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This statement, that "God has no name," that is fact, but He has got His name in relationship with His activities with devotees

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

People say God has no name. That is right. He has no particular fixed name. But His names are there according to His different activities.
Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

So everyone is named here with his task. The first name is, Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa. He is the master of the senses. Govinda. Go means senses. "Who gives pleasure to the senses." So Kṛṣṇa has got many names, thousands, out of which, the Kṛṣṇa name is chief, mukhya. That is described in Vedic literature. People say God has no name. That is right. He has no particular fixed name. But His names are there according to His different activities. Just like His name is Devakī-nandana. Because He accepted Devakī as His mother, therefore He is called Devakī-nandana. Similarly, He is called Nanda-nandana, Yaśodā-nandana, Vrajendra-nandana—in relationship with Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā, His foster father and mother. Similarly, He is sometimes named Pārtha-sārathi because He acted as the chariot driver of Arjuna. Arjuna's name is Pārtha. His mother's name is Pṛthā, Kuntī's. From Pṛthā, his name is Pārtha. From his father's name, Pāṇḍu, his name is Pāṇḍava. So in this way big personalities or anyone, they should tally, the name should tally with the activities. This is nomenclature.

God has actually no name, but His name is designated according to His activities and action.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

So somebody will fight that "God has no name." Yes, God has name, but the names are so many that you cannot understand which one is the chief name. Therefore the Vedantist, those who are expert in Vedic knowledge—and the word is also there—they have selected the chief name of God as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." God has actually no name, but His name is designated according to His activities and action. Just like Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha-sārathi, the name is given to Kṛṣṇa because He acted as the chariot driver of Pārtha. He is addressed as Devakī-nandana. So Devakī-nandana is not His name, but because He acted, He appeared as the son of Devakī, He is called Devakī-nandana. He is called Yaśodā-nandana. Similarly, all the names of God... Actually, what you say, that there is no name of God, but He has His name, but the name is designated according to His activities. That means that God has His activities, and according to the different types of activities, He has got millions and trillions of name.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

God has no particular name, but His names are there on account of His different type of activities.
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

Last night we discussed about the origin, source of everything. So it is explained here, namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (SB 1.1.1). This is already ascertained, that Vāsudeva, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Lord is Vāsudeva because He is present everywhere. This evening there was some discussion that God has no particular name, but His names are there on account of His different type of activities. Just like God is present everywhere, therefore His name is Vāsudeva.

There are many thousands of names of God. Somebody says, "God has no name." Yes, God has no particular name because, as I explained, God's name is ascertained according to His activity.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

Now, you should understand Kṛṣṇa as God. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa... Last week I explained that if there can be any name of God... There are many thousands of names of God. Somebody says, "God has no name." Yes, God has no particular name because, as I explained, God's name is ascertained according to His activity. Just the other day I explained. God appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, so He is called son of Nanda. That is another name, Nanda-nandana. Nanda-nandana means one who gives pleasure to Nanda. So everyone's son, child, gives pleasure to his parents. So Kṛṣṇa, by His activities, childhood activities, He gave pleasure to His father and mother, Yaśodā and Nanda. Therefore He is known as Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana. He was lover of Rādhārāṇī; therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. In this way, Kṛṣṇa has got different names, or God has got different names, according to His activities. But His real name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. He attracts everyone. Kṛṣṇa attracts both the nondevotees and devotees. Devotees are very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa to render service, and nondevotees are attracted to Kṛṣṇa to kill Him, but everyone is attracted. Somebody is attracted to vanquish God. That is also another attraction, indirect attraction. If I always think of my enemy, "How shall I vanquish him?" that is an attraction. And if I think of somebody, of my friend or somebody, "How shall I make him happy?" that is also attraction.

God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana. His relationship. Kṛṣṇa enjoys the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. Rādhā-Govinda. So God's name is there according to His pastimes, relationships. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme name because it means all-attractive. Similarly, here it is name, God's name, Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Adha. Adha means defeated. Adha-kṛta. Subdued. What is that subdued? Akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, direct perception. We want... We say sometimes, "Can you show me God?" Akṣa. Or akṣaja means ah, the alphabet, and kṣa, beginning from ah up to kṣa. So all the letters are there. So we make words by combination of these letters. So akṣaja, so within our power, we make so many words by combining these alphabets, but God is beyond that. Akṣaja-jñānam. Either you are beyond the direct perception or beyond your word-making capacity. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ-kṛta akṣaja jñānam jata. So adhokṣaja means beyond direct sense perception. That is also nice name of God. God is not understood by speculating our senses.

