710219 - Lecture CC Madhya 06.154-155 - Gorakhpur

Lectures by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

710219CC-GORAKHPUR - February 19, 1971 - 37:32 Minutes

Haṁsadūta: The following lecture was recorded on the evening of February 19th, 1971, at Śrī Kṛṣṇa-niketana, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Prabhupāda:

. . . tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

(CC Madhya 6.154)

So there are three kinds of energies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got unlimited energies, just like in the sun there is unlimited energy. You can imagine if so much energy is possible in a material thing which is created by God, or Kṛṣṇa, how much energy Kṛṣṇa has got. That can be easily . . .

(break) . . . partial energy is there in the sun globe. For millions and trillions of years the waves of heat and light emanating from the sun, and still, it is as good as before. Similarly, we can understand from this example that the Supreme Personality has got unlimited energy.

The example is given also, just like fire. The same thing . . .

eka-sthāne sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.52)

Just like a fire situated in one place distributing unlimitedly, or limitedly, its heats and energies, heats and light, similarly, whatever we are experiencing within our views in this material world, they are simply manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4): "I am all-pervading, spreading, in this material manifestation, jagat, in impersonal feature, avyakta-mūrtinā." Everything . . . avyakta means Kṛṣṇa is not manifested there, but we can feel.

Just like when you see some smoke from a distant place, you can immediately understand that there is fire. It is very easy. Similarly, if everything is going on nicely—the sun is rising exactly in the time; the moon is rising exactly in the time; they are illuminating—they are appearing, disappearing; everything is going on, seasonal changes—so if things are going on so nicely, how you can say: "God is dead"?

If the management is going on nicely, you cannot say that these things are automatically happening. No. There is no such thing within your experience which is automatically managed. We must appreciate there is some brain behind it. Professor Einstein, the greatest scientist, he admitted that, "As we are advancing in scientific research, we are coming to the conclusion that there is a very big brain behind all this." How you can deny that? And we are getting direct information from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

(BG 9.10)

So the progress of the material world . . . progress, no. Progress means . . . in the material objects progress means . . . just like a flower: it is in the bud, then it fructifies. That is progress. Again dwindles and vanishes. Ṣaḍ-vikāra. Just like your body, my body—progress means from babyhood, childhood, boyhood, youthhood. That is, up to that, youthhood, progress.

Then as soon as youthhood passed, old age comes in, then dwindling, then finish. That means janma-sthiti-pralaya. It comes into existence, then it remains for some time, and again pralaya, vanishes, vanquish. This is the way of material existence. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It takes place . . .

Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra, Brahman means the original source of appearance, maintenance and disappearance. From Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, everything is emanating, janma. Janmādi. Janmādi means janma, sthiti and pralaya. So it is remaining in Brahman.

Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Everything is existing, maintained by Brahman. And when the whole manifestation annihilates, pralaya-prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikam—it enters into the energy, supreme energy of the Personality of Godhead. That is the way, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. From the energy.

In the Vedas also it is said, sa aikṣata sa asṛjata: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead glanced over." In the Bhagavad-gītā also, ahaṁ bijā-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). In the material energy, Kṛṣṇa gives the seed. Just like a father gives the seed, the semina, within the womb of the mother, and a living entity comes out, similarly, within this material world the Supreme Personality puts, impregnates, the material energy with the living entities, and they come out with different types of bodies, 8,400,000's. This is the creation.

So here Caitanya Mahāprabhu quotes one verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa: viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā (CC Madhya 6.154). You cannot say that the Absolute Person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no energy. Niḥśakti. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that the energy generates when impersonal Brahman enters into this material energy, or māyā, He has got a body of māyā. No. That's not the fact. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got the body of . . . created by this material world, as we have got.

Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11): "Those who are foolish person, poor fund of knowledge, such person thinks that I assume a body with the help of material energy." Kṛṣṇa says Himself that sambhavamy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6)—His own energy. That own energy is this viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā, spiritual energy. He does not accept a material energy, a body of material energy. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā (CC Madhya 6.154).

