740815 - Lecture BG 07.09 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740815BG-VRNDAVAN - August 15, 1974 - 28:40 Minutes

Pradyumna: "I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is describing how He is spread everywhere, in details. In the beginning, before this verse, He has mentioned in so many ways. So we can see Kṛṣṇa in every step and every moment. If we practice to see Kṛṣṇa, it is not difficult. Whenever there is fragrance . . . just like rose flower, beauty and fragrance, you can immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Simply we have to practice it.

So as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa or you say or utter the word "Kṛṣṇa," immediately Kṛṣṇa contacts you. You are in contact with Kṛṣṇa immediately. And if you remain constantly in contact with Kṛṣṇa by studying all these detail, then where is the lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? And if you remain always in that way—Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are the topmost yogī. Yoginām api sarveṣām (BG 6.47). Very easy. It is not at all difficult. Simply you have to practice. As soon as there is nice fragrance, nice flower . . . in another place it is said that the nice flower, or any flower that is fructified, there is blooming, that is smiling, smiling of Kṛṣṇa. So you can see Kṛṣṇa smiling as soon as you see a flower.

So I do not know why they say: "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" Kṛṣṇa is showing Himself in so many ways; they will not take it. It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṇa every moment, in every step, if we study what Kṛṣṇa says: "I am," "This is." Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca (BG 7.9). Everything is there. Now, within the earth, the every stock is there. The flavor of rose flower is there, and the flavor of some other flower is also there, but you cannot take out by your so-called scientific chemical process. You take some lump of earth and extract from it the flavor of rose. It is there, that is a fact. Because you sow the seed of a rose flower, it will exact the rose flavor from the earth. That's a fact, who can deny it? Otherwise, wherefrom the flavor is coming? Kṛṣṇa also, He, it is said, jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. He's the life, seed. Bījo 'ham, next . . . next verse He'll say, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 7.10). Bīja, the seed. The seed is so nicely made by Kṛṣṇa's brain that as soon as you put on the seed within the earth and put some water, it will come out, fructify, and gradually grow and exact the flavor, the color, everything. This is a fact. No, everybody knows. Not only that: a small seed of banyan tree—bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām—there is also Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise how this wonderful thing can happen, a small seed just like a mustard seed, and it . . . not only one tree, but many millions of fruits, and in each fruit, many millions of trees. This is Kṛṣṇa's brain. You cannot do that. The so-called manufacturer, they can manufacture one watch, very complicated, but not that from that watch many watches will come. No, that is not possible.

But Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, omnipotent, that He has manufactured . . . because He is there. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 7.10). Whenever He is there, He can play wonderful things. This is the study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Where is the difficulty? Bīja . . . puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś ca . . . tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau (BG 7.9). Now, this electric lamp, it is brilliant, or it has got some heat, temperature. Wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. Cause of all causes.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

This is a fact. These are explained here. Everything, that is there. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

But we should not, like Māyāvādī, we should not make mistake: because the electric bulb, or electric light, is being caused by Kṛṣṇa, therefore the electric lamp is Kṛṣṇa. No, not that. Kṛṣṇa—always separate from the electric light. The Māyāvādī says that, "Because Kṛṣṇa is there in the electric lamp, or in the tree, or in the seed, or in the color, or in the flavor, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished. There is no more Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa has spread Himself in so many ways, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished." This is material consideration. Just like you take a piece of paper and make it small fragments and throw it, then the original paper is lost. This is material.

But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is the person, and from His energies so many varieties of productions are coming out; but still, He is existing. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). He's pūrṇa. Not that because so many things have been taken from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is finished. This is material life. They cannot conceive of the omnipotency. They accept God is omnipotent, but they cannot understand what is that omnipotency. The omnipotency is that so many things are being manifested by the Kṛṣṇa's energies, but Kṛṣṇa is not lost; Kṛṣṇa is there. We haven't got to worship so many things, pantheism. No, that is not our . . . pantheism, the same idea that, "Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute Truth, has become divided into so many ways, therefore everything combined together is the Absolute Truth." This is the theory of pantheism. But our is Vedic proposition, that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of everything. Varieties of material and spiritual things are there, but Kṛṣṇa's identity is there in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya padam ekaṁ na gacchati. Kṛṣṇa is there. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is stated.

