Krishna & His Expansions
Therefore it is said ramadi-murtisu kala. They are kala. Kala means partial expansion, not full expansion. Full expansion means purna. So they are also Bhagavan. But krsnas tu bhagavan svayam means bhagavatva, the authority of Bhagavan, is fully expressed in Krsna, not in others.
Prabhupada: (recites line by line/with devotees responding)
idam tu te guhyatamam
pravaksyamy anasuyave
jnanam vijnana-sahitam
yaj jnatva moksyase ’subhat
Sri-bhagavan uvaca. Now we will explain. So sri-bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan, this word, I have explained many times. Bhagavan means the supreme authority. So far authoritative power is concerned, that is analyzed by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Cent percent power or cent percent qualification is in Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. There is… This is called savisesa, personal analysis, not that …Even somebody is sometimes addressed as Bhagavan, that does not mean he is also equal to the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes Narada Muni is also addressed as Bhagavan. Lord Siva is also addressed as Bhagavan, not only visnu-tattva, but also others. Sometimes they are addressed as Bhagavan.
But in order to particularly point out Krsna, it has been said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Krsna…
Actually, Bhagavan is Krsna because He has got cent percent qualities of Bhagavan. That is analyzed in Caitanya-caritamrta. He is cent percent Bhagavan. Others, they are also Bhagavan, visnu-tattva, Narayana, He is also Bhagavan. But Srila Rupa Gosvami has analyzed; He is 94%, not cent percent. Or, in other words, you can take it that sad-aisvarya purnah, that is Krsna. And They are also sad-aisvarya, but it is not displayed. Not that… Just like Lord Ramacandra. Lord Ramacandra… Madhva has approved, He, also Bhagavan. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is existing as the Supreme Person along with Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, many thousands of avataras. They are also Krsna. Kesava dhrta-rama-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. Kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. So Kesava, Krsna, He is existing with all the incarnation, not that He is existing as Krsna. So when we speak of Krsna, we take it that all His expansion and incarnation.
Therefore it is said ramadi-murtisu kala. They are kala. Kala means partial expansion, not full expansion. Full expansion means purna. So they are also Bhagavan. But krsnas tu bhagavan svayam means bhagavatva, the authority of Bhagavan, is fully expressed in Krsna, not in others. Therefore in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said… After making the list of different incarnation, it is summarized that ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: [Bhag. 1.3.28] “All these incarnations mentioned,” ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39], “they are partial expansion and expansion of the expansion or expansion of His power, saktyavesa-avatara.”
Just (take) Lord Buddha. He is saktyavesa-avatara. Many saktyavesa-avatara. So in this way Krsna is always existing along with His expansion and incarnation. But the real original Personality of Godhead is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is being spoken by Krsna. But in order to distinguish Him, Vyasadeva is writing sri bhagavan uvaca. He does not say, sri krsna uvaca just to make it distinguished that krsnas tu bhagavan. So we are pledged to receive knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our mission, Krsna consciousness. Here is knowledge given by Krsna. Idam tu te guhyatamam pravaksyamy anasuyave. “Now I am giving you this knowledge, very confidential knowledge.” Guhyatamam. Guhya means confidential and guhyatama, more confidential. Comparative, superlative. Positive, comparative and superlative. Guhya is positive. Guhyatara is comparative. And guhyatamam. So this brahma-jnana, Brahman, is guhya, is very confidential because if you achieve brahma-jnana, immediately you become the most important person within this material world. Brahma-bhutah. Brahmana. And brahma-bhutah means above brahmana or brahmana. So that is guhya. Guhya means confidential. To become brahma-bhutah, brahma-jnani, that is guhya.
And brahmeti paramatmeti. When you understand Paramatma… Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Paramatma means atma and Paramatma. There are two different souls. One is… Paramatma means He is present everywhere. That is Paramatma. The Mayavadis say there is no difference between atma and Paramatma, but that is not the fact. Atma means present within this body. I am atma; you are atma. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe. [Bg. 2.13] Asmin dehe, in this body. I am atma, you are atma, but I am not Paramatma. Paramatma is different thing. Paramatma is Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, situated in everyone’s heart. So that is guhyataram. First of all, to understand brahma-jnana, or self-realization, that is very confidential. That is not ordinary knowledge. It is above ordinary knowledge. Therefore it is said guhya. Guhya means very confidential. Nobody understands even
atma-tattva. Atma-tattvam.
