Universal form (Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"universal form" |"universal forms"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:

Guest (1): You see, because it is a creation of the world... (indistinct) And that means that matter is there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Matter is always there.

Guest (1): Ah. We want to live and enjoy, therefore this universe and all these things. Now, in what perfect form? Because everywhere, in everything, there is a best. Now how everything should take?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Guest (1): The universal form should come to the best. That is the point.

Prabhupāda: Don't talk of universal form. First of all talk of your form. Try to understand your form. Then go universal.

Guest (1): Am I separate from matter.

Prabhupāda: You are not separate. Are you not separate? Then why you are talking with me? Are you not separate with me? Why you have come to inquire from me?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 15, 1972, Madras:

Mālatī: What class of impersonalists are worshiping the universal form?

Prabhupāda: Well, universal form is not impersonal. That is personal. That is also manifestation of Kṛṣṇa.

Mālatī: But you say that... In one of your purports you are saying that the impersonalists are worshiping the universal form.

Prabhupāda: They are advised.

Śyāmasundara: Ah, advised to worship.

Mālatī: They are advised to worship.

Prabhupāda: Nobody is advised to... There is no worship for impersonalists, there is no.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: All other rules and regulations should be treated as assistants or servants to this one basic principle. The injunctions of rules and regulations and the resultant reactions are mentioned in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Chapter, first and second verses. Camasa Muni, one of the nine sages who came to instruct King Nimi, addressed the King and said, 'The four social orders, namely the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdras, have come out of the different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord as follows: the brāhmaṇas have come out from the head, the kṣatriyas have come out from the arms, the vaiśyas have come out from the waist, and the śūdras have come out from the legs. Similarly, the sannyāsīs have come out from the head, the vānaprasthas from the arms, the gṛhasthas from the waist and the brahmacārīs from the legs.'

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: And that is actually a fact. We want to bring God to our level, that's frog philosophy. Atlantic Ocean to the level of well. That is foolishness. That is foolishness. We have to understand that this whole universe... Just like Arjuna saw the virāḍ-rūpa, universal form. So this whole universe is the form of the Lord. So if in my body there are so many chemicals, enzymes, and other things, so how much there must be, proportionately? Suppose if we find some portion of chemicals in my body, you will find less in the ant's body. Or you will find more in the elephant's body. So if I can create so many chemicals within my body, how much chemicals He can create? On that account... Your theory, that combination of hydrogen, oxygen makes water, that is a fact. But you are surprised, wherefrom such a big quantity of hydrogen, oxygen came so that the ocean is there. That you cannot calculate. But we answer: "This hydrogen, oxygen is there in the body, universal body of the Lord."

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:

Bhagavān: Just like Kṛṣṇa showed Arjuna His universal form. So He established that He was the origin of everything, and He had no cause.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Everything has some cause, but when you finally come to a thing who has no cause, then He's God.

Bhagavān: The rascals...

Prabhupāda: Vedānta-sūtra: janmādyasya yataḥ. The origin of everything. But He's not originated from something else. And that is God. Therefore He's called Absolute. Everything here is relative. And God is Absolute. That is the difference between Absolute and relative.

Bhagavān: They are like children. They want to see that... They are like children. They want to see that original cause immediately. And if they do not see the original cause immediately, they say there is no original cause.

Prabhupāda: That is childish. That is childish.

Discussion about Guru Maharaji -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Just see. That is the evidence of God. Where is in the śāstra that by pushing eyes, Kṛṣṇa showed some light, and somebody...? He never did with Arjuna like that. He showed His gigantic universal form. But He never showed some light. So what is this nonsense? So we must make some propa..., counter-propaganda. Because you spoke several things about him, but you did not make any counter-propaganda upon him. You have studied him, but you have never made any counter-propaganda.

Haṁsadūta: Well we have, whenever they come, whenever we meet them.