When the impersonalist says, or there are many philosophers, that "God has no name," actually that is a fact. God has no name. But He has name according to His activities.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

When the impersonalist says, or there are many philosophers, that "God has no name," actually that is a fact. God has no name. But He has name according to His activities. Just like when He acts as the chariot driver of Arjuna, His name is Pārtha-sārathi. When He plays as the child of mother Yaśodā, He is called Yaśodā-nandana. When people say that He is born of Nanda Mahārāja, He is called Nanda-nandana. When people say that He came to protect Vasudeva and Devakī, He is called Vāsudeva, or Devakī-nandana. Or when He is in the Yadu dynasty, He's said as Yādava. In this way, Kṛṣṇa has unlimited pastimes and unlimited names. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta. Ananta means unlimited. He has got unlimited because so many devotees, not one devotees, and He has to satisfy everyone, as Nanda-kumāra, as Yaśodā-nandana, as Vāsudeva, as Yādava, as Pārtha-sārathi. So in this way, when one becomes bewildered that how many names He has got, so one should understand He has unlimited names or no name, but because He has to act unlimitedly, therefore He has got unlimited names.

God has no name, but His names are given according to His activities. Then how to concentrate in one name? That one name is Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

So everything is Kṛṣṇa's unlimited. So therefore all-unlimited means Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. That is the real name of God, if God can be given one name. Because God has no name, but His names are given according to His activities. Then how to concentrate in one name? That one name is Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. That is the real name of Kṛṣṇa.

God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names on account of His different varieties of activities with His devotees. This is the science of understanding Kṛṣṇa's name.
Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Pārtha-sārathi, Kṛṣṇa-sakha, Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, Devakī-nandana. So God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names on account of His different varieties of activities with His devotees. This is the science of understanding Kṛṣṇa's name. Kṛṣṇa-sakha and Vṛṣṇi-ṛṣabha, "The best of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty." Because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, so He's the best, Ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha means the best. And because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, therefore the whole family became very famous. And His business was avani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa, vaṁśa-dahana. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).

So in this way Kṛṣṇa should be described in connection with different activities. But those who are impersonalists, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and being impersonalists, they do not believe in the activities of the Supreme. They think that when the Supreme Absolute Truth comes in the material world, in the material form, then "There is activity?" They cannot understand. Athāpi te deva padām... Therefore nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being trained up by a self-realized devotee.

It is a fact that God has no name. Sometimes some philosopher says that "God has no name." That is fact. But why God has so many names? These names are calculated according to His pastimes.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So here, about the Pāṇḍavas it is described that Kṛṣṇa accepted sārathyam. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha. Arjuna's name is Pārtha. Pārtha means "the son of Pṛthā." Kuntī's another name is Pṛthā. Kuntī's father's name was Pṛthu, so Kuntī's name was Pṛthā. Therefore Arjuna's name was Pārtha. And because Kṛṣṇa served as the chariot driver of Kṛṣṇa, His another name is Pārtha-sārathi. So it is a fact that God has no name. Sometimes some philosopher says that "God has no name." That is fact. But why God has so many names? These names are calculated according to His pastimes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is known as Devakī-nandana. Because He appeared as the son of Devakī, therefore His name is Devakī-nandana. By the action. Kṛṣṇa is known as Yaśodā-nandana. Because Kṛṣṇa acted as the son of mother Yaśodā, His name is Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa's name is Rādhā-ramaṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with Rādhārāṇī, therefore His name is Rādhā-ramaṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Govinda. Because He gave pleasure even to the cows, therefore His name is Govinda. Or Kṛṣṇa gives pleasure to every sense; therefore His name is Govinda. There are so many thousands and millions of names of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, His name is calculated in relationship with devotee. That is Kṛṣṇa's name. And there are devotees in all fields of life, amongst human beings, among demigods, among plants, amongst trees, among animals, among insects. Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa has got His relationship. So therefore the supreme name of the Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. That is the meaning. (aside:) Please sit down properly. Kṛṣṇa's name is... This is the supreme name, Kṛṣṇa, "All-attractive." He can attract everyone.