srotavyadini rajendra
nrnam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
grhesu grha-medhinam
[SB 2.1.2]
Grhesu grha-medhinam. Those who are living within the family life, they cannot understand what is atma-tattva. Apasyatam. Apasyata. Nrnam santi sahasrasah. Sukadeva Gosvami is advising to Pariksit Maharaja that “There are many things. They are busy.” Just like ordinary man, worldly man, he purchases huge volumes of newspaper, and he is interested. But he is not interested to understand Bhagavad-gita where atma-tattvam is described. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. They are not interested. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami said to Pariksit Maharaja srotavyadi, subject matter for hearing. Nrnam santi sahasrasah: “For ordinary man there are thousands and thousands of news.” We can see so many magazines—technical, musical and cinema and ordinary news and so many editions of every newspaper in every city. So this is a fact. Srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah [SB 2.1.2]. Sahasrasah means thousands and thousands and thousands. Why they are busy with so many newspapers, and why they are not interested in hearing Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam? Because apasyatam atma-tattvam; [SB 2.1.2] “They do not know that the real purpose of life is to understand atma-tattva.” Apasyatam. Why you are forget? Grhesu grha-medhinam. They have made it vow, that, to maintain the family and to have some enjoyment from family life. Family life means society, friendship and love.
That (is) Vidyapati’s song. What is that? Can you remember? Tatala seikate vari-bindu-sama, suta-mita-ramani-samaje. Suta-mita-ramani-samaje.(?) The exact English equivalent is “society, friendship and love.” Everyone is busy—society, family, friends, country, nation, community, in this way, suta-mita-ramani-samaje. And what is the composition? Now, children, suta; mita means friends; and ramani, some woman. If they are beautiful woman, that is also very nice. So they are busy. They are busy. The other day we had been guest in Hyderabad. He is very busy with this suta-mita-ramani-samaje. Everyone is. Everyone is busy with suta-mita-ramani-samaje.
So somebody can say, “Unless there is happiness, why people should be interested?” There is happiness certainly. So that happiness is compared by Vidyapati, the great Vaisnava poet, that it is just like tatala seikate vari-bindu sama.(?) Just like desert. You have seen desert. Desert means it requires huge quantities of water. Nowadays, practically, in every country, especially in India, every land is just like desert for want of water. So you see in Vrndavana so much land lying vacant, no agriculture. Why? There is want of water. There is no sufficient supply of water. So in this way, if there is scarcity of water, then gradually these places will be converted into desert. Converted into desert. So the “desert” word is used because it requires huge quantity of water. Similarly, we are, in this material world, we are trying to be happy in the society, friendship and love. Suta-mita-ramani-samaje. But the happiness we are getting, that is compared with a drop of water in the desert. If in the vast desert, Arabian desert, if we say that “We want water,” and somebody brings a drop of water and take it, it will be very insignificant, has no meaning.
Similarly, we are… Our heart is desiring real pleasure, transcendental bliss. So if we are put into this desert, suta-mita-ramani-samaje, where is the benefit?
This song is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. They do not know what is the aim of life. They are satisfied with this drop of water in the desert. It will never mitigate. Desert is very vast tract of land dry, and if somebody says, “All right, take one drop of water,” then what is the meaning? It has no meaning. Similarly, we are spirit soul. We are hankering after Krsna. That is our inner desire. And what happiness we shall get with this society, friendship or love? This is not possible. That is not possible. There is some happiness, temporary happiness, very small quantity, so-called happiness. It will never satisfy you.
Actually we are trying to get because we are eternal. We are trying to get eternal happiness. That is… Krsna is speaking here. Jnanam te ’ham sa-vijnanam pravaksyamy anasuyave. Anasuyave. Asuya means envious. Envious. Everyone is envious of Krsna. That is demon. Just like Kamsa. In this tract of land, Mathura, there was Kamsa. He was so envious that he ordered to his servant that “As soon as Krsna is born, please bring the child. I shall kill Him.” This is asuya. So at the present moment, practically the whole world, they want to be godless. The scientists and the…, everyone is trying to prove that “There is no God. There is no Krsna. This is all sentiment.” Especially in the Communist countries. So if you become demon, Communist, or in favor of them, then you are also infected with asuya, envious of Krsna. Then you cannot understand. Then you cannot understand. Krsna is very strict. But the devotees are very lenient. Krsna doesn’t want to speak even with demons. But the devotees are so kind, they go to the demons and pray, “Kindly hear. Kindly hear about Krsna.”
This is…Therefore a devotee is more merciful than Krsna. Krsna doesn’t speak to the demons. Unless you are one who is bhakta… just like Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto ’si sakha ceti. Krsna never speaks. Krsna was very strict. But the devotees, Krsna has said, ya imam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati. About Bhagavad-gita He says, “One who speaks this confidential knowledge amongst the bhaktas…” He recommends the bhaktas. But the devotees, they are so merciful, they go to the abhakta, transgressing the order of Krsna because they are so merciful: “All right, Krsna has rejected them. Let me try. Let me try.” This is the position of a bhakta. They are not only unenvious to God, but they are also unenvious…
Therefore their name is karunikah, karunikah, most merciful. The describe… What is that? Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. Devotees are always tortured by the demons. They (the demons) are prepared to torture even Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and great devotees also. So they (the devotees) tolerate all these tortures. Therefore the devotees are described as titiksavