730831 - Lecture BG 02.30 - London

Lectures by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730831BG-LONDON - August 31, 1973 - 31:21 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

(asks Prabhupāda which text)

Prabhupāda: Dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ.

Pradyumna:

dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ

dehe sarvasya bhārata

tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni

na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

(BG 2.30)

(break)

Translation: "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature." (BG 2.30)

Prabhupāda: Dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Deha, dehī. Dehī means one who possesses the body. Just like guṇī. Āsthate in-prata. The grammatical. Guṇa, in, deha, in, in-prata. Dehin śabda. So the nominative case of dehin śabda is dehī. Dehī nityam, eternal. In so many ways Kṛṣṇa has explained: nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly, the same. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya: nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bhārata.

This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other body. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe, sarvasya, the soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Kṛṣṇa: sarvasya. And in other place, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4): In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Kṛṣṇa and the mother is material nature. Or spiritual nature.

There are two natures. That is explained in the seventh verse. The material nature and the spiritual nature. Or the superior nature or inferior nature. Just like in our body there are inferior parts and superior parts. Body is the same. But still, there are different parts of the body. Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this hand . . .? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature, the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source, Absolute Truth . . . janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature.

What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature, or in the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees. Therefore this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehī, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Because he's paṇḍita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe (BG 5.18). Within the first-class learned brahmin, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, in the cow; hastini, in the elephant; śuni ca—śuni ca means the dog; caṇḍāla, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got . . . dehe sarvasya bhārata.

So whom we shall accept? The statement of Kṛṣṇa or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Again He says, sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi. It is your duty. Kṛṣṇa is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal; it cannot be killed. In so many ways, the body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed, but na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.

For a kṣatriya who are engaged in fighting, in religious fight . . . fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then the fighting is all right. So kṣatriya, killing in the religious fight, he's not responsible; he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brāhmaṇa. He sacri . . . he puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly, kṣatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained in the next verse. "So it is your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehī, avadhya, you cannot kill; he's eternal."

Now, dehe sarvasya bhārata, this important point, you should note it, that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't matter. But . . . therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit. Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence, by the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on spirit. Therefore it is called inferior. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Dhāryate: it bears. The spirit is there; therefore the gigantic universe is resting on the spirit. Either the supreme spirit, Kṛṣṇa, or the small spirit. There are two kinds of spirit: ātmā and paramātmā, īśvara and parameśvara.

So the matter is explained by Kṛṣṇa, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in the air? That is also explained. Gām āviśya aham ojasā dhārayāmi (BG 15.13). That, just try to understand. A big 747 aeroplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is there, not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya aham ojasā. Kṛṣṇa enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the . . . aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-kotiṁ

yac chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

Without Kṛṣṇa's entering into the matter, nothing can work. Aṇḍāntara-stha. Within this universe, He is there as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore the universe exists. Aṇḍāntara-stha. And within the universe there are so many material, I mean to say, identities, entities. Even this atom. The śāstra says even within the atom, He, as Paramātmā, He is within the body of everyone. Not only within the body of living entities, but He is within the paramāṇu, the atom. They are studying now atomic energy. Still they are finding difficulty, dividing, dividing, dividing. Because they cannot find out that there is God, there is Kṛṣṇa.

So without Kṛṣṇa's, I mean to say, presence, nothing can exist. Therefore, one who is advanced Kṛṣṇa conscious, he sees only Kṛṣṇa, not the outward covering. Because without Kṛṣṇa nothing can exist. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe. There are two kinds of entities: moving and not moving. Moving means sthāvara, and . . .

Moving means jaṅgama. Sthāvara-jaṅgama. And sthāvara means not moving. So there are two kinds of entities. So you can see these two kinds of entities: some of them are moving, some of them are not moving. But a mahā-bhāgavata sees both the entities, moving and not moving, but he does not see the moving or not moving; he sees Kṛṣṇa. Because he knows that the moving means living force. So living force, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. And the nonmoving is material. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. So in everything he sees only Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva. They sometimes inquire, "Have you seen God?" Those who are actually devotees, advanced devotee, he's simply seeing Kṛṣṇa, nothing else. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu . Sadaiva means always. Hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

So this is . . . more you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll simply see Kṛṣṇa. And if you become practiced to see Kṛṣṇa always, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ . . . yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Yad yad bhāvam. So if you always think of Kṛṣṇa . . . that is Kṛṣṇa's instruction also. Manmanā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65): "Always think of Me." That is the first-class yogī, who thinks of Kṛṣṇa always.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

. . . bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

He is first-class yogī. And devotee is . . . we already . . . otherwise, why he should think of Kṛṣṇa? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. One . . . only bhaktas can think of Kṛṣṇa always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Because you are My bhakta your duty is to think of Me always."