This statement, that "God has no name," that is fact, but He has got His name in relationship with His activities with devotees.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So this statement, that "God has no name," that is fact, but He has got His name in relationship with His activities with devotees. So Kṛṣṇa worked as sārathi, as it is stated here, sārathyam. He acted as the chariot driver of Arjuna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Pārtha-sārathi. So Kṛṣṇa did all these things. He acted as a chariot driver. He acted as the president of the assembly. Not that He is eternally chariot driver. Eternally servant is the human being or the living entities. Eternally master, that is. In Vaikuṇṭha, in the spiritual world, there is equality with God and the living entities. They enjoy on equal level. But everyone knows that "Here is the Supreme." That is spiritual world. When Kṛṣṇa drives the chariot, Arjuna does not forget, that "He is my chariot driver." He knows that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. But He is so kind, He has accepted the post of my chariot driver." This is spiritual sense. And sometimes, by the influence of yoga-māyā, Kṛṣṇa also forgets that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the devotee also forgets that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the action of yoga-māyā.

God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names according to His relationship with the devotee or the world, like that.
Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

As I explained yesterday, God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names according to His relationship with the devotee or the world, like that. As I explained yesterday, Kṛṣṇa is called Devakī-nandana because He has got relationship with Devakī. Therefore He has become Devakī-nandana. Kṛṣṇa is called Yaśodā-nandana. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Aravindākṣa, Aravinda, because His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower. Aravinda-nābhi. Aravinda-nābhi means Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, from His navel, one lotus flower is grown. Therefore He is called Aravinda-nābhi.

Festival Lectures

It is sometimes said that God has no name. That's a fact. But God's name is given by His activities.
Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

God, Kṛṣṇa, when I speak Kṛṣṇa, that means God. If there is any important name... God, it is sometimes said God has no name. That's a fact. But God's name is given by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted the sonhood of Mahārāja Nanda, or Yaśodāmāyī, or Devakī, or Vasudeva. Vasudeva and Devakī were Kṛṣṇa's real father and mother. Nobody is real father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is the original father of everyone. But when Kṛṣṇa comes here, advents, He accepts some devotees as His father, as His mother. Kṛṣṇa is the original, ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādyaṁ Purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). He is the original person.

General Lectures

"Kṛṣṇa" is the most explicit term for God. God may have many names. Kṛṣṇa is the perfect name. God has no name; some philosophers say like that. No name means that His name is understood by His different action.
Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1969:

"Kṛṣṇa" is the most explicit term for God. God may have many names. Kṛṣṇa is the perfect name. God has no name; some philosophers say like that. No name means that His name is understood by His different action. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called Yaśodā-nandana. Because He has accepted mother Yaśodā, to become her son, therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa's name is Pārtha-sārathi. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa has accepted to become a chariot driver of Arjuna. Pārtha means Arjuna, and sārathi means chariot driver. So Kṛṣṇa's name became Pārtha-sārathi. Kṛṣṇa used to steal butter from the stock of His mother's butter stock; therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Mākhana-cora. So in this way Kṛṣṇa's name are varieties. Kṛṣṇa has unlimited number of activities, and according to such activity He has got unlimited names. But the primary name which is applicable in all circumstances is "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone. Otherwise how you're attracted? If Kṛṣṇa is not all-attractive... From the beginning of your life you never heard of Kṛṣṇa, neither you knew about Kṛṣṇa. Why you are attracted? Huh? So Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. That is the perfect name of God, "Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa has got many names, sahasra nāme, thousands of names.

Actually, if there is any name or if there any name can be fixed up for God, it is Kṛṣṇa. God has practically no name. "No name" means He has name, but nobody knows how many names He has. He has innumerable devotees, therefore He has innumerable names. You cannot fix up one name.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

As you know, from the very name, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness,"... When this society was registered in 1966 in New York, some friend suggested that the society may be named as "God consciousness." Kṛṣṇa, they thought that Kṛṣṇa... In the dictionary also, it is said, "Kṛṣṇa is a Hindu god's name." In English dictionary. But actually, if there is any name or if there any name can be fixed up for God, it is Kṛṣṇa. God has practically no name. "No name" means He has name, but nobody knows how many names He has. Yes, that is the way. Because God is unlimited, therefore His names must be also unlimited. You cannot fix up one name. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called Yaśodā-nandana, the son of Mother Yaśodā. That is quite all right, because He played the part of son of Yaśodā-mā. So Yaśodā-nandana means son of Yaśodā. Devakī-nandana, son of Devakī. Vasudeva-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha-sārathi means He acted as the charioteer of Arjuna, Pārtha, the son of Pṛthā. Arjuna's mother's name was Pṛthā. So Arjuna's another name—Pārtha. And because He acted as the charioteer of Pārtha, His name is Pārtha-sārathi. So actually, Kṛṣṇa, or God, has many dealings with His many devotees, and that particular dealing may be called His name. Therefore... He has innumerable devotees, therefore He has innumerable names. You cannot fix up one name.