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.43)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau . . .

(Bs. 5.33)

So these features of Kṛṣṇa, how He is simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedābheda . . . Kṛṣṇa is this electric lamp, and still, He's not the electric lamp. Kṛṣṇa is this pillow, but He's not the pillow. If, when we say that Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore . . . just like some big mission, they say, "Anything we accept as God, it is all right." No, we do not say like that. Neither Kṛṣṇa says. When Kṛṣṇa speaks of worshiping, He does not say that you worship the electric light or something else. Mām ekam, that is the instruction. Not that "Kṛṣṇa has become everything; therefore everything has to be worshiped." No, this is wrong. This is acintya-bhedābheda. We have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa personally—mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ—not the varieties. You have to understand that varieties are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, but not that "Because there are varieties, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished." No, that is not the philosophy.

Jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu (BG 7.9). Especially tapasvī . . . tapasvī means those who are seeking after eternal happiness. Karmīs, yogīs, there are many tapasvīs. But real tapasvī . . . tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is . . . divyam means transcendental. Just perform tapasya for realizing Kṛṣṇa. Tapo divyam. Otherwise, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he also performed tapasya. What was that tapasya? He performed severe tapasya, so much so that the whole universe become perturbed and Brahmājī came to see, "What do you want?" "No, I am performing tapasya for becoming immortal. So if you make me immortal, it will be very kind of you." He said, "I am myself not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." So the idea is he also performed tapasya, but that tapasya was for material gain. But that is not tapasya.

Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body. Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, and tapasya means voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya. Tapasya. Just like Ekādaśī. Ekādaśī, one day fasting, fortnight, that is also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good, even for health, and what to speak of advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should accept this tapasya. The upavāsa. There are many prescribed days for fasting. We should observe. And the preliminary tapasya: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no . . . no meat-eating . . . there may be some inconvenience, those who are accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). If we want to purify our existence . . . at the present moment our existence is not purified, impure. Therefore we are suffering. Just like when one's physiological condition becomes infected, he suffers from fever and other symptoms of disease. Similarly, we are suffering in this material world on account of this material body. If we want really happiness, then we must accept tapasya. Tapasya is required. Without tapasya, if you think that very easily . . . or "Without tapasya, I can get it simply by imagination," then you become sahajiyā. To take things very easily—no. Tapasya.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu (BG 7.9). That acceptance of tapasya means that tapasya is itself Kṛṣṇa. You associate with Kṛṣṇa. When you voluntarily give up meat-eating or intoxication, this giving up, this process, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. This is tapasya. Tapasya means to accept voluntarily something as enjoined in the śāstras. Śāstra says . . . Kṛṣṇa says. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, that is śāstra. What is Veda? Veda means what Kṛṣṇa says; that is Veda. There is no other Veda. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā (SB 1.1.1). Brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Veda. Brahma, śabda-brahma. So Kṛṣṇa tene, imparted, injected brahma, Vedic, Vedic śabda, śabda-brahma, Vedas, tene brahma hṛdā, through the heart. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. So Brahmā had no other spiritual master, but Kṛṣṇa is there within the heart. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Caitya-guru. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. The caitya-guru, the guru . . . Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He is guru within, and when we are serious, He manifests Himself as a spiritual master. This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

So guru is helping from inside and from outside, antar-bahiḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Therefore Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as spiritual master. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, sākṣād-dhari, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Manifestation of; empowered. One who is pure devotee, he's empowered by Kṛṣṇa to act as spiritual master. Therefore spiritual master should be accepted: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. It is described there. Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Those who are learned scholar, actual devotee, they accept. But that does not mean guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Now, that, if you accept, you . . . accept means you honor spiritual master as good as Kṛṣṇa, because he's representative. But not that Māyāvāda philosophy that guru and Kṛṣṇa is the same. This is simultaneously one and different. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He is as good as Kṛṣṇa because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Why dear? Because he's preaching on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. What Kṛṣṇa wants, he's doing that. Therefore he's very dear.

