As it is stated in the Brahma-sutra, athato brahma jijnasa, similarly, here it is advised,

So when Sanatana Gosvami approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to become His disciple, he inquired from Him, tattva-jijnasa. (to translator, Mahamsa Swami:) Shall I stop here?

The aim of life is tattva-jijnasa. That Sanatana Gosvami did when he approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He inquired from Him, ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya: "My dear Lord, kindly let me know who am I and why I am put into the threefold miserable condition of life." Then one can say, "You are minister. You know what you are." Then he says, "No, actually I do not know what I am." Gramya-vyavahare pandita tai satya mani: "Some neighborhood men, they call me I am very big man, I am very learned man, and when I study myself," apanara hitahita kichui na jani, "I do not know what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go after leaving this body, why I am put into the tribulation of threefold miseries. I do not want to die. Why death is enforced upon me? I do not want to take birth. Why that is also enforced upon me? I do not want old age. Why it is enforced upon me? I do not want disease. Why it is enforced upon me? And what is the purpose of my coming in this material world, and where I shall go after my death? Or this is the finish?" There are so many things to inquire. That is called tattva-jijnasa. This is called tattva-jijnasa. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa.

The Bhagavata recommends that in the human form of life, the only necessity is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. That includes so many other things. The Absolute Truth is experienced by different persons from different angle of vision. That is explained here. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. That is the Absolute TruthBrahman or Parabrahmanwhich is nondual. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Advayam means without any duality. When we say Brahman, impersonal Brahman, or when we speak Paramatma, or when we speak of Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between these three terms. Just like sunshine and the sun globe and the sun-god. According to Bhagavad-gita, we have got the name of the predominating deity in the sun globe. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. This is said in the Bhagavad-gita. First of all Krsna says, "Long, long ago, millions of years ago, I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gita to Vivasvan." Vivasvan means the present predominating deity of the sun globe. Just like we have got a president, similarly, but he has got a particular name, similarly, the president of the sun globe is called Surya, Suryadeva. But he has got a particular name.

So at the present moment, the predominating deity of the sun globe is called Vivasvan. So this Vivasvan or the sun-god and the sun globe and the sunshine, they are not different. All of them are light. Without light in the sun globe, how so much light is emanating? So therefore the inhabitants of the sun globe, their body is made of fire. Therefore everything is glowing. And we, from distant place, we see the sun globe also glowing. And the sunshine is also glowing. Similarly, Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, they are one, the glowing or the light, but still, there is difference. What is that difference? If you remain in the sunshine... Every one of us, we remain in the sunshine. That does not mean that I am in the sun globe or I have seen the predominating deity, Vivasvan. Similarly, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11], you can realize the Absolute Truth in three features: Brahman, Paramatma... [break]... brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. The same Absolute Truth is realized from three angles of vision. Those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by their own scholarship, eruditely... There are many philosophers. They are trying to find out what is the original source of everything. The scientists, they are also trying to find out the original source of everything. So somebody, say, for example, the scientists, they are finding original of everything as matter, chemical, chemical evolution, the modern theory of originality. But actually, if we study what is the position of chemical theory, the so-called scientists, they could not produce life from chemicals, although their theory is that from matter life comes.

This is against our Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge says, as it is said in the Brahma-sutra, Vedanta-sutra, that the original cause of the Absolute Truth is a living entity. It is not matter. Just like Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. That aham, Krsna, is not a dead matter. He is the living entity, supreme living entity. And we also understand from Upanisad, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). The Absolute Truth is person, a living entity. He is the supreme living entity. Similarly, the original Absolute Truth is Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. That is Absolute Truth. There is no more para-tattva, superior tattva. Here the question is vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. We want to know the Absolute Truth. And here is Krsna, Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the Absolute Truth, Krsna. Balaji is Absolute Truth, Bhagavan, person. Brahmano 'ham pratistha. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, "The impersonal Brahman is situated on Me." Just like the sunshine. Although it is all-pervading throughout the universe, the light is there, but wherefrom the light is coming? The light is coming from Krsna.