Prabhupāda: No, whenever you are meeting, "this rascal is going on as God. This is mistaken. What profit...?" You have to speak there. What proof is there? So consult with Bhagavān dāsa and begin this propaganda. I have no time... Therefore, I say: "I do not know this man. That's all right." To avoid. But in a meeting, and you are going saṅkīrtana. People are coming, talking with you. So you make some propaganda, counter-propaganda. Although, practically, he'll be finished, there is no doubt. Two, three years. The Maharishi Mahesh yogi, also became very... Nobody cares for him now.

Morning Walk -- December 8, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: They say they've seen Guru Maharaji lifting Govardhana Hill, and they've seen his universal form.

Prabhupāda: No, Govardhana Hill, when he lifted, everyone saw.

Karandhara: The scientists want to see it also to believe in Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so show him. Show him. But prove him. Then everybody says that... I have got some disciple. I can say also, "I am God. My disciples have seen it. Believe me." Say that.

Karandhara: Well, that's why they won't believe in Kṛṣṇa. They know that everyone can say that.

Yaśomatīnandana: It is accepted by the higher authorities.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: I told him that "Have you seen Kṛṣṇa's universal form? Kṛṣṇa displayed His universal form just so that these rascals may not cheat you." They said, "I have seen universal form." I said "What did you see in the universal form? Did you see Śiva, Brahmā, all that?" He said, "I saw light, white light, in the universal form." That's all he saw in the universal form, white light. Factually they don't what universal form is.

Prabhupāda: No, no, don't waste your time with that. They are all third-class rascals. Not even first-class rascals.

Devotee: They say that we are searching after the saguṇa form. They are looking for the viśvarūpa, and we are looking for saguṇa.

Yaśomatīnandana: The Viśvarūpa also has a form.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Why do you waste your time by talking with these rascals? Take it for granted they are set of rascals. That's all.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 17, 1974, Vrndavana:

Bhāgavata: Even though Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form, Duryodhana still did not agree.

Prabhupāda: No, Duryodhana also agreed. All of them got salvation. That is mentioned. Anyone who was in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, all of them got salvation. By their being killed in the battle, they all got liberation and salvation. That is stated by Bhīṣmadeva. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means they came to their original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All of them. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... (break) (Hindi conversation continues for some time) Materially to get bācche (children) you require the help of husband, but spiritually you don't require anyone's help. In Kṛṣṇa only. That's all.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: (reads synonyms) "Translation: Whatever you wish to see can be seen all at once in this body. This universal form can show you all that you now desire, as well as whatever you may desire in the future. Everything is here completely."

Prabhupāda: That is avatāra. So nobody can compare. In the Vedic literature it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody can be equal to Him. Sama, sama means equal. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is greater than Him, nobody is equal to Him." That is Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as one claims that "I am also Kṛṣṇa," he is a bogus immediately.

Dr. Patel: Shall I go further?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Sañjaya was speaking in the room to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and he said that "Now He showed." That means he was seeing. That is another television. Another television. That television is unknown now. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu. Premāñjana-churrita-bhakti-vilocanena. This is also television. The television machine is within the heart. One can see everything, provided he has learned the art how to see, that television within the heart.

Girirāja: (finishes synonyms) "Translation: Sañjaya said: O King, speaking thus, the Supreme, the Lord of all mystic power, the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna."

Dr. Patel: Shall I read?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So even in the universal form, there is personality. Divya-mālya, divya-gandha, kirīṭina, dressed, well-dressed. Well-dressed is possible not in the imperson. If you want to dress somebody, he must be a person. You cannot dress in the sky. "Here is helmet, here is garland." Where you put? (laughs) So in the universal form also there is personality.

Girirāja: (reads synonyms to:) "ābharaṇam-ornaments; divya-divine..."

Prabhupāda: You have to understand.

Girirāja: "Aneka-various..."

Prabhupāda: Aneka. So here is the word, aneka. Ana eka, "more than one." So what is that aneka?

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: (continues synonyms to end) "Translation: Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes."

