Srila Prabhupada's Lecture - FOLKNet

Srila Prabhupada’s LectureBhagavad-gita 2.13Hyderabad, November 18, 1972Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.)Prabhupada:dehino 'smin yatha dehekaumaram yauvanam jaratatha dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati[Bg. 2.13]The Second Chapter is the summary study of the Bhagavad-gita. The First Chapter isthe preparatory study of Bhagavad-gita, and the Second Chapter is the summary studyof the contents of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita means the song sung by the SupremePersonality of Godhead. Bhagavata. From the word bhagavata, we speak Bhagavan.Bhagavan, here, in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find everywhere: sri bhagavan uvaca. So itis the science of understanding God. Yad vijnana-samanvitam. Jnanam te pravaksyamiyad vijnana-samanvitam. It is a vijnana. Vijnana means science. As everything isunderstood thoroughly through a scientific process, similarly, if you want to know thescience of God, then you have to adopt the process by which one can understandGod. That process is described in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg.18.55]. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He says, "If anyone wants tounderstand Me, then he has to take the process of devotional service," not by thespeculative process or by fruitive activities, or by yogic process, mystic yogic process.It is clearly stated. Not only in Bhagavad-gita. In all other Vedic scripture.athapi te deva padambuja-dvayaprasada-lesanugrhitaeva hijanati tattvam bhagavan-mahimnona canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan[SB 10.14.29]One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His mercy only. Athapi tedeva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi. Anyone who has received a smallparticle of the prasadam, mercy of the Lord, he can understand the Lord. Nobody canunderstand the Lord perfectly. It is not possible because the Lord is unlimited. We havegot our senses very limited. Our senses are not only limited, but also imperfect. We1 www.folknet.in

"The whole cosmology, material world, is just sustained by My partial manifestation ofenergies." Ekamsena. This material cosmology, material manifestation, is one fourthdemonstration of God's energy. The three-fourths manifestation of His energy is thespiritual world. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. Thereis another nature which is spiritual nature, para, superior. The spiritual nature isdescribed as para. Para means beyond this apara. There are two energies working,material nature and spiritual nature. Material nature, it is described in the Bhagavadgita:bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva bhinna me prakrtir asöadha [Bg.7.4]. These eight types of material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind,intelligence and ego—these are material nature. Bhinna prakrtir asöadha. They areseparated energies. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. Beyond this. Theseare inferior, apara. And beyond this apara-prakrti, there is another, superior prakrti.What is that? Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. That is theliving entity.So living entity, living being, is energy of the Supreme Lord. Energy. Just like the sunand the sunshine. Sunshine is the energy of the sun globe. Similarly, we living entities,we are also energies of the Supreme Lord. What is this sunshine? It is a combination ofa very small shining particles, molecular. That is sunshine. It looks like onehomogeneous thing, but they are small particles. That is scientific understanding.Similarly, we are also a small particle of the Supreme Lord. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah[Bg. 15.7]. We are a small particle. How much small? What is the magnitude? That isalso described in the sastra. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca, jiva-bhago savijneyah sa anantyaya kalpate [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. There is dimension of the livingentity—one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So it is very difficult with our,these material eyes. We are very much proud of our eyes. But here is the indicationfrom the sastra, the length and breadth of the living soul. Now, you find out, with youreyes, your microscope. That is not possible. Because they cannot find out, they say,nirakara. Nirakara. In one sense, it can be supported that we cannot ascertain theforms of the soul. And what, how we can ascertain the form of the Lord? Anor aniyanmahato mahiyan.So spiritual education means, spiritual enlightenment means, first of all, we must try tounderstand the jiva. Because jiva is the small particle of the Lord. So that we canunderstand the quality of the Lord. Just like if you test a small particle of gold, then youcan understand the composition of gold. If you test a little drop of water from theocean, you can analyze the chemical composition of the sea. Similarly, if you cananalyze the characteristics of the living entity, then you can at least understand what isGod, what is the characteristics of God. Therefore the beginning of spiritual educationis to understand one's self, this self-realization. How to realize self? We have to takeknowledge from others. Knowledge means..., to acquire knowledge, to learn from the3 www.folknet.in

