The Nectar of Devotion – October 31, 1972, Vṛndāvana

721031ND-VRNDAVAN [42:56 Minutes]

We are not purusa; we are prakrti

Pradyumna: [reading:] "...Krsna we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary part and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels and His different energies. Krsna, in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand Krsna to mean Krsna and His personal expansions.

"Krsna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sahkarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krsna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krsna's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness and cognizance.

"Devotional service means to prosecute Krsna conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord Krsna, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service."

Prabhupada: So, Krsna does not mean alone. Krsna is not imperson. He's person, and He expands in so many persons. Eko bahu syam. He is one, but He expands Himself to innumerable forms. The Visnu forms, They are known as svamsa; and the servitor forms, the living entities, they are also expansion of Visnu, part and parcel, differentiated, vibhinnamsa [Cc Madhya 22.9]. So everything-expansion of Krsna. Parasya brahmanaḥ saktiḥ. Parasya brahmanaḥ saktiḥ sarvedam akhilam jagat [Visnu Purana 1.22.52].

Whatever we see, experience within this world, within this universe, they're simply expansion of the energy of Krsna. Just like fire has got two energies, heat and light, similarly Krsna is expanding by His two energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. So this material world is expansion of His material energy, and we are marginal. We are also energy. We are not energetic. We are not purusa; we are prakrti.

In the Bhagavad-gita the living entities have been described as prakrti. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para [Bg 7.5]. After describing the material energies-earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego-Krsna says apareyam: all these energies, separated energies, material energies, they are apara, inferior. But that is also Krsna's energies. Inferior means not actually inferior, because they..., there cannot be anything inferior which is emanating from Krsna. The inferior in this sense: by our absence of Krsna consciousness.

Because we have come here in this material world to enjoy, to satisfy, sense satisfaction, sense gratification, we have made it inferior. Otherwise it is not inferior. One who knows how to utilize this energy, for him it is not inferior. Nirbandha-krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255]. One who does not know how to utilize this material energy for the purpose of Krsna, for them, it is inferior. Otherwise, advaya-jnana, absolute.

Idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetaraḥ [SB 1.5.20]. Narada Muni has described before Vyasadeva: idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetaraḥ. It appears like different, but actually Krsna... A maha-bhagavata... This is the vision of maha-bhagavata, not ordinary man. Maha-bhagavata... Sthavara-jahgama dekhi tara mūrti [Cc Madhya 8.274]. A maha-bhagavata sees a tree or an animal or a... He does not see the form, but he sees his ista deva mūrti: he sees there Krsna. Actually, Krsna is there as Paramatma. So he sees Paramatma. He does not see the external body.

So Krsna's two energies... Inferior means where Krsna consciousness is almost absent. That is inferior. When there is Krsna consciousness, that is no more inferior; that is superior. So Krsna says, apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para [Bg 7.5]. After all, any energy, prakrti... So the Mayavadi philosopher mistakes to elevate the living entities to the standard of purusa, the Supreme. But actually it is not so. It is prakrti. Prakrti means predominated and purusa means predominator.

And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Krsna. Mattaḥ parataro nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg 7.7]. He's predominator. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvam pravartate [Bg 10.8].So prakrti and purusa... Krsna is purusa. Purusam sasvatam. Arjuna has described, purusam sasvatam. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam adyam [Bg 10.12]:

"You are the original purusa, enjoyer." That is Krsna consciousness. If we know that Krsna is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg 5.29]. The supreme enjoyer is Krsna.

So just like prakrti-purusa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is purusa, wife is prakrti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Krsna is the supreme purusa, enjoyer.

We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopis did, then it is very congenial atmosphere, as it was in Vrndavana. Everyone is serving Krsna. Everyone is trying to please Krsna. The birds, the beasts, the trees, the land, the water, the cowherd boys, the gopis, Krsna's father, mother, elderly people-everyone-the central point is Krsna. That is Vrndavana.

