Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Param Brahman means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Paraṁ Brahman means the, the Supreme, supreme spiritual identity. Every one of us is Brahman. You are Brahman. I am Brahman. Every living entity is Brahman. Because he's not this matter, he's spirit soul. Whoever is spirit soul, he is called Brahman. But Kṛṣṇa is addressed here, Paraṁ Brahma.
Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

So that channel is called... You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Fourth Chapter, paramparā, paramparā, disciplic succession. Disciplic succession. The words, the plan and the instruction which is coming directly from Kṛṣṇa, that thing we have to accept. We shall not make any our own plan. That is the way of making progress. Now, this disciplic succession, as we have accepted, this disciplic succession comes from Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna, and we have to understand how Arjuna has understood Kṛṣṇa. And if we follow the understanding of Arjuna, then we are following the paramparā system, or the disciplic succession. That is the process. Now, in the Tenth Chapter, in the Tenth Chapter you'll find that how Kṛṣṇa is understood by Arjuna. After hearing not all, at least seventy-five percent of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the estimation of Arjuna is stated in the Tenth Chapter. He says that... I think that I may... (long pause, pages rustling) Here. Arjuna, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, after His instruction, he said that, automatically he said,

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
(BG 10.12)

"Kṛṣṇa, now I understand it that you are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ Brahman means the, the Supreme, supreme spiritual identity. Every one of us is Brahman. You are Brahman. I am Brahman. Every living entity is Brahman. Because he's not this matter, he's spirit soul. Whoever is spirit soul, he is called Brahman. But Kṛṣṇa is addressed here, Paraṁ Brahma. Just like we recited that śloka, the verse, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara, every one of us, īśvara. The translation of īśvara word is "god." Now, god, god means, īśvara means controller. So every one of us is controller, but Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. He has no controller. I am controller, I am Brahman, but at the same time, I have got superior controller over me. But Kṛṣṇa is called Paraṁ Brahma, or the īśvara parama, the supreme controller, because He has no controller over Him. That is the acceptance of Arjuna. This is the mode of studying Bhagavad-gītā. If we don't interpret in our own way. If we really want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then here is the confirmation by Arjuna how he understands Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-gītā.

So here jñāna means, to understand the Paraṁ Brahman means, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam: "Paraṁ Brahman has got pāṇi, hands, and pāda, and legs, everywhere." How it is possible? That is knowledge. That is knowledge. It is possible because we are part and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, we have got our hands and legs, therefore Kṛṣṇa has got his hands and legs everywhere.
Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

So here jñāna means, to understand the Paraṁ Brahman means, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam: "Paraṁ Brahman has got pāṇi, hands, and pāda, and legs, everywhere." How it is possible? That is knowledge. That is knowledge. It is possible because we are part and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, we have got our hands and legs, therefore Kṛṣṇa has got his hands and legs everywhere. But our hands and legs are now engaged otherwise. It is not for Kṛṣṇa. That is called illusion. Actually, the hands and legs belong to Kṛṣṇa. My hands, it is not my hand, it is Kṛṣṇa's hand. My leg, it is Kṛṣṇa's leg, but in māyā, in illusion, it is covered, upādhi. My hand means it is Indian hand." "My leg means Indian leg." "My hand means American hand." "My leg means American leg." No. It is neither American leg, neither Indian leg, neither Indian hand, nor American hand. It is all Kṛṣṇa's hands and legs. That you have to realize. That is real knowledge. That is jñeyam. You have to understand that you are not the proprietor of these hands and legs. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Param Brahman means the supreme.
Room Conversation with Kim Cornish -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Brahman means the greatest, so as the sky, to our experience the sky is greater. What is the sky? The sky is a combination of small atoms. Do you know that? So if the sky is Brahman, then it is a combination of small atoms, then the small atoms are also Brahman? Just like a huge stack of rice, they are called rice, and a small grain of rice, that is also rice. So therefore there are two kinds of Brahman—the component parts of the Brahman they are also Brahman, and whole Brahman is also Brahman. Do you follow?

Kim: I hear the words.

Prabhupāda: Why don't you understand?

Kim: I follow the analogy of the rice.

Prabhupāda: The sky, the Brahman. What is the sky? A combination of atoms. So the component parts they are also Brahman, otherwise how it is Brahman? Unless the component parts are Brahman, how is it Brahman? It is a combination of many component parts, small Brahman. Param Brahman. Param Brahman means the supreme. The sea water, ocean water. Ocean water is very big, that is Brahman. Big means Brahman. But what is this ocean water? Small molecules of water. Sometimes we see the sea waves, small molecules, cool. So it is combination of small Brahman. So, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything is Brahman. And we are a small, very small fragmental portion of Brahman. How small are we? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. We cannot see even the tip of the hair, very small point. And you have to divide it into ten thousand parts. And that one part—you, I, everyone. So small. So everything is Brahman. It is said sarva khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything is Brahman. Why? Because the Brahman is very big, but what is this big? The big is a combination of small molecules, atoms. What is your idea of Brahman?

Kim: From my own understanding I took it to be just the world, everything that is, but I don't understand.

Prabhupāda: Not clear idea.

Kim: I had an experience in New Zealand...

Prabhupāda: So therefore you have to experience from authority—what is Brahman. This is explanation of Brahman. So this Brahman realization is first, then Paramātmā realization, then God realization. Just like you realize the sunshine, very big, all over the universe, but you have to see wherefrom the sunshine is coming—the sun globe. That is localized. You are seeing just like a small ball, but actually this big thing, sunshine, is coming from it. Is it not? So which is important, the sunshine or the globe?

Kim: They are both important, but the sun is what produces the sunshine.

Prabhupāda: Similarly God the person is important, and by His bodily rays the whole thing is going on.

Page Title:Param Brahman means
Compiler:Rishab
Created:05 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:3