Krishna

Published on September 8th, 2023 | by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Krishna–He Has all Opulences in Full (MP3 Audio)

Krsna is instructing us how to understand Him. That is our only business. This human form of life is meant for understanding Krsna because we are very thickly related with Krsna, just like father and the son. This relation cannot be broken. Maybe son is out of home, son may have forgotten, but Krsna, the supreme father, He does not forget.

Prabhupada:

sri bhagavan uvaca
mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

Krishna, Bhagavan, the Supreme… Bhagavan means… Bhaga means opulence. Just like we use the word bhagyavan. From this bhagya, “fortune,” comes the word bhaga. So personally the Supreme Bhagavan or Bhagavan… Bhagavan is never unfortunate. If somebody claims that he is Bhagavan, but Bhagavan is never unfortunate. He is always fortunate. Sannam bhaga itingana.

There are six kinds of opulences. Which one possesses in full, He is called Bhagavan. There is meaning. So we have several times explained: aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He is the proprietor of all wealth, sarva-loka-mahesvaram, He is the proprietor of all the planets, all the universes, so who can be fortunate than Him? Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram. If you have got one lakh shillings or ten lakh shillings we think we have become very rich. But Krsna says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram: “I am the proprietor of all the planets.” So who can become richer than Him? Therefore He is Bhagavan. The highest rich man, the richest person is called Bhagavan. Nobody can claim that he is the richest. That is not possible. So one who claims that “I am the richest. Nobody is equal to Me, and nobody is greater than Me,” He is Bhagavan. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: “Nobody is greater than Me.” That is Bhagavan. Bhagavan cannot be so cheap that anyone can claim that “I am God. I am Bhagavan.” That is cheating. He must prove first of all that he is the richest of everyone. Not only richest, aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya, in strength also. Viryasya. Viryasya yasasah, also reputation.

Now, Krsna is, at least in this material world, in this planet, everyone knows Krsna. Who is such a person who is so famous all over the world?

Especially since we have started this Krsna consciousness movement, anywhere we go, they chant, “Hare Krsna.” As soon as they see us, our men, jokingly or seriously they chant, “Hare Krsna.” When I was first coming to Nairobi from London, the plane stopped at Athens at twelve o’clock at night. So we got down and was in the public room, and some young men, immediately they began to chant, “Hare Krsna,” at twelve o’clock. (laughter) So Krsna is so famous at twelve o’clock in Athens even. Who is such a person within this world? This is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah. Yasah mean reputation. He is so reputed. Anywhere Krsna is known.

So yasasah sriyah. Sriya, beauty. Krsna is so beautiful, nobody can surpass Him. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham. Although He is blackish, but He is so beautiful, He enchants the most beautiful, Radharani. So aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah. Sri means beauty. He is so beautiful. Therefore His name is Krsna. On account of His beauty, He attracts everyone. Beauty attracts. So nobody can be more beautiful than Krsna. Aisvaryasya yasasah sriyah, and jnana. Not only He is beautiful… Just like a flower, very beautiful to see but no good smell, no aroma–useless. So Krsna is not only beautiful, but He is the most wise. He spoke Bhagavad-gita. Five thousand years ago He spoke. Still big, big scholars, religionists, philosophers, they studying. This is called jnana. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah, jnana and vairagya. Vairagya means renouncement. So Krsna claims that He is the proprietor of all the planet, but if you think, “Where is Krsna? Let me find out. He is the proprietor,” oh, that you cannot find out. Vairagya. Although He is the proprietor of all the planets, you won’t find Him within this material world, although His authority is going on. Just like the president of your country is not to be seen everywhere, but his authority is going on. Mat-sthani sarva-bhutani naham tesu avasthitah. Everything is situated on Krsna’s opulence, but not that you will find Krsna there. You will find Krsna there when you are advanced. Otherwise you will not find. Mat-sthani sarva-bhutani naham tesu avasthitah. Krsna is situated everything, but still, you cannot see in Krsna unless you have got eyes to see. That is Krsna consciousness movement, to give you the eyes to see Krsna everywhere. So how this thing can be done? So if you are serious, then you can see Krsna.