So we can have Vrndavana anywhere and everywhere. Vrndavana is not that limited. It is not material. As Krsna is not limited... Krsna says in the Brahma-samhita, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37]. Just like Krsna says that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati, tad aham asnami [Bg 9.26]. Now, one can say that "Krsna is far, far away in the Goloka Vrndavana. How He will eat?" That is material conception. Krsna can eat even He is in Goloka Vrndavana, provided the foodstuff is offered by a devotee. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. It is a question of bhakti. Then Krsna eats.

Krsna is present in His Goloka Vrndavana, in His dhama. He does not go out, but His expansion goes out and takes, accepts the service of the devotee. This is the... Bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam [SB 1.2.20]. One should understand the bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. It is a science, how He takes... We have got our limited sense that "I am sitting here." If you offer my foodstuff some yards off from me, I cannot reach, because I am limited. But Krsna can expand His hand. He Himself comes. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234]. Krsna becomes manifest to the devotee.

Ataḥ sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Cc Madhya 17.136]. When one becomes devotee, beginning from the tongue, jihvadau, by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau, svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ, He becomes revealed. Yei nama sei krsna. That is the perfection of chanting without any offenses. Then you'll find the name is not different from Krsna. When you are chanting, you'll find Krsna is dancing on your tongue. This is the conclusion.

So we have to learn how to chant. Therefore in the sastras, in the Puranas, the ten kinds of offenses are described, and Srila Jiva Gosvami has given very much stress to avoid these offenses. Suddha-nama. In the beginning we cannot chant pure form of the name, because we are accustomed... But still, by chanting process, then it becomes namabhasa, almost pure. Abhasa means just like before sunrise, you find the darkness is off, but it is not sunlight. It is different from sunlight, but still, there is the dawn, you can see everything distinctly.

Similarly, first there is offensive name and, if you avoid, avoid the ten kinds of offenses, then gradually it becomes namabhasa. And Srila Haridasa Thakura has said, Namacarya, that by namabhasa one becomes liberated. There was some argument with Haridasa Thakura and one brahmana in the office of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's father, uncle. So there were some high level talks on this namabhasa.

So by namabhasa one becomes liberated. By chanting Hare Krsna mantra offensive, one becomes materially happy or distressed, but when one comes to the stage of namabhasa, he becomes liberated. And when he chants pure name, there is krsna-prema. Just like Rūpa Gosvami: he was chanting. We are also chanting. But we are not in the stage of Rūpa Gosvami or Sanatana Gosvami and Haridasa Thakura.

Actually, if we come to that stage, then there will be krsna-prema, love of Krsna. Just like Rūpa Gosvami said that "What shall I chant with one tongue and two ears? If there were millions of tongues and trillions of ears, I could chant something." And we cannot finish even sixteen rounds, because we have not created our taste for chanting. Still we are in the namaparadha stage. But don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. You'll come to the right position, namabhasa, then suddha-nama. Everything requires gradual development.

So this nama is also another incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rūpe kali-kale krsna-avatara . Name is... Because name and Krsna is not different. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoḥ [Cc Madhya 17.133]. There is no difference. Here, in the material world, there is difference between the name and the substance, but advaya-jnana , in the Absolute world, there is no such distinction. The name and the person, the same, identical.

So actually, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we directly associate with Krsna, because name is the incarnation of Krsna. Nama-rūpe krsna-avatara . Therefore, if we are sensible, then we should take very much respectful attitude to the name, because name and Krsna, the same. Suppose Krsna comes here. How much respectful we shall be, immediately. So similarly, when we chant Hare Krsna mantra, we should know Krsna is there. Therefore we should be very much cautious and respectful, not neglectful. That is offense. That is offense.

If you become inattentive, that is offense. You should know this. Try to avoid. Krsna is giving us chance to meet Him in so many ways: nama, rūpa, lila, parikara, vasistha. He is giving us chance in the form of name, in the form of Deity, in the form of His pastimes, in the form of His paraphernalia. Just like this Vrndavana. Vrndavana is as good as Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said; it is not my manufacture. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavana [Caitanya-manjusa].

As Krsna, the Brajendra-nandana Hari Krsna, as He is worshipable, similarly His dhama is worshipable. We should be very much respectful to Vrndavana dhama; otherwise we'll be offender, dhamaparadha. Dhamaparadha. If we remain in Vrndavana we should know that we are living with Krsna. And how much we should be cautious, how much we should be careful if we are actually understand what is dhama. Dhama is also Krsna. If in the dhama we commit sinful activities, then we are, what is called, suiciding, committing suicide. It is a fact.

You know the story of Yamala-Arjuna. So they were given the place in the dhama, Vrndavana-dhama, as a tree, but they had to waste time for so many hundreds years. Although there is guarantee, anyone who is in dhama, he'll get the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, but not... Why should we waste your time to become a tree or a monkey or a hog or a dog? Don't waste. You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhama. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaun... [Bg 4.9]

If you actually live in Vrndavana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Krsna. Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ. To live in Vrndavana means to know Krsna-how He appeared there, how He played here, how He executed His pastimes here. Janma karma divyam. These are all celestial, all transcendental. Jaya radha-madhava kunja-vihari.

So this is Vrndavana life of Krsna. So if we know Krsna, tattvataḥ... This tattvataḥ we discussed this morning.

So those who are living in Vrndavana, they should try to understand Krsna tattvataḥ. That is their business. Not that take advantage of Vrndavana and make some anyabhilasa, jnana-karma. No. That means we are wasting time. You'll get the chance, because you have come to Vrndavana. Vrndavana's so powerful. But if we commit offense and sinful activities, it will be delayed.

My Guru Maharaja used to say that "Don't waste time. Don't wait for another life. In this life, finish this business to understand Krsna and go back home, back to Godhead." That is required. If one is businessman... Just like in business they want to execute business free, finish the business quickly. Similarly, because we see that such a devotee like Bharata Maharaja, because he was little attached to a calf, deer calf... What is called?

Devotee: Fawn.

Prabhupada: Fawn. Yes. So he had to take the life of a deer next life. Just see. Such a great devotee, but because he was a little attached... Yam yam vapi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6]. So we should be very careful that even in Vrndavana, if we miss the point, if we are attached to something, then we have to accept another life, either as beast or tree. Of course, the chance will be given to become a tree and beast in Vrndavana. That is also profitable, because next life he's going back to home, back to Godhead. But why should we waste another life in this way?

So krsna-nama rūpe-avatara. So we should respect chanting of Hare Krsna mantra with very care, carefulness, cautious so that we may not commit any offense. Then your business is successful. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhiḥ. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vrndavana. I am chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do...?"

"So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful..."

Yes, little sinful will be excused, but if it is done not willingly. But if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished.

So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Krsna mantra means dealing with Krsna directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success.

Read next.

Pradyumna: "For example, great demons like Ravana, Kamsa and Hiranyakasipu were always thinking of Krsna, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Krsna consciousness."

Prabhupada: Yes. As Ravana and Kamsa was thinking of Krsna as enemy, similarly, if we think of Krsna that "He'll wash my sinful activities," that means you are thinking like Ravana and Kamsa. Krsna should be thought favorably. Anukūlyena krsnanusilanam [Cc Madhya 19.167]. Na pratikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Krsna and commit sinful life at the same time. That is pratikūla. Krsna does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Krsna without being free from sinful activities. Yesam anta-gatam papam [Bg 7.28].

Krsna is pavitra, paramam. Apapa-viddham. These are the description. Krsna is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful, and make Krsna your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Krsna will wash it. Krsna washes it-once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Ravana and Kamsa. Kamsa was always absorbed in thinking of Krsna. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.