That is explained in the Brahma-samhita:

So brahmeti paramatmeti. If we try to understand the Absolute Truth, then we can approach only up to the impersonal feature. Just like if we simply want to come to the light, so we can see the sunshine is light. But if we want to study what is the sun globe and if we want to study what is the predominating deity in the sun globe, that is different thing. That is, simply coming to the light, sunshine, will not help you. You must have strength and process to go to the sun globe. The same example: One can understand impersonal Brahman by dint of his speculative knowledge, but he cannot understand Paramatma, who is situated in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tis... [Bg. 18.61]. That is Paramatma feature. That Paramatma feature is also one fourth expansion of Krsna's personal existence. And it is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

So Bhagavan is the ultimate Absolute Truth. Therefore Krsna confirms it, mattah parataram nanyat. You go, make progress. You understand the impersonal Brahman feature. You understand Paramatma feature by yogic process. By yogic... The yogis, they try to understand the Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. The Paramatma is sitting in everyone's heart. The yogis try to understand the Paramatma. And the jnanis, impersonalists, they try to understand the all-pervading feature of the Supreme Lord. But one who understands Krsna, then he understands both the features, the Paramatma feature and Brahman feature. Therefore in the Vedas it is said, kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you simply understand Krsna, then the Brahman feature and Paramatma feature will be automatically understood. You haven't got to understand Brahman and Paramatma separately. Simply by understanding Krsna, you will understand both.

Another example is: just like if you see a mountain. Just like surrounding your this place, Tirupati, there are so many hills. From the distant place, your vision is not clear. You simply see something like cloudy, the same mountain. But if you make little further progress, you see the same mountain or hill greenish. And if you actually go in the same hill, you will find there are so many animals, so many men and so many houses. So object is the same, but from different angle vision, it appears differently. Similarly, unless one can understand Krsna perfectly, he realizes the Absolute Truth as impersonal, nirakara Brahman. Unless one understands Krsna perfectly well, he cannot understand what is Paramatma, which is realized by yogic principles. But when you understand Krsna, then you understand Paramatma and Brahman also. This is the verdict of the sastra. Just like if you have got one lakh of rupees, your possession of few thousands of rupees or few hundred of rupees are already there.

Similarly, Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. The same thing, tattvatah. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. Krsna says that "My appearance," ajo 'pi sann avyayatma, "how I appear, how I disappear, if anyone understands in truth..." Because we do not understand Krsna in truth, therefore we consider Krsna as ordinary human being. Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Mudhah means asses or rascals. They consider Krsna as something of this material world. But He is not that. Therefore Krsna says that janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If anyone understands Krsna as Absolute Truth, then immediately his mission of life is complete. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Therefore this is tattva-jnana. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. This is tattva-jnana. Try to understand Krsna, what He is.

But that understanding, how it can be achieved, that is explained in the next verse:

So as it is stated here in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, pasyanty atmani ca atmanam, this is paramatma-darsana, atmani. Or there is another verse in the Brahma-samhita, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. The same word, bhakti.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita also, it is said, "The basic principle is bhakti." Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. One has to learn the Absolute Truth through bhakti. Bhakti is the principle. If you have got bhakti, then jnana-vairagya will automatically come. But if you remain only on the platform of jnana-vairagya, you may not develop bhakti. This is the process. That is also mentioned in the beginning of this chapter.

So when you have realized, when you are a brahmana, when you have complete knowledge of Brahman, that is the beginning of bhakti life. Not that by bhakti one comes to the Brahman realization platform. One who has got complete understanding of Brahman, he can make progress to the bhakti platform.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, and the children are disturbing. It is a very great subject matter. So our this Krsna consciousness movement is this expanding this bhakti cult on the basis of Vedic knowledge. It is not a sentimental thing. These European, American boys and girls who have joined us, they are not going on sentiments. They are being taught actual knowledge, sruti. Bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. And therefore they are being fixed up. So our request is that this temple, Balaji's temple, is the greatest temple in the world, and Krsna's temple. For spreading Krsna consciousness all over the world, the temple authorities should fully cooperate in spreading Krsna knowledge.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)