Lecture – March 20, 1972, Bombay

720320LE-BOMBAY [35:40 Minutes]

Why He should come to make a lila like cats and dogs?

Prabhupada: They think so'ham means "I am the Supreme." But that is not possible. How you are supreme? If you are supreme, why you have become like cats and dogs? They say, "It is my lila," but this is all nonsense. God's lila, Krsna's lila, is in the Vrndavana. Why He should come to make a lila like cats and dogs?

So this is the wrong philosophy. Krsna, the Supreme, Narayana, sometimes they say Narayana has become daridra. How Narayana can become daridra?

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is being constantly served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune, how He can be daridra? These are manufactured words. You cannot find these words in the Vedic literature. They are concocted words.

So here is the right interpretation by Vyasadeva. We have to take from Vyasadeva. Sukadeva Gosvami is reciting the verses written by his father, Vyasadeva. So he says that "Here is the person who is being searched out by the impersonalist." Enamored by the Brahman effulgence, they do not know wherefrom the Brahman effulgence is coming.

Just like we may very much appreciate the sunshine, but the sunshine is not the origin. The origin is the sun globe. And the sun globe is also not origin. Within the sun globe there is sun-god, and his name is also known to the right person: Vivasvan. So he is so glowing, that Vivasvan, sun-god, that his effulgence is being distributed as sunshine.

These, all these scientific knowledge there are in the Vedic literature. The ksatriya family… There are two kinds of ksatriya family: who are coming from the sun and the moon. So Vivasvan, his son was Manu, his son was Iksvaku, and his descendants is called the sūrya-vamsa, in which Lord Ramacandra appeared.

So Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, is not impersonal. Impersonal feature is His bodily effulgence, glaring of the body. That is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita:

This Brahman effulgence is the bodily glow of Krsna. Yasya prabha prabhavato. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, brahmano 'ham pratistha [Bg 14.27]: "I am the original source of this Brahman effulgence." Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says that those who are seeking after Brahman effulgence, the origin point is here-Krsna. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhūtya : that is our svarūpa, actual constitutional position.

We are eternal part-and-parcel servant, just like the part and parcel of your body, they're all your servant. This finger is part and parcel of your body, but it is always serving the whole. That is the business. Finger is not the enjoyer, or the hand is not the enjoyer; the stomach is the enjoyer. You collect foodstuff with your fingers and hand and give it here. You cannot take. That is misuse. Similarly, dasyam gatanam: this is really self-realization, that "I am part and parcel," mamaivamso jiva-bhūta [Bg 15.7].

So one should understand that what is the duty of the part and parcel. Just like you go to your work. Everyone in a big establishment, they are part and parcel of that establishment, but everyone is working for the fulfillment of the desire of the first person, the president or the director of the business. Similarly, the whole thing is there. Krsna is the Supreme. Īsvara parama krsna. Īsvara means "controller." Now, as you have got controller in your office, similarly there must be one controller for all these creations. How you can deny it? That is not possible. There must be.

So the Brahma, especially, it is his version, isvara parama krsna. Because he is also controller-Brahma-but he accepts that "I am not the supreme controller." It was questioned by Narada, that "My father, you practically…, you are the master of this universe, you are the creator of this universe, but why I see that you are also meditating upon somebody?" So the answer was, "No, I am not the supreme controller. I have got controller." These things are explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So Brahma's controller is Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu; then Garbhodakasayi Visnu's controller is Maha-Visnu; Ksirodak…, I mean to say, Karanodakasayi Visnu, His controller, Sahkarsana; His controller, Narayana; His controller, again Sahkarsana, Baladeva. So there are different statuses of controller, just we have experience within this material world also, everything is controlled by somebody.

So Brahma gives the conclusion that there are many controllers, undoubtedly, but there is a supreme controller, isvara parama krsna. Īsvara means "controller." You are also controller; I am also controller. Just like I am controlling some of my disciples; you may be controlling in your family affairs or in office, some clerks. So there are controllers-may be many-but each and every controller is controlled by another controller, another.

Just like I am controlling somebody, but I am controlled by my Guru Maharaja. He is controlled by his Guru Maharaja. In this way you find controller over controller. But in this way if you go on searching after, then when you come to Krsna, you will find there is no more controller over Him. Therefore Brahmaji says, isvara parama krsna: "The supreme controller is Krsna."

And Krsna also says personally in Bhagavata,

"My dear Arjuna, over Me there is no other controller." That is isvara; that is God. God cannot be controlled by god. God like us maybe controlled by another god, but the supreme God, He is never controlled by anyone. That is real God. Other gods…, you may call yourself that "I am god"; I may call myself that "I am god." Yes, we are all gods, but not the supreme God. We are atmas, but we're not the supreme atma. We are isvaras, but we are not the Paramesvara. Paramesvara is Krsna.

So here also Vyasadeva says, dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi: "I am offering with my all disciples my obeisances to the supreme controller, satyam param, the Absolute Truth." Satyam param dhimahi.

So, ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhūtya dasyam gatanam That is real position. And actually, if we scrutinizingly think whether I am master or servant, we will see that we are all servants; we are not master. We are all… In this position we are all servants of our senses, go-dasa. Go means "senses." But one has to become gosvami. That is perfection, when one can control the senses. At the present moment we are acting under the dictation of the senses, but when we shall be able to dictate the senses to act, then we are gosvami.

So this will be possible when we come to the actual constitutional position to understand. Just like Vyasadeva is offering, satyam param dhimahi. We surrender. Krsna therefore canvasses, Krsna comes to canvas, "My dear sirs, you are all thinking that you are all masters, but you are suffering. You are not master; over you, the master is the material nature, your senses.

How you can become master?" So jnane prayasam. Brahmaji recommends that "This kind of speculation, give up." Jnane prayasam. Namanta eva [SB 10.14.3]: just become submissive. We are arrogant: "Who is God? I am God." This is arrogance. Therefore the whole Bhagavad-gita is taught to Arjuna just to stop this nonsense arrogance. "Surrender unto Me."

By this arrogance you are simply committing sinful activities, and you become entangled.

What is that entanglement? That repeated, repetition of birth and death. That is entanglement. There is no certainty what sort of birth I am going to get next life, but if you surrender to Krsna, dasyam gatanam... Santa rasa, that is marginal position, between material world and the spiritual world. But actual spiritual life begins when you come to the dasya rasa. Dasyam gatanam: when we accept that we are eternal servant of Krsna. That is our liberation. Svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. If you don't accept this, then by force the nature, the strong material nature, will enforce you to become her servant. Her servant.

Just like everyone, we are serving the three modes of material nature. Some of them are serving in goodness; some of them are serving in passion. Some of them are passion.

Actually the prakrti, the material nature, is pulling everyone by the ear: "You do like this. You do like this." Forcing. But because we are fools and rascals we are thinking, ahahkara-vimūḍhatma kartaham: "I am karta." We are not karta.

Everything… Because as soon as we associate with a certain quality of the material nature, modes of material nature, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna… They may be different variety-goodness, passion-but they are all under the prakrti. Therefore in this material world, even if you become very good man, that is also under the reins of the prakrti.

So therefore Krsna advises Arjuna,

"You just try to transcend all the influences of this prakrti, material modes of nature." And how we can transcend? Very easy, if we actually are serious. That is also recommended in Bhagavad-gita:

Avyabhicarena bhakti: without any adulteration. Pure bhakti, not mixed bhakti. Pure bhakti. Then immediately you are transcendental. Sa gunan samatitya. Gunan-sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Samatitya, sama-atitya, brahma-bhūyaya.

So this bhakti-yoga process is so nice that it can give you immediately liberation. Immediate, within a second, provided you agree, "Yes." Just like Arjuna said. Arjuna was asked, "Now I have given you all instruction. Now what do you want to do?" That discrimination depends on us, because in the Vedic literature everything is given there. Take for example Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says,

Now it is up to us whether we shall accept or not. Krsna does not force you. He says, saranam vraja: "You do this." But He is all-powerful. If He likes He can force one. But that force He does not apply. He applies sometimes force to His very, very dear devotee; not to the ordinary. Just like a father forces his own child, not others'. This is an example. Similarly, one who is actually a devotee of Krsna, He sometimes forces him, "You must do this." Others He does not force. He says, saranam vraja. Now it is our choice. But if we make our choice like that, then we are liberated immediately, because that is our position. Mukti means,

Sva-rūpena, that is mukti. One should be standing on his original position. The original position is that we are all part and parcel of Krsna, God. Mamaivamso jiva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7]. Amsa. Amsa, not the full, not the whole. Part cannot be equal to the whole, but if the part is always attached to the whole, it has got value; otherwise it is valueless. The same example: this finger, so long it is attached with this body, it has got value; and if it is cut off from this body, it has no value. Similarly, so long we are cut off from the relationship with Krsna, sarva-dharman parityajya, to serve Him, we have no value. We may conjecture that "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." This is all troublesome.

So Krsna personally says, therefore, that "You give up all these mental concoctions. You simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you protection from all calamities." Sarva-papebhyaḥ. He has mentioned the papa, not the punyebhyaḥ. Because those that are punya, they are not suffering. They have got some solace, because Krsna says,

So Krsna does not say that "I shall save you from the reaction of punya." He says papebhyo, because sufferings, actual suffering, is due to our sinful activities. That is suffering. Nature will not tolerate.

We can say that "We don't care for God, don't care for anyone. I can do anything, whatever I like." You can do that. That is at your risk. Otherwise, why there are so many species of life? Huh? Even there is life you are passing stool-another life is waiting just to take your stool.

