Spoken by God

Expressions researched:
"god has spoken" |"god speaks" |"god spoke" |"god, spoke" |"spoken by god"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu and Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku.

BG 4.1, Purport:

It was respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five thousand years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of the Gītā, according to the Gītā itself and according to the version of the speaker, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It was spoken to the sun-god Vivasvān because he is also a kṣatriya and is the father of all kṣatriyas who are descendants of the sun-god, or the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gītā is as good as the Vedas, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this knowledge is apauruṣeya, superhuman. Since the Vedic instructions are accepted as they are, without human interpretation, the Gītā must therefore be accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane wranglers may speculate on the Gītā in their own ways, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu and Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.16.1, Translation:

Lord Brahmā said: After thus congratulating the sages for their nice words, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose abode is in the kingdom of God, spoke as follows.

SB Canto 8

The sun-god spoke the science of Bhagavad-gītā to his son Manu. Because of being the son of Vivasvān, this Manu is known as Vaivasvata Manu.

SB 8.24 Summary:

King Satyavrata offered respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord and continued to meditate upon Him. In due course of time, annihilation took place, and the King saw a boat coming near. After getting aboard with learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons, he offered prayers to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and thus he taught Mahārāja Satyavrata and the saintly persons about Vedic knowledge from the core of the heart. King Satyavrata took his next birth as Vaivasvata Manu, who is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā. Vivasvān manave prāha: the sun-god spoke the science of Bhagavad-gītā to his son Manu. Because of being the son of Vivasvān, this Manu is known as Vaivasvata Manu.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by God, so what He has spoken, there cannot be any mistake, there cannot be any illusion, there cannot be any cheating, and there cannot be any imperfectness of the senses.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

So that clear conception of soul you can have from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He is speaking to Arjuna, and that is recorded by Vyāsadeva and which is presented before us as the Bhagavad-gītā. So we are presenting the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, as it is, without any malinterpretation, because we cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by God, so what He has spoken, there cannot be any mistake, there cannot be any illusion, there cannot be any cheating, and there cannot be any imperfectness of the senses

Why Vedic knowledge is perfect? Because it is spoken by God. God is perfect, and whatever He speaks, that is perfect.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So we have to accept these things that we are prone to commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. Then how I can give you perfect knowledge? That is not possible. But if you accept the Vedic knowledge... Just like I gave you the example: Vedic knowledge says sometimes contradictory. Just like cow dung, stool of an animal, is pure. And if you analyze, you will find it is pure. So our process of acquiring knowledge is from the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). And what is the purpose of the Vedas? Why Vedic knowledge is perfect? Because it is spoken by God. God is perfect, and whatever He speaks, that is perfect. Therefore God is called "God is good." All-good. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, everything is good, perfect.

"Make your life successful by taking advantage of so many Vedic literatures stocked by the great saintly persons, spoken by God Himself."

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

So if you want to stop this foolish kind of civilization, animal civilization of cows and asses, you have to teach Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is essential. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahāprabhu orders that. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth, he must be very pious, must have been very pious in his last life. Therefore he has got the chance. So janma sārthaka kari'. Janma sārthaka kari' means "Make your life successful by taking advantage of so many Vedic literatures stocked by the great saintly persons, spoken by God Himself." You are not taking advantage of these facilities, natural facilities. You are misled by so-called material civilization, and you are doomed.

Like you are trying to conceive that whole world is God, and still, God is not there. That is spoken by God Himself, Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore our philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. Acintya, inconceivable. Just like you are trying to conceive that whole world is God, and still, God is not there. That is spoken by God Himself, Kṛṣṇa: mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). Mayā tatam idam, avyakta-mūrtinā. So this impersonal feature, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11), the impersonal feature is Brahman. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That means sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Just like the sunshine. You are in the sunshine. That is a practical faith. The sunshine is not different from the sun. The sun is ninety-three millions of miles away, but still, because you are in the sunshine, you are in sun. 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.