Prabhupāda: Unlimited mouths. The unlimited person. As soon as you say, "unlimited mouths," means unlimited person. That is not imperson. Even in His aneka-mūrti He is person. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter, that all we remained person in the past, we are persons at present, and we shall continue to become persons in the future. So this impersonal description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is for the persons who do not understand what is God.

Girirāja: "It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed..."

Prabhupāda: Again personality. And where do they get the idea of impersonal, even in the virāṭ-rūpa? How do they get? What is the authority?

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no, everything is being described as person. So where is the question of imperson? Even in His aneka mūrti, in the virāṭ form, universal form, there are persons. At least from Bhagavad-gītā, nobody can prove that the Absolute Truth, God, is imperson. That is not possible. But still, they are doing that. That means they do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā, although they are very much proud of regular scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. So am I right or wrong? Let us discuss.

Chandobhai: He is both personal and impersonal.

Prabhupāda: No, no, why?

Dr. Patel: You are right.

Prabhupāda: No, here it is described person. Although the virāṭ-rūpa is there... Virāṭ-rūpa is considered.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Sarvārhanam acyutejyā. Simply by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), you can worship everyone. There is no need of separately worshiping the five devatās. There is no need.

Girirāja: (reads synonyms for Bg. 11.13) "Translation: At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So, although... Now, what is important? The many, many thousands universes divided into varieties of opulences, that is important or Kṛṣṇa important?

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa is important.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Dr. Patel: The whole thing was ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Prabhupāda: That is being explained.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Dvi-bhuja murlidhara śyāmasundara. Venuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbudha-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). Arcā-vigraha. Venuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁ... Barha, this peacock feather. They are described in the Vedic literature, but these rascals say, "That it is imagination. They have imagined." The Māyāvādīs say, "They have imagined a form of God as Kṛṣṇa, with peacock feather, with murlī." But that's not the fact. The fact is there in the Vedic literature. So Kṛṣṇa has got this universal form, but the devotees are not interested with this universal form. But they know that Kṛṣṇa has universal form. Go on.

Dr. Patel: (reads next verse 11.21 in Sanskrit)

Girirāja: (reads synonyms) "Translation: All the demigods are surrendering and entering into You. They are very much afraid, and with folded hands they are singing the Vedic hymns."

Prabhupāda: When the demigods... They have to offer prayers to the Lord, instead of... How they can be worshiped on the equal level of God? How can they be worshiped on the...? That is forbidden. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ deva. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (some people come) Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvena vikṣeta sa pāṣāṇḍī bhaved dhruvam (CC Madhya 18.116).

Morning Walk -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: What is that God? Tell me.

Yogeśvara: Well, it's like the Guru Maharaji people. They say they've seen Guru Maharaji lifting Govardhana Hill and displaying universal form and so many miracles. They say they have seen Guru Maharaji doing all the miracles that Kṛṣṇa claims to have done.

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa is present, when He lifted the Govardhana Hill, everyone saw. Where is your rascal Guru Mahārāja doing that, everyone can see? When Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. All the inhabitants saw it.

Room Conversation with Prof. Regamay, Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Lausanne -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, both in the First Canto, Third Chapter, as well as in the Sixth Chapter. It is said there that the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends as the first puruṣa incarnation of the material creation, and He immediately manifests sixteen elementary energies. He is known as Mahā-Viṣṇu lying in the Causal Ocean, and He is the original incarnation in the material world. He is the Lord of time, nature, cause and effect, mind, ego, and the five elements, the three modes of nature, the senses and the universal form. He is independent and the master of all objects, moveable and immovable, in the material world. The influence of the material nature cannot reach beyond the Virajā or the Causal Ocean, and this is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, Ninth Chapter. On the Vaikuṇṭha planets there is no influence of the modes of material nature. There is no mixture of modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, neither is there any influence of material time.

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Why stone? Stone is also God's body. You don't know that? Do you know it or not?

Satsvarūpa: Yes, in the Universal Form.

Prabhupāda: No. Universal Form... Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Bhūmi means the earth. "That is My body."

Yogeśvara: But there are no... They would say that there are no symptoms of life in the Deity.

