Uttamā-bhakti, first-class bhakti, what is that? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: without any kind of desire than to serve the Lord. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental, beyond this material conception. Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute, Nārāyaṇa, that is para. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is not anything of this material world. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is not anything of this material world. When we use this word, nirākāra, that means His form is not anything of this material world. But He has got His form. That is a transcendental form. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Nirākāra means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form. This material form is neither of the three transcendental bliss, sac-cid-ānanda. This is asat, acit, and nirānanda. This body, this material body is asat, acit, and nirānanda. Therefore, when in the Vedic literature or in authorized statement we find "nirākāra," that means His form does not belong to this asat, acit, or nirānanda. But He has His form. Divyam. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam, transcendental. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya also, who especially preached impersonalism, he also admits that nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, the form of Nārāyaṇa, is beyond the range of this avyakta."
Parah means
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described here. He is not a temporary person, nor does He have a beginning. He is without a cause, and He is the cause of all causes. paraḥ means "transcendental," "beyond the creative energy." The Lord is the creator of the creative energy. We can see that there is a creative energy in the material world, but He is not under this energy. He is prakṛti-paraḥ, beyond this energy. He is not subjected to the threefold miseries created by the material energy because He is beyond it. The modes of material nature do not touch Him. It is explained here, svayaṁ-jyotiḥ: He is light Himself. We have experience in the material world of one light's being a reflection of another, just as moonlight is a reflection of the sunlight. Sunlight is also the reflection of the brahma-jyotir. Similarly, brahma-jyotir, the spiritual effulgence, is a reflection of the body of the Supreme Lord. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavataḥ (Bs. 5.40). The brahma-jyotir, or Brahman effulgence, is due to His bodily luster. Therefore it is said here, svayaṁ-jyotiḥ: He Himself is light. His light is distributed in different ways, as the brahma-jyotir, as sunlight and as moonlight. Bhagavad-gītā confirms that in the spiritual world there is no need of sunlight, moonlight or electricity. The Upaniṣads also confirm this; because the bodily luster of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sufficient to illuminate the spiritual world, there is no need of sunlight, moonlight or any other light or electricity. This self-illumination also contradicts the theory that the spirit soul, or the spiritual consciousness, develops at a certain point in material combination. The term svayaṁ-jyotiḥ indicates that there is no tinge of anything material or any material reaction. It is confirmed here that the concept of the Lord's all-pervasiveness is due to His illumination everywhere. We have experience that the sun is situated in one place, but the sunlight is diffused all around for millions and millions of miles. That is our practical experience. Similarly, although the supreme light is situated in His personal abode, Vaikuṇṭha or Vṛndāvana, His light is diffused not only in the spiritual world but beyond that. In the material world also, that light is reflected by the sun globe, and the sunlight is reflected by the moon globe. Thus although He is situated in His own abode, His light is distributed all over the spiritual and material worlds. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) confirms this. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: He is living in Goloka, but still He is present all over the creation. He is the Supersoul of everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He has innumerable transcendental qualities. It is also concluded that although He is undoubtedly a person, He is not a puruṣa of this material world. Māyāvādī philosophers cannot understand that beyond this material world there can be a person; therefore they are impersonalists. But it is explained very nicely here that the Personality of Godhead is beyond material existence.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Now here it is said, tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya. You can control your senses only when you engage that senses into the service of the Lord. Tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. Mat. Mat-paraḥ means "unto Me, unto Me, in relationship with Me." That's all right. And in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu also, you'll find that nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. You haven't got to restrain yourself completely, but if you dovetail yourself, nirbandhaḥ, when it is in relation with Kṛṣṇa, then your vairāgya, your detachment, is approved. Only thing is that don't do it for your sense gratification, but do it for the satisfaction of the Supreme. That's all. That should be the motto of our life, that "I shall not do anything for my sense satisfaction, but I shall do everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme." That penance, that sacrifice, will make me perfect spiritualized and perfectly on the spiritual platform and my life becomes perfect.
