Acyutānanda: "If Kṛṣṇa has created the universe, then who has created Kṛṣṇa? How did He acquire such immense powers?"
Prabhupāda: Hmm. This is foolishness. (laughter) That is explained, of course. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1); this word is used. Kṛṣṇa means janmādy asya yataḥ. Kṛṣṇa also explains, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). He is the origin of everything. But He's svarāṭ: there is no more origin of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). That is said in the śāstras: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādi (Bs. 5.1). He has no ādi. Anādi, ādi. He is the ādi, origin of everything, but He has no ādi. That is God. That is God. Anādir ādir govindaṁ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. He is the cause of all causes. Just like I have got my father, you have got my (your) father. Your father has got father, his father, his father, his father, go on. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Father, but He has no father. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not require any father, but He accepts a father amongst His devotees because the devotee wants Kṛṣṇa also as child. To fulfill the desire of the devotee He accepts Nanda Mahārāja as father, Vasudeva as father, just to give them pleasure, Kṛṣṇa as child. Yaśodā-mayī is enjoying the pleasure, Kṛṣṇa is playing as child. But He has no father, neither mother. He accepts the beloved devotee as father and mother. This is Kṛṣṇa.
Guest: "Is Śiva milk or dahī? Just now you said something about dahī and milk. Is Śiva milk or dahī?"
Prabhupāda: Dahī.
Guest: That is what I wanted to know.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Śiva is dahī and Kṛṣṇa is milk. Dahī, the preparation of dahī, that you take milk, pure milk, and mix it with little sour thing, then it becomes dahī. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is pure spirit, and when this pure spirit is mixed up with māyā, that is Śiva. Lord Śiva is the māyā-adipati. There are many, I mean to say, narrations. This was inquired by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, that "Lord Śiva, he appears to be like a beggar. He does not possess even an house. He lives underneath a tree. And the devotee of Śiva becomes very rich, opulent, materially, although he's a beggar, whereas Viṣṇu is lakṣmī-pati, vaikuṇṭha-pati, and the Vaiṣṇavas become beggar. Just opposite. By worshiping the beggar one becomes rich, and by worshiping the rich one becomes beggar. What is this contradiction?" So this is answered that Kṛṣṇa answered, yasyāham anugrhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8): "My first benediction to My devotee is that I take away all his riches. That's all." Then when he becomes helpless, he becomes firmly convinced, and he has no other shelter, then automatically he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66). When he has no other help, he fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's special mercy. And so far Lord Śiva is concerned, he is the husband of mother Durgā, and Durgā is the supreme material power, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). So he gets all material benediction, and Vaiṣṇava, instead of material benediction, he gets all spiritual benediction. That is the difference.
Acyutānanda: The last question: "What is the real meaning of religion?"
Prabhupāda: Religion means to abide by the laws of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma is the core. Just like the state gives you law. So you cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. Nobody will accept that. When it is given by the state government, that is law. Similarly, what is given by God, that is religion, and that is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. And other things cheating. That's all. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2): all cheating type of religious system is rejected. In the Bhāga . . . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo atra. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, "Kaitava means cheating." So mokṣa vāñchā api nirasta, even desiring for liberation, that is also cheating type of religion. Simply to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that is religion. Otherwise no religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). This is religion.
That's all right? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.