Not God (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"not god" |"not the Supreme Personality of Godhead" |"not the Supreme" |"not the supreme enjoyer" |"so-called bhagavan"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

You are trying to float imitation planets. So this tendency of controlling or creating is there because partially we have got that controlling tendency. But we should know that this tendency is not sufficient. We have the tendency of controlling over the material nature, lording it over the material nature, but we are not the supreme controller. So that thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Then what is this material nature? The nature is also explained. The nature, material nature, is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā as inferior, inferior prakṛti. Inferior prakṛti, and the living entities are explained as the superior prakṛti. Prakṛti means which is controlled, which is under... Prakṛti, real meaning of prakṛti is a woman or a female. Just like a husband controls the activities of his wife, similarly, the prakṛti is also subordinate, predominated. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the predominator, and this prakṛti, both the living entities and the material nature, they are different prakṛtis, or predominated, controlled by the Supreme.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

They are all the same, Vaiṣṇava. Now all these two groups, following the Vedic principles, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far India's authoritative persons are concerned, there is no two opinions, that Kṛṣṇa is not God. Both of them accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality. So far we are concerned, Vaiṣṇavas, we accept. There is no doubt about it. There are four different parties of Vaiṣṇavas. All of them accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are eight commentaries on the very authoritative, very large commentaries on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of these Vaiṣṇavas, and all of them accept Kṛṣṇa. So far the other party is concerned, the impersonalists led by Śaṅkarācārya, a great stalwart scholar, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa: "The concept of Personality of Godhead, here is Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Anyone who is engaged in His service with love and affection, teṣām, not all, not all... Because not all, not everyone wants to serve Him. Everyone wants to become God, imitator. Imitation. Therefore they say, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be alone God? I am God." You are God. That's all right. But you are not the Supreme God. Why you forget that? You may be a God at home of your wife, but when you go to your office, you are not god; your master is god. He directs you to do something; you have to do it.

So we may claim that "Every one of us, we are God," but nobody can claim that "We are supreme; I am Supreme God." That is not possible. That can, Kṛṣṇa can claim only. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior personality than Me." And He proved it. So God cannot be manufactured. God is God. Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old on the lap of His mother, still, He was God. He could kill the Pūtanā.

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

There is no difficulty. Simply one must be sincere, not sinful. But a sinful man cannot understand Him. The sinful man, he will say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is also man. I am also man. Why I am not God? He is simply God? No, I am also. I am God. You are God, you are God, every God." Just like Vivekananda said, "Why you are searching after God? Don't you see so many gods are loitering in the street?" You see. This is his God realization. This is his God realization. And he became a big man: "Oh, he is seeing everyone God."

This foolishness, this rascaldom, is going on all over the world. One does not know what is God, what is power of God, what is meant by God. They are accepting some rascal as God. As nowadays, that is going on. Another rascal has come. He is also declaring himself God. So it has become very cheap thing. But they have no brain to think that "I am claiming God; what power I have got?"

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So this is misuse. So when we understand that we are misusing this machine improperly, that is called pure machine. That is called pure understanding, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). "I am not American. I am not Indian. I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not kṣatriya. I am not human being." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Not the Supreme Brahman, but part and parcel of Brahman. Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Parabrahman. He is addressed as Parabrahman. So we are part and parcel of Brahman. Therefore we are Brahman. So we have to realize this position. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." I am not this machine. I am put into this machine, but because the machine is gotten either from America or from India or from heaven or from hell, I am designating this machine as American machine or Indian machine. Actually this machine belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the definition of bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). This is bhakti.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Simply if you chant... Why do you not make an experiment and see by chanting? That is our request. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One may object, "Why shall I chant your Hindu Kṛṣṇa's name?" So we don't say that Kṛṣṇa, or God. God has got many names. That we admit. It is not... God is unlimited. Therefore, He must have unlimited names. But this Kṛṣṇa word is very perfect because it means all-attractive. You can discuss, "God is great." That's all right. How He's great? That is another understanding. So if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu God, why shall I chant this?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." If you have got a name, another alternative name of God, then you chant that. Our only request is that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any name of God, you can chant. You'll be purified. That is our propaganda.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Revatīnandana: Yes? (question is asked) He wants to know more about those who are asleep and those who are awake in our eyes. What is a sleeper and who is awake?

Prabhupāda: One who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious, he's sleeping.

Revatīnandana: (to guest:) He said that one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, not God conscious, he is sleeping. His real life is asleep. So being awake in the true sense is to know my relation with God. That is true life, eternal life. Yes?

Prabhupāda: The Vedic injunction is uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata, that "You wake up. You have got this chance of human form of body. You take advantage of it." These are the Vedic instructions. Uttiṣṭhata, "Get up, be awake." Jāgrata, "Be awakened to understand your identity." Therefore one who is not trying to understand his identity, spiritual identity, he's sleeping.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Prabhupāda: You are not God, you are dog. Just the opposite. Do you know what is God?

Man: According to you, we are all parts of God in either language.

Prabhupāda: How you are God? God is the controller. Are you controller? You are controlled. Therefore the controlled cannot be God. God means controller. Anyone who is controlled, he cannot be God. Anyone who... If one is controller, then he is God.

Man: Yes, but I am also part of this controller.

Prabhupāda: Therefore, you are not absolutely controller. You are both controlled and controller. That everyone is. Just like you are controller in your family, but you are controlled in the office. Similarly, everyone is dualistic. He's controller and controlled. But if you find somebody that He's only controller, not controlled, that is God.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Therefore, nobody is absolutely controller. He's controlled by the laws of nature. How he's absolutely controller? You are controlled by death, you're controlled by birth, you're controlled by disease, you're controlled by old age. How you became controller? So therefore you are not God!