teacher. So here is the supreme teacher, Krishna. Krishna is accepted as the supremeteacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyasadeva, Narada, Devala,Asita. All other great sages. And recently, in the modern age, by our acaryas, SriRamanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja, yes, Sankaracarya, Visnu Svami. All thesegreat sages, great acaryas, they came from your South India. So you are fortunate inthat sense. So we have to follow the acaryas. All these acaryas accept Krishna, theSupreme Lord. All these acaryas. And later, lately, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, fivehundred years ago, He also accepted that Krishna, the Supreme Personality ofGodhead. Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. That is the acceptance in theSrimad-Bhagavatam. Similarly, Lord Brahma also accepted Krishna:isvarah paramah Krishnahsac-cid-ananda-vigrahahanadir adir govindahsarva-karana-karanam[Bs. 5.1]So we have got so many evidences. So we have to accept Krishna as the SupremePersonality of Godhead. There is no doubt about it. But why people do not accept?Why are so many big, big scholars and big, big scientists, why they do not acceptKrishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is also stated in the Bhagavadgita,how these people do not accept. The statement is there:na mam duskrtino mudhahprapadyante naradhamahmayayapahrta-jnanaasuram bhavam asritah[Bg. 7.15]Those who are duskrtina, sinful, duskrtina... Krti means meritorious, and dus means...,means miscreants, meritorious for mischief-making. We, everyone has got merit. Themischief-maker, he has also got merit, but one who uses his merit for mischiefmaking...Just like a great rogue, a thief. When he steals, he requires brain. So he'sapplying his brain, how to steal tactfully, how to become a great rogue tactfully. Howto become a smuggler... They require also brain. So the brain is being misused formischievous activities. They are called miscreants, duskrtina. So those who areduskrtina... Na mam prapadyante, na mam duskrtino mudhah [Bg. 7.15]. One class isduskrtina and the other class is mudha. Mudha means less intelligence, or nointelligence. na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. And naradhamameans the lowest of the mankind. And mayaya apahrta-jnanah, those whoseknowledge have been taken by maya, asuram bhavam asritah. These classes of men do4 www.folknet.in

not surrender unto Krishna. We are not manufacturing these words. These words are inthe Bhagavad-gita. If we study Bhagavad-gita, we have to accept the statements,Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita means the speeches which is delivered, or the songwhich is sung by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.So our Krishna consciousness movement is to preach all over the world that Krishnas tubhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. You are searching after God. You are taxing your brainso much. But in spite of taxing your brain, you say sometimes that "There is no God,"or "God is dead," or "Everyone is God," and so on, so on. But our proposition is thatwhy you are taxing your brain? Here is God. Here is God, Krishna. By authorities, byVedic version, by His activities. If we read life of Krishna, we can see that He's Krishna,God, from the very beginning of His birth. God is not manufactured by some mysticpower. God is God, and dog is dog. A dog cannot become God; God cannot becomedog. That is the difference.So Krishna was God from the very beginning. As soon as Krishna took birth, Heappeared in four-handed Visnu-murti. But when He was prayed by His mother tobecome an ordinary child, He became an ordinary child with two hands. So that isGod, from the very beginning. Not that, by attaining some mystic power, one canbecome God. You can have some power, godly... You have already power. Becausewe are, every one of us is a part and parcel of God. Therefore godly qualities are there.But you cannot become cent percent God. That is not possible. That is not possible.There, they..., they have been analyzed. All the demigods and living entities, they havebeen analyzed by great stalwart people, and it has been found that Krishna is centpercent God. Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam. Ete camsa-kalah pumsah Krishnas tubhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. All others... There are many other gods. Then godsmeans not the Supreme God. Isvarah paramah Krishnah [Bs. 5.1].We are speaking of the paramah isvarah, or Paramesvara. There are two words: isvara,paramesvara; atma, paramatma. That param is God. We are Brahman; Parabrahman.So Parabrahman, Paramatma, Paramesvara, all these are applicable to Krishna. Just likeArjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gita, he admitted, param brahma param dhamapavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam adyam [Bg. 10.12]. That is the positionof Krishna. Adi-purusam. Govindam adi-purusam. Krishna also says, in the Bhagavadgita,aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Devanam, Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara... Then,after Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, there are other demigods, Indra, Candra, Varuna, somany. So Krishna says, aham adir hi devanam. Aham sarvasya prabhavah. He's theorigin of everything. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]."Everything emanates from Me." In the Vedanta-sutra also the Absolute Truth isdescribed as janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The Absolute Truth is that from whomeverything emanates.5 www.folknet.in

