Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Dictation – October 22, 1977, Vṛndāvana

How the Mayavadis can say they are all the same?

Devotee: Third chapter. Right?

Prabhupada: Own original features. The same dress, the same tendencies, the same color. Every individual has got differences. So with all the differences He manifested, not only individual person, but character, nature, dress, likes.

Jayadvaita: Krsna expanded Himself in this way.

Prabhupada: Twin brothers, although they are same, still there are differences.

Pradyumna: Twin brothers.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayadvaita: This is our practical experience. This is Krsna's opulence.

Pradyumna: Ananta-rūpam.

Prabhupada: Superior, inferior. How the Mayavadis can say they are all the same?

Jayadvaita: Actually they are sup... [break]

Pradyumna: This is a big, long verse. Mystified, he could not understand what is this, and he could not even see anything and then, er, so Krsna saw this and then He removed that yoga-maya covering. In the beginning… [break]

Prabhupada: Or certainly.

Jayadvaita: Power of ascertaining.

Prabhupada: Also Brahma...

[break] Yes, and Krsna. Sarasvati, husband, Krsna. She is not?

Pradyumna: Er. Wishes to say husband of Sarasvati, Brahma.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Pradyumna: So Brahma, and then Brahma even being the Lord of Sarasvati, so it says maha buddhi mati api na muhyati, "he became bewildered about Krsna."

Prabhupada: Oh.

Pradyumna: Ira-ise brahmani ira sarasvati tasya ise maha buddhimati api iti athaḥ tad atya krsnayi muyati, "he became mystified, even master of Sarasvati."

Prabhupada: Although tried, could not understand. Hmm.

Pradyumna: Yoga-maya... Yoga-maya, yoga-maya, maya, yoga-maya. It says here, "On the sandy bank of the Yamuna which covered all the boys who were eating and all the calves who were eating grass along with Myself, who was searching for the calves and who displayed all the cows, all the calves and the boys as My svarūpa, and then again who again displayed all those calves and cows, er, cows and boys with four arms. That yoga-maya, He disappeared... He caused to disappear." Yaya pulinaiḥ...

[break] He says someone may think that this maya which He took away was maha-maya, but he says no. He says: ya vastabam vastu arvrinoti... [break]

Prabhupada: Manifest, sometimes not manifest, ah, but this is yoga-maya. Hmm.

Jayadvaita: This yoga-maya, is this Krsna's total spiritual energy or is this one division, one subdivision of Krsna's spiritual energy?

Prabhupada: Parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate. Maya is one, Krsna's maya-sakti. Svarūpa-sakti, maya-sakti. But that maya-sakti is manifested in varieties. That is the difference between Vaisnava and Mayavadi. They say that maya is one; we say that varieties. Unity in varieties. There may be one tree, but there are varieties of leaves and fruits and flowers. Parasya saktir vividhaiva. Such varieties are required for performing varieties of activities within the creation. Just like a machine. A machine, everything is iron, but there are varieties of activities. One part of machine is working in different way, another part is working, "cut-cut-cut-cut-cut-cut," and everything is iron. So, one who does not know how the machine is working, they say "all iron." In spite of being iron, the varieties are there. With oil and lubrication and arrangement of the machine, they are working differently.

And this is working in such a way as if naturally it is so made. One who at least running like this along with this another rod is moving so, and the work is going on. The purpose for the machine: when this is going on. This is explained in the Vedas, parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate. And we give different names: this is wheel, this is screw, this is lubrication, this is spindle. So many names to work naturally. So Krsna's power is so variegated that same sakti, potency, to work in different ways. Is that clear?

Jayadvaita: I have a further question. Is it correct to understand that this yoga-maya is one of the varieties of Krsna's potencies.

Prabhupada: Yes. Another counterpart of the same potency. One is yoga-maya, one is maha-maya, and each of the potencies, they are working in their own varieties. This is called parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate. Vividhaiva. Vividha means varieties. Ha? Vividha.

Pradyumna: Various, multifarious.

Prabhupada: So unity in varieties. This is not clear?

Jayadvaita: No, this is clear. Another question that came up in Bhagavatam class some days ago, that Krsna has three divisions. He has His potency for existence, His potency for knowledge, His potency for pleasure.

Prabhupada: Samvit, sandhini and...?

Pradyumna: Hladini.

Prabhupada: Hladini.

Jayadvaita: Is yoga-maya identified with one of these potencies? Or is this a different division entirely?

Prabhupada: No. All of the potencies: samvit, sandhini and hladini. The hladini potency is Radharani. As Jiva Gosvami has explained: radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmat . The hladini-sakti manifested as Radharani, but Krsna and Radharani, the same. One is potent and the other is potency.

Pradyumna: It is mentioned here that Brahma was mystified, so the question is asked, kva muhyati: "Where was he mystified?" Nija: where was; kva muhyati: where was his..., in what was he mystified? Nija mahimani darsita catur-bhujadi rūpa sva mahesvara ye: in Krsna's great opulence; mahesvarya, of showing all these catur-bhujadi rūpa sva mahesvara ye, Krsna's potency of showing all these forms.

