external nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ... (BG 7.4). bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā means separated energy. The energy is working. Although it is Kṛṣṇa's nature, still, it is separated nature.
Just like I am speaking, it is being recorded. When it will be replayed, you will hear the same sound, but still, it is separated from me. Similarly, this material nature is also Kṛṣṇa's nature.
Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa. There are two nature: the spiritual nature and material nature. So material nature means external energy, and spiritual nature means internal energy. And we, we are also spiritual nature, marginal. We can remain either in the material nature or in the spiritual nature.
Prabhupāda: Because by nature we have to follow some leadership, so if we actually want the leadership which will lead us to the perfect goal of life, then we have to follow Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. If you don't follow, that depends on our discretion. Just like Arjuna. He was asked by Kṛṣṇa, "Now, what you have decided? Are you going to follow Me? Oh, you can do whatever you like. I have told you everything." So Kṛṣṇa is telling us everything in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now it is up to us to accept His leadership or not. If we accept His leadership, then we are free from this material bondage, and if we do not accept, then we can do whatever we... Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with our independence. That is a fact.
Thank you very much. Now if there is any question, you can ask. (break)
You have any doubt in the supreme nature of Kṛṣṇa?
Guest (1): I wish to understand.
Prabhupāda: That we are making discussion. That we are making discussion. Yes. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme by all stalwart past ācāryas. Just like Śaṅkarācārya, a great stalwart scholar. He also accepts Kṛṣṇa: sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. Oh, he accepts Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord. You will find in his annotation of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, he accepts. And now Lord Caitanya, He also preached this Kṛṣṇa philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now, Kṛṣṇa said in the last stanza, mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. Mad-bhāvam means "My nature." So Kṛṣṇa's nature, you will find always Kṛṣṇa, He is enjoying with His flute and His associates, His consort Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs. You will never find Kṛṣṇa in morose condition. He is in jubilation always. And because we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got the propensity to dance with young girls or enjoy the company of the young girls. That propensity is not unnatural. It is natural, jubilation, but because it is in material contact, we cannot enjoy it fully. There are so many inebrieties. Those who have seen our temple, we worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in jubilation. They are, along with the gopīs, playing the flute and many musical instruments, dancing. That is the definition given in the Vedānta-sūtra. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, means "by nature jubilant." There is no moroseness. There is no unhappiness. That is the kingdom of God.
"Those who are always engaged in mischievous activities, those who are fools, those who are lowest of the mankind, and those whose knowledge has been deluded by the external energy, they do not make their surrender unto the Supreme Lord." But there are other persons who are virtuous. They are considered that ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). There are other persons who are distressed and in need of some wealth or inquisitive or really research worker in the field of understanding what is the Absolute Truth. And this morning we were discussing in the morning class that the person who are research scholar in the matter of understanding the nature of Kṛṣṇa, transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is called jñānī, or philosopher, and he is accepted, with bhakti, with devotional service, he is accepted as special for the attention of the Supreme Lord.
So in every way this is a subject matter for studying, scrutinizingly studying, Kṛṣṇa science. Kṛṣṇa science is a great science. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has said just in the beginning of this chapter, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Yo vetti tattvataḥ. Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa scientifically, what He is, how He is working, how His energies are acting... These things are to be known. And one who simply knows this science—what happens? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply by knowing this science he becomes liberated soul. He becomes liberated soul. And what is the position of liberated soul? Liberated soul, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That person who is liberated simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is liberated, and he at once transferred to the spiritual sky into that planet which I am describing, Vaikuṇṭha planet. There are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and each and every planet, Kṛṣṇa is there in different Nārāyaṇa forms.
Still, we should not wait for the chance of another birth. We should take the opportunity in this birth. Just like Kṛṣṇa prescribes here that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental activities, one can get liberated. Why don't you do that? Why should you wait for another birth, either in the rich man's family or in the pure family of a brāhmaṇa? Because it is not exactly sure that because a person is born in the family of a pure brāhmaṇa, he is elevating spiritually. No. Sometimes we see that he is degrading because he is misusing or by bad association or the parents is not training.
So we should not miss this opportunity of human life and follow this instruction that janma karma me divyaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) anyone who simply understands the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes a liberated person. This opportunity we should take.
And so long we shall get material body repeatedly—just like we give up this dress and take another dress, similarly, we shall continue—then the four kinds of miseries, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), or at least these four kinds of miseries—the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, and the miseries of old age, and miseries of diseases—we have to suffer. And as soon as you get spiritual body, all these miseries over. Because your body is no more subjected to birth and death, disease and old age. That life is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. That you can get simply by studying the nature of Kṛṣṇa, transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. So we are hankering after so many things. We are taking the leadership of this leader, that leader, that leader just to relieve, get relief from our temporary misery. So our duty should be just to get rid of all misery by developing that spiritual body. That should be the aim of life. And that is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now here is a chance to stop this nonsense of transmigrating from one body to another and suffer the material miseries. Here is a chance. And how that chance you are going to utilize? That we have already discussed. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If somebody simply studies critically the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental nature of His activities, simply by knowing this, the benefit will be that tyaktvā deham, after quitting this body, you are not again going to have such a material body, but tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Punar janma means you are not going to take your birth again in the womb of a mother of this material nature.
So just believe it. It is standard. It is accepted by all the great stalwart scholars and ācāryas of repute. Just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, great scholars and ācāryas. They have accepted it. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of great saints and sages, those who have achieved success by this indication of Bhagavad-gītā.
So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the simple process introduced by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya also supported this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, that anyone is eligible for going back to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This simple process. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have discussed that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, we become eligible for entering into His kingdom, simply by knowing. So try to know. Try to study what is Kṛṣṇa.
And do you know what is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that
- kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya
- (CC Madhya 8.128)
That means "It doesn't matter whether he is a householder or a swami, renounced order, or a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or a lowborn, whatever he is. That doesn't matter. If he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is a bona fide spiritual master, if he simply knows the science of Kṛṣṇa." This is cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma (BG 4.13). It is the quality.
So similarly, Kṛṣṇa... Because in the previous verse we have discussed. Simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, one becomes liberated. How you can understand Kṛṣṇa? By His transcendental nature. That is being described in this verse. Tasya kartāram api. Tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhi: "Although I have established these divisions of the human society into four classes, so I am not one of them." This has to be understood. Means as soon as we make it a mistake that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, He appeared in the royal family of Vasudeva, so He belonged to the kṣatriya community, or the administrative class," no. Then you can understand the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa.
And if you have got any doubt, you can ask, you can understand. But as soon as you understand it rightly, you become a liberated person. That is the secret. As soon as you understand the fact as it is, the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, oh, you step forward to your liberation. So similarly, these things are being described one after another.
So Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. He is the... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, He's described as Yogeśvara. He's the master of all yogic principles. So for Him, why there shall be desire for enjoyment. He's so perfect that He hasn't got to marry, He hasn't got to keep a girlfriend. He's so perfect. So this is the nature of Kṛṣṇa we have to understand. Then why He married? He married just to fulfill the desires of His devotees. Those devotees who wanted Kṛṣṇa as their husband, so He accepted them. And when He played the part of a husband, He played very perfectly. Just like when He played the part of a friend, of the boyfriend, He played it very perfectly. When He played the part of a small boy of Yaśodā, He played it perfectly.
Just like He was creating disturbances, when He was, say, three years old. Just like children, two year, two years old, they create always disturbance with mother. They don't leave the company of mother. At the same time, they create disturb.
So accept Kṛṣṇa as son, and He'll be most obedient son just like He was playing the part before Yaśodā. Similarly, accept Kṛṣṇa as husband or lover. You'll never be frustrated. That is the whole philosophy. Anything, whatever desire you have got, you can establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa in that desire and you'll be happy, perfectly happy, never to be cheated. So na māṁ karmā... iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Anyone who understands this philosophy, this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, then what is the result? Karmabhir na sa badhyate. Because every act... We are bound up by the reaction of our past deeds. So as soon as we understand the transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, at once we become free from all reactions.
Because I cannot understand Kṛṣṇa's transcendental activities unless I am actually dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa. Why I shall be interested with your activities unless I have got some specific purpose? So similarly, let us develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and gradually we shall have... Now, that is called svarūpa-siddhi.
Kṛṣṇa is a great science. So if we study Kṛṣṇa science with great attention, then the result will be that we shall be free from the reaction of our activities. This is clearly said here, na mam karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). The Lord has nothing to do. He is full. He has nothing to do. But why He does? Just to set example. Set example. He's not bound up by the works which He is doing in the material world. This science has to be learned. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. And anyone who understands this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is also becoming free from the reaction of karma.
- evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma
- pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ
- kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ
- pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam
Now, the whole spiritual process is to follow the example of the previous ācāryas who have attained, I mean to, success...
The example is given. Just like long, long, high... I have seen in Naimitad.(?) There is fire. There is smoke. So that smoke means there is fire. That is the symptom. You cannot separate smoke from fire. That is not possible. Smoke is nature. Similarly, nature and the source from which... Just like fire. It is coming, the smoke. You cannot separate. Similarly, if bhūmiḥ āpaḥ analaḥ vāyuḥ kham, this material nature is coming from Kṛṣṇa, how you can separate it from Kṛṣṇa? It is also Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who does not see bhūmi, immediately remembers that "This is Kṛṣṇa's nature," he remembers immediately Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even by seeing land. So devotee sees like that. "Oh, this land is so nice. Why not construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa?" This is Kṛṣṇa conscious vision. "Oh, there are so many skyscrapers. Why not construct a nice skyscraper temple of Kṛṣṇa?" That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Here it is stated, anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (BG 8.5). Just kalevaram. Kalevaram means this body, and when becomes freed from this body, he..., or gets out of the body and at the very same time he remembers Kṛṣṇa, then one who passes this body, life, in this way, yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti... Mad-bhāvaṁ yāti means he at once attains the nature of Kṛṣṇa: eternity, blissful and knowledge. This is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because at the time of death, whatever you practice now in your healthy life, that will be... Just like asleep we dream of the things of our activities, similarly, this death is also a kind of dream. Death is a dream, er, sleep, sleeping. Death is nothing but sleeping for seven months. That's all. Sleeping for seven months, that is called death. Just like, in the operation table, one becomes unconscious for one hour, half an hour. Then he comes to his consciousness. Again he comes to the same point. So similarly, death is nothing but to remain practically unconscious for seven months.
Prabhupāda: Hog is acting differently because he has got a different body. So there are 8,400,000's of different bodies. So mad-bhāva, mad-bhāva means the nature, Kṛṣṇa's nature. You keep your individuality, but you get Kṛṣṇa's nature. And what is Kṛṣṇa's nature? Kṛṣṇa's nature is always blissful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Always joyful. So you get a body of joyful, full of knowledge, and eternal. Not that you become Kṛṣṇa. You get exactly the same bodily constitution as Kṛṣṇa has got. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). As we are, even at the present moment, we are particle Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the whole. We are aṇu, we are small. Similarly, as now we have got this material body, if we pass our life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we get our spiritual body, which is not different from the soul. A clear example: just like a man put into the water is raised from the water and placed in the land. So in the land he is happy. Similarly, because we are spirit soul, we are in a very unfavorable condition of this material world. As soon as we perfect ourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we get into the spiritual platform or body or atmosphere.
Guest: I have one more question. If in taking on a body like Kṛṣṇa we assume a nature like Kṛṣṇa's nature...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: When you say taking on the body of a dog or a cat or a pig or whatever, is this also... Do you mean literally a body like a pig, or do you mean the nature of a pig or dog or cat?
Prabhupāda: No. Here the body and the soul different. The soul is spirit, and the body is matter. But when you attain a body like Kṛṣṇa's, that means that is spiritual body. There is no difference between the soul and the body. Here there is difference between soul and body. But in the spiritual world there is no difference between soul and body.
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "God, when He comes in this material world, He accepts a material body." That is rascaldom. He never accepts material body. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). If God also accepts a material body, then what is the difference between God and ourself? He has nothing material. Everything spiritual. Everything spiritual. Even if He accepts material body, He can act spiritually. That is His power. Because material body, material energy is also His energy.
Just like electric energy. The expert electrician can transform the electric energy into heat or into cold. That is his manipulation. Even if he accepts material energy, He can use it spiritually. That is His power. All-powerful. So we have to understand these things. And these things can be understood only by submissive hearing and cleansing our dirty things within the heart by devotional service. Then we can understand what is the actual nature of Kṛṣṇa or God. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa has repeatedly said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Simply try to understand Me, Kṛṣṇa. The result will be tyaktvā deham..." That is... After giving up this body we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply if you understand Me in truth, then thereafter, no more accepting any material body. You remain in your spiritual body and come to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead."
So here prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva. Although prakṛti is also Kṛṣṇa's nature, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4). He said, apareyam: "This is inferior nature." So apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Another superior nature there is." What is that? Jīva-bhūtaḥ: "this living entity." So we are also prakṛti, and the material nature is also prakṛti. It is inferior prakṛti, and we are superior prakṛti. As we are now under the control of this inferior prakṛti, we can transfer ourself under the control of the superior prakṛti. That superior prakṛti is spiritual world. This material world means it is made of this inferior prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So the laws of nature is working. I am under, completely under the laws of nature. I may declare independence falsely. That doesn't matter. Nature's work will go on. And what is that nature's work? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Nature is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. This material nature is Kṛṣṇa's nature. So material nature is not bad itself. She is also engaged in service of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the police force. Police force, as the department of government, is not bad. It is doing faithfully service to the government. It is bad to me because I am criminal. Otherwise police force as it is, department, is not bad. Do you think that government is maintaining a nonsense bad department? No. It is serving the government. But it is bad for the criminals. Similarly, this māyā, the external energy, the māyā, it is bad for those who are godless, who are rascals. For them, māyā is there. Otherwise, for devotee, there is no influence of māyā.
This is the difference between spiritual life and material lie. Material life means you have to work. You will be forced. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. When analyzing the energy of Kṛṣṇa in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu's energy is parā, superior energy or spiritual energy. Parā. Parā and aparā, you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. When Kṛṣṇa is analyzing, two kinds of nature, parā and aparā, inferior and superior. This is also nature, bhūmih, āpaḥ, analo, vāyuḥ, land, water, fire, air. This is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. Kṛṣṇa says vidhi me prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā. "These eight kinds of material nature, they are My nature, they are My energy. But they apareyam. But this is inferior energy. And there is another, superior nature." "What is that, Sir?" Jīva-bhūta, this living energy. And these rascals, they do not know that there are two natures working—material nature and spiritual nature. The spiritual nature is within the material nature; therefore it is working. Otherwise material nature hs no power to work independently.
Even it is stone you think, but Kṛṣṇa can become visible before you like a stone, because you cannot see beyond stone. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because your eyes or senses are so imperfect that you cannot see Kṛṣṇa present everywhere in His original spiritual... We have got difference between spiritual and material. We have got because we are imperfect. But Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction. Because He is Absolute, He can become spiritual, He can become material, as He likes. That does not make any difference of Kṛṣṇa. Then how Kṛṣṇa is almighty, all-powerful? He can change matter into spirit, spirit into matter. That is Kṛṣṇa. So don't think that, as the atheist class men, they think, that "They are worshiping an idol." Even it is an idol, still Kṛṣṇa. That is absolute. That is absolute nature of Kṛṣṇa. Even you think it is stone, it is metal, it is wood, still, He is Kṛṣṇa.
One has to learn. The first condition is praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta, complete surrender. Praṇipātena. Then paripraśna. Sad-dharma-pṛcchat. First of all, praṇipāta, a full submission, then paripraśna, guided by sevā, service. We have to please the spiritual master, the teacher, by service. This whole bhakti process depends on service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. I have several times explained this verse. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our present material senses are blunt. By these present senses it is not possible to understand the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes. Everything of Kṛṣṇa, they are all divyam, divine. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). So divyam, transcendental subject matter, is not possible to understand by these material blunt senses. Therefore one has to purify it. That is bhakti-mārga. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to purify the senses, and when the senses are purified, then, with that purified senses, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate.