Revatīnandana: All right. (applause) So if you have further discussion, you can discuss further later. After the program, we'll be all around to talk with you. For now, any more questions, it becomes difficult to follow. If there's any more questions, we'll take them after the next, this chant now. So just like my spiritual master is inviting that if you want to further understand this philosophy, you can discuss with us, and we have got many volumes of books. But you may not be very philosophically inclined. But anyone can experience Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness just by chanting this simple mantra with the names of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And now, for concluding the formal part of the program, we're going to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and invite you all to join in and experience Kṛṣṇa in the form of His name, this transcendental sound. Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with us, and then afterward, if there are more questions or you want to see our literature, we have so many books, we can do that.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

No degrees. Now suppose, suppose, take for example the sun. The chief, chief living entity or the chief man, or chief living being in the sun planet. Now his position and my position, there is vast difference. He has, he is maintaining such a planet and he is situated there as the chief man or the chief living being. So his degree of power is far, far greater than the degree of power here like President Johnson or something else. You see? So that degree of power does not make him that he's God. He's not God. He's also servant of God. Anyone, even Brahmā, anyone. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). That the individual living entities, there are so many, multi, but all of them, they are servant of the Lord. There may be, their position may be upper or lower in different degrees, but that does not make them equal with the Lord. The Lord is different. That is also mentioned in the Patañjali yoga system. Lord is Supreme. He's the great. He's the greatest. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is equal with Him and nobody is greater than Him. That means nobody's equal with Him, nobody's greater than Him, everybody is lower than Him. So is that question solved?

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

There, they..., they have been analyzed. All the demigods and living entities, they have been analyzed by great stalwart people, and it has been found that Kṛṣṇa is cent percent God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). All others... There are many other gods. Then gods means not the Supreme God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We are speaking of the paramaḥ īśvaraḥ, or Parameśvara. There are two words: īśvara, parameśvara; ātmā, paramātmā. That param is God. We are Brahman; Parabrahman. So Parabrahman, Paramātmā, Parameśvara, all these are applicable to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he admitted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). That is the position of Kṛṣṇa. Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Kṛṣṇa also says, in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Devānām, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara...

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We cannot become Kṛṣṇa. We are eternally Kṛṣṇa's servitors, part and parcel. This is real conclusion, qualitatively one. Just like this finger, you can call it body, but it is part and parcel of the body. Similarly, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, you may call "God," but he's not the Supreme God. Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So anāśinaḥ aprameyasya. Anāśinaḥ, it cannot be destroyed. Although it is very minute, aprameyasya, you cannot measure. You have no such measuring method, that you can measure the soul's breadth and..., length and breadth. In geometry, they finish it: "(A) Point has no length and breadth," but that is not the fact. A point has also length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Aprameya. Similarly, there is length and breadth of the soul also.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

Can you deny it? That is the thing. You are in the sunshine. The sunshine is not different from the sun. But still, it is not the sun. This is the philosophy, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. The sunshine is not different from the sun, but still, it is different. Similarly, the whole manifested, the cosmic manifestation is God, but still He is..., it is not God. This is, therefore it is called inconceivable, acintya. With our teeny brain, we cannot accommodate how it is one and different. Therefore it is called acintya. Acintya-bhedābheda: different and separate, simultaneously. Everything. Idaṁ hi viśvo bhagavān ivetaraḥ. The whole world is Bhagavān, but it appears different from Bhagavān. So how? To a mahā-bhāgavata, who understands actually what is Bhagavān, he does not see any difference. Because he, everywhere he sees his worshipable Deity, Kṛṣṇa. He does not see anything. I am seeing a tree, but a devotee is seeing tree: "Oh, it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa." Immediately he remembers Kṛṣṇa and worships Him.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

Because our paper's name was Back to Godhead. So he was indirectly protesting, that What is the use of propagating this philosophy of Godhead if we act nicely? The Arya-samajists view... They are called... There is a English name, what is called? I forget now. Moralists. The technical name there is. Anyway, this is their point of view, how to avoid God. So I replied that if one is not God conscious, he cannot be moralist, he cannot be truthful, he cannot be honest. This is our point of view. You study the whole world only on these three points, morality, honest, and dutiful. So many nice things are there. But if he's not God conscious, he cannot continue such thing. He must fail. Even the, there are so many instances, even amongst the devotees, because this material world is made so that you cannot continue this principle perpetually. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. Because the three modes of material nature is working, even if you are on the platform of goodness, the other modes of material nature will try to attack you. And your goodness, morality, honesty, these things will be polluted by the onslaught of the other two inferior modes of nature.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

Meat-eating is sinful. Why? What is the sin there? Illicit sex, what is the wrong there? Intoxication, what is wrong there? They do not find any immorality. So this standard of morality, there cannot be fixed up if one is not God conscious. There cannot be. Standard of morality, standard of goodness, cannot be. That is the decision of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They think that animal has no soul. They do not accept this morality that animal cannot be killed, it is sinful, it is immoral. They have created their own theory. So without being standardized by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, you cannot find the standard platform of morality, honesty. These things you cannot find. This is not possible. Therefore, the verdict of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Just like if you do not follow a standard law, how you can fix up "This is morality" or "This is honesty or dishonesty." There must be standard law. And who can give you the law unless he is the greatest authority? So law changes according to different countries, climate, situation. So man-made law cannot give you standard morality, honesty or... It is not possible. Because one will think "This is morality," another will think, "No, this is not morality." Same thing. Keep to the left, keep to the right.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Lord Śiva is a demigod, but he is higher than all other demigods. He's higher than Lord Brahmā also. But he's not the Supreme Lord. Just like there are different gradations. That is not difficult to understand. In society also, there are different gradations. Similarly, the living entities, there are different gradations. So all the living entities, they are, some of them are situated in higher planets, some of them are situated in lower planets, some of them are situated in high-grade life, in low-grade life. So the demigods are also, they are living entities, but they are enjoying better standard of life due to their acts of piety. But Lord Śiva is not amongst the living entities. He's above the living entities but he is counted as one of the demigods. But his position is better than Lord Brahmā even. Brahmā is to be the highest living entity within the universe, and Lord Śiva's position is higher than Lord Brahmā.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the wordings in the Vedas. So He is the supreme leader. We are following some leader. Some leader is following Stalin, somebody Hitler, some leader is following Gandhi, somebody's following somebody, somebody. There must be some leader. But why not the supreme leader, who will never misguide you? He will give you actual path of happiness. Then you will become happy.