So these are the points. Anukūlyena krsnanusilanam [Cc Madhya 19.167]. We should execute cultivation of Krsna consciousness very favorably, not unfavorably. Favorable means by which Krsna becomes pleased, by which your spiritual master becomes pleased. Because when your spiritual master is pleased, Krsna is pleased. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadaḥ.

So spiritual master is representative of Krsna. Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Krsna sends His representative. Acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. So..., so pleasing the acarya means pleasing Krsna. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadaḥ.

So anukūlyena krsnanusilanam [Cc Madhya 19.167] means when you have accepted the bona fide spiritual master, you should work in such a way that your spiritual master is pleased with you. Then you..., your path is very clear. Don't do anything which is against the will of the spiritual master. Because we cannot see Krsna eye to eye at the present moment. The direction is coming through disciplic succession. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduḥ [Bg 4.2]. So we should follow favorably to cultivate Krsna consciousness. Then our life is successful.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Krsna from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krsna is of interest, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that 'Krsna' does not mean just Krsna alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia."

Prabhupada: Hmm. There are so-called pseudodevotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gita?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Krsna's rasa-lila. That means Krsna's lila in the Kuruksetra is not very much important for them. But no. Krsna's lila, either in the Kuruksetra or in Vrndavana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvad nama-naminoḥ [Cc Madhya 17.133].

So better first of all read Bhagavad-gita, the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is everything. But for ordinary person, because Bhagavad-gita is the A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge... People even commit mistakes in studying the A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation. Such is the horrible condition. They'll try to make minus Krsna Bhagavad-gita, go on reading Bhagavad-gita for millions of years, setting aside Krsna. That is scholarly.

This is going on. Scholar means they say, openly... I have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan. When he's explaining man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg 18.65], he's saying openly, "It is not to the person Krsna." He's saying. Just see the attempt. He's writing comments on Bhagavad-gita, and he's trying to make Krsna away, minus Krsna. Simply mental speculation. This is going on. We should be very careful.

[aside:] What is that? Go on.

The impersonalists... The impersonalists, they do not know that Krsna and Krsna's body, not different. They take it for acceptance that when God, Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is Mayavadi philosophy. Therefore Krsna says, avajananti mam mūḍhaḥ manusim tanum asritaḥ [Bg 9.11]. He comes... Sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg 4.6].

He comes as He is. Otherwise how He can act so wonderfully? When He was on the lap of His mother, three months old, how He could kill the gigantic demon Pūtana? He's not different from His body. He simply appears according to the necessity. Krsna has no such difference, body and soul. He's full complete, spiritual.

We have got, in this conditional state, soul and body different-dehi and deha. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg 2.13]. So dehantaram praptiḥ. Krsna hasn't got to accept another body. So this, these things we should know. Krsna is complete, pūrna-brahman. There is nothing like material and spiritual in Krsna's body.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krsna consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations-such as the Battlefield of Kuruksetra-which are associated with Krsna, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Krsna-His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krsna is there that the battlefield is so important."

Prabhupada: Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Krsna consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra."

Prabhupada: Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Krsna induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Krsna, but they do not know what is Krsna. Krsna is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurksetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: Absolute. He can do everything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth.

There is no relative understanding: "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as [if] God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Krsna. Whatever He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Krsna, sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg 10.14]: "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gita and Krsna. That is the way of understanding Vedas. You cannot judge the conclusion of the Vedas. You have to accept as it is.

Because we are conditioned. We have got so many defects-we are illusioned, we commit mistake, our senses are imperfect... So many defects. Bhrama, pramada, vipralipsa-karanapatava . We want to cheat others. So therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. We have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And who is better perfect than Krsna?

Therefore whatever Krsna says, whatever Krsna does, that is all-good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Krsna. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Krsna took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritranaya sadhūnam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg 4.8], He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopis in Vrndavana, but He had other business: to kill the demons. In Vrndavana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Krsna was killing them.

So that is another side of Krsna's business. But if you study Krsna from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand. You should know Krsna's dancing with the gopis and Krsna's fighting in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra is the one and the same. That is Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [end]