So the discrepancy of religion means... This is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. First class or superior dharma. Paraḥ means superior, transcendental. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). When we surrender to the Adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means the supreme transcendence, or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Adhokṣaja. Ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaitukī means without any cause. Without any cause. Not that "Kṛṣṇa is such and such, therefore I surrender." No. Without any cause. Ahaituky apratihatā. And it cannot be checked. Nobody can check. If you want to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, there is no checking, there is no hindrance. You can do it in any position. You can do it. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. Then you will, ātmā, your ātmā, your soul, your mind, your body, will be satisfied. This is the process.
You take any religious system, but you must know what is the aim of religion, not that simply profess, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." But what is the purpose of becoming religious? That you must know. That is intelligence. Simply don't be proud by saying that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." That's all right. You have got some type of designation. But Bhāgavata says that system of religion is perfect. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That religion, that system of religion, is perfect." Sa vai puṁsāṁ paraḥ. Paraḥ means perfect, without any defect. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: "By which, by becoming follower of such religious system, if you become a devotee of God, that is perfect." He does not say that you become a Hindu or you become a Muslim or you become a Christian or Buddhist or any other thing. It is very liberal, that whatever system of religion you accept, there is no harm. That's all right. But see the result. What is the result? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Whether you have understood God and whether you have become a lover of God. Then your religion is perfect. Simply for stamping that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," there is no profit.
And tat-paraḥ. Tat-paraḥ means we have to follow the faith favorably, not unfavorably. Just like the physician gives us some prescription, and he says that "You do this, and do not do," so we have to follow the do-not's and the do's. In every field of action there are certain don't's and certain do's. So we have to follow. Tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ. And result of knowledge is that one should be restrained in the matter of sense gratification. You cannot become progressive in spiritual life if you indulge in unrestricted sense gratification because sense gratification is the cause of our bondage in this material world. And the whole treatment, progressive in spiritual life, is regulated. Of course, we have got senses, and the senses require some satisfaction. That is all right. There is no question of stopping the senses. It is not possible. If you want to stop the work of the senses, that is not possible. Simply we have to purify the senses.
So we want enjoyment, but this atheism or this voidness, this impersonalism, they have created such an atmosphere that we are simply speculating, but we are addicted to these material enjoyments. That is not the process. Here it is said, puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā. If you accept this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotional path, and if you worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you can have the spiritual realization and you prepare yourself and you become detached from this material enjoyment. Your life becomes sublime. Oh. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Puruṣa. Here it is clearly said, puruṣa, puruṣa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ. Paraḥ means Supreme. Paraḥ: "O My dear Arjuna, that in that spiritual atmosphere, there is the Supreme Personality." He's a person just like you and me. Just we have got talking face to face, when you'll reach there you'll talk face to face with God. You'll play, you'll eat, everything. Puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Ātmā, ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind also, and ātmā means the soul, and, above that, the Paramātmā, Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So yayā ātmā suprasīdati. Su means very much. Not only prasīdati but suprasīdati, very much. Everyone. The body becomes satisfied, the mind becomes satisfied, the soul becomes satisfied, and the Supreme Paramātmā, He also becomes satisfied. So that is called paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means... Paraḥ means superior, and dharmaḥ means occupational duty. Everyone has got occupational duty. It doesn't matter, either you are a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Everyone has got occupational duty. That is human society. Human society means when the society is divided into these eight divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. Varṇāśrama-dharma. That is Vedic civilization.
Just like we see so many things directly with our eyes; we touch with our hands; we smell by our nose. These are direct perception by our senses. But bhagavantam, Bhagavān, is adhokṣajam. He is beyond direct perception. Adhokṣajam. Adhaḥ, you cannot reach there by direct perception. Just like I do not see God. Then what do you see? Your seeing power is very limited. Why don't you accept that? So He's not appreciable by limited senses. Therefore His name is adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Sattvaṁ viśuddham. Sattvaṁ viśuddham. Sattva, goodness, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa. That sattvam, or existence, His existence is adhokṣaja, beyond our sense perception, and viśuddham. Apāpa-viddham, as it is stated in the Īśopaniṣad, viśuddham. He is never touched by the material contamination. Viśuddham. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. Here, however good we may be, there is some material touch. But so far Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is concerned, His existence is viśuddham. Therefore He's called paraḥ. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means above this material world, transcendental.
"My dear King Parīkṣit, you have put very nice question. And to hear about Kṛṣṇa is the topmost subject of hearing." Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means topmost, the highest. "So your question, whether to hear about Kṛṣṇa, is welcome." Varīyan eṣa te praśnah kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa: (SB 2.1.1) "This praśna, this question, is very much beneficial to the people in general," loka-hitaṁ. Because Parīkṣit Mahārāja was questioning, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was answering, but there were many other persons. Although the questions and answers were only for Parīkṣit Mahārāja, not for others, but everyone expected that because Śukadeva Gosvāmī was speaking to the king, that speaking must be very important to everyone. So all the great sages... Even the father of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Vyāsadeva, who is the compiler of so many Vedic literatures, he also came there to hear his sixteen-years-old boy. He was so elevated. It does not matter whether a man is old or young; it is the question of knowledge. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was so elevated that so many persons assembled there. And the Sūta Gosvāmī, who spoke the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the second time amongst the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, he was also present in that meeting, and he heard from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he repeated to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya.
So this kind of intelligence, they are called animals. The animal does not know. The dog does not know. The dog will live for six years to ten years, but he is very proud: "I have got a very nice master. Gow! Gow!" You see? So this kind of intelligence is no good. Therefore it is said here, ātmavit-sammataḥ. This kind of question, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit, one who knows what he is. Sammataḥ. Sammataḥ means approved. Ātmavit sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means superior. We are accustomed to hear so many things, radio and dictaphone and so many things. We are hankering after hearing tape record or this gramophone album, and news from in the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious. Big, big news... In your country especially, millions of papers, newspaper, such big, just to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away. Because you are hackneyed. You know that there was political strife, there was fire, there was burglary, there was this, there was this... The same story. Carvita-carvaṇānām, chewing the chewed. No, actually, no pleasure. By... We have seen in your country, and nowadays in our country so many nice news magazines, but they see one or two pages and they throw away. Because there is no pleasure, although I have got hankering to hear so many things.
So this is very glorified life. Here it is said that varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa (SB 2.1.1). So ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means the supreme perfect. You are hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about Kṛṣṇa. There are many subject matter of hearing. Just like in newspaper you hear so many news. But if you hear something about Kṛṣṇa, that is the only perfect thing. That news has been published in this morning, many papers, "Kṛṣṇa..., the leader of the Kṛṣṇa movement," or "This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement." There is some vibration of the word "Kṛṣṇa." That makes the atmosphere purified, surcharged. So many thousands and millions of people will read "Kṛṣṇa." Willing or unwillingly, they'll read "Kṛṣṇa." That is their profit. Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ, loka-hitam (SB 2.1.1). Immediately, they once utter the word "Kṛṣṇa," they become benefited. Never mind what is the news. Oh, we don't care for that. (laughter) But because they will utter the word "Kṛṣṇa," that is our profit. That is our profit for Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Kṛṣṇa praśna, and Kṛṣṇa answer. So answer is śrotavya. So śrotavyādi, we are hearing so many answers. Just like you go to the market. We question and answer. There are so many questions, so many answers. But this Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer, śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means superior or transcendental. This is not material things. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Anything about Nārāyaṇa, that is not of this material world. That is of the spiritual world. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer, they are not material things. Therefore, if we always engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Therefore it is called Viṣṇu. Not that any other śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Only Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means viṣṇu-tattva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan. Viṣṇu-tattva means rāmādi-mūrti. Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kṛṣṇa... There are so many. They are described. They are viṣṇu-tattva.
So akuto-bhayam means the devotees. The devotees, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, his father teased him in so many ways but he was not at all fearful. He was simply thinking of Nṛsiṁhadeva and he was fearless. So only the devotee who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he can be fearless. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ means devotees who have dedicated their life to the service of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Na kutaścana bibhyati. He does not fear in any condition of life. So here, icchatām akutaḥ. Icchatām means those who are desiring. Nirvidyamānānām means those who are not desiring, renouncing. And the other class, akuto-bhayam, fearless. And yoginām. Another class-mystic yogis. So generally, these four classes men are there. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that for all of them, either he is karmī or he is jñānī or he is yogi or he is bhakta. Karmī means fruitive worker, and jñānīs means empiric philosophers, and yogis, mystic, I mean to say, yogis, and bhaktas, and the devotees. Generally, these four classes of men.
The fact is that Kṛṣṇa is permanent, but Kṛṣṇa's material energy is not permanent. Therefore it is said, śānta-rūpe, "My dear mother," na karhicin mat-parāḥ. Mat-parāḥ. Mat means Bhagavān. Bhagavān is speaking, mat-parāḥ. Whenever... As in the Bhagavad-gītā also there are many words, mat-parāḥ, or plural number, mat-parāḥ, the same thing. So here also, Kapiladeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says, mat-parāḥ—means "My devotees. My devotees who have taken Me as his son, friend, lover, master..." There are so many rasas: śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, mādhurya-rasa, in so many. Those rasas, or mellows, are represented here in the material world in a temporary way. Here we have got the same rasa: I love my son. I love my friend. I love my husband. There is love, but this is all temporary. But if you transfer this love to Kṛṣṇa either as your master or the Supreme or as friend or as your son or as your lover or husband, it will never be destroyed. That is permanent settlement. This is to be understood. But the Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand. They think that in the spiritual world there is no more such relationship as master, friend, or father and son, or beloved and the lover. There is no such thing.
It is not difficult at all. You can become immediately nirguṇa as soon as you engage in the service of the Lord. And so long you keep yourself in that position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you remain nirguṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Saguṇa means māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante: "One who surrenders to Me," māyām etāṁ taranti, "no māyā touching, no in contamination of māyā." Māyām etāṁ taranti. There is nirguṇa. Nirguṇa means be engaged in the devotional, loving devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. That is... Then you are svarūpa-darśana, ātma-darśanam. That is your ātma-darśanam, nirguṇa. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ. As Kṛṣṇa is prakṛteḥ paraḥ... Prakṛteḥ... Prakṛti means this material world, and paraḥ means transcendental. So prakṛteḥ paraḥ. You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa unless you also become prakṛteḥ paraḥ, not within this material world.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Prakṛteḥ paraḥ means... Prakṛti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ.
- sa sarva-guṇa upadraṣṭā
- taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet
The advantage is that if you want to get release from the infection of these three guṇas, three qualities, then you have to render devotional service to the Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nirguṇo bhavet. Nirguṇa, when there is mention of nirguṇa, nirguṇa does not mean quality-less. Nirguṇa means without these contaminous three qualities of material nature. There are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities... You have got the list, twenty-six qualities of the devotee. Those are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities are in God as well as in the living entity. But when the living entity comes in contact with material nature, those transcendental qualities are covered by the material qualities. So they are not manifested. But as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. Because they are already there.
General Lectures
Now here Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that "You wanted to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is your superexcellent proposal." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa (SB 2.1.1). "And because you have inquired and I'll have to say something about Kṛṣṇa, so it is the most beautiful and superexcellent welfare activities for the all people of the world." Loka-hitam. And ātmavit-sammataḥ. And this sort of question and answer is confirmed by persons who are self-realized, ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means soul, or self, and vit means one who knows. So "Your, this proposal, this inquiry, is approved by persons who are self-realized." Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental. There are many things, many subject matter for hearing, but this subject matter, Kṛṣṇa, is transcendental.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā He is giving us the principles of dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He said to Arjuna, "Because you are My very dear friend, I am giving you the most confidential information, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja." This is dharma. Dharma, satyam, truthfulness. That is also reduced, being reduce. Dharma means to become devotee of the Lord. That is practically not reduced. It is practically nil. And people have manufactured so many dharmas, dharma without the principle of God consciousness. So, according to Vedic principle, that is not dharma. Vedic principle says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion which teaches people how to become devotee of the Supreme Lord. Paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental. There are many kinds of dharmas, and according to Vedic system, there are twenty different types of books, viṁśati-prakāśa-dharma, given by different sages. But the conclusion is that that is first-class dharma which is convenient for becoming a devotee of the Lord.
So dharma means first-class dharma which teaches the followers how to know God, how to love Him. That is first-class religion. So etāvān eva loke 'smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ. Paraḥ means superior, not inferior. Or transcendental. So what is that? Bhakti-yogo bhagavati. Bhakti-yoga. This bhakti-yoga, devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. Bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nāma grahaṇādibhiḥ. And it begins by chanting the holy name of God. This is dharma. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching the saṅkīrtana movement just to make the whole world to know God and how to love God.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So keep this principle in view, that you have to become swan, not crows. They say that everyone, every religion is all the same. This is all nonsense. (indistinct) In Bhagavad-gītā there are different types of religion, sattvic, rajarsic, tamasic. And our this... If you take it as religion, this is transcendental. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). Paraḥ means transcendental, it is not ordinary, aparaḥ. In aparaḥ dharma, the materialistic dharma, there are ritualistic ceremonies how to make one perfect for accepting transcendental religion. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly putting oneself in the transcendental. That is the special (indistinct). Caitanya Mahāprabhu... (aside) Why don't you close it? Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then it is to be supposed that you have finished all other types of religion. My Guru Maharaja used to cite one example that one's friend was sitting on the high-court judge's bench. So he was speaking to another, "Oh, that Panchu was playing with us naked. He is sitting on the high-court judge's bench. Oh, how he was playing with us naked, how he is seated in the high-court bench?" "Yes, I have seen, you have seen actually he is sitting." "Oh, then he must not be getting salary." He must not be getting salary. So this is the argument. Familiarity breeds contempt. So he cannot believe that he has become a high-court judge. He thinks that "I am a rascal fool and my friend, how he can become high-court judge? He must not be getting salary." But is that very good argument that the high-court judge is seated there without any salary? This argument is false(?). That is enviousness. Nirmatsarata. That is the habit of the conditioned soul.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So we have given an idea of the picture.
Haṁsadūta: He's coming.
Prabhupāda: So there is another nature, which is called spiritual nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Paraḥ. That is also admitted by all the ācāryas. Just (like) Śaṅkarācārya... You have heard the name of Śaṅkarācārya?
David Lawrence: Hm-hm.
Prabhupāda: He also says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ. So there is paraḥ. Paraḥ means superior. Nārāyaṇa belongs to that superior nature. That means spiritual nature. Yes.
David Lawrence: This is a knowing habit of the western mind, you know, to think in spatial terms, and it's possibly hang-ups from Christian theology, in a sense, that I wanted to persist with this questioning even further about, you know, the real nature, as far as the Bhagavad-gītā gives it to us.
Prabhupāda: No, you have to become little free from the biased ideas of Christian philosophy.
David Lawrence: This is what I thought, yes. This is what I thought.
Prabhupāda: Otherwise you cannot make progress.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, no, our point is unless one has become Vaiṣṇava, he remains a fool.
Dr. Patel: That is your saying.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the statement of Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So anyone who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is a fool, rascal. That' s all. This is the conclusion. We are fool, undoubtedly, but we take the words of Kṛṣṇa. He is not fool.
Dr. Patel: (laughs) No, but He says, ye tu sarvāṇī karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ.
Prabhupāda: The mat-parāḥ, this is mat-parāḥ. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, we accept it. That is mat-parāḥ. Mat-parāḥ means whatever Kṛṣṇa says, accept it. That's all. That is mat-parāḥ. And if I say, "I don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, whether He was existing," that is not mat-parāḥ.
Dr. Patel: That is different.
Prabhupāda: That is different.
| Page Title: | Parah means |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Serene |
| Created: | 18 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=20, Con=5, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 26 |