So that Krsna is advising in this verse in the Seventh Chapter or throughout the whole Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is instructing us how to understand Him. That is our only business. This human form of life is meant for understanding Krsna because we are very thickly related with Krsna, just like father and the son. This relation cannot be broken. Maybe son is out of home, son may have forgotten, but Krsna, the supreme father, He does not forget. He comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham. So Krsna is so kind that He has come to explain Himself, what He is. We should take advantage of it, because this human form of life is meant for understanding Krsna. Athato brahma-jijnasa. That is the Vedanta-sutra. “Now you should inquire of the Absolute Truth.” In the Bhagavata also it is said, jivasya tattva-jijnasa nartho yas ceha karmabhih. Jivasya, all living entities, especially the human being, his only business is inquire about the absolute knowledge, Krsna.

But we are missing the opportunity. Nature has given us the opportunity, possessing this human form of body after evolution, 8,400,000 different types of bodies, but there is no cultivation of this knowledge how this evolution is taking place, how many different species of life there are. We can see, but we don’t see very seriously. I see there is a tree in front of my house and it is also a living entity. I am also living entity. I have got very nice house, apartment, living very comfortably, and the other living being, the tree, a few yards from me, he cannot move an inch. He has to stand up in scorching heat, in cold. He cannot protest. If you cut, he cannot cry. Of course, he feels, but he cannot do anything. This is also life and I am also life, so why these differences? But they do not consider, “How he has got this life, and how I have got this life?” There is no university education wherefrom they are coming, no knowledge. Still, they are passing on as great scientist, great philosopher. This is the position.

So our real business is to understand Krsna. So Krsna is explaining Himself. Then there is no difficulty. If you want to know me, you can imagine so many things: “Swamiji may be this. Swamiji may be that, like that, like this, like that.” They are all imperfect. But if I tell you about myself openly that “I am like this,” then your knowledge is perfect. Everyone says, “There is no God.” Somebody says, “God is there, but He has no form,” and somebody says, “He has any form you like. Imagine any form.” In this way speculation is going on all over the world. Actually they are not interested in God. That is the plain simple thing. They do not want to know God, and they think there is no need of understanding. But that is the only need, to understand God. That they do not know. Therefore they are called fools and rascals, mudha. Mudho nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. So Krsna therefore left His instruction behind Him that “These mudhas, rascals, after studying Bhagavad-gita they may understand Me. I am keeping behind Me.”

So we should take advantage of Bhagavad-gita. And even though we take advantage, we interpret in a different way. The same business is going on, how to kill Krsna. Instead of understanding Krsna, the endeavor is going on to kill Krsna. Asura. Just like Kamsa. He was always thinking of Krsna. His sister was pregnant, and it is foretold that “The eighth child of your sister will kill you.” So he was thinking of Krsna, that “The eighth child…,” but with a purpose to kill Him. That is the business of the asuras, how to wipe out Krsna, Kamsa philosophy. So we haven’t got to follow Kamsa philosophy. We have to follow Krsna philosophy. Then our life will be successful. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama. Anukulyena, favorably, favorably to think of Krsna. As Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. This is favorable. Krsna never said that “Like My uncle Kamsa, you think of Me, how to kill Me.” Krsna does not say that. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. That will make your life successful.

So here also Krsna says,

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

“My dear Arjuna, I have already explained in the Sixth Chapter that to become first-class yogi…” When Arjuna was advised by Krsna to become yogi, hatha-yogi… Hatha-yogi means to train the mind how to become Krsna conscious. The mind is disturbed always. This way, that way, mind is going, cancala, restless. So the hatha-yoga system is meant for persons who are too much under the bodily conception of life, that “I am this body.” For them the hatha-yoga is there so that by practicing several sitting posture, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, they can concentrate on Krsna or Visnu, the Supreme Lord. This is yoga system. This is real yoga system. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah. Who is the yogi? He is yogi who in meditation, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa, always thinking of Krsna by the mind And gradually, when he is perfect in samadhi, trance, he can see Krsna.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Syamasundara. You have come to this temple. Here is Syamasundara’s form. You see always. Come as many times as you like. See the arati. Hear the kirtana. See the Deity nicely dressed. In this way the impression of God will be within your mind. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena. And when you have got this impression, if you always meditate upon Krsna as Krsna advises, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, man-manah, “Always think of Me,” that is the perfect yoga system.

Therefore, at the end of the Sixth Chapter Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana: “Of all the yogis…” The Krsna and Arjuna was talking. Krsna advised Arjuna to become a yogi, but Arjuna said that “Krsna, it is not possible for me. Because I am a politician, I am a soldier, I cannot sit down to practice yoga superficially. My mind will be disturbed in political affairs, in state affairs.” So, cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham: “My mind is so restless, it is not possible.” Then Krsna, to encourage him, said,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Anyone who is thinking of Me always,” mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan sa me yuktatamah, “He is the first-class yogi.”

So we are trying to make our students the first-class yogi. Always think of Krsna. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. And Krsna is also saying the same thing, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. How you can think of Krsna always? That is not possible unless you become too much addicted. Just like if you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Artificially, if I say, “You think of Mr. John always,” how you’ll be possible? Artificially it is not possible. If you have got some love for Mr. John as a friend, as a lover or as somebody, or son or master or something, then you can think of Mr. John always. Otherwise it is not possible. So that thinking, you can revive. There is relationship with you, with Krsna. So you have to revive that relationship. It is not artificial. Just like these European, American boys, Krsna was unknown to them. They are coming from Christian, Jews. So what they had to do with the Krsna? They had nothing to do, but why they are mad after Krsna? They are no longer mad after anything. They have given up everything. Simply for preaching in your country, they have come here. They have not come as a businessman to exploit African resources like other Europeans. They have come to distribute Krsna consciousness. Why? Why the responsibility they have taken? Because they have learned to love Krsna. This is the basic principle. Anyone can understand. Otherwise, do you think they are poor men? They have come here to earn some money? They are not poor men. The Americans are the richest country. Any third-class man, he earns there 400,000’s rupees, any third-class man, and what to speak of the first-class man. This is America. The lowest pay to a person, whatever qualification, he has, must be at least four thousand dollars. This is their law. So how they can be poor? There is no question of poverty in America. Nobody thinks, “What shall I do next? I have no money.” Money is there on the street. Go and take it and spend. So why they have come here, taking so much troubles? Because they love Krsna, therefore they have come. This is the… Mayy asakta. Asakta, attached.

So we have to increase the attachment. Krsna is already attractive, but we are trying to go away from Krsna. This is our business. “Krsna may not touch me.” We are so clever that “Krsna may not touch me.” This is maya. Big, big scholars, big, big politicians, they are writing comments on Krsna’s book, Bhagavad-gita, but their aim is very acute, that “Krsna may not touch me.” This is going on. And then why they are writing on Krsna’s book? Now, that is their business. Because this book, Gita, is very famous, so if they can distribute their nonsense philosophy through Gita, it will be taken very easily. Otherwise they do not know Krsna; they do not know what is Bhagavad-gita. But they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gita and push their nonsense philosophy through Bhagavad-gita. The purpose is to kill Krsna, Kamsa philosophy. So, then, that way, they’ll never get Krsna. They’ll never understand Krsna. Krsna says that “If you want to know Me,” asamsayam samagram, “if you want to know Me in full, completely, without any doubt, then you have to follow this yoga system,” mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. Otherwise it is not possible.

So all these nonsense speculators… We use purposefully “nonsense,” because they have no sense, simply speculating. God is unlimited. How you…? Your mind is limited. What you can speculate? “May be like this, may be like that,” that’s all. “Perhaps it is like this.” All simply theoretical. It is never possible to know Krsna, God, perfectly and completely by the speculating method. It is not possible. If you want to know Krsna, or God–when we speak of Krsna, God–so then Krsna’s formula must be followed, as it is said here, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. The principal factor is to become attached to Krsna. Attached means become a lover of Krsna. Then you can understand asamsayam, without any doubt. Without any doubt. Otherwise you will find there are so many hundreds of religious system all over the world. Ask anyone who are their follower, “Do you know what is God?” They’ll never be able to answer clearly, because they do not know God. And if you do not know God, then what is the meaning of your religion?

Religion means to know God. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam. One must know God, and one must know what God desires. That is religion. Just like you must know your government, and you must know what government wants, expects from you. If you do that, then you are a good citizen. And if you don’t know what is government, if you do not know what government desires, expects from you, then what is the meaning of your good citizenship? There is no meaning. Similarly, to become religious without any clear understanding of God is bogus, is cheating. That is cheating. That is not religion. Therefore Krsna said that “If you want to know Me,” asamsayam, “without any doubt…” God may be personal, impersonal, or this, that, but you must know it perfectly well. Don’t say, “Perhaps it may be like this. Perhaps may be like this…” That is imperfect knowledge. That is no knowledge. So therefore Krsna personally says, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan. This is a yogi. This is the first-class yogi. Krsna has explained that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yukta… So sraddhavan bhajate yo mam, one who is worshiping Krsna with sraddha, with faith, complete faith, bhajate, and serving Him, so who is that person? A devotee. Without being a devotee, how with faith and adherence and reverence and obedience you can serve Krsna unless you love Krsna?