Actually, God has no name, but we call Him by different holy names according to His activity.
Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): that Supreme Being means Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa, the word, means "all-attractive." It is not that God is attractive for the Hindus or God is attractive for the Muslims or the Christians. No. If He is God at all, then He must be attractive for all. That is the meaning of the word Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." So that is very nice word. Actually, God has no name, but we call Him by different holy names according to His activity. Just like we believe that God is great. So this is fact. The Vedic instruction is also there, na tasya samaś cābhkyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal, nobody is greater than Him." Therefore God is great. Now who is that great? That is decided: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being.

Practically, God has no name, but His name is given according to His activities.
Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

The idea is that when we chant the holy name of God—just like "Kṛṣṇa"—Kṛṣṇa is present there. As soon as you chant God's name... Not necessarily that he will have to chant the name Kṛṣṇa... Any other name which you know that it is God's name, you can chant it. God has got many names, and they can be chanted by different languages in different countries. The effect is the same. Practically, God has no name, but His name is given according to His activities. Just like we are chanting God's name "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." So God is all-attractive. We can have the idea how we consider attractiveness in this material world. One is attractive in this material world if he is very rich, if he is very powerful, if he is very wise, if he is very beautiful. In this way, in six ways one becomes the most attractive. The statement is there in the Vedic literature:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya
vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva
ṣaṇṇāṁ iti bhaga ganā
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Means God is all-attractive by six features: that He is the richest of all, He is the strongest of all, He is the most beautiful, He is the most wise, He is the most renounced order, and He is most famous.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

God has no name, but by His quality we give His name. Just like if a man is very beautiful, we call "beautiful." If a man is very intelligent, we call him "wise." So name is given according to the quality. Because God is all-attractive, therefore the only name Kṛṣṇa can be applied to Him. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive.
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive.

Bob: All-attractive.

Prabhupāda: All-attractive.

Bob: All-attractive.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So unless God becomes all-attractive, how He can become God? (pause) A man is important when he's attractive. Is it not?

Bob: It is so.

Prabhupāda: So, God must be attractive and attractive for all. Therefore, if God has got any name, or if you want to give any name to God, only "Kṛṣṇa" can be given.

Bob: But why only the name Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Because all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa, this word, means all-attractive.

Bob: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: Yes. God has no name, but by His quality we give His name.

Bob: May He be called...?

Prabhupāda: Just like if a man is very beautiful, we call "beautiful." If a man is very intelligent, we call him "wise." So name is given according to the quality. Because God is all-attractive, therefore the only name Kṛṣṇa can be applied to Him. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive.

Bob: What about a name meaning "all-powerful"?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Attractive means... Unless you are powerful, how you can be attractive? (laughter)

Acyutānanda: It includes everything.

Prabhupāda: Includes everything. He must be very beautiful, He must be very wise, He must be very powerful, He must be very famous...

Bob: Is Kṛṣṇa attractive to rascals?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. He was the greatest rascal also.

Bob: How is this?

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Because he was teasing always the gopīs.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that God has many thousands of names or God has no name. No name means He has, He has got so many thousands of millions of names that you cannot say, "This is only God's name." This is one sense. But how God names are understood? The God names are understood by His action.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Professor Durckheim: ...holy name of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Holy name of God.

Professor Durckheim: Of God.

Prabhupāda: If you don't like to chant Kṛṣṇa you chant in your own way. Chant the name of God. If you know the name of God chant it. If you do not know then take it from me. (laughter) We are recommending to chant the holy name of God. If you know, you chant that name and if you don't know then take it from me. (German) (break) ...explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that God has many thousands of names or God has no name. No name means He has, He has got so many thousands of millions of names that you cannot say, "This is only God's name." This is one sense. But how God names are understood? The God names are understood by His action. Just like we say Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. God is all-attractive. God is attractive for the Hindus, for the Muslim, for the Christians, for everyone. Therefore, being all-attractive, there's a Sanskrit word of all-attraction, Kṛṣṇa. This is the explanation of the attribute of God. Similarly, if you've got similar name which explains the attributes of God, that is also God's name. (German) I think Lord Jesus Christ said "God, hallowed be Thy name."

Satsvarūpa: The Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be They name."

Prabhupāda: So He has name. You find out what is His name and chant it. And if you do not know, then take it from us. That is all. He has name. He has name. He's not without name.

