Bhagavad-gītā 7.10 - August 16, 1974, Vṛndāvana

Life does not come from matter

Pradyumna: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [Prabhupada and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

[break] [03:10]

Translation: "O son of Prtha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent and the prowess of all powerful men."

Prabhupada:

So bijam, the original seed of life: sarva-bhūtanam. The modern scientists, they are trying to prove that life comes from matter, chemical evolution. But we don't accept that. We accept from Bhagavad-gita that Krsna is the original life. Krsna is not a dead stone. As it is said in the Vedanta-sūtra, janmady asya yataḥ [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.2]: the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. So that Absolute Truth, what kind of... Absolute Truth: is it dead matter or living force? It cannot be dead matter, because there are so many living entities; and the Absolute Truth is a dead matter, it cannot produce living entities, because we have no such experience that from dead matter living entities are coming out. That is not possible.

Sometimes we see that from cow dung some life is coming out. Sometimes we see from the heaps of rice the scorpion is coming out. So foolish people will think that the rice is the cause of the life of the scorpion. But that is not the fact. Real fact is the scorpion, they lay eggs within the heaps of the rice, and by fermentation of the rice the eggs become fructified, and life come out. Not that rice, a dead matter, is the cause of the life. So now big, big scientists, they are trying to prove that life comes from matter. But here we understand from Krsna, the supreme authority, that He is the origin of all life: bijam mam sarva-bhūtanam. Sarva-bhūtanam. In another place Krsna says,

In all species of life. There are 8,400,000 species of life-aquatics, trees, plants, insect, then reptiles, then birds, bees, then human being. This is the evolutionary process. Asatim caturams caiva [Padma Purana]. These are all mentioned in the Vedic literature about the evolution. Not that the foolish theory of Darwin is the origin of evolution. The evolutionary theory is there. Not theory-fact. So Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita that sarva-yonisu kaunteya. Yoni means the original source of birth. So there are so many living entities are there. Krsna claims,

Again He says, aham bija-pradaḥ pita. Just like father gives the bijam, yatha-yoni yatha-bijam [SB 6.1.54]. The mother is the yoni, and the father is the bijam. So without father there cannot be any life, because the father gives the bijam, the seed. Many places in the Vedic literature it is stated that life does not come from matter, but life comes from the supreme life, Krsna. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Bijam mam sarva-bhūtanam. Viddhi: you should understand. Don't be misled that life comes from matter. It is not fact. Therefore He says, viddhi, sanatanam. Not that nowadays it has become like that, that life is coming from life; formerly life was coming from matter. So, viddhi mam sanatanam. The sanatanam means "eternally." Eternally. The sanatana word is used in so many places. In another place, Krsna says,

And another place, Krsna says,

The sanatana word is used in many places. Sanatanam means "eternal." So this bijam, Krsna, is sanatanam. Sanatanam tam prabhum asrayami [Vilapa-kusumanjali]. The sanatana word is very important thing. So there is a place, as we understand from Bhagavad-gita, another nature: paras tasmat tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ [Bg 8.20]. Bhava means "nature." Just like this. This is also nature, this material cosmic manifestation. This is also nature. But this is not sanatanam. This is temporary, asanatana. Bhūtva bhūtva praliyate [Bg 8.19]. Here in this material world everything is created at a certain date. It remains for some time, it grows, it produces some by-products, then gradually dwindles and at last vanishes-finished. So this is not sanatana. Saḍ-vikara: six kinds of changes. Just like your body, my body, this is not sanatanam. This is asanatanam. Asanatanam means "not permanent." But the bijam, the seed, or the living entities, they are sanatanam. They are not temporary. Therefore it is said,

So we are sanatanam. We cannot understand that "Why we should be subjected to the rules and regulation of asanatana, not sanatana?" Actually, although we are... Krsna says in many places. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg 2.20]. Nityaḥsasvato 'yam. Again He says sanatanam. Another place Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-loke sanatanaḥ [Bg 15.7]. So we have lost our intelligence. That several places the living entity is described as sanatanam, eternally, then "Why I am under the tribulation of so many rules and regulation of this material nature?" This is the question. This is called brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is intelligence. Unless one is promoted to this intellectual platform, that "I am sanatana"… In so many places it is described. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam, in Katha Upanisad. [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13].

We are nityas, and Krsna is also nitya. Nityo nityanam. Description of Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, is given there, that He is the chief nitya. We are nityas, but we are subordinate nityas. We require a leader. And in our material life also we require a leader. Without leader, there is no progress. So the supreme leader is Krsna. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. Therefore our eternal relationship is with Krsna. Nitya sambandha. Nitya siddha. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is called nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti sadhya kabhu naya [Cc Madhya 22.107].

This krsna-bhakti, Krsna consciousness, is nitya-siddha. Nityo nityanam. For eternally it is a fact that we are all servant of Krsna, and our duty is to render service unto Him. That is confirmed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: jivera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya 'krsna-dasa' [Cc Madhya 20.108]. That is our position. And mukti means…, that is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

This is called mukti. Mukti means hitvanyatha-rūpam. We are acting otherwise. We have forgotten that we are eternal servant of Krsna. This forgetfulness is causing us all trouble, all tribulations, all miseries. We want to enjoy this material world, forgetting that we are not enjoyer; we are simply servant. Jivera 'svarūpa' haya-krsnera nitya 'krsna-dasa' . Therefore Krsna says,

If you want santi, then you should understand Krsna, that Krsna is the bhokta; He is the enjoyer. We are not enjoyer. The mistake is that we are trying to be enjoyer. Karmis, jnanis, yogis, they are trying to become enjoyer. And only the devotees, they want to remain as this eternal servant of Krsna. That is the difference.

So this is eternal. The Caitanya-caritamrta-kara, he confirms, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Krsna-bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavan, bhakta. And the transaction between bhagavan and bhakta is called bhakti. The bhakti definition is the activities, the natural activities, between the bhakta and the bhagavan. Whenever there is the word bhakti, bhakti means there must be three items: the bhagavan must be there, the bhakta must be there, and the transaction between the bhakta and bhagavan must be there. That is called bhakti. So this is our aim in life, sanatana. Because we are sanatana, our business, eternal business, is bhakti. Just like here, this is still further clear. Another place, aham bija-pradaḥ pita. Here it is said, bijam mam sarva-bhūtanam. This is one thing. In other place, in Thirteenth Chapter, He says-or Fourteenth Chapter, I think-He says, aham bija-pradaḥ pita [Bg 14.4], the same bija.

Therefore He is the father. He is the seed-giving father. So what is your relationship with father? The relationship with father means father should be revered; father should be obeyed. You should remain obedient to the father. That is your natural position. If you become disobedient to father, that is your unnatural position. Therefore in the material world... Material world means every one of us, we are disobedient to the supreme father. This is material life.

Because we are trying to become the master, not servant. Everyone is trying to become master. That is the material disease. And everyone is trying to become the enjoyer of the material resources. Everyone is trying to be proprietor of this world or another, even Candraloka. They could not manage this world as proprietor, and they are trying to go to another planet to become proprietor. This is going on. This is material disease. He will never accept that "I am not proprietor. I am not proprietor. Proprietor is Krsna." Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. If we accept this simple thing, there is immediately peace. The people, even in this..., on this globe, they are… Everyone has made a group: "We are Americans," "We are Indians," "We are Pakistanis," "We are Japanese," "We are this and that," and claiming, "This is mine," so-called. This is called nationalism. Bhauma ijya-dhiḥ [SB 10.84.13]. Yat-tirtha. Bhauma ijya-dhiḥ. Bhauma means the land. The modern advancement means to become nationalist. What is that nationalism? The bhauma ijya-dhiḥ: worshiping the land of birth. This is called nationalism. So this is called mistaken ijya. Actually the bhūmi, or the land, does not belong to you. It belongs to Krsna. Krsna said,

And we are falsely trying to become friends of others-leaders. But we do not know how to become friend. Actually nobody is going to be my friend. Everyone wants to exploit me, but in the shape of friend he comes to exploit. This is the world. Why you should claim "friend"? "My sir, I am your friend. What can I do for you?" If I am real friend, then I should inform everybody that Krsna is your original, only friend. This is Krsna consciousness. We don't claim... We are friend in this way, that "I have brought a good news for you." I am friend in that way. "What is that good news?" "That you have got a very nice friend, Krsna. Very powerful. Very powerful friend." "Oh, what I am? I am nothing."

This is actually Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone is trying to become friend, leader, leader of the people, and they do not know who is friend. They are falsely claiming to become friend, and misleading people more and more. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas [SB 7.5.31]. A friend, a blind friend, he is claiming other blind friends, "My dear blind friends"-he is also blind-"I will protect you." And other blind friends, they also do not see what kind of friend he is. "If he is friend, if he wants to help us, we are already blind. Whether he can help us at all?" Because both of them are blind. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas. They do not know. They want to become friend. But what kind of friend? Blind friend. So they cannot help. That is the verdict of the Vedas.