Prabhupada: Maha-sakta, mahesakta.

Pradyumna: And it says, "What kind of aisvarya was that?" Kidrsaḥ atha kye[?].

Prabhupada: You cannot argue with your limited senses. Acintya. Srila Jiva Gosvami has said, "Unless we accept acintya in the Supreme, I mean to say, conception of God, there cannot be accommodation, acintya." This has to be added, acintya, arta ka[?]. Therefore we say that the words of sastra should be taken as it is, no change. It is beyond our argument. That is also explained, acintyaḥ khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet: "Things which are in the acintya group you cannot ascertain by argument." Generally they argue; and our process is no argument, take as it is. Krsna says, "This is superior; this is inferior," we accept it. Why superior, why inferior? No such thing. Then it is lost.

Cintya. Our arguments, our thoughts, are cintya, or we can contemplate. Acintya means we cannot contemplate it; we have to accept. In other words it is called avaroha-pantha. Avaroha, and therefore avatara-that which descends. And material way is aroha-pantha: by argument, by reason, they want to understand. But these things are not like that. Aroha-pantha, no. Avaroha-pantha. Therefore we accept parampara, and the best parampara is Krsna. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg 4.2]. What Krsna says, we accept. Imam rajarsayo viduḥ-this is called avaroha-pantha. Avaroha avatara adikam[?]. Hmm. [break]

Pradyumna: ...by the mahesvarya[?] of Krsna then...

Prabhupada: Because he adopted aroha-pantha. He wanted to understand Krsna's mystic power by his own limited, conceivable power; therefore he was mistaken. He became mystified instead.

Pradyumna: And then he said that this mahesvarya was atarkya, and he said, "Why is it atarkya?" Yataḥ sva pramiti kham[?]. Sva pramiti sva prakasam ca tat kham suka rūpam ca[?].

Prabhupada: Everyone wants to take pleasure by his own knowledge, that "I know something," but in the presence of Krsna this conception will not help. We have to submit. You have to. There is no other alternative: na tams tarkena yojayet. That is the difference between Krsna-ites and the Mayavadis. It is clear?

Pradyumna: It says therefore, it says, because this krsna sva prakasa sva pramiti kham ata eva… [break]

Prabhupada: You cannot live within these limitations of prakrti.

Pradyumna: Then this last word, it says assan... [break]

Prabhupada: [indistinct Sanskrit] [break] ...a fact. So [indistinct Sanskrit asann niyatam??], not fact.

Pradyumna: In fact one commentator says some people try to find Brahman by neti-neti.

Prabhupada: Yes. That [indistinct]: "This is not, this is not." If this is not, this is not will go on. But what it is? This is called definition by negation. What it is? Suppose a statue. This is not what? This is not this, this is not this... So what it is?

Pradyumna: It mentions here...

Prabhupada: In logic it is called "definition by negation."

Pradyumna: He mentions asthulam ananu ahrasvam ity adi.

Prabhupada: Krsna has already explained in the Bhagavad-gita, na jayate mriyate va: "It is not born; not dead." You cannot submissively accept that. But what it is? It is eternal: nityaḥ sasvato 'yam. Na hanyate hanyamane [Bg 2.20]. So in the beginning it is difficult to understand because [indistinct]: nainam dahati pavakaḥ, it is not burned by the fire. Now imagine what is that, it is not burned by fire. Nainam dahati pavakaḥ. What is that verse?

Jayadvaita: Nainam chindanti sastrani... [Bg 2.23].

Prabhupada: Ah. This is negative definition, negative quality.

Pradyumna: Next verse: verse 58. Ananta brahma vakya drstir labh koriya mrt... [break]

Prabhupada: It is called supta tita 'nyan[?] Actually, we do not die. We are kept inert for some time. Just like at night we sleep and all activities are stopped, but as soon as we rise up, we immediately remember, "Oh, where I am; what I have to do." It is called supta tita 'nyan[?].

Pradyumna: Sup…

Prabhupada: Supta tita 'nyan[?]. A man is sleeping; he is inert, as if he already had died. Died means I become inert for some time, then again I begin my activities. So this is going on life after life according to our sva-bhava. Now, in the human life, if we prepare ourselves, then we regain our activities in our spiritual life, and that is our real life. That is perfection. Otherwise, according to karma sva-bhava we are busy in varieties of life and varieties of activities. That will not stop our birth and death. That is explained by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, mayara vase, yaccha bhese', khaccha habuḍubu bhai. Come to the spiritual platform, then activities will be permanent, krta-punya-punjaḥ. This stage is attained after accumulating the results of action of pious activities of many, many lives: na janma-koti-sukrtair labhyate. Very serious thing, janma-koti. So Krsna consciousness movement wants to stop this koti janma in one birth, rectify everything and come to the permanent life. That is Krsna consciousness. Hmm. It is clear? [end]