Kṛṣṇa wants everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). A guru's business is that. Guru does not mean that he takes the position of Kṛṣṇa. He simply teaches people that "You accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender unto Him. You always think of Him. You always offer your obeisances. You become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is guru's business. It is not very difficult. Anyone who is sincerely following Kṛṣṇa's instruction and instructing others also to do that, that is ācārya. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. This is ācārya. You behave yourself exactly as it is stated in the śāstra, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa . . . āpani ācari jīvere śikhāya. And you teach all your disciples, who comes to you as your disciples, teach them. This is ācārya.

So ācārya, guru, representative, it is not difficult. Simply one has to become very, very sincere. One must undergo the simple tapasyas as prescribed in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahā . . . yes. Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. He was preaching also the glorification of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa by personal example; therefore he is accepted as guru. All the Vaiṣṇavas, all the ācāryas, Gosvāmīs, they acted accordingly and preached. Therefore they are ācāryas. And Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāva-manyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). These are the instructions.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. It is very simple. There is no difficulty. We have to always . . . man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). Now, for us, those who are materially attached, we cannot think twenty-four hours of Kṛṣṇa. It is very pleasing, but because we are materially attached, we cannot do that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is prescribing that, "You see the varieties of this material world and try to remember Me." These are the varieties: puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau. "You study, nature study." Just like we study nature study, similarly, "You study nature and see these important points. And there I am." It is very scientific. You study nature and pick up some point, and Kṛṣṇa says that, "This is I am." Where is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You drink water—you remember Kṛṣṇa. You see the light—remember Kṛṣṇa. You see the flavor, aroma of very nice flower, puṇya gandhaḥ—immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. Practice this. It is not difficult.

Actually, we have to think of Kṛṣṇa . . . Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form, therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Kṛṣṇa's form is always impressed—I can see Kṛṣṇa any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is nicely dressed. I see Kṛṣṇa is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktyā. Real thing is bhaktyā, not official. Not official. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He does not accept anything even it is not offered with bhakti and by the bhakta. He does not accept. Why He shall accept? Is He hungry, like me? No, he simply wants to see how you have learned to love Kṛṣṇa—bhakti, how you are eager to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is . . . Kṛṣṇa want to see. Otherwise, He does not require your service. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). He's always being served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. They are so much afraid. They are goddess of . . . we are praying here goddess of fortune, "My mother, goddess of fortune, give me some fortune." They are . . . the goddess of fortune is afraid if Kṛṣṇa may reject. Just like Rukmiṇī. When Kṛṣṇa was joking with her, she thought, "Maybe Kṛṣṇa is going to leave me." Immediately fainted. Immediately fainted. That is the goddess of fortune. So humbly, so fearfully, they are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.

What Kṛṣṇa's service we can give? What we are? We are nothing. Insignificant. So why Kṛṣṇa accepts our service? Why He comes in His arcā-mūrti to accept our service? Just to induce you how to serve Him, bhakti. That is wanted. Therefore He says, "So you give Me even patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). It doesn't matter. But give Me with bhakti." Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is real business. If you have no bhakti, if you officially make, Kṛṣṇa does not touch it. Kṛṣṇa is not so poor. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam . . . (Bs. 5.29). So whatever you do, you should always be humble: "Kṛṣṇa, I am quite unfit. So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā (CC Adi 17.31 / CC Antya 20.21, Śikṣāṣṭaka 3). This is wanted.

So it is very easy, very sublime, but we have to learn it. And learning is also not very difficult. Here is everything, variety. You always think of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Teṣāṁ nityābhi . . . one who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa, here . . ." Nitya abhiyukta. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Kṛṣṇa . . . you cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa, is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. He is seeing everything—your intention, your purpose, your activities, everything. Upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is . . . upadraṣṭā-anumantā. He is witness, you cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. Be sincere, and try to serve Him. He'll accept your service, and He will give you intelligence. Your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol . . . (end)