Prabhupāda: No, there is life, but you have no eyes to see. There is life. He's the supreme life. Only premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38), one who is devotee, he can see. Otherwise, are we fools, rascals, that we are worshiping a dead body? Do you mean to say after reading so many books, we are worshiping stone? You have no eyes. You have to create that eyes to see that "Here is personally Kṛṣṇa present, arcāvatāra."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Hm, not come very near. Yes?

Devotee (1): It's talking about that Arjuna saw the universal form, all these universes and all that. So does that mean like you were talking that one can't become a universal being, but he can see the whole universe. Can you explain how that is?

Prabhupāda: How is that? You can see the universe; that does not mean that you can become universe. You can see the sky; that does not mean you become as big as sky. (break) ...small, minute shining sparks, minute combination. So they are also shining, but that does not mean they can become as good, as big, as the sun. (break) ...the defect of the Māyāvāda philosophy. They think of themselves too much. Therefore they remain here, always in māyā. (break) ...abuddhayaḥ, means the intelligence is not purified. They are called aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ or viśuddha (SB 10.2.32), "without purification of knowledge." (break) ...kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmād-aṅghrayaḥ. They fall down. (break) ...this symbol?

Harikeśa: Some fountain.

Prabhupāda: No, there are some children, symbolic.

Brahmānanda: They're looking at the water. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...written, "Danger." Now they are going to the safety. What is danger, there is that safety. Now, what is danger and what is safety?

Brahmānanda: That means it is relative.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is relative. Therefore it is called relative world. (break)

Brahmānanda: It's according to the body. Because the duck has a particular body, the water for him is safety, and because we have this particular body, it is dangerous.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): (break) ...true that when you become more purified that you will see everything differently with your eyes and hear everything differently with your ears and all this?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1975, San Francisco:

Bahulāśva: Just like yesterday you told the reporters. When they asked why such a big cart, so you told them that God should have a big car.

Prabhupāda: And where is this car? When God assumes the universal form, where is the car? You have no such car. So this car is the smallest car of all. He has got... When He showed His Viśva-rūpa to Arjuna, so for that Viśva-rūpa where is the car? You cannot do.

Devotee: When Kṛṣṇa is demonstrating work, He demonstrates in the form of Lord Viṣṇu, not in His pastimes in Vṛndāvana but more in the form of Viṣṇu, or how does He show?

Prabhupāda: In Vṛndāvana there is no work. Outside Vṛndāvana there is killing of the demons. When He came out of Vṛndāvana, he began His business by killing His uncle, that Kaṁsa. Then so many other demons came, one after another. He had to fight. Even He had to marry by fighting.

Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:

Indian man: Somebody put a question to Bhagavan Rajneesh that "you claim that you are God. Can you show us your universal form?" He said, "Well, I can show you. First you come like an Arjuna. First you become Arjuna. Then I can show you a universal form."

Prabhupāda: So he admits that much.

Akṣayānanda: That he cannot.

Indian man: No, he admits that he can, but he has put...

Prabhupāda: "So that's all right. Have you shown anyone your universal form amongst so many, your disciples? Have you shown?" The next question should be like that.

Indian man: He never asked. I was hearing tape in one life member's house.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, if... You learn that, "Have you shown ever your universal form to any one of your disciples?"

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1975, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: Oh, and in the Bhāgavatam it also says that because the universal form desired to hear, that sound was created and then the organ for hearing. Like that.

Prabhupāda: That is also created.

Harikeśa: So...

Prabhupāda: Just like from ether, sound is created. Śabda, sparśa. Śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa, gandhaḥ, these are the five parmatra (?), object of sense perception. Budh, pañca parmatra, ten senses, the mind, and three modes, the material nature. This is the ingredient of the whole creation.

Harikeśa: So the basic element is the soul's...

Prabhupāda: Basic element is Kṛṣṇa.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Mahāmṣa: (break) ...different Purāṇas have different Gītās, Prabhupāda? So some person said that there is a Gaṇeśa-gītā. Similarly, there are different demigods. They speak their gītā. And they also say...