So kṣetrajña, these living entities, they are also parā-śakti, cit-śakti. As we can experience two kinds of śaktis . . . one is cit-śakti and one is jara-śakti. Just like so long the cit-śakti is there within this body, it is living, it is moving, and as soon as the cit-śakti, the soul, departs from this body, there is no more movement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the1 cit śakti, or . . . not śakti, śaktimān, from whom—janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1)—from Him this material world is coming out. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

So we should try to appreciate the energy of God. When Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am all-pervading . . ." Sarvam. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, the same thing, as it is Vedic injunction, similarly Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: "The all-pervading nature, the expansion of my energy, is the impersonal Brahman." That is impersonal. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). That is Kṛṣṇa's power. Everything is resting in Him. That means in His energy. Śakti-śakti mato abheda. His energy is not different from Him.

So therefore this quotation given from Viṣṇu Purāṇa by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very appropriate. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā (CC Madhya 6.154). Ksetrajña, these living entities . . . those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you know. Ksetrajña means the living entity. Kṣetra means this body, and jña means proprietor or the knower of this body. Just like when there is some pain and pleasure, you know.

Therefore you are kṣetrajña; we are all kṣetrajña. And Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. And that is Paramātmā. When Kṛṣṇa says: "I am also kṣetrajña . . ." Not this kṣetrajña. Sometimes they misunderstand that the individual soul, living entity, and Paramātmā is the same. No. He says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also one of the birds sitting on this body."

That is confirmed in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting in one tree. So one bird is witnessing. The witnessing bird is the Paramātmā, antaryāmī. He is looking after all your activities, witness. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Bhagavad-gītā: upadraṣṭā. You don't think that whatever you are doing, nobody is witnessing. Sarvato pani-padas tat sarvato akṣi. Therefore, when it is said paśyaty acakṣuḥ . . . paśyaty acakṣuḥ. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got such nice eyes that He can see your activities anywhere. He sees.

But His that seeing, that eye, or His eyes, are not exactly . . . because we cannot see. As soon as I am closing my eyelids I cannot see you. So what is the power of this seeing? But He can see from within your heart what you are thinking, what you are feeling, what you are acting. And He is giving also sanction. You cannot act anything without His sanction because everything is property of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). So if you want to enjoy something, you have to take sanction from the proprietor. Otherwise you cannot take, unless He sanctions.

Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). This is the process. We have to understand. He is sitting within your heart.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

(BG 18.61)

And as witness, as anumantā, as sanction-giver, I am thinking, "Oh, I . . ." Either you are playing or you are wanting some way. So Kṛṣṇa will give you all facility, "All right, you want? You have it." Māyā is there; she supplies you ingredients, and you get your thing. This is going on. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. But the action which you are engaged, the result you have to enjoy.

You wanted some facility from Kṛṣṇa. You get it. You wanted to steal something from somewhere. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence, "Yes, you steal. Come here. You steal. Here is the opportunity." But when you are arrested, you don't make responsible Kṛṣṇa. You wanted to steal. Here is the facility. That's all.

So it is kindness of Kṛṣṇa that He is giving you all facilities. If you want to be a thief, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class thief. And if you want to be a devotee, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class devotee. Now it is your choice. Therefore we are suffering in our own choice.

Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). We wish something, we desire something, to have, and we hate something, to leave. Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility, but we are not happy. By acting in our own way we are misguided. Otherwise we are . . . would have been happy.

Suppose if somebody wanted that, "Let me have one crores of rupees." "All right, you have it. Here is one crore of rupees." But after one crore of rupees you are not happy. These Americans, they wanted to be the richest nation in the world. They have become. But their children—not happy. They are becoming hippies. Their father is also not happy, because his boy has gone astray. The government is perturbed, bewildered, "What to do with these boys?"

Therefore, so long we shall want something for our sense gratification, without serving Kṛṣṇa we shall suffer. That is the proposition. In different ways we shall suffer. Therefore Kṛṣṇa very kindly, most confidential . . . sarva-guhyatamam. Kṛṣṇa says Arjuna that "I am talking to you most confidential matter." What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66).

"This is the secret of life. Don't bother yourself in this way and that way. That is the secret. You simply become surrendered unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I am giving you guarantee. You have committed so many sinful activities life after life, and you'll suffer life after life. But if you surrender unto Me, I give you protection, guaranteed." Mā śucaḥ: "Don't be worried."