In the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that "I spoke to the sun-god, and sun-god spoke it to Manu, and Manu spoke to Ikṣvāku."

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

It is not that Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā for the first time to Arjuna only. No. It was spoken long, long ago. Long, long ago. If you make an estimate of the time, then that estimation also, we can make from Vedic literature. That estimation is... I have made an estimation. It is about four hundred millions of years before, it was spoken. So far, as far as we get the information of Bhagavad-gītā, from Mahābhārata, we understand that this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna about five thousand years before. But we have to calculate in the fourth chapter that the Lord says that "I spoke to the sun-god, and sun-god spoke it to Manu, and Manu spoke to Ikṣvāku."

Now, you can understand that if Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Rascals and fools may think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, but in India the great ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—practically these ācāryas are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world—they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is right.

Now, you can understand that if Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gītā. Apart from sun-god's duration of age, if we simply take the present age, Vaivasvata Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the age of Vaivasvata Manu is seventy-one multiplied by forty-three hundred thousands of years. Forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by seventy-one. It is a very long duration of life. Now, at the present moment the Vivasvān, the Vaivasvata Manu's age is half-finished. That means the number, the numerical strength, forty-three hundred thousands of years into seventy-one, divide by two. So long years Bhagavad-gītā was spoken.

The whole Vedic literature, in a gist form, is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And it is being explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. So it is a very important book, spoken by God Himself.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Brāhmaṇa means there is chance of understanding Brahman. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. And this human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the first verse, aphorism, of the Vedānta-sūtra. So the whole Vedic literature, in a gist form, is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And it is being explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. So it is a very important book, spoken by God Himself. And another system of religion... Sometimes the representative of God is speaking, the servant of God speaking. They are also the same, but according to time and circumstances they are modified. But here in this Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is speaking.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

What was spoken by God Himself directly, the same thing is spoken by Nārada, and same thing we are speaking also.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

"My dear son of Kuntī, Arjuna, if somebody knows actually what are My activities, then simply by knowing what are My activities, he becomes liberated." Just see how Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata is working. What is said by... This is called paramparā system, that the what is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself is here also confirmed by Nārada. You don't find any contradiction. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And what we are saying? That "You give up everything. Just become Kṛṣṇa conscious." The same thing. Therefore it is for liberation. What was spoken by God Himself directly, the same thing is spoken by Nārada, and same thing we are speaking also.

We cannot know God perfectly. God is so unlimited. Still, as far as possible, we can know, as God speaks Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

Kṛpaṇa means miser. A miser, he has got money, but he does not spend. He keeps it only. And brāhmaṇa means he has got knowledge and he distributes for others' benefit. That is brāhmaṇa. Therefore we are making every one of our disciples brāhmaṇa, not that he should simply know himself what is God. No. He must distribute the knowledge also. Go from town to town, village to village, and try to convince these rascals what is God. They simply write, "In God We Trust," but they do not know what is God or how to trust, nothing. Now let them know it scientifically. Here is the movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What is this movement? To know God. Of course, we cannot know God perfectly. God is so unlimited. Still, as far as possible, we can know, as God speaks Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā.

There may be so many so-called religious system, but the real religious system is what is spoken by God Himself.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

Acyutānanda: How is that there are different types of religion in the world?

Prabhupāda: There is no religion. This is manufactured religion. Real religion is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), therefore it is advised that you give up all these so-called religions, sarva-dharmān. You become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That is real religion. All others, cheating religion, that's all. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like there may be so many laws, but the real law is what is given by the government. Similarly, there may be so many so-called religious system, but the real religious system is what is spoken by God Himself. That is real.

Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by God. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is also Veda. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

So it is said that the Brahmā is the first living being who understood Vedas. So how he understood? Where is The teacher? There is no other creature. How he understood Vedas? Now, that teacher was Kṛṣṇa, and He is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He is teaching from the heart. So Kṛṣṇa teaches—He is so kind—as caitya-guru, from the heart, and He sends His representative from outside. Caitya-guru and guru, both ways, Kṛṣṇa is trying. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. So therefore Vedas, they are not man-made books. Veda, apauruṣeya. Apauruṣeya means not made by... We should not take Vedas as ordinary mental speculation book. No. It is perfect knowledge. It is perfect knowledge. And one has to take as it is, without any adulteration, interpretation. So it is spoken by God. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is also Veda. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa.