Acyutānanda: Universal form.

Mahāmṣa: They show the universal form or they say that they are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). They say the same things in their gitas.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let them do that. We take Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. Śaṅkarācārya also—bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhītā. If Bhagavad-gītā is understood a little only, he becomes liberated.

Acyutānanda: Then why should it be called the Bhagavad-gītā and not the Kṛṣṇa-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is referred to as Bhagavān.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Mahāmṣa: But do they have the potency to show the universal form?

Prabhupāda: Who?

Mahāmṣa: These demigods?

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is that universal form? It is nothing. Any powerful living being can do that.

Yaśodānandana: In the other Vaiṣṇava-sampradāyas, such as the Madhva-sampradāya and the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa has His own planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. They think that there is only Vaikuṇṭha and nothing else.

Prabhupāda: Their knowledge is imperfect. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43).

Morning Walk -- May 25, 1976, Honolulu:

Hari-śauri: Whatever is there in the universal form is found in small quantity in the bodies that the living entities get.

Prabhupāda: They are small universe. There is word, cha ache brahmāṇḍe, ta ache i bandhe.(?) The arrangement what is there, universally, the same as in the smallest entity (indistinct).

Hari-śauri: So many completes coming from the whole.

Prabhupāda: Drop of water, the chemical composition is the same as big ocean. (airplane flying overhead) ...feet, they say.

Devotee: About 35,000 feet up. Just under seven miles.

Prabhupāda: Wants to go against the current. That is their sporting. There is an example is given by Tulasī dāsa. Baijad gajarāja(?)(indistinct) A small fish, it will go against the current, and if you put one elephant, he cannot, he'll be washed away. Why the fish, the small fish can go against the current and the elephant is washed out? Because that fish is under the shelter of the ocean; the elephant is foreigner. This is example. So one who takes shelter of the Supreme, he can do anything.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: This is part of the Universal Form exhibit. This is Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Prabhupāda: Oh, lying down.

Rāmeśvara: Very big. He's bigger than a human being.

Prabhupāda: Acchā.

Rāmeśvara: And this will be the Universal Form. He will have many heads and many arms. And with the controlling the lighting, His image will appear in mirrors on the ceiling and on the walls, so everywhere you look you'll see Him.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) All-pervading. It is very, very good improvement, encouraging. People will enjoy this.

Rāmeśvara: And He is lying on Śeṣa. This exhibit is so spectacular, this Universal Form. It is more impressive than anything, I think, in America, because at a certain point there is even a machine which makes different fragrances in the air.

Prabhupāda: So you can invite this opposition cult to see what we are doing. "Why you are after us," ask, "like the barking dog? There is good use. It is the highest culture." Make some compromise: "Why you are after simply spoiling? Don't you want advancement in culture and knowledge? Why you are so envious?" Just try to bring the leaders, that "What is use? You also join. It is a culture.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: These little dolls are Gandharvas. There will be over two hundred of them in the Universal Form exhibit.

Prabhupāda: Who is the girl?

Rāmeśvara: That is one of the doll makers' wives.

Prabhupāda: What are the small?

Rāmeśvara: Those are the Gandharvas. Each Gandharva... There are hundreds of them. They have their own outfit, different colored dresses and different ornaments, all made by hand.

Prabhupāda: So small?

Rāmeśvara: Yes. Because there are hundreds of them. But in the mirrors there will be millions of them.

Prabhupāda: Acchā.

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Bhavānanda: Then in quantity means universal form.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Bhavānanda: Not Kṛṣṇa. Not Kṛṣṇa but universal form.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is... Kṛṣṇa is bigger than the universal form. Kṛṣṇa assumed the universal form, not that universal form made Kṛṣṇa.

Bhavānanda: No, but everyone taken together makes Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna wanted to see His universal form; then Kṛṣṇa assumed. Then Kṛṣṇa is the origin of the universal form. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ... (BG 10.8). Even universal form is coming from Kṛṣṇa. These rascals, they do not know.