These so-called blind, rascal friends, they are trying to make us happy by material adjustment. That is not possible. It is not possible.

Krsna says, "This material world, the illusionary, external energy, you are under her control." We are, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. In another place, in Brahma-samhita, the material energy is described as the Durga, Mother Durga:

So we are very fond of worshiping Mother Durga to take some concession, but such kind of concession will not give me relief. When we worship Mother..., Goddess Durga, we ask from her, dhanam dehi rūpam dehi yaso dehi rupavati bharyam dehi. So Mother Durga gives. But that will not help us if we... Because the place where we are, in this material world, it is duḥkhalayam. You cannot be happy simply by getting a beautiful wife and very big bank balance. That is not possible. It is mistaken idea. Because the place is duḥkhalayam asasvatam, Krsna says.

So we should understand Krsna simply as Krsna says. Not whimsically, not by mental speculation. You cannot understand Krsna by mental speculation. That is not possible. Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi janati tattvam... [SB 10.14.29]. Krsna tattva can be understood by the mercy of Krsna, not by your mental speculation. Don't try to understand Krsna by your defective mental speculation. Therefore Krsna says,

You cannot understand Krsna what He is, even though you become…, you are a siddha. Yatatam api siddhanam. What to speak of ordinary men, those who are siddhas… Siddhas means self-realized, spiritually situated, especially the jnani. So even out of them, millions of jnanis, one can understand Krsna. Krsna is not so easy to understand.

If one understands Krsna, then he will immediately surrender to Him. That is understanding of Krsna. Mam prapadyate. Why prapa...?

We can understand that Krsna is the root cause of all causes.

So every sastra will confirm Krsna's position, and Krsna also personally saying. And He is accepted by great authorities like Vyasadeva, Narada, Devala, Asita. Formerly, five thousand years ago, and after that all the acaryas-Madhvacarya, Sri Ramanujacarya, Visnu Svami, Nimbarka, later on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu-all of them accepted Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28], especially our Gauḍiya-sampradaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu sampradaya. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanaya [Visvanatha Cakravarti]. Our principle is to worship Krsna. What kind of Krsna? Vrajesa-tanaya. Means the son of Maharaja Nanda and Yasoda-that Krsna. There may be many other Krsnas. People may not misunderstand. Just like one may not... Therefore father's, mother's name is given.

So therefore here it is said, vrajesa-tanaya. This bhūmi, this Vrndavana-bhūmi, is called Vraja. So Nanda Maharaja was the King of Vraja, Vrajesvara; and his son, Krsna, He is aradhya. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy: aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa tanaya tad dhama vrndavanam. And this Vrndavana-dhama is also as good as Krsna. Do not try to see Krsna…, er, Vrndavana-dhama as ordinary place. That is called dhama-aparadha. Then you will never be able to understand. And the Vaisnava kavi said, jaya jaya vrndavana-vasi yata jana [Sri Vraja-dhama-mahimamrta 7]. Anyone who is living in Vrndavana, even cats and dogs, they are also glorious, because next birth they will be elevated; they will be liberated. That is Vrndavana-dhama. So in this way try to understand the glories of Vrndavana-dhama, the glories of Lord Krsna, according to sastra. Even if we do not know sastra, if you simply accept that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28], and His dhama, Vrndavana, is as good as Krsna, then we are far advanced in spiritual understanding. So Krsna is teaching personally,

And sanatanam, this word is very important. The process by which we can understand Krsna, and by understanding Krsna, when we are promoted in the Krsna's dhama and we meet Krsna person to person, talk with Him-there is a process-that is called bhakti-yoga. And that process is called sanatana-dharma. Sanatana-dharma you have heard. Sanatana-dharma means this bhakti-yoga. Sanatana-dharma does not mean some ritualistic ceremony. This is meant-sanatanam bijam-everyone, every living entity, is sanatana. And Krsna is sanatana, and His abode is sanatana. Sanatanam. Bhaktya bhaktya sanatanam. So if we want to be promoted to the sanatana place and to see the sanatana, supreme sanatana, eye to eye, and talk with Him and dance with Him or play with Him-we are sanatana-then we must accept this sanatana-dharma, eternal religious system. And what is that religion? Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture sanatana-dharma. It is already done by Krsna. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavan. And that is sanatana-dharma. What is that sanatana-dharma?

You simply... Krsna says this is sanatana-dharma, that "You simply surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. [end]