Festival Lectures

So Kṛṣṇa says that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān: (SB 11.17.27) "You accept ācārya as I am." Why? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa says that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān: (SB 11.17.27) "You accept ācārya as I am." Why? I see that he is a man. His sons call him father, or he looks like a man, so why he should be as good as God? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all. Therefore. He does not make any change. Just like God says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The guru says that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa or God. The same word. God says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Guru says that you always think of Kṛṣṇa, you surrender unto Him, you offer Him prayer, you become His devotee. There is no change. Because he says as the Supreme Personality says, therefore he is guru.

General Lectures

Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning of the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā how you can understand God without any doubt and in complete. That is spoken by God Himself.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

We are searching after whether there is God or there is no God. If there is God, what is the nature? What is the form? Whether He is person or imperson? There are so many questions. And to solve all these questions, the God Himself descends and speaks about Himself, and that speaking is this Bhagavad-gītā. God is speaking about Himself personally, personally present. So you can know Him, you can see Him, what He is, what is His function. Just to mitigate all our doubts, God is present here. And Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning of the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā how you can understand God without any doubt and in complete. That is spoken by God Himself.

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

"My dear Pārtha, Arjuna, in order to know Me, God, asaṁśayam, without any doubt, and samagram," means in completeness, "as you can know Me, I am personally speaking to you." That means if you want to know God, you can know Him when He explains Himself. Otherwise, you cannot speculate.

Philosophy Discussions

This is to be understood, that however expert logician you may be, this is not possible, by your reasons, by your knowledge, to approach the Supreme Absolute.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: This is to be understood, that however expert logician you may be, this is not possible, by your reasons, by your knowledge, to approach the Supreme Absolute. That is not possible. This process that when God descends Himself and He speaks about Himself, He demonstrates about His pastimes, then it is possible. So the Bhāgavata is the record of God's descents. The whole Bhāgavata is philosophy about God, theology about God, and practical demonstration of God. Therefore anyone who takes to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the process of understanding God through Bhagavad-gītā, therefore it is called Bhāgavata, and it is simply about God. Bhagavad-gītā, God speaks Himself about His activities, and Bhāgavata is the record of God's activities, pastimes, and when He appeared on this earth, just like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Ninth Canto.

But these philosophers have misled the world so much that now it is very difficult to convince them that here is God speaking and here is religion.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: Because here we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā, the real point of religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But these philosophers have misled the world so much that now it is very difficult to convince them that here is God speaking and here is religion. That service he has done. As they were innocent to accept the words of God, now they have become overintelligent. They think sex is God, and that is going on. So to counteract this mentality it will take some time, but anyone who takes, accept the Bhagavad-gītā, the words of God, and the ways and means of life as defined by God, if anyone takes, then he will be happy. That's a fact.

It may be that the words of God sometimes cannot be understood by ordinary person;.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Prabhupāda: It may be that the words of God sometimes cannot be understood by ordinary person; therefore he requires to understand through the via-media of transparent guru. Guru is fully cognizant of the words spoken by God. One has to accept, therefore, a guru to go through the scripture properly. Generally there is no ambiguity in the words of God, but due to our lack of perfect knowledge we sometimes cannot understand and try to interpret. But this is, this interpretation is not at all feasible, because imperfect person interpreting means whatever he interprets, that is imperfect. So the proper import of the words of scripture or words of God should be understood from a person who has realized God.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

When there is a truth spoken by God that living entities are My part and parcel, mamaiva. Why shall I not give the analogy?