Bhavānanda: Their philosophy is that everyone taken together forms Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is their philosophy, but everything taken together means that is a partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is still greater.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: Rādhā-Govindajī from Jaipur. Very nice picture. On the back is this universal form.

Prabhupāda: By seeing the picture they sell.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People will buy just from seeing. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Harikeśa: In Germany pictures like on the back, they're very popular.

Prabhupāda: What price you are selling?

Harikeśa: We sell these for about eight or nine marks or ten marks. That's somewhere between $3.50 and $4.00. Sometimes a little more.

Prabhupāda: They pay that.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1970:

The process of meditation recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam is not to fix up one's attention on something impersonal or void. The meditation should be concentrated on the Personality of Godhead, either take Him as Virata Rupa or gigantic universal form, or take Him as His Sacidananda Vigraha as described in the scriptures. There are authorized descriptions of Visnu forms and there are authorized presentations of Deities in the temples. So one can practice meditating upon the Deity, concentrating his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord gradually rising up and up to the smiling face.

According to Bhagavat school the Lord's Rasa Dancing is the smiling face of the Lord. As it is recommended here in this verse that one should gradually rise beginning from the lotus feet up to the smiling face, so we shall not at once jump to understand the Lord's pastime in Rasa Dance.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1970:

Those who are too much engrossed in sense gratification cannot be allowed in the matter of arcana to touch the transcendental form of Radha Krsna or Visnu Deities. For them it is better to meditate upon the gigantic Virata Rupa form of the Lord as it is recommended in the next verse. The impersonalist and the voidist are therefore recommended to meditate upon the universal form of the Lord, whereas the devotees are recommended to meditate on the Deity worship in the temple. So because the impersonalist and voidist are not sufficiently purified in their spiritual activities arcana is not meant for them.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1970:

Yes, your have correctly answered your second question by the purport that Arjuna's mind was already absorbed in knowing Krsna as his friend so he should not give up that status but he should only change his vision for the time in order to see the Universal Form of the Lord.

Regarding the three beads missing from your set of japa beads, just string three beads in place. That is all that is necessary.

Letter to Jadurani -- Calcutta 19 September, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your recent (undated) letter. Regarding the painting of the Universal Form, yes you may do it as in the Brijabasi print.

You will be pleased to know that everything is going very nicely here, and we are having many meetings, almost every night, in various places with good notice. Daily our Sankirtana party goes down town where they are followed by hundreds of Indians. If we are only sincere, Krishna will give us all facility.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Allahabad 21 January, 1971:

We should only paint four-handed Visnus and not consult Kalayana-Kalpataru, which is not always authorized.

3) Yes, if you would like to send the painting of my Guru Maharaja here to India, why not.

4) Yes, Krishna can be shown seated next to Arjuna on the chariot when universal form is displayed.

Letter to Gaura Hari -- Calcutta 29 May, 1971:

Person means not a dead stone. Person means all living entities. We cannot understand in our present material condition. An example is a stone in the spiritual world; if I ask it to move, it will move automatically. In the material world it will not. Universal form is a person also, and from that universal form so many things are appearing.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Sons -- Bombay 28 December, 1974:

Krsna, Himself, recommends mam ekam, he alone. Therefore we must do like that. If one wants to water the tree he waters the root. There is no necessity of watering the branches. The demigods are all different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord. But Krsna is even more than that whole complete universal form. He is the origin of that universal form. Therefore I do not encourage you to worship this demigod, Ganesa. It is not required, it is not necessary. Simply worship Krsna. Perform nice devotional service to Krsna. Then your lives will certainly become perfect. Of course if one has got some sentiment for achieving the blessings of Ganesa for accumulating large sums of money to serve Krsna, then he may perform this Ganesa worship, privately, not making a public show. But first of all he must give me $100,000 per month. Not a single farthing less. If he can supply this amount, $100,000 per month, then he will be allowed to do this Ganesa Puja.