Transcendental abode (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"transcendental abode" |"transcendental abodes"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The Supreme Lord is sanātana, and the transcendental abode, which is beyond the spiritual sky, that is also sanātana. And the living entities, they are also sanātana.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

The sanātana-dhama and the sanātana Supreme Personality and the sanātana living entities, they are on the same qualitatively plane. Therefore the whole target of Bhagavad-gītā is to revive our sanātana occupation or sanātana..., that is called sanātana-dharma, or eternal occupation of the living entity. We are now temporarily engaged in different activities and all these activities being purified. When we give up all these temporary activities, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), and when we take up the activities as desired by the Supreme Lord, that is called our pure life. (break) Therefore, sanātana-dharma, as mentioned above, that the Supreme Lord is sanātana, and the transcendental abode, which is beyond the spiritual sky, that is also sanātana. And the living entities, they are also sanātana. So association of the sanātana Supreme Lord, sanātana living entities, in the sanātana eternal abode is the ultimate aim of human form of life.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

God and God's devotees, wherever they are, the same transcendental abode, God's place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is manifested there.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

So when Kṛṣṇa or God comes, He's not out of His eternal abode, because absolute. Whenever, wherever God is present, His absolute abode is also present there. Just like it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "The Supreme Lord is situated as Supersoul in everyone's heart." Now suppose there is a dog or there is hog. So there is also God. So does it mean that God is living with a dog or God is living with a hog? No. For Him, even within the heart of a hog, even within the heart of a dog, there is Vaikuṇṭha. The same thing. These are the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord. Similarly, a God's pure devotee, wherever he may be, he lives at Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana is not limited or God is not so limited that He is under the boundary of certain limitation. No. They can... God and God's devotees, wherever they are, the same transcendental abode, God's place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is manifested there. So in each and every brahmāṇḍa, or universe, wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, there is Goloka Vṛndāvana there.

As in this universe there is Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī, similarly, in the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa, there is Mathurā purī, Dvārakā purī. But His fullness is manifested at Vṛndāvana.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

So His pastimes are manifest in different way, and in Vṛndāvana His fullness is exhibited. That is described here by Lord Caitanya. Vraje kṛṣṇa-sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇe prakāśa. There is no restrictions. He is fully manifested there. Purī-dvaye, paravyome-'pūrṇatara', 'pūrṇa'. Purī-dvaye means Mathurā purī and Dvārakā pura. Mathurā purī... As there... As in this universe there is Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī, similarly, in the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa, there is Mathurā purī, Dvārakā purī. They are represented here. So India there is Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī. They are... In Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī, in these two places, Kṛṣṇa's fullness is not manifested. But His fullness is manifested at Vṛndāvana.

General Lectures

This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, this transcendental vibration is not any material thing. It is imported from the transcendental abode, golokera. Goloka means the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

O Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, representing ourself, he is lamenting, "My dear Lord, I have spoiled my life. I have simply spoiled my life." Why? This life, this human form of life, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. This human form of life was meant for understanding what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Lord, His energy, whatever you call. Hare Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, the same thing, the Lord and His energy. So, "Instead of making contact with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, I am simply spoiling my life in sense gratification." So he's lamenting, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "Uselessly I have spoiled my life." Why? What is your lamentation? He says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, this transcendental vibration is not any material thing. It is imported from the transcendental abode, golokera. Goloka means the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa. Golokera prema-dhana. From there, the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa... Just like the sunshine, wherefrom it has come? From the sun planet. Everyone knows it. Although you cannot go there, it is far, far beyond your reach, but you can understand that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. There is no doubt about it. Similarly this vibration, this shining, is coming from Kṛṣṇa, Goloka.

In the original Vṛndāvana there is no question of danger. It is blissful, transcendental abode.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are always engaged in loving affairs in the kuñja, in the bushes of Vṛndāvana. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī, gopījana-vallabha. He is very dear to the gopīs and the gopas. Gopas means the cowherd men and the cowherd boys. So Vṛndāvana is village life. It is not a town like Los Angeles. It is village. It is village, and they are always taking pleasure on the bank of Yamunā. Yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī. And there are very nice gardens on the bank of the Yamunā. And whenever there is some danger... Of course, in the original Vṛndāvana there is no question of danger. It is blissful, transcendental abode. But when Kṛṣṇa comes down to show us the replica of the original Vṛndāvana... That Vṛndāvana is there on this planet in India, about ninety miles from New Delhi. It is exactly the same Vṛndāvana, but because it is on this material world, it appears that there is sometimes danger. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, on this planet, so there was some danger. Actually there was no danger because Kṛṣṇa was present. But it appeared like that.

Philosophy Discussions

One who has got the knowledge by revelation, nobody can mislead him. Just like we believe in the transcendental abode, cintāmaṇi, Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Transcendental knowledge means knowledge received from a source which is beyond the reach of my material senses. That is transcendental. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. So we have no knowledge that there is a spiritual world, but Kṛṣṇa says that there is another nature, a spiritual nature, beyond this material nature. So we understand through the source of transcendental knowledge. We cannot experience. That is explained, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. God, His name, His qualities, His pastimes—nothing can be understood by these material senses. But if you engage yourself in service, they become revealed. That will become confirmed: "Yes, there is Vaikuṇṭha, there is Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are going on, and I am perceiving myself." These things become revealed gradually, not abruptly you can understand. Therefore common men cannot understand that they say " 'Going back to home, back to Godhead?' What nonsense they are saying?" They cannot understand, because it is transcendental, beyond the reach of these gross senses. But it is revealed: sevonmukhe. If you become submissive, if you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, guru-Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual master, then these things become revealed. Now one who has got the knowledge by revelation, nobody can mislead him. Just like we believe in the transcendental abode, cintāmaṇi, Goloka Vṛndāvana. If somebody pays out millions of dollars and asks you to forget all these things, we cannot do that. If you give him hundreds and thousands of dollars, that "You believe in this," no, he will not believe. That is transcendental knowledge. So transcendental knowledge is not speculation. It is receiving from higher authority and gradually, by your service attitude, things become clear to you. That is transcendental.

Purports to Songs

Golokera prema-dhana. That means: "This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is imported from the transcendental abode of Goloka."

Purport & Explanation to Hari Hari Biphale -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Jāniyā means knowingly, and śuniyā means hearing.

Pradyumna: Hearing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Two kinds of knowledge are there. You can practically understand by experiment. This is called jāniyā. And another knowledge is by hearing from authoritative source. That is also knowledge. Jāniyā śuniyā "By hearing process and by experimental knowledge, in both ways, I know that this human form of life is meant for engaging in the loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but I did not do that. That means purposefully I have drunk poison. I have committed suicide." Then golokera prema-dhana, g-o-l-e... No. G-o-l-o-k-e-r-a, golokera. Prema, p-r-e-m-a, prema. Dhana, d-h-a-n-a. Golokera prema-dhana. That means: "This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is imported from the transcendental abode of Goloka." Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. "This chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, this is not material vibration. This sound is..." What is called? Captured? Just like we capture sound. The sound is in the air. So this sound... There are different layers of air, but this sound is in the highest layer, in the transcendental, spiritual layer, beyond this material world. From that sound it is captured. It requires strong machine to capture that sound. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.