Is it very difficult task? You are seeing Kṛṣṇa in the temple. The more you see Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours' engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means you'll be practiced to see Kṛṣṇa always. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You cannot forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment. And that is the instruction. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). These four things. When there is Deity in the temple, you see and you get the impression. When out of the temple also you can see within your heart, if you have developed love for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, officially, you come to the temple and as soon as . . . "Botheration. Let me forget it." That is another thing. But the whole process is meant for developing love for Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhaktir adhokṣaje. That is first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating people to think of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking. We cannot think of anyone unless we love. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved, say one boy, another girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them, always, "When we shall meet again? When we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. You can become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you can think of Kṛṣṇa always, provided you have developed love for Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). By bhakti, you can develop your love for Kṛṣṇa. That is required.

So in the lower stage of animal life, Kṛṣṇa is there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bhārata. In another place, Kṛṣṇa says this dehī, or kṣetra-jña, the owner of the body is there, and there is another kṣetra-jña, another owner. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṣetra-jñaṁ ca api māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). As the individual soul is there within the body, similarly, the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa, is also there. Both of them there. Both of them there. So He is the owner of all bodies. All bodies. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa is accused by the rascals that "Why He danced with others' wife?" But actually He is the proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bhārata. I am not proprietor; He is the proprietor. So if the proprietor dances with His, I mean to say, maidservants, or devotees, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? He is their proprietor. You are not proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bhārata. He is . . . the individual soul is in every body, and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor.

Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Maheśvaram. He's the supreme proprietor. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is actual friend. If I have got some lover, I am friend . . . I am not friend. Actual friend is Kṛṣṇa. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. As it is said, tasmād sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Kṛṣṇa is the real friend. So if the gopīs dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Kṛṣṇa, they think it is immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Kṛṣṇa is the real husband. Therefore He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

So one who does not know Kṛṣṇa, rascal, they accuse Kṛṣṇa as immoral or woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Kṛṣṇa, His affairs with the gopīs. But they do not paint pictures how He is killing Kaṁsa, how He is killing the demons. They do not like this. This is sahajiyā. They, for their debauchery, for their business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa has done this." "Kṛṣṇa has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, because we are immoral." This is going on.

Therefore, to understand Kṛṣṇa, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Jñānavān means the first-class intelligent, wise. Māṁ prapadyate: he understands what is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Such kind of intelligent mahātmā . . . you can find out rascal mahātmā, simply by changing dress, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, declaring himself as God, or Kṛṣṇa. Kick on their face. Kṛṣṇa is different from all these rascals. But if you understand Kṛṣṇa, if you are so fortunate—ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Only the most fortunate person can understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. Ei rūpe.

There are many, many millions and trillions of living entities within this universe. And they are rotating in different species of life, 8,400,000—in this way, unfortunate. Simply repetition, birth and death, birth and death in different . . . out of them, if one is the greatest fortunate, he is given the chance, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, he gets the seed of devotional service. And if he's intelligent . . . unless he is intelligent, otherwise how he gets the seed? That is initiation. And if he waters . . . just like if you get a nice seed, you have to sow it and pour little, little water. Then it will grow. Similarly, anyone who by great fortune has come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the seed of devotional service, he should water it.

And what is this water? Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152). This is watering. This hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa, this is watering. Don't be absent from the class. This hearing and chanting is watering the seed of devotional service. If you make it official and be absent from hearing . . . this is most important thing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). This is most important thing, to hear. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam does not mean hearing and chanting of any other entity. No. Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. The rascals, they have manufactured "kālī-kīrtana." Where is this in śāstra there is kālī-kīrtana, śiva-kīrtana? No. Kīrtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. That is kīrtana. Not any other kīrtana. But they have manu . . . competition, kālī-kīrtana.

Where is in the śāstra kālī-kīrtana, durgā-kīrtana? These are all nonsense. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa should be heard, Kṛṣṇa should be chanted, Kṛṣṇa should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)