Kṛṣṇa therefore said, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You give up all nonsense leadership. Simply come unto Me, surrender unto Me. I'll give you protection." That is wanted. Yes. Therefore we are following leader. There is no doubt about it. But there is misleader. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31).

Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What is the use of such following leaders? He is blind and I am blind.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

And those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization, they are called gods.

There are two classes of men, demon and god. Those who are engaged in God consciousness they are not God but godly. And those who are not... Because this human life is meant for this purpose. Forgetting our father, forgetting our God, we are criminal within this material world. Therefore our only business is how to get out of this prison house and go back to home, back to Godhead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to liberate these foolish persons who are entangled in this material world and changing one body after another, sometimes very happy and sometimes very distressed. This is going on.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām: "My dear father, or the best of the demons, you are asking me, so I say, I have learned this. What is that? That these people who are always full of anxiety," asad-grahāt, "because they have accepted this material world," tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5), "these persons, either in human being or animal or bird and beasts—full of anxieties."

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

We are all living entities and we are, everyone, conscious, but our consciousness is limited. We should not falsely claim that "I am the supreme consciousness."

That is another mistake. I am not the supreme consciousness. Supreme consciousness means that... Just like with my consciousness I can feel what is happening in my body, but with my consciousness I cannot feel what is going on in your body, similarly, you also cannot feel what is going on in my body. But the supreme consciousness is that which can know what is going on in your body, which is going on in my body, which is going on universally, everyone's body; He is, He knows. That is supreme consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Yes. They cannot be. Nobody can be equal with God. God's another name is asamaurdhva. Sanskrit name is. Asama means nobody is equal with God, and ūrdhva, nobody is greater than Him. That means everybody is lower than Him. One may be very great in the estimation of our knowledge, but nobody can be equal with God. God is great. That is the real version, "God is great." And nobody can be greater. Then he is not God. If somebody becomes greater than God, then what kind of God He is? God is great. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God, but I have forgotten myself, that I am God." So how God can forget? Here it is the evidence. How God can forget? If you forget, then you are not God, immediately. There is no other argument. God cannot forget. God remembers always. Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible. God cannot be entrapped by māyā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God. Now I am under illusion of māyā. I have forgotten myself, that I am God, and by meditation I shall become God." This is all nonsense. Nobody... God cannot forget Himself. Then He is not God, immediately. God cannot forget Himself. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

What is Kṛṣṇa's mind, that is Kṛṣṇa's soul. Or what is Kṛṣṇa's soul, that is Kṛṣṇa's body, that is Kṛṣṇa. Avyayātmā. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ. He's not ordinary living being. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. That is the difference. He's īśvaraḥ. We are not īśvaraḥ. We may be īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. But that, we are not the supreme īśvara. The supreme īśvara is called Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We are not supreme īśvara.

The so-called incarnations of God, they declare that "I am God." But... He may be God. God means a subordinate god. Not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. God means controller. You have, you may have some controlling power, admitted, but you are not Supreme Controller. The Supreme Controller is Īśvara. Therefore here Kṛṣṇa... Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi. Īśvaraḥ. All bhūtas... Bhūtānām means all living entities, or everything which has appeared within this material world. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

"I am Brahman, I am not matter. I am not matter, I am spirit soul." But even at this stage, that "I am Brahman," there is action of māyā. What is that action of māyā? By realizing himself, "I am Brahman," he is thinking that "I am the Supreme Brahman." That means he's still in ignorance. Still in ignorance. He's not the Supreme Brahman.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā, it is explaining very nicely, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). First thing is when you are actually Brahman realized, or you have realized your identification that you are not matter, you are spirit, the first symptom is prasannātmā, you become immediately joyful, without any anxiety. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no lamentation, there is no hankering.

Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, and seeing every living entity on equal level because he has spiritual vision. He does not see the body, he sees the spirit.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

"Now I've realized that I am not this body, I am not matter, I am spirit soul, so now I have become Nārāyaṇa. I have become the Supreme." But no, that is also mistake. When you realize that "Supreme is the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, I am part and parcel of the Supreme, I am also Brahman, but I am not the Supreme Brahman, therefore my business is to serve Parabrahman." That is real spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Parā bhakti. Parā-bhakti, that is real spiritual life. Parā aparā, aparā bhakti means on the material platform. Generally, the Deity worship. This is the beginning, but as you go on worshiping the Deity you realize your spiritual identity. Then you do not see the Deity as made of stone or wood. You see directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you can talk, you can receive an inspiration. This is the beginning.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

Here the second line of this verse is very important. It is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ: "All human being is searching after Me." As we have explained yesterday, Kṛṣṇa means sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), the transcendental form of eternity, knowledge and blissfulness. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the summarized philosophy of Vedic knowledge, it is said, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "The spirit soul by nature is jubilant." So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is supreme living being, and we are also living being, but we are not the Supreme. Try to find out this difference. But both of us, we are of the same quality. That means jubilant. So our present position being materially contacted... Just like a man in his healthy condition, he is happy, but in his diseased condition he is not happy, similarly, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme, we are naturally jubilant, but on account of being contacted in material nature, we are morose.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Now, I accept some particular class of leader because I belong to that status of ideas. So therefore you know that in the Vedic literature there are names of many demigods. Sometimes the Hindus are criticized that "Hindus have got many gods." But they are not the Supreme God. If somebody is a serious student of Upaniṣads, they will find that the demigods described, they are all, I mean to say, servants of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. But here it is said, kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim.

Sometimes we want something immediately by worshiping these demigods. Just like it is mentioned that if one wants to be free from diseases, he has to worship the sun-god. If one has to become very beautiful or he wants a beautiful wife, then he has to worship Umā. Similarly, there are different gods named in the Vedic literatures, and they become successful. That is not unreal. By worshiping those different demigods for particular purpose, they become successful. That is a fact.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is the most explicit explanation of God. If God can have any name, the "Kṛṣṇa" name is the most perfect name, because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. I have explained many times. Unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? If God is attractive for a certain limited person or limited area, then he is not God. Then you will say, "Our God, your God, his God, that God." But if Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, that is real God. And that is Kṛṣṇa. That is being proved. Now Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive all over the world. Otherwise, how in America, in Russia, in China, in Europe, all countries?

Recently I have got several literatures printed in Swedish language. We are printing Kṛṣṇa literature almost in all languages of Europe, in English language, in Spanish language, in French language, in Swedish language, in Dutch language and German language, and then Italian language, we are publishing, and it is being sold like hotcakes, anything.

Lecture on BG 4.25 -- Bombay, April 14, 1974:

This is also gradual evolutionary. People in the most lowest stage of humanity, they are struck with wonder by the power. As soon as there is some electricity, they feel some power. So when there are power worshipers... The modern scientists, they are power worshiper. They have gone up to the sun-god. Not god, the sun globe. The power is received from the sunshine. So this is one stage, power. In this way, one after another, when one comes to the supreme powerful, Viṣṇu, because that is the ultimate powerful...

So this is one type of yajña, understanding the supreme power. Just like I was talking a few minutes before, the power. But power is not ultimate. Ultimate is the conductor of power, or the powerful. Just like electricity. Electricity is power, but it is generated from the powerhouse. People generally understand that electricity is coming from the powerhouse. But the powerhouse is maintained by the resident engineer, a person. That is real understanding. Or just like this airplane is flying in the sky. A child may see what a wonderful machine is flying in the sky. He does know the importance of the pilot. The big gigantic airship can fly in the sky so long the powerful, or one who knows how to conduct the power, pushing the button.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

That, you may question, "Then if He is so powerful, wise and cognizant, He must have learned it from similar..." No. We say that if he learns knowledge from somebody else, then he is not God. Svarāṭ. Automatically. He's self-independent. This is jñāna-yoga. The study what is the nature by just analyze what should be the nature of the supreme from whom everything is emanating. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga combined. Jñāna-yoga process means to search out the Absolute Truth or to understand the nature of the Absolute Truth by philosophical way. And this is called jñāna-yoga. And our is bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means, the process is the same, target is the same. One is trying to reach the supreme ultimate goal by philosophical way, one is trying to concentrate his mind on the supreme and the other, the bhaktas, they are simply engaging themselves to serve the Supreme Lord so He reveals. One process is to understand by the ascending process. And another process is the descending process. Just like in darkness, if you try to understand what is sun by ascending process, by flying your very powerful airplane or sputniks, just go round over the sky, you cannot see. But the descending process, when the sun rises, you understand immediately.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

The sun is one, but if there are millions of waterpots you'll find in each pot the sun is reflected. Similarly there may be innumerable living entities. There is no count. Jīvasya asaṅkhya. In the Vedic language it is said that living entities, there is no count. Innumerable. So similarly Viṣṇu is, if a material thing like sun can be reflected in each and every waterpot, so why not the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu live in each and everyone's heart. It is not difficult to understand. He's living. That is stated. And the yogi has to concentrate his mind on that Viṣṇu form. So this Viṣṇu form is plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa.

So one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's already a perfect yogi. That will be explained. He's a perfect yogi. That we'll explain in the last verse of this chapter. Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Then? Śravaṇam is the first important part. That is the... If one simply hears, simply by hearing sincerely, seriously, he becomes perfect. It is so nice. If simply people come here and simply hear Bhagavad-gītā and try to understand it, he becomes perfect. But they will not come. As soon as they will hear, "Oh, Swamiji is preaching that I am not God. God is different," "Oh, don't come here." Finish. I have to flatter him that "You are God." Then he will come. His hearing is disturbed because there is no flattering words. But if he sticks to hearing only, he becomes perfect. But māyā will not allow him to hear: "Oh, please vacate out. Don't come here." Even our students. They remain here for some time, go away. Māyā dictates, "Oh, why you are spoiling your time?" But the process is very simple, hearing. But māyā will not allow him to accept this simple process.

So one has to become very strong. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). One who determines, "Yes, I will hear of Kṛṣṇa, nothing," then māyā cannot do anything. Man has defeated. If simply one decides that "I simply hearing..., simply I will hear of Kṛṣṇa and nothing more," then he defeats the māyā, simply by determination, that's all. Yes. Next.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

That is our request. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is the process for increasing your attachment for God and Kṛṣṇa. And as you increase your love... That is our real constitutional position, to love God. We are loving also, in this fallen state, but not God, all non-God or some pseudo God. But when we come to the real stage of loving God, then at that time our life becomes perfect, and it is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). When you develop your love of God, Kṛṣṇa, then you see God every moment, every step. Santaḥ sadaiva. Sadaiva means always. If you say, "Can you show me God?" there is no need of showing God. You qualify yourself, and God will be visible in every step of your life. Then your life will be successful.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

In this way, you go on searching, greater, greater, greater, greater, and when you come to a person, nobody is greater than him, that is God. Nowadays, it has become a fashions, so many gods. Especially, they come to your country, Western country. But God cannot be plural number. God is always singular number, one. If God is plural number, then that is not God. That plural-number God may be the living entities. We are living entities, and God is also living entity, but the supreme living entity. That is the difference. It is Vedic statement.

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām

eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)

Description of God. He's nitya. Nitya means eternal. And we living entities, we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We, at the present moment, in the material condition, we are changing body. That change of body is called death. Actually, the living entity within the body, he has no death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. This description we have got in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

"O Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." Parabrahman. The word... There are two words: Parabrahman and Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that does not mean ahaṁ parabrahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am also spirit soul, but not the Supreme. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. I am also īśvara. Īśvara means controller. You are also īśvara. Just like in this school, the teacher is īśvara in his class. He is controlling some students. I am controlling my disciples. I am also īśvara. So everyone can be īśvara. There is no... Everyone can be god. But we are using the word "Godhead." Just like there are some clerks and there is head clerk, similarly, we are all gods. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they say, "Everyone is God." That's all right. But you are not the head God. Head, there... If there is god, there are so many gods, there must be one head God. That is our natural experience. Anywhere you go, there are so many people, but there is some leader, head. I had some talks with one Russian professor, Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. So we had very long talks. At last I asked him, "Mr. Kotovsky..." I forget to..., "comrade." (laughter). But I said, "mister."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

Now, Kṛṣṇa is there. We have got Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's photo, Kṛṣṇa's temple, so many Kṛṣṇa's. They are not fictitious. They are not imagination, as the Māyāvādī philosopher thinks, that "You can imagine in your mind." No. God cannot be imagined. That is another foolishness. How you can imagine God? Then God become subject matter of your imagination. He is no substance. That is not God. What is imagined, that is not God. God is present before you, Kṛṣṇa. He comes here on this planet. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, sambhavāmi yuge yuge. So those who have seen God, you take information from them.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

We simply try to understand that God is very great. That's fact. But how great He is, that has to be known. That is called knowledge of God. Now we cannot think of that one person can become the proprietor of all the riches and wealth of the world. But unless we accept it, he is not God.

So this understanding of God requires a process, how to understand. The main process is that we cannot speculate about God. That is not possible. If we want to know God by speculation, there may be difference of opinion. I may say, "God is like this." You may say, "God is like this." Then difference of opinion. Therefore best thing is to know God from God. That is required. Let God speak Himself about Himself. That is perfect. If you simply conjecture, guess, that "Swamiji may be like this," another may say "Like this, like that." But if I say unto you, "I am like this," that is perfect.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Not that simply Indians or Hindus are interested. Any scholar, any philosopher, throughout the whole world. Any religionist, any scientist. Even Professor Einstein, he was interested in Bhagavad-gītā. He was reading it daily. So wise man means one who understands Kṛṣṇa. So our formula is if one is not God conscious, or Kṛṣṇa conscious, we immediately reject him. We immediately accept that he has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One cannot be qualified unless he is God conscious. His all qualities immediately become rejected. "Why? He has passed M.A., Ph.D. and D.A.C., and he's honored..." That's all right, but in spite of all his education, he will create simply havoc in the world. That's all. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Because he is hovering over the mental plane, he'll simply create havoc. His education will be utilized for his sense gratification, and he will not care for anything. Just like great scientists have discovered the atom bomb, by scientific research. What is the effect? Now by one drop you can kill many millions of people.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Yes. Not God desires. God sanctions. Don't say like that. Desire is yours, but sanction is God's. Just like you want to do some business. You must take sanction from the government. You take license. You cannot do out of your own will. Similarly, you can desire and propose, "God, I want to do this," and God will sanction. So those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they want. "I want this. I want this. I want this. I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Take this." But Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all this nonsense," that we do not take. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam: (BG 18.66) "Simply take Me." But that we do not do. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "Please let me do this." "All right, do it." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa inquires from Arjuna after teaching him Bhagavad-gītā, "Now I have spoken to you everything. What you want to do, you can do." That is Kṛṣṇa's proposal. Kṛṣṇa says that best thing is that you simply take to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity, liberty, that whatever you do, whatever you like, you can do. Now it is your choice. Just like father, (and) grown-up son. He says, "My dear boy, you do like this. That is my opinion." But when the son says, "No. I shall do like this."

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning of this chapter that jñānaṁ me. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). It is a great science. It is not a speculative; it is not imagination. Just like sometimes they create imagined God. The impersonalists, they think there is no God. "God is not personal, but is impersonal. So you can imagine any form." That is rascaldom. That is not Kṛṣṇa; that is not God. How, with your limited senses, imperfect senses, you can imagine God? Whatever you imagine, that is rascaldom, that is not Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). You cannot understand by your so-called scholarship, imaginative power. That is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). Again that tattvam. "One who has achieved a little favor of You, he can understand you by tattvata, in truth."

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

One who has complete, in possession, all wealth, aiśvarya, samagrasya, all, samagrasya... So that is the one of the items of becoming Bhagavān. Nowadays there are so many bhagavāns, so-called bhagavān, but this is the first step, aiśvaryasya samagrasya, whether you possess all the wealth. Who can say so? There are... A person, he is living by begging, and he's claiming to become Bhagavān. So that is not the definition of Bhagavān. Bhagavān must possess all the wealth. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of the all the planetary systems, all the lokas, all the universes." Actually that is the fact. So one who is begging for his livelihood, he is claiming, "I am Bhagavān." Just see.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

"Kṛṣṇa." Because "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. God cannot be attractive for certain person. God cannot be Christian God or a Hindu God or Muslim God. God is equally attractive for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha. That is real God. And if Hindu has manufactured some God, Christian has manufactured some God, that may be God partially, but not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Parama means supreme. God... You are also god, I am also god, and every one of us, god. Why? God means controller. So controller, every one of us is a controller to certain extent, not the complete controller. But Kṛṣṇa means the complete controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Controller... You may be controller; I may be controller; he may be controller; but not controller like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can control all other controllers. Therefore He is called supreme controller, Parameśvara, Paramātmā, Parabrahman.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Brahman is not supreme. Then Kṛṣṇa would have said not... "Brahman is the Supreme." But He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Brahman is the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahman is not the supreme cause. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman is existing on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa has the right to say, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no more superior cause." And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā also says, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So it is not that Kṛṣṇa is saying only. It is accepted by the supreme Vedic authority, Lord Brahmā.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

So there are different kinds of... Therefore sometimes it is misunderstood that "The Hindus have many, many gods, not one God, and they are heathens." But actually this worship is to the God, but there are demigods, demigods. They are worshiped. They're not God—God is one—but they are demigods. Demigods means that they are also living entities just like you and me, but they have got some power. Just like here also we worship some demigods, some government officer. He's also man like me, but he has got some power, and in order to take some advantages of the power, I worship him. I want his favor. Similarly, these kinds of worship of different kinds of gods, the Bhagavad-gītā condemns them. They're not required. The Lord says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). One person does not surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they worship different kinds of gods. Why? Now, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ: "They have lost their sense out of lust, material lust." That's all. Because our life, this material life, is simply based on lust. We want to enjoy this world. We love this material world because I want to satisfy my senses. So this lust is the perverted reflection of my love of God. In my original constitution, I am made to love God, but because I have forgotten God, therefore I love matter. Love is there. Love is there.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

This is nature. This is nature." Oh, nature is not my father's servant. There is nature's father also, nature's master also. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Oh, there is rules. There are rules and regulations of conducting this nature's way.

So these demigods, they are some powerful officers. That's all. But they are not God. God is one. You can become... If you become so powerful, qualified, then you can become the, I mean to say, director of the sun planet. You can become the director of moon planet. There are innumerable, thousands and millions of planets, and they are... Just like here also, you select one president to control your country, or any other country, or one becomes the controller of the whole earth, similarly, there are different controllers. They are called demigods.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

A Supreme cannot be under the subordinate, subordination of anything else. If something is under subordination, he cannot be Supreme. He cannot be Supreme. That is their argument.

Therefore the Brahman who comes under the clutches of this material māyā, er, energy, that Brahman is not the Supreme Brahman, and that is accepted in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "There are eternal, but out of the eternals, there is one supreme eternal." Nityaḥ. Nityaḥ means singular number, and nityānām means plural number. So plural number, we are plural number. Nityo nityānām, cetana. Cetana means living. I am also living. God is also living. He is also a living being like us, but He, His distinction is like this: eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That eka, that singular number Brahman, He maintains all these plural number Brahmans." Therefore, this plural number Brahman, this jīvātmā, these living entities, they are supported by the Supreme Brahman, Bhagavān. Just like government and citizens. Now, together that is a nation, but government supports the citizens.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Therefore sometimes it is said in the Vedic literature: formless. Formless means the form which you can conceive at the present moment, God hasn't got that form. But when He descends like you and me, that is His mercy. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He comes just to..., being visible to our eyes. Just like this picture. This picture is not... It is not to be taken that He's not God, He is picture. The picture of God is also God. Picture of Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. The sound, name Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa. But just to give us facility to understand... You do not think that this picture of Kṛṣṇa is painted by some artist's imagination. No. It is not imagination. There is description in the scripture what is the form of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

In some of the planets the God is manifested in two hands; and some of the planets, the God is manifested in four hands. And the living entities, they are also of the same feature. The inhabitants or citizens, they are also of the four hands. And one cannot distinguish who is God and who is not God. This is called sārūpya-mukti, liberation of the same feature.

There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya-mukti is to merge into the impersonal effulgence of God. That is called sāyujya-mukti. If you like, you can merge your identity with the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, which is called Brahman, brahmajyoti. That you can do. But that is not very palatable. That we have discussed many times. But others... There are two schools of philosophers. One likes to merge into the existence of the Supreme and close his identity, individual identity—no more individuality. That you can do. You close your identity. But that sort of merging is risky also. That we have several times discussed.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

So that is one of the qualification to understand God, not to become envious. But our enviousness is beginning from God. As soon as we present Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many persons will protest, "Why Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Why not? First of all answer why not. if you think Kṛṣṇa is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you present who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Either you do not know or you cannot present. If you do not know who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then take it from me, Kṛṣṇa. And if you know, then you present more than, more efficient, more expert, more powerful, more rich than Kṛṣṇa. This is practically a challenge. So actually it has been challenged, and it has been scrutinizingly examined, and the verdict is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādir govindaḥ... (Bs. 5.1)

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Prabhupāda: That you say. What is that name? You say me.

Guest (3): The point is that I would like to suggest...

Prabhupāda: No, no suggestion. God names cannot be suggested. Then He is not God. God's name cannot be suggested. Then He's not God. You cannot suggest God's name.

Guest (3): Well, then you make God into a person called Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: God is person. I have already said. It is described in the dictionary, "the Supreme Being." You are being, I am being, but He is the Supreme Being. You are not Supreme; I am not Supreme.

Guest (3): One Supreme Being, just one.

Prabhupāda: Yes, one. Supreme means one. Otherwise there is no meaning of Supreme.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Every one of us, somehow or other, we are īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. So we have got some controlling capacity, according to our capacity, but we are not the supreme controller. That is not possible. Supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. You may be controller, I am controller, but above me there is another controller. Above him there is another controller. But above him there is another controller. In this way, within this material world, the supreme controller is Brahmā, within this material world, not beyond this material world. Only on the..., on this universe, in each and every universe, there are many Brahmās, many Rudras, and many other demigods—many suns, many moons, many, many, millions.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

This is material conception. God is always separate from His energy. That is distinctly said here: mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Everything is emanation of God's energy, but still God is not there. If you worship the energy of God, that is not God-worshiping. Indirectly it is, but directly it is not. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. The kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya devatāḥ: they are energies of Kṛṣṇa. But there is no need..., if you approach directly to the energetic, the energy is automatically touched and worshiped. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Just like if you pour water in the root. Root is the cause of the tree. So the tree, the, I mean, the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, everything, they are also expansion of the root. So if you water on the root, the service expands to other parts of the root.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

And that expansion, that impersonal expansion, avyakta, not manifested... You cannot see God in person in this expansion. Therefore sometimes we foolishly say that "Can you show me God?" God is there. You have to make your eyes to see. Just like God is here in the temple but somebody is thinking that "This is not God. This is a statue or an idol. They are worshiping idol." Supposing it is idol, but if God is everywhere, why He is not in the idol? What is the argument? If God is everywhere, then why He is not idol? God has the power. And actually this is not idol. This is God's energy. The same example: The sunshine is everywhere, so originally sunshine is the cause of everything.