So here is Krishna. From sastric evidences, by His opulences, by His power... BecauseBhagavan means full of six opulences. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah(Visnu Purana 6.5.47). He must be the richest. He must be the strongest. He must bethe most famous. He must be the most beautiful. He must be the great renouncer. Inthis way, that is the definition of God. So that definition is confirmed by Lord Brahma:isvarah paramah Krishnah [Bs. 5.1]. Isvara means controller. Unless one is powerful,how he can control? So every one of us is little, a small controller. Somebody controlsin his office. Somebody controls in his family life. Somebody controls a few factories.There are controllers. But nobody can say that "I am the supreme controller." That isnot possible. The supreme controller is Krishna.So this Krishna consciousness movement means we are trying link up our connectionwith the supreme controller. We do not wish to become the controller. We want to becontrolled—but by the supreme controller, not by others. That is our proposition. Justlike generally, one who is in service, he hankers after government service. Because it isnatural conclusion that "If I have to serve somebody, why a petty merchant? Why nottake government service?" So that is our proposition, that we have to serve. Wecannot do but serve. Any one of us. That is our constitutional position. Any one of us,we are sitting here, we are servant. Every one of us is servant. So our proposition isthat you are servant in any case. Why not become servant of God? That is ourproposition. That is Krishna consciousness movement.So kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. We are servant of our senses, kamakrodha-moha-matsarya,all these. By, dictated by our lusty desires, we do anythingwhich is abominable. Tesam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. So we are servant,everyone. Therefore, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya-Krishnadasa[Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Our real constitutional position is that we are eternalservant of God, Krishna. That is our position. But in this material condition of life, everyone of us is trying to become the master. That is the struggle for existence. Everyone istrying: "I shall become the master. I shall become the Supreme." But our position isservant. So this is called illusion. I am not master. I am servant. But I am trying tobecome master artificially. That is struggle for existence. And mukti means, liberationmeans, when you give up this wrong idea that "I am master," and try to become theservant of the Supreme. That is called liberation. Liberation does not mean that afterliberation we'll have a big, gigantic form or so many hands, so many legs. Liberationmeans to become liberated from the wrong consciousness. That is liberation. Thewrong consciousness is that "I am master." So we have to change this consciousness.That is Krishna consciousness movement. One has to understand thoroughly that he'snot master. He's servant. He's completely dependent on the supreme will. If we do notsurrender unto the supreme will, then we have to surrender unto the will of maya. Wehave to remain a servant. If we don't..., reject service, or servitude of the Supreme6 www.folknet.in

Lord, then we have to become the servant of the senses. That is maya. Actually, that isgoing on. The whole world is serving different types of senses. Senses are one, thesame, but they have got different desires. So they are servant of different desires.Now the Krishna consciousness movement is... It is not manufactured by us. We get itfrom Bhagavad-gita: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].Krishna says that "You give up all these nonsense desires. You surrender unto Me."That is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gita. We are dictated by different types ofdesires, which is dictated by maya, and we want to become master falsely. This iscalled illusion. This is called maya.Actually, you are not master. How we can become master? Because we may be veryscientifically advanced. We may manufacture very wonderful machine and weapon,but after all, we are subjected to the rules of maya: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkhadosanudarsanam[Bg. 13.9]. You cannot get out of these four principles of maya'smachinery janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Therefore the sane man, who is actually learned,he surrenders to Krishna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg.7.19]. Actually when one becomes wise, he surrenders to Krishna. Jnanavan mamprapadyate. Otherwise, who is Krishna? "I am as good as Krishna. I am God." That ismaya. That is not actually knowledge. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, ye 'nye'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. They are thinking that they have become liberated,become Narayana, or God. Maninah, they are thinking like that. Actually, they are not,because they're subjected to the rules of the material nature. They cannot get out ofthese clutches. Who can get out of these clutches? Mam eva ye prapadyante. Krishnasays, "Anyone who surrenders unto Me..."daivi hy esa gunamayimama maya duratyayamam eva ye prapadyantemayam etam taranti te[Bg. 7.14]So therefore this Krishna consciousness movement is very pious movement, the most,the most glorious welfare activities. And we are preaching this movement all over theworld. Just to place Krishna... Our only ambition is that to place Krishna as theSupreme Personality of Godhead. That is our proposition. We don't want to becomeKrishna, but we want to become the most obedient servant of Krishna. That is ourproposition. So we invite everyone, from all parts of the world, and they are coming,they are joining. So in India Krishna appeared. India has got a special advantage tounderstand Krishna, and the Indians neglect it. That's a great misfortune, but we7 www.folknet.in