One cannot be bhakti-yogī without jñāna and vairāgya. It is not a sentimental thing; it is based on pure knowledge. What is that pure knowledge? Pure knowledge means "I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Therefore my business is to serve the Supreme Brahman, or Parabrahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna agreed to serve Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāśvataṁ puruṣam: puruṣam (BG 10.12), the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the features of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa factually is the Supreme Person, vekti.(?) That is called jñāna. And without this knowledge, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), by studying all the Vedas and Vedāntas, if one cannot understand what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa, what is actually Kṛṣṇa, then he is not in perfect knowledge. Ajñāna.
So Kṛṣṇa, yadṛcchayaivopagatām abhyapadyata līlayā. Kṛṣṇa is līlā, and our coming here is not līlā. We are forced. We are forced. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Kṛṣṇa's body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa's body is not material. Even if we think it is material, still, it is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Just like one can argue that "Here is Kṛṣṇa's form. It is made of stone. How it is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha?" But if you know the nature of Kṛṣṇa, even He appears as stone, still He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. How? Because the stone is also energy of Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Upaniṣad:
- na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate
- na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate
- parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate...
(Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)
So the stone is also another energy of Kṛṣṇa, another energy of Kṛṣṇa. And Śrī Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can utilize His energy in anyway. He can utilize His energy in any way. Just like an electrician—he knows how to utilize electricity for the refrigerator and the heater, although the heating process is just opposite of the cooling process. We see opposite.
He's the supreme controller, but He is controlled by His devotee, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. He is controlled. So it is not to be easily understood what is the pastimes between... But Kṛṣṇa is willingly agreed to be controlled by His devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa's nature. Just like mother Yaśodā. Mother Yaśodā is controlling Kṛṣṇa, binding Him: "You are very naughty? I will bind you." Mother Yaśodā has a stick, and Kṛṣṇa is crying. Kṛṣṇa is crying. These things you study. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kunti's prayer, how she is appreciating that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme. But when under the stick of mother Yaśodā you are crying, that scene I want to see." So Kṛṣṇa is so bhakta-vatsala that He is the supreme controller. But a devotee like mother Yaśodā, a devotee like Rādhārāṇī, devotees like gopīs, devotees like the cowherds boy, they can control Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana life.
So if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, divyam, divine nature... Simply you understand that Kṛṣṇa is not like us: Kṛṣṇa has no material body, Kṛṣṇa is not unhappy, Kṛṣṇa is always happy—simply a few things, if you become convinced that Kṛṣṇa's nature..., immediately you become eligible to be transferred back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so nice. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, and if you become convinced, "Yes, what Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right..." Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever you have said I accept in total. No reduction, no..." Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "Whatever You have said, I believe. I have taken. I have..." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says something, and I understand something. That you go on with your millions of years; it will never be possible. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa as He says. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. That is real understanding.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
That is the qualification. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa—not thoroughly; at least partial, what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa—then immediately you become liberated. That is, Kṛṣṇa says personally. Naṣṭa prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost. We cannot become perfect in this material world, but to some extent if we become perfect, then our life becomes successful. To some extent. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. These things are there.
So this expansion of energy, that is impersonal. But Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. These foolish people, they do not understand Him. We see daily that the sunshine is so expansive, all over the universe, but it is..., the source of sunshine is the sun globe. That we see. So which is important? The sunshine or the sun globe? That we can see practically. And which is important, the sun globe or the sun-god? We can see every day. So similarly, God the person is important. God person is important. God... Just like the sun-god is important, and because he has his place, residential quarter, in the sun globe—the next important.