Similarly, God's effulgence is the cause of material things also. That is explained in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The five elements... (break) ...have been summarized into three: external energy, internal energy, and marginal energy.

Lecture on BG 9.4-7 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

Because he is expanding energy in various ways, he does not become imperson. So if a ordinary man in this world, he can expand his energy in various ways and at the same time, he can remain a person, why not the Supreme Personality of Godhead? So that, that impersonal feature of the Lord is His energy. But the Lord Himself is a person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Just, just like we are persons, so He is also person. But He is the Supreme Person. We are all dependent person. That is the difference. He's the Supreme Person.

The Lord says again that na ca mat-sthāni, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram. Now, you can say, "Oh, Lord, He may be overburdened because He is bearing so many..." Just like, with our material conception... Just we see... We have seen the picture of Atlas: one stout man is bearing a big planet on his head. So we may think, "Oh, Lord is bearing so many big, huge planets on His shoulder. He must be troubled." No. The Lord says, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram: "Although they are in My energy, still they are not in Me."

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

The same example. Just like when we say everything is resting on the sunshine, that does not mean everything is in the sun but the sunshine is not different from the sun. Therefore you can say that, expanded form, everything is resting on the sun. Try to understand this analogy. So nothing can exist without God, nothing is except God, but still, everything is not God. That has to be understood. This is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. So the conclusion is, the Māyāvādī philosophy, impersonalists, they say that if God has expanded in everything there is no particular personal existence of God. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. But that is not the fact. Fact is that although God is personal, He is person. Just like you are person, I am person, He is person, but He is the Supreme Person. And everything is expanded by His energy. In another place, in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, it is explained very nicely that parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We have necessities of life, but who is supplying the necessities of life? That eka, that one person, eka. So it is a great science, to understand God. It is not an ordinary thing simply by speculation or by so-called meditation you become God. God is God always. You cannot become God if you are not God. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was God when He was three months old on the lap of His mother. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was four months old. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was seven years old. Now we are chanting, jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-ballabha giri-bara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa was gopī-jana-ballabha. He was always meant for pleasing the gopīs, but that does not mean that he was not God. Giri-bara-dhārī. When gopīs were in danger, incessant rain in Vṛndāvana, He immediately lifted the whole Govardhana Parvata. Immediately showed: "Here is, I am. I am God. I can give you protection." Giri-bara-dhārī. One side, gopī-jana-ballabha, just like ordinary boy He is pleasing the gopīs by His joking behavior, but that does not mean He is not God. So one imitates the joking behavior of Kṛṣṇa, but one cannot imitate lifting the Govardhana Hill. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

So without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without this definite point... Now, if you have sufficient knowledge, if you have such power for research, now here is a point, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now make research work whether Kṛṣṇa is not God. Then your research work will be sufficient. But without any point of aim, without any objective, what is this? Thousands of years, simply speculating.

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.34)

Govinda, the Supreme Lord, who is so vast that you cannot reach Him by your mental speculation... Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Koṭi means ten million, and koṭi-śata-vatsara, similarly, millions and millions of years, with the speed of air and with the speed of mind, if you proceed to speculate, to understand the Supreme, oh, that is not possible. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

However great I may be... I may be very intelligent man to become the ruler of this country. Oh, I will have to, I mean to say, place flatters on the street: "Please vote for me. Please vote for me. Please reelect me." So I am taking śaraṇam. I am flattering. I am taking shelter in every moment. Why not God? Oh, when I say, "Oh, what do you say? Why do you say, Swamiji, about God?" So they will take shelter of dog but not God. You see? This is going on. Śaraṇaṁ suhṛt. Suhṛt means well-wisher. Who can become more well-wisher than God? Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is... I can be friend, well-wisher, to a limited circle, but God is friend and well-wisher of all living entities. I can take care of my family members, how they are happy, how they are eating, but God is taking care of innumerable living entities. You see? I don't take care of the ants in my room, what they are eating, I do not take care of the bugs in my bed, but God is taking care also of them. He is taking care. He is suhṛt. He wants that "You live. You are given freedom, whatever you like. But if you want to be happy, then give up all this nonsense. Come to Me.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

Therefore the first condition of acquiring knowledge is adambhitvam. Amānitvam adambhitvam. First of all to deny that "I am not matter. I am..." Then "If I am not matter, then I am God." Oh, then Kṛṣṇa says, "No. That is your false pride. You are not God." Adambhitvam. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā (BG 13.8). Then nonviolence. As soon as one is a realized soul, he will be nonviolent. These are the different stages of acquiring knowledge. And when one is in full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes qualified with all the good qualities, all the good godly qualities. The Bhāgavata says, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12) If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all godly, good qualities will develop. Because we are part and parcel of God, the godly qualities are there. It is simply covered. Just like the fire is covered by ashes. If you fan out the ashes, then the fire comes out. Similarly, spirit soul is pure.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

So there are so many īśvaras. Īśvara means that actually there must be one īśvara, one ruler, but because here in this material world every one of us is trying to become īśvara, therefore the Māyāvādī philosophy is that everyone is īśvara. That's all right. But that īśvara is not sublime. I may become īśvara amongst my disciples, but I am not the supreme, I'm not īśvara of everyone. So īśvara is actually Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the śāstra says. There are īśvaras, rulers. That's all right. But the supreme ruler is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac cid ananda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, and Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is nobody else superior than Me." That is the fact.

People are searching after Īśvara, "Can you show me God?" "There is no God." "God is dead." So many philosophers and theories are there, but actually there is God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

So that is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness perception. And He is living. Because He... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are accepting that Kṛṣṇa, or Parabrahman, or God, because He is in everywhere, He has no personal feature. That is a poor fund of knowledge. That is not God. Because we are thinking materially. Just like if I take a piece of paper and tear it into small pieces and throw it then the original paper has no existence. This is called Māyāvāda, Māyāvāda, or imperfect knowledge. Because I am thinking that materially, if one thing is broken into pieces and thrown, the original form is lost, no more. It becomes impersonal. No. The Veda says that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). You take the full God, full... Even God fully represented in every atom, still, He is pūrṇa. That is... One minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is Absolute idea. But we calculate from materialistic point of view. As we with our tiny brain, we think like that.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

Everything is definition there. In our Vedic knowledge there is no vague idea, rascal's idea. All clear. What is Bhagavān? Immediately you get the enunciation, definition, "This is Bhagavān," not that so-called Bhagavān, incarnation, this Baba, this yogi. These are all nonsense. Bhagavān is different. God is different. God means... Definition, you take the definition, Vedic definition, aiśvaryasya: all wealth. Who can claim that "I am wealthy. I possess all the wealth of the universe"? Who can say? Only Kṛṣṇa can say; nobody can say. You may be millionaire. You may be Rockefeller or this Tata or Birla. That is very insignificant position. But a Tata, Rockefeller or this, they cannot say, "No, I possess the whole wealth of the universe." That you cannot say. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Therefore He is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Samagra means as much wealth there are. You may imagine. All the wealth belongs to Kṛṣṇa. When He was present on this earth, He showed it. Aiśvaryasya samagra... As much as we can comprehend, He showed.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Similarly, if you want to become a demigod or devotee, Kṛṣṇa will supply you all the necessities. Now it is my choice whether I shall become a demon and whether I shall become a devotee. This is my choice. Kṛṣṇa is equal to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). Otherwise how He is God? If He is partial to somebody, then He is not God. He must be equal. He is equal to the devotee and nondevotee. Whatever the nondevotees want, Kṛṣṇa supplies. And whatever the devotees want, Kṛṣṇa supplies.

But He is very much pleased with the devotee. Therefore, his supplies are very immediate, and the demonic supply, that will depend on his work, karma. It will depend on the karma. And devotee's supply, because this is bhakti, it is immediately there. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa says that. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā teṣu te mayi. There are millions of living beings. Some of them are devotees, and many of them are non-devotees. So Kṛṣṇa is kind to the nondevotees also.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

So we Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are simply trying to make the asuras as sura. This is our movement. Anyone who is not devotee, he is asura. It doesn't matter whether he is born in some country or some family. It doesn't matter. If he is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he is asura. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. Anyone who is nondevotee of God, who is not God conscious, he is asura. That is the injunction. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. This is the distinction. Devatā means viṣṇu-bhakta, great devotee of the Supreme Lord. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord, all-pervading. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad... And those who are not devotees, Godless, without any God consciousness, they are all asuras. So this movement is to make asuras as suras.

Then what is the advantage of becoming sura and asura? If you become a sura, then you become fit for entering into the kingdom of God, back to home, back to Godhead. But if you remain asura, then you have to remain in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), full of miseries and temporary.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Now, this is very important question, and Kṛṣṇa... It not said, "Kṛṣṇa said." It is said, it is mentioned here, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Kṛṣṇa may be taken by low-grade person as ordinary human being as it is done sometimes. Big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, they also become bewildered. Just like in India, there is a party called Arya-samaj. They accept Kṛṣṇa as a very big person but not God, not God. There is some mistake some time. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: (BG 9.11) "Those who are rascals, they sometimes take Me as ordinary human being." That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, when there is an authoritative judgement is required, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, śrī bhagavān uvāca. That means you cannot defy this judgement. Bhagavān. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking, that is final. No argument. No commentation. This is the meaning of śrī bhagavān uvāca. Similarly, after this inquiry, śrī bhagavān uvāca.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

The God can be realized only by the devotees who have got all these good qualities. These good qualities already mentioned, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is God consciousness. God consciousness does not mean that I shall be protected, I shall be happy, and let others be unhappy. Let them go to hell. Never mind. No. That is not God consciousness. Therefore, in order to become perfectly God conscious, the first-class men must be there in the society. And that first-class man is described here, śamo damas tapaḥ: he is able to control the mind, he is able to control the senses, tapaḥ, he has undergone austerities, tapaḥ. Śaucam, he is always clean, outside and inside, śaucaṁ kṣāntiḥ, always peaceful, ārjavam, simplicity, and jñānam, full of knowledge, vijñānam, practical application of knowledge in life, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, and firmly convinced about the existence of the Supreme Lord. These are the qualification of the first-class man. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. These are the qualities.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Whether one has got... (break) That is not million, trillion, billion; it is unlimited. Asamordhva. That is the version. God must be asama ūrdhva. Asamor... Nobody's greater than God, nobody's equal to God. That is God. If you find somebody equal to you, then you are not God. You may be demigod, but the God means supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Parama, supreme. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa, nobody's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is God. There are so many gods nowadays. The... Actually, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say everyone is Nārāyaṇa. But what is the proof? We find out from the śāstra that Nārāyaṇa has got four hands. So where is your four hands? You are claiming to become Nārāyaṇa. So where are your four hands? Just manifest your four hands at least so that we can understand you are Nārāyaṇa. (chuckles) No. Without four hands. And Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. He's the husband of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune. So where is your goddess of fortune? You are begging from door to door. Where is your goddess of fortune? You have become Nārāyaṇa. This kind of God and Nārāyaṇa is going on, bluffing.