We say that God has no particular name. But according to His action His name is there. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not the name. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractiveness.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Satsvarūpa: The Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be They name."

Prabhupāda: So He has name. You find out what is His name and chant it. And if you do not know, then take it from us. That is all. He has name. He has name. He's not without name. (German) (break)

Vedavyāsa: He says from the Old Testament that Jesus said, "Hallowed be Thy name," so he didn't say a particular name because, he says, God has actually no name because if we...

Prabhupāda: So how He can be no name? He says, "Hallowed be Thy name." He has name. Therefore he says like that.

Vedavyāsa: But there's no name in the Bible...

Prabhupāda: That doesn't mean... He might not have mentioned or you have not noted. But when he says, "Hallowed be Thy name," there must be the name. Therefore I said if you don't know the name, you take it from us. That is intelligence. Why should you say that there is no name. He says the "Hallowed be Thy name." There must be name but you do not know. (German) (break)

Vedavyāsa: He thinks that it's purposely done not to say the name of God, to...

Prabhupāda: Because there is name, you find out.

Vedavyāsa: He said that when it says, "Hallowed be Thy name," it's meant in this way: that there's no mention of a particular name to be respected...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. So that we say that God has no particular name. But according to His action His name is there. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not the name. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractiveness.

Professor Durckheim: Just as Buddha is not a name.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Because He's man of knowledge, therefore He's called Buddha.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Actually God has no name, but according to His action, He has name.
Room Conversation with Metaphysics Society -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Guest (Hṛdayānanda): He has understood from what he thinks is Indian philosophy that you cannot give God a name because that would be limiting God.

Prabhupāda: No, you don't give God name. But God is named by His action. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. That is the quality of God, that He is all-attractive. Similarly, Allah. Allah means "the great." So God is great; therefore He is called Allah. So actually God has no name, but according to His action, He has name. That's all right.

God has no name. That's a fact. But we coin His name according to His dealings.
Room Conversation with Reporter -- March 9, 1975, London:

Prabhupāda: So we are recommending to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So God is all-attractive. Otherwise how He can be God? God cannot be attractive for you and not for me. This is very accurate word. God has no name. That's a fact. But we coin His name according to His dealings. Just like we call God Yaśodā-nandana. So God came as the son of Yaśodā. Therefore we call Him Yaśodā-nandana, son of Yaśodā. So you can take it as name. Similarly, God's name the total summarization—"all-attractive." That is perfect name.

According to His activities, there are names. And not only that. When you have names, that means God is person. That must be admitted.
Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Pañcadraviḍa: In one tape, you said actually God has no name. You said God has no name, but because He...

Prabhupāda: No, that is other party's argument, "God has no name."

Pañcadraviḍa: No, no. In the tape, you said... In this tape, bhajana, explanation of bhajana, you said, "God... Actually God has no name, but because He does so many things, then He has names for..."

Prabhupāda: Yes, according to His activities, there are names.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: But all these twelve names, they still make that personality whom they are describing all-attractive. So that means...

Prabhupāda: Yes. And not only that. When you have names, that means God is person. That must be admitted. God cannot be imperson. You may have twelve names or twelve thousand names, but when He has got name, He's a person. Now, our point is: "Who is that person?"

Correspondence

1971 Correspondence

Indirectly you can say that God has no name, but because we are accustomed to understanding everything by giving some nomenclature, God has names which are ascertained by His activities.
Letter to Dinesh Candra -- Los Angeles 13 July, 1971:

You should preach on the position of God. You can describe how God Consciousness can be developed. We are not presenting another God. We shall talk on God, his nature, His exalted position, his omnipresence and how we can realize him. For example in Bhagavad-gita we can realize, as it is stated there, that God is in everything extraordinary. We can realize God in the taste of water. When we are thirsty and drink water, the nice taste which quenches the thirst, that is God. So gradually you can introduce and disclose that according to the Vedic faith God is called Krishna, just as he is called Jehova or Allah. Indirectly you can say that God has no name but because we are accustomed to understanding everything by giving some nomenclature, so God has names which are ascertained by His activities. For example God is creating, so if I call God "the master of the world" (Jagadisa) then what is the wrong there? And who can deny that God created the world?

Page Title:This statement, that "God has no name," that is fact, but He has got His name in relationship with His activities with devotees
Compiler:Labangalatika, Mayapur
Created:23 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=16, Con=6, Let=1
No. of Quotes:23