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: When there is a truth spoken by God that living entities are My part and parcel, mamaiva. Why shall I not give the analogy? How do part and parcel acts? I must give analogy. Otherwise how they can understand?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

In Bhagavad-gītā God speaks about Himself and presents Himself as He is.

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: God Himself is speaking about Himself: "I am like this; I am like this; My form is like this; My activities are like this; My address is this and that—if you like you can come back to Me. This is the situation. Everyone can come to Me." All this information is there in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. In Bhagavad-gītā God speaks about Himself and presents Himself as He is. We have simply to take that information; then we can understand God. As soon as we understand God, we can go home immediately. It is a very simple thing.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

So if he speaks what God speaks, then he's spiritual master.

Room Conversation with German and Hamsaduta dasa -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: The spiritual master is the representative of God.

Haṁsadūta: (translates)

Prabhupāda: So if he speaks what God speaks, then he's spiritual master, otherwise, he's a bogus.

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation) What God has spoken in the scripture.

Guest: (German)

Prabhupāda: So Mahesh Yogi does not speak of God. Therefore he's bogus.

Guest: I understand.

Now it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. There should be four classes: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Now, it is spoken by God. Therefore it should be rejected? Does it mean? God is for everything. What is this nonsense?

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Umāpati: So there are certain restrictions about religious organizations entering politics.

Prabhupāda: So what does it mean? Christians, they do not take part in politics?

Umāpati: Well, they can't do it as...

Karandhara: Not the churches.

Prabhupāda: No, not the churches. Our gṛhasthas will take part. The sannyāsīs will give advice. Directly the gṛhasthas will fight. Gṛhastha, not gṛhastha. There should be an administrative class. That is... Now it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. There should be four classes: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Now, it is spoken by God. Therefore it should be rejected? Does it mean? God is for everything. What is this nonsense? And Kṛṣṇa acted as kṣatriya. Therefore He should not be God? Is that very good argument? God is all-inclusive. And religion means God's word, carrying out God's word. That is religion. So how you can make separate?

Karandhara: Well, you can't, but they do.

Prabhupāda: They do everything, but they are demons. They do mental concoction.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Why not make the best manager, the brāhmaṇa, who is truthful.

Room Conversation with Press Representative -- March 21, 1975, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, you are in need of manager. You are in need of manager. You cannot deny another class of men of manager, so why not make the best manager, the brāhmaṇa, who is truthful, who is equal, satya śamaḥ damaḥ, who is control of his senses, satya śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣa, who is tolerant? These are the brahminical qualification. Satya śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣa. Who is simple, not hypocrite. Everyone is hypocrite. So why there should not be a class who is not hypocrite? All politicians saying something in the mouth and doing something else, because they are śūdra. So this is very scientific. How it not be scientific? It is spoken by God.

Brahma-karma svabhāva... this is first-class man.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Brahma-karma svabhāva... this is first-class man. Śamaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the sense or controlling the mind. And damaḥ, controlling the sense. Now, if either you may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian... Now, if I say, "Please come here. Learn this thing, how to control the mind, how to control the senses," so who will object to it? So if anyone is trained up, it doesn't matter from which sect, which family he is coming, if he has learned how to control the mind, how control the senses, then he becomes first-class man. So we have got everything already spoken by God. If we accept it, then there is unity. But we don't accept, we manufacture something. That is the difficulty.

We don't say anything which is not spoken by God in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: We don't say anything which is not spoken by God in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is appealing everywhere. Although it is in Sanskrit language, still, it is appealing.

Whatever is spoken by God, that is meant for everyone, all over the universe.

Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: So we do not say anything about any particular section. We are speaking about God. God does not belong to any section. When Kṛṣṇa said that there should be four divisions, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13), He does not say that these divisions should be in the Hindu society or in India. He never says so. So why they take it as Hindu? Kṛṣṇa does not say that it is meant for the Hindus, for India. If God says that "I have created the sun," does it mean sun is created for India, not for this island? So these are foolishness. Whatever is spoken by God, that is meant for everyone, all over the universe. That is real understanding.