equest everyone to join this movement, study the philosophy and become happy.That is our proposition. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. [break]Indian: ...gavad-gita that the atma and jivatma is the same vision, and Brahman orParabrahman is the same. And in knowledge of soul truth, the atma is the part andparcel of the Paramatma, that is the Supreme Lord, and this contradiction in this, Ithink, that how the atma and Paramatma is both one? Containing both, if the atma ispart and parcel of the Paramatma, and when they, the atma and the great andParamatma, is different. Because is contradiction in the understanding may acceptwhat the Vedas say and what Bhagavad-gita say? Is there any difference between theVedas and Bhagavad-gita? Are we following Vedas, or are we following Bhagavad-gita?Because the Bhagavad-gita is only song of Lord Krishna; the Vedas are the pureknowledge of Parabrahman.Prabhupada: So why you are going away? You hear. You hear. Vedas... The... In theBhagavad-gita it is said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: [Bg. 15.15] "All the Vedasand Vedantas, they are meant for understanding Krishna." If by studying Vedas andVedanta you cannot understand Krishna, then it is srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. It issimply labor. That is the adjustment of Bhagavad-gita and all other Vedic literature.Vedas means... Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. That is calledVedanta. So ultimate knowledge is to know God. You may not accept Krishna.Although all the acaryas... I have already mentioned. Even Sankaracarya, he also acceptKrishna: sa bhagavan svayam Krishna.So the Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, they have all accepted Krishna: the ultimateknowledge of Vedic understanding. Many acaryas, they have written notes onVedanta, targeting Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have tofollow the footprints of the great stalwart acaryas. Acaryopasanam. Mahajano yenagatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. If we follow the footprints of the acaryas, thenwe find there is no distinction between Vedanta and Bhagavad-gita. Vedanta, youmight be referring to the Vedanta-sutra of Sankaracarya, but all the acaryas, the havewritten notes on Vedanta. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the original comment on Vedanta.Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the Vedanta-sutra: janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. SoVedanta does not mean godlessness. Vedanta means to know God. That is real studyof Vedanta.Syamasundara: He wanted to know what is the difference between Paramatma andatma.Prabhupada: Paramatma and atma, it is not very difficult to know. Just like you arefather and you have got many children at home. So they, because they are children,8 www.folknet.in

they are, I mean to say, as ingredients, you and your children are the same, but still,you are superior, and the children are dependent. Your children are not different fromyou, but still, you are superior and they are inferior or junior. So qualitatively one, butquantitatively different. So quantitatively different—atma, Paramatma; and qualitativelyone—atma is spirit, Paramatma is spirit. It is called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva,simultaneously one and different. One in quality, different in quantity. You can create.You are also qualitatively one with God. You have got creative power. Just like we arecreating this flying machine, sputniks. That is also flying in the sky, and the Paramatmahas created the millions of planets floating in the sky. So you have got the creativepower, but you cannot create like that, Paramatma. That is the difference. Can you?Indian: My question was very simple.Prabhupada: Yes. The answer is also very simple. Paramatma is great. You are small.That's all.Indian: But whether the, our atma is the part and parcel of the atma, Paramatma.Prabhupada: Yes.Indian: Paramatma is entirely different from the atma and...Prabhupada: That I will explain. In quality, you are one. Because a particle of gold isalso gold. But the gold mine is not equal to the gold earring. That is mistake.Indian: They say atma is the Paramatma.Various Indians: Not, not, the... Not the whole.Prabhupada: Not the... One is great. Another is small. That is the difference. Quality isthe same.Indian: That means Paramatma and the atma...Prabhupada: Quality same.Indian: Quality samePrabhupada: Quantity different.Indian: But the atma, it is functioning in the body.9 www.folknet.in

Prabhupada: Yes.Indian: Is, according to the Paramatma, it is entirely different from the Paramatma.Prabhupada: According to the Paramatma.Indian: Every, our action is according to the Paramatma.Prabhupada: Yes.Indian: So why do you abuse one person to other person?Prabhupada: Eh?Indian: Why a person,...Prabhupada: Yes?Indian: ...to abuse other person, he says many things...Prabhupada: But you should remember that you are in quality Paramatma. SoParamatma has got supreme independence. You have got little independence also.You, when you misuse that little independence, you create havoc.Indian: Who is responsible for the creation of this...?Prabhupada: Eh?Indian: Who is responsible for the creation of this material...?Prabhupada: Well, responsible... Just like father creates children. But if he becomes athief, does it, does it mean the father is responsible? What is your idea?Indian: The children. (?)Prabhupada: Eh?Indian: The children... But He's the big father. (?)Prabhupada: Father creates children, but a child becomes a rogue. Does it mean thefather creates a rogue?10 www.folknet.in

Indian: No, the thievery is on account of bad...Prabhupada: That is, that is the... Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg.13.22]. You are independent. You can associate with different qualities of nature, andthen your character is spoiled. That is your independence. Here God's instruction issarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66]. You do not abide by that.You create your own independence. Therefore you suffer. Father says, "My dear boy,do like this. You'll be happy." But he does in a different way. Who is responsible, thefather or the son?Indian: Supposing... If independence is equal in...Prabhupada: If you, if you work according to the instruction of God, then you'll behappy. That is our proposition.Indian: No, my question is..., difference between the service to the human being andthe service to...Prabhupada: Just like if you water on the leaf, and if you water on the root, which isbetter?Indian: The root.Prabhupada: That's it. But if you water the leaf, means you waste your time. Becauseby watering the leaf, you cannot make the tree living. Similarly, the sastra says thatwater on the root. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah[SB 4.31.14]. If you water the root, automatically the branches, the twigs, the leaves,they become invigorated. But if you water the leaf, you simply you think that you aredoing service, but you are doing nothing. Chant Hare Krishna. (end)11 www.folknet.in