Māyayāpahṛta jñānāḥ. They are talking very big, big words that, "God is everywhere," but they are forbidding temple worship. Apahṛta-jñānā. The knowledge is imperfect. A common man can say: "If God is everywhere, why not in the temple?" And if we have to worship God, why not in His original form? The original form, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, the original form so many people have seen. They have got photograph . . . not photograph, paintings. And it is confirmed in the śāstras, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). Kṛṣṇa is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, from so millions and millions of years ago described by Lord Brahma, that veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ. He is always playing His flute, veṇuṁ. Venu means flute. Kvaṇantam. And eyes are like the petals of lotus flower. Veṇum kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam (Bs. 5.30). And on the head He has got the plume of peacock feather. In this way the description is there in the śāstra. And when Kṛṣṇa came . . . (aside) Let him . . . why do you disturb? Let him do that. Sit down. So śāstra says Kṛṣṇa is like this. And when Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet the exactly the same description was there in His form.
So we have to accept the form of the Lord as confirmed in the śāstra and as confirmed by the ācārya. Then it is perfect. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. We have to understand something very rigidly by three things, the . . . it must be confirmed by the śāstra, and it must be confirmed by the ācāryas and by the spiritual master. Very simple thing. We have description of Kṛṣṇa in the śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā, the treatise given by Lord Brahma. And this Brahma-saṁhitā was collected from South India in handwriting by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He delivered to His devotees. So the sādhu . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Still, He is playing the part of a sādhu. Sādhu and śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā. And because we have received from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are delivering to our disciples: "Here is Kṛṣṇa's form." The sādhu, śāstra, guru, it must be confirmed. Then we can accept. Not that whimsically if some rascal comes and becomes God by concoction. We cannot accept. It must be confirmed by . . . (aside) Why do you bother? Let them. No, no. As he likes. That's all.
So sādhu, śāstra, guru. This is the way. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī in various subject matter, and he also described the incarnation in Kali-yuga from śāstra that:
- kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
- sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
- yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ-prāyair
- yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
- (SB 11.5.32)
He quoted from Bhāgavatam, "This is the incarnation of Kali-yuga." So He is Himself yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ-prāyaiḥ. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was prime minister, very intelligent man. So he had inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "How we can accept the avatāra?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said: "From the śāstra." And Sanātana Gosvāmī got it confirmed that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was . . . he stopped, of course. When he inquired that, "Shall I accept this personality who is now preaching saṅkīrtana movement and along with His associates, He is the Supreme Lord?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Let us go on further. We don't . . ."
So this is the way, not whimsically accept any rascal as avatāra. No. That is not the process. Or any rascal as God. This rascaldom has killed the whole human society to become atheist. You should be very, very careful of these rascals. As soon as somebody says that "I am God," you shall immediately take him as dog, not God. So God is not so cheap. In the Brahma-saṁhitā the description of God, Kṛṣṇa, is given, and it is said there:
- yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
- jīvanti loma-bilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
- viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.48)
Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, His plenary representation is Mahā-Viṣṇu. And what is the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu? Yasya eka niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya: from one exhaling of the breath, then, yasyaika niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya, all these innumerable universes. We are seeing . . . we are in one universe. There are many millions of universes. That we cannot see. We are within this universe compact. We can see it is packed up, just like a ball. But there are many such. So all these different universes controlled by one Lord Brahma, they are coming during the exhaling period of Mahā-Viṣṇu's breathing. That is God. Who can imagine it? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. And universes are coming from the . . . what is called? Hole?
Devotee: Pores.
Prabhupāda: Pores. Pores of the body. From breathing in this way. Then just imagine how many pores are there in the Mahā-Viṣṇu's body and how many universes are coming. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- athavā bahunaitena
- kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
- viṣṭabhyā idaṁ kṛtsnam
- ekāṁśena sthito jagat
- (BG 10.42)
"This material manifestation is one fourth-part of My energy, so many innumerable universes." And this is the plenary portion of God, Govinda—not full, but plenary, one part only. And do you think God is so cheap, anyone can become God? You don't take so cheaply that "Here is a God, incarnation. Here is a God." All bogus. Immediately reject them.