General Lectures
All right, accept that he may be the same Rāma and same Kṛṣṇa. But when Kṛṣṇa is there, why should we accept an imitation Kṛṣṇa? Why? Suppose if you go to purchase some medicine in a drug shop and the shopkeeper says, "Here is a medicine, sir, which is equally good, but the price is very cheap. You can take it," and if you are sane man, you will say, "No, no. I don't want it. Give me that original. Why shall I take this? Let it be cheaper, but I don't want it." Similarly, why should we accept so-called incarnation of Kṛṣṇa? We should accept Kṛṣṇa, original Kṛṣṇa. Original Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words are identical. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you are exactly in front of Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna was in front of Kṛṣṇa while Kṛṣṇa was personally speaking. That is transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. Why He has left this instruction? Because if we accept the teachings of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, immediately we are in presence of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the other day I cited the example of the illiterate brāhmaṇa. So that is transcendental way of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Take this formula.
Purports to Songs
So this is the-sit down-original nature of Kṛṣṇa, original nature of Kṛṣṇa. He is Rādhā-Mādhava. He is the lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And kuñja-vihārī, always enjoying the company of the gopīs within the bushes of Vrdavana forest. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī. So He's not only lover of Rādhārāṇī, but braja-jana-vallabha. The whole residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa. They do not know anything else. They do not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God, or not; neither they are very much harassed, that "I shall love Kṛṣṇa if He is God." "He may be God or He may be whatever He is. It doesn't matter, but we love God, Kṛṣṇa." That's all. That is called unnalloyed love. "If Kṛṣṇa is God, then I shall love Him"—this is conditional love. This is not pure love. Kṛṣṇa may be God or whatever He may be, but by His wonderful acts, the Vrajavāsī, they are thinking, "Oh Kṛṣṇa, He is very wonderful child, maybe some demigod. Maybe some demigod." Because people are generally under impression that the demigods are all-powerful. They're powerful within this material world. But they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is above all of them.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is also another mūḍha, but supposing if Kṛṣṇa says that "I am controlling the whole universe." The mūḍha will not believe it. "Huh? How is that? How...? Such a big gigantic prakṛti, and He is a person. He can control?" The mūḍha cannot understand. He cannot understand that how much powerful is Kṛṣṇa.
Dr. Patel: Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ.
Prabhupāda: Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is the all-omniscient nature of Kṛṣṇa.
Dr. Patel: The spiritual power of Kṛṣṇa. No. Paraṁ bhāva? Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ (BG 9.12).
Prabhupāda: Therefore, as soon as these rascals, they get little power, yogic perfection, they think, "I have become God. I have become God."
Dr. Patel: Mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ. (laughing)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Rascal, he thinks that because "I can make like this, little gold, therefore I have become God." The rascal does not think that "I am making, say, two grains or five grains of gold, but one who has made gold mines, millions, so he will be God or I will be God?" The rascal does not think that. And other rascals follow, "Oh, here is God. Here is God. He is creating gold." You see? Therefore mūḍha.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-śoka, mad-bhāva upagamya. Bahu... What is that? I forget now, this... Vīta... Yajña... Pūtā. Mad-bhāvam adhigacchati. Mad-bhāvam means by devotional service one attains the nature of Kṛṣṇa, no more interested with the material distress and material happiness. That does not affect them. That is the... That is also stated in another place of Bhagavad-gītā.
- māṁ cavyabhicāriṇi
- bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
He also becomes brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). Just like if you be in touch with the fire, then you become also warm. The quality of fire is warmth. So if you keep yourself always, constantly in touch with the fire, you also become warm. So this Kṛṣṇa's qualification, that He's not affected by the material happiness and distress, can be attained by anyone who always keeps his association with Kṛṣṇa.
Correspondence
1971 Correspondence
I am very glad that your financial problems are being relieved by Krishna. Krishna's Nature is like that, free from all anxieties, so as we become more and more Krishna Conscious we share that sublime Nature and become relieved. So this is a good sign that you are advancing nicely in pleasing Krishna as He is giving you more and more relief from material problems. Now if you like you may begin incense oil business, I have no objection. But it must be operated very nicely, and not that it should become our big activity. Our big activity is to distribute books and KC Movement in general. But if there is need for money and you can run this business without interfering in our routine work, then I have no objection. You may get good advice from Karandhara and others who have become expert in incense business.
1974 Correspondence
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: | Nature of Krsna |
| Compiler: | Matea, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 06 of Jul, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=0, CC=3, OB=3, Lec=32, Con=2, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 43 |