So mayy asakta-manah partha. We have got attraction for so many things in this material world. Somebody has got attraction for his family, somebody has got attraction for his wife, children, or somebody has got attraction for some sporting, or somebody has attraction for his country, so on, so on. We have got attraction. That is not a new thing. We have got attraction, but we have got attraction in different subject matter, material. So this yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, means you should be only attracted by Krsna. That is wanted. Attraction is there. Nobody can say that “I have no attraction for anything.” That is false. Everyone has got attraction. If you have nothing to be attracted, then you keep a cat and a dog to be attracted. That is the nature. Especially in the Western countries we see. He has no family, but he keeps one pet dog or pet cat because he wants to be attracted by somebody. This is nature. So here Krsna says that “You have got already attraction, but in false things which will not exist. You turn that attraction unto Me. Then you’ll get pleasure.” You are attracted to something for getting some pleasure. So that pleasure is interrupted because we have posed our attraction in some false things. You have to change that attraction to the real thing, Krsna. Then you’ll be happy. Mayy asakta. Mayy asakta. Mayi: “Unto Me,” Krsna says personally. If you… Attraction means you have to engage your mind. Mayy asakta-manah. Attraction does not come in the air. The mind, mind fully engaged in something, is called attraction.

So this is yoga, bhakti-yoga. And this yoga has to be executed… Krsna says, mad-asrayah. “You have to execute this yoga system, taking shelter of Me.” “Me” means either Krsna Himself or His representative. Just like Krsna says in the Fourth Chapter, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. So you have to learn this bhakti-yoga directly under Krsna or under the direction of Krsna’s representative. So if you do this, then asamsaya, without any doubt, and samagram, in completeness, mayy asakta, asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. So Krsna will explain, item by item, how you can increase your attraction for Krsna. Then you will be able to execute the bhakti-yoga system under the guidance of Krsna directly or directed by His representative. Then it will be successful.

So one of the Krsna’s representatives, Srila Rupa Gosvami, he has defined how this attachment can be increased. He has explained adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Adau sraddha. Just like you have come here with some sraddha, some faith. This is required. And you have to increase this sraddha, this faith, more and more. How it can be increased? Sadhu-sanga, to intermingle with the persons who are engaged in Krsna consciousness. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Sadhu means who is a devotee of Krsna. Otherwise he is not sadhu. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah. That is sadhu. You cannot create sadhu unless he is devotee of Krsna. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. He is sadhu. So if you want to increase your advancement in Krsna consciousness, then you have to intermingle with the person who is sadhu, who are sadhu, mean devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. But sadhu-sangah… Then gradually you will be inclined to execute devotional service as the sadhus are doing, chanting Hare Krsna mantra, offering arati, offering foodstuff, dressing, so many things. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam… The nine different types of methods, that is called bhajana-kriya. And adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat. Then anartha, all unwanted things which you have learned unfortunately, that will be finished. If you mix with, intermingle with sadhu, then you will be purified, and things which are not required at all–artificially you have learned by bad association–that will be… Anartha-nivrttih syat. Nobody learns to smoke from the very birth. He has to eat something. He drinks milk, the child. He doesn’t say, “Give me a cigarette,” but you have learned it by bad association. This is called anartha. You have learned it, drinking tea, coffee, not from the beginning of your life but by bad association. Then this is anartha. So if you engage yourself in devotional service, then these things will disappear automatically. You’ll find in our temple, we are cooking so many nice preparations. Perhaps you have tasted some of them. But we are not preparing tea or coffee or meat–nothing. These are anarthas. What is the necessity?

So anartha-nivrttih syat. Then you become purified. Then you become… When anartha-nivrttih syat, when you are free from all these unwanted nonsense things–illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating… This is anartha. Then you, being purified, then your faith in Krsna becomes confirmed. Anartha-nivrttih syat. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya anartha-nivrttih…, tato nistha. Then you become firmly fixed up: “Yes, I shall continue, Krsna.” Nistha. How this nistha, artificial? No. Ruci, taste. You cannot do without Krsna consciousness. That is called tato nistha rucis tatah, bhavah, “Oh, Krsna is so exalted.” Sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah. This is the step-by-step increasing perfection of Krsna consciousness. And when you are on the perfectional stage of Krsna consciousness, then your human life is perfect. This is Krsna consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (break)

Reduce sex. Because material life means sex. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham. In the material world, not only in the human society but also in the birds, beast, animal, insect–everywhere the sex impulse is very strong. And if you indulge in sex life, then you’ll be complicated more and more in this material body. This is the law of nature. Therefore whole Vedic civilization is meant for curtailing sex life. First of all brahmacari, no sex life. First of all training is brahmacari, how to train him to remain without sex. That is brahmacari. Tapasa brahmacaryena. Tapasya means to remain brahmacari. This is tapasya. It is very difficult. Therefore it is called tapasya, because the whole world is attracted by sex life, pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam, whole world, not only in this planet, every planet, even in the demigods’ planet.

So our this Krsna consciousness movement means not bodily consciousness. The material world means bodily consciousness: how to keep the body in comfortable. But that is not possible. Body means misery. You cannot keep it comfortable. That is maya. It will never be comfortable, but they are all trying to make it comfortable. This is called maya. Klesada asa dehah. So long you’ll have a material body you’ll have to suffer. So this Krsna consciousness movement is not on the bodily platform. It is on the spiritual platform. To come to the spiritual platform, it is necessary that you reduce or make nil sex life. So if one remains brahmacari throughout the whole life it becomes very easy for him to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the secret. Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is based on first of all brahmacari, no sex life. Grhastha, that is also very regulated. Only for begetting child one can have sex life, father, mother, man and woman. So dharmaviruddho kamo ‘smi. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find Krsna says that “Sex life which is prescribed by the religious system, that is, I am.” Otherwise it is illicit sex. So illicit sex, there is punishment. These things are there. So tapasya means tapasa brahmacaryena samena damena va. You have to control. The more one controls, he becomes advanced in spiritual culture. The yoga system means yoga indriya-samyamah. “Yoga means how to control the senses.” This is yoga system, and therefore Krsna says, mayy asakta-manah partha. So sex indulgence is against spiritual advancement of life. Therefore you have seen that the brahmacaris, they go there. It becomes very easy to enter into the spiritual kingdom. So that you can do here also. If you increase your attraction for Krsna, then naturally you lose attraction for sex. That is Krsna consciousness. Therefore Krsna’s name is Madana-mohana. Madana means sex life. He can enchant even madana. So these are things which the devotee will learn by studying the literature. But even without studying, if you sincerely chant Hare Krsna mantra under regulation, everything, all good qualification will come.

Devotee (1): Srila Prabhupada, you said that if we asked the other religious sects what is God… (break)

Prabhupada: Nothing to do with any physiological, anatomical. We have to see that we are advancing in Krsna consciousness. So we have to eat something. We have to eat the remnants of foodstuff taken by Krsna. Prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate. That is our policy. We do not see to the physiological, anatomical condition. That is not our business. That is automatically done.

Devotee (2): Srila Prabhupada (indistinct).

Brahmananda: He says that according to Krsna consciousness philosophy, the first living being was Brahma, and in the Christian Bible it says Adam was the first man. So he wants to know if in Krsna consciousness scriptures there is any mention of Adam.

Prabhupada: Why you want to tally with Bible and Krsna conscious literature? Do you think that Krsna conscious literature has to tally with Bible? There is, that “There is first living being, Brahma,” and Brahma was also married couple. So you can take it as Adam and Eve. That’s all. (laughter) Why do you want cent percent tally? But this nonsense theory, that there was a monkey first of all, (laughter) Darwin’s theory, and from monkey, human being has come, this is nonsense. So any other question?

Indian man (1): Swamiji, some religions, the guru, if someone wants to be his disciple, he is being given a sort of beads by the guru himself. Is it possible to get beads through your worship?

Prabhupada: Yes. That is our process. When we accept a disciple we give him beads, we give him direction.

Indian man (2): This mantra we chant for Krsna and Rama both, but this movement glorifies the Krsna’s pastimes and not much of Rama.

Prabhupada: Yes, there is… Vaisnavas… Ramayana is also approved. Ramayana is also Vedic literature, Valmiki Ramayana, not any other. So we discuss Valmiki Ramayana. In the Bhagavata there is discussion about Ramacandra’s activities. So we are giving Srimad-Bhagavatam. There is Ramacandra’s activities there. Where is Ramacandra, which planet He is now, that is also described in the Bhagavatam. So it is not that we are without Rama. And our direct worshipable Rama is Balarama, Krsna-Balarama. We have opened the temple of Krsna-Balarama in Vrndavana. So Rama is there. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu. Krsna has got many, many incarnation. Rama is also one of them. So when we speak of Krsna, it means including all the incarnation–Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha–everything. Ramadi… Therefore ramadi, “taking Rama as the original,” murtisu, “in such forms,” ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan, “He is existing.” Krsna is not alone. He is always existing with His different incarnations, Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, Matsya, Kurma–so many. So either you worship Krsna or Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, Matsya, Kurma, anyone you can worship. We don’t say that don’t worship Rama. We never say, because Rama and Krsna, the same. We shall… In future we have got a hope we shall start an Rama-Laksmana murti, yes, in some temple. That is our worshipable Deity. We have got in my room Lord Ramacandra’s murti, Sita-Rama. So it is not that we are neglecting worship of Ramacandra. There is. Yes? Somebody else?

Indian man (3): Srila Prabhupada, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is controller of everything, whole universe, everything. So why He is having these demigods to help Him? Because He’s controller, He has got power to control whole universe, and why there are all these demigods? Why He can’t control this universe?

Prabhupada: He can control everyone, but He has given little freedom that He does not interfere the freedom given to you. Otherwise He can control. Just like in Bhagavad-gita, you will find, after explaining Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna He is giving the freedom to Arjuna, yathecchasi tatha kuru: “Whatever you like, you do.” He is supreme controller, He can force him to do it, but he doesn’t do that. The little independence you have got, you have to utilize it favorably. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “You do this.” He can forcibly make me to do that, but He doesn’t do that because He has given little independence, and He wants that voluntarily we surrender, not by force. That is wanted. Otherwise it is not that He cannot control you. He can control everyone.

Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada, when we are preaching to Christian people or to Muslim people, is there advantage in being familiar with their scriptures or simply Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam?

Prabhupada: We are not preaching to Christian or Hindu or Muslim. We are preaching to human being. We do not see, “Here is a Christian. Here is a Muslim. Here is a Hindu. Here is a white man. Here is a black man.” No. Every living being, his duty is to understand God. This is our preaching. This is our preaching, that “You are living being. You are part and parcel of Krsna.

This designation, that ‘You are Hindu,’ ‘You are Muslim,’ ‘You are Christian,’ ‘You are this’–these are all designations. Actually you are living being, part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore your main duty is to understand Krsna.” This is our preaching. We are not going to convert Hindu into Muslim, Muslim into Christian. No, that is not our… That is not our business. He may think that he is Christian, he is Hindu, he is Muslim, but we think that he is a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. That is stated in the…

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah

If one is learned pandita, he does not see Hindu, Muslim, Christian. I went to America, I did not go there to turn the Christian to become Hindu. No, I never said that. Did I say, any, anyone, that “You are Christian. You become a Hindu”? No, never I said. That is not my business.

Indian man (4): Just now you said we are all part and parcel of God. What would you say is God?

Prabhupada: That we have explained, what is God. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. You have to become God conscious. Then you will understand what is God. It is not a so trifle thing you ask me and, one minute, you understand God. That is foolishness. You have to study the science of God. God is not so cheap.

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah

Out of many thousands of men, one wants to become perfect, and out of many millions of perfect men, one can understand God. So God is not so cheap thing. Therefore Krsna recommends,

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

If you want to know God without any doubt, completely, then you have to adopt this yoga. So first of all come to the yoga. Then speak of God understanding. It is not so cheap thing.

Indian man (5): Krsna consciousness is the oldest teaching of God, or Krsna.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is mayy asakta-manah. That is explained.

Indian man (5): But the Gita was written about five thousand years ago.

Prabhupada: No. You have not read Bhagavad-gita. Did you read? Did you read Bhagavad-gita?

Indian man (5): Yes, I read some portion.

Prabhupada: Then why do you say like that, five thousand years?

Indian man (5): All the scriptures were written (indistinct).

Prabhupada: Hm? What does he say?

Indian man (5): Then how come in the locational(?), archaeological and ontological records, Krsna consciousness is not mentioned by other religions?

Prabhupada: Krsna consciousness is always there. You are calculating with reference to your age, but Krsna consciousness is there. In the Fourth Chapter, you read, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam: “I spoke this Krsna consciousness science first of all to the sun-god.” Then how do you say five thousand years?

There is reference to the Manu. And if we take the, all these advanced calculation, then it becomes that forty millions of years ago Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna to the sun-god. Have you got forty millions’ history? (laughter) You haven’t got even five thousand years’ even history. Your history is so imperfect. So don’t bring it into historical reference. It is eternal. (end)

751027BG.NAI Bhagavad-gita 7.1 Nairobi, October 27, 1975

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Tags: Bhagavad Gita, Krishna. Hare Krishna

About the Author

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.

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