So there are varieties of life due to papa and punya. Papa and punya. So we should not be interested even in punya. Punya, by punya we may have better life, but unless we come to the point of surrendering to Krsna, even better life, the demigod's life, that is also not very appreciable. Krsna says, a-brahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg 8.16], ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg 9.21]. So punya is just like bank balance. So bank balance, so long you have got bank balance you may draw and enjoy, but when the bank balance is finished, again you are poor man. So ksine punye martya-lokam visanti. These things are there.

So we should not be interested either in the papa or punya also. Therefore Krsna says sarva-dharman. People are addicted. Some of them are addicted to the papa kariya, and some of them are addicted to the punya kariya. There are so many dualities. So Krsna says that "Give up all these dualities. You simply surrender unto Me." The same thing.

Bhagavad-gita ends with this instruction of Krsna, and Vyasadeva captures this instruction and begins Srimad-Bhagavatam with the first aphorism of Vedanta-sūtra, janmady asya yataḥ, the origin, and satyam param dhimahi. This is surrender. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Nama. Nama means "I surrender." That is nama. "I become humbled." Nama. Namaskar, just like we do namaskar: "I humbly submit," gentleman. Yes. So all these mantras, Vedic mantras, they are meant for becoming nama, surrendered. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

So here Vyasadeva says that the Supreme Personality, He is conscious, abhijna. Abhijna. How He is abhijna, conscious? Anvayat vitarekhena[?] arthesu. In everything there are some indirect observation and some direct observation. Just like you see a flower, you directly see a flower is growing, but you do not know what is the process by which the flower is growing. Abruptly you say nature. What is that nature? That is not explanation. That is not scientific explanation. You must know the process. That is scientific knowledge.

Just like we see these coconut trees. The coconut tree, there are green coconuts about fifty feet above, but there is very nice water. Now, how this water has been injected in this hard shell? That is a great science, but we do not know. We are very much proud of our scientific knowledge, but when I ask somebody that "What is the process?" they submit so many so-called theories. You see?

Therefore Krsna is sometimes addressed as Vijnana-vijaya. Vijnana-vijaya. He is powerful-not abruptly, but with scientific knowledge, perfect scientific knowledge. That is explained here: janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnaḥ svarat. He is very expert, that Supreme. He is expert in knowledge, how things are done-directly and indirectly.

We can see simply directly. Just like I have this body. I am claiming, "This is my body." But how the bodily functions are acting? How I am eating and it is being transformed into different secretion? Some of them I am passing out as urine, some of them are becoming blood, some of them becoming bile. There is a great factory, and it is going on, but we do not know. And still we are very much proud.

But Krsna knows how, because He has created. He is the origin, creator. He knows. Therefore He must be a sentient person. Without being person, how one can know? That is explained. Anvayat itarataḥ: He knows everything. Vedaham samatitani [Bg 7.26], He knows everything. Parasya saktir vividhaiva srūyate [Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8].

His energy is acting so nicely and so subtle. Just like the sun, yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro [Bs 5.52]: by the order of Krsna, Govinda, it is rotating in the orbit, fixed up. The orbit is so subtle that if the sun comes this side, the whole universe immediately become frozen, and if the sun comes this side the whole universe will be ablaze immediately. It is just on the line. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro [Bs 5.52].

[break] …acting. If you simply say "by nature," this you'll never see. What is this nature? That you cannot explain. Therefore your knowledge is imperfect. But we poor fellows, because we have accepted Krsna as the Supreme, our knowledge is perfect. We take Krsna's word, and we accepted it. It is very simple thing; it is not very difficult thing. Krsna says,

We are trying to think of Him always. We are trying to become His devotee, man-mana bhava. Mad-yaji: we are trying to worship Him from the early in the morning. Mam namaskuru: so we are offering our obeisances. It is very simple. We haven't got to make any gymnastic. Simply Krsna says that namaskuru. "All right, I offer my obeisances." "Think of Me." "Yes, I think of You always." These boys, they are being taught like that, and they are doing that. They are making progress. They are making progress, just see, practically.

So the bhakti-yoga is so nice, everyone, even the child can do it. There is no difficulty, but you make tremendous progress for your spiritual realization. Tremendous progress. And especially in this age, you cannot accept any other process for your self-realization, neither you will be able to execute it properly. This is not possible.

Therefore this recommendation of Sukadeva Gosvami:

Krsna, some very influential managing, issued by the government, they have described Krsna as the son of a bee, black bee, and He was disturbing the society, and therefore people worshiped Him. Just see their creative energy. He plows all the sastras, or He creates His own imagination, and that is published in government paper. Just see all misfortune. You see? So, ittham satam brahma-sukha. Therefore it is called mayasritanam. These kind of description of Krsna is made by mayasritanam, those who are under the complete influence of maya.

To the mayasritanam, those who are under the complete influence of maya, they cannot understand Krsna. But if you surrender to Krsna, then maya lets you see Krsna.

So somehow or other you surrender to Krsna, you become free from the clutches, from the influence of maya, and you will be able to see Krsna eye to eye. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. It is very simple, it is authorized, it is scientific. If you kindly take, your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [end]