Why don't you take this path? This is the way. Viṣṇu-śakti. We are visnu-śaktis, parā, parā-śakti, cit-śakti. But we are not śaktimān. Śaktimān is Kṛṣṇa, and we are śakti. And when we consider that, "I am śaktimān; I can do something," that is avidyā. That is avidyā.

There is another śakti—avidyā, avidyā-śakti. That avidyā-śakti is for these living entities, not for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is never covered by avidyā. Just like I . . . (break) . . . the cloud has covered your eyes. You say: "The cloud has covered the sun." That is nonsense. Sun is very, very, very, very big. What is the cloud? Maybe hundred miles' spread.

But the sun globe is fourteen lakhs . . . (break) Is that correct? So how the cloud, hundred miles' spreading cloud, can cover the sun? It is foolishness that, "God is covered by māyā." No. God is never covered by māyā. But God's particles, they are covered by māyā. Jīva is covered by māyā, not God. Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4).

Just like you face the sun, there is no darkness. If you keep the sun back side, there is a big dark—shadow. The shadow is māyā. It has no existence. It is simply impeding the sunshine; therefore it is shadow. Māyā means which has no existence of its own accord. It is also created by the sun, the darkness. Similarly, this avidyā, when you forget Kṛṣṇa, there is avidyā. That is also Kṛṣṇa's creation. Because you want to forget Him, therefore He covers you with avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā. Another . . . another energy of Kṛṣṇa which is known as avidyā, or darkness, covers you.

And what is the symptoms, that avidyā? Karma-saṁjñā. Karma-saṁjñā means you have to work hard. Those who are covered by the avidyā, they are working day and night. And actually those who are not covered by avidyā, they are depending on Kṛṣṇa. Actually everyone is depending on Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Whatever you are getting for your sense gratification, that is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create anything. But by avidyā, he thinks that, "I am creating."

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

He's thinking. Therefore, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. There is another śakti. One śakti . . . every śakti . . . Kṛṣṇa śakti . . . just like Kṛṣṇa . . . just like the sun is light, effulgence, and the sunshine is the energy of sun; it is also light. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His energy is also cit-ānanda, sat-cid-ānanda. Therefore says, viṣṇu-śaktir parā. Parā means superior or spiritual.

Kṛṣṇa is spiritual, and His śakti, His energy, is also spiritual. But when it is covered by avidyā it is called material. Actually, in the higher sense, there is no material energy. It is covered only. Just like sunshine, when it is covered by the cloud, there is light, but the light is not so strong, so in the material world we cannot feel the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are forgetful.

Therefore so many people, those who are covered by this material energy, they say: "There is no God" or "God is dead," "You are God, I am God," "God is loitering in the street," so many theories of God. That is due to our covering of the knowledge how to appreciate God. The difficulty is that we do not follow the direction of the śāstras, therefore we are misguided. As I was speaking the other day, because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa for time immemorial, therefore these books are there.

ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā

anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela

(CC Madhya 20.117)

Bahirmukha. Bahirmukha means those who are trying to be happy by adjustment of this material energy. They are called bahirmukha. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is their misconception, hope. They are hoping against hope. Don't you see?

Everyone is trying to be very happy—individually, nationally—but it is not happening. Sukhera lagiya ei ghara bhandinu, agune puriya gelo. The nature's law is that, that it will set fire. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham (SB 1.5.18). Bhāgavata says that, "Why you are hankering after happiness? If you are destined to get some happiness, you'll have it. There is no need of your further endeavoring." "Why? Everyone is trying. I shall try." No. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't hanker after distress. Why distress comes? Why distress is forced upon you?

So many people come to us, "Swāmījī, I am in distress in this way and that way." But he never wanted this distress. Why it has come? "Similarly," Bhāgavata says: "When distresses come without your invitation, similarly, your happiness also will come without your invitation, hankering. Rest assured." Because you are under the laws of nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27)—so the effect will come.

So don't try for moving your distress, or don't try . . . don't be puffed up with so-called happiness. God is . . . (break) . . . things will be managed. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Don't think that you are managing. It is being managed by nature's law. Everything is there, destined. That is called adṛṣṭa. You cannot see, adṛṣṭa. Dṛṣṭa means seeing; a means not.

Therefore everyone's business is to cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business of the human society. And there is ample opportunity. And the process is very simple. Why do you losing the opportunity? Don't do it. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Now here again Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā

veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā

saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān

avāpnoty atra santatān

(CC Madhya 6.155)

That avidyā, avidyā, this material energy, is covering me exactly like the cloud covering. Now, this cloud covering also in different stages—one . . . some of you must have traveled in the air. The cloud is covered . . . (break) . . . little hazy, and when you go above the cloud, it is a sunshine. So different stage of covering.

Similarly, this avidyā, or māyā, is covering us in different stages, in different features. Māyā has got three qualities. Guṇamayī, māyā, Bhagavad-gītā says. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī means having three modes of material nature: sattva, tamaḥ, rajaḥ. So here also the same thing is. Yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā. That veṣṭitā . . . either you are covered by the quality of goodness or you are covered by the quality of passion or you are covered by the quality of ignorance.

So the goodness, good man within this material . . . he is also covered. He thinks himself that, "I am very learned. I have nothing to do," or "I am now realized God. I have become God, Nārāyaṇa. I've become Nārāyaṇa." That is also covering, māyā's covering. He's speaking like that, that he has become God, but that is also another covering.

Of course, he is performing very rigidly the Vedic principles. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means very severe austerity. Those sannyāsīs following the principles of Śaṅkarācārya, they strictly follow austerities, lie down on the ground, and taking three times bath even in very severe cold, and simply have a kamaṇḍalu, nothing more, and lying down on the earth without any bedding—so many austerities.

They are going, undergoing, severe austerities. Why? Now, to rise up to the Brahman realization—āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32)—paraṁ padam, that impersonal Brahman effulgence. But patanty adhaḥ, they fall down. Just see. After so much severe austerities, performing, they rise themselves to the brahma-pada, but they again fall down.

For example, you know, many learned Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, very learned scholar, they suppose . . . they are supposed to have realized Brahman, but after few days they come to politics. You have . . . perhaps you know. So many sannyāsīs, they go to jail for political affairs. Why? If you have realized Brahman, brahma satya jagan mithyā, why you are mingling matters here in the material world? That means he has not.

Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. He has come to the position of Brahman realization, but because he has no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nirākāra-vādī, he falls down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They don't care this worshiping, or bhakti-mārga. They say: "Oh, these things are meant for the lower class of men or ignorant men, uneducated person. Bhakti-mārga is for the uneducated person." Their allegation is like that. But they are uneducated. They do not know what is education.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says: "After many, many births of such cultivation of knowledge, when actually becomes wise . . ." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What is the . . . that function? Māṁ prapadyate: "He," I mean to say, "surrenders himself," Kṛṣṇa says: "unto Me." How he surrenders? "Because after many, many births' culture of knowledge he can understand vasudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), 'Kṛṣṇa is everything,' that knowledge."

mayā sarvam idaṁ tataṁ

(jagad) avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 9.4)

These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized, scientific, and accepted by the all people all over the world. So why not accept it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was spread from this country? Why you are forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? What is your reason? Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33). Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. "The pāpa-yoni," whom we consider as pāpa-yoni, mleccha, yavana, caṇḍālas, Kṛṣṇa says: "If the mlecchas, yavanas and caṇḍālas accept," māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they also become elevated to the highest perfectional stage of life." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33).

If the mlecchas, yavanas and caṇḍālas are accepting, and they are making progress to the highest perfectional stage of life, why not the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas of India? Why they should lag behind? So join this movement and be happy. That is our request.

Thank you very much.

(break) Now why don't you join?

(break) You are going to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not? There is still hesitation?

Indian: Yahan aap log ko thoda sa film dikhai jane wali hai, uske hetu bhi kaam ho raha hai, toh aap log dekhiye, sab yaha par thodi der. (We are going to be showing a movie, for that work is also being done. So please watch, all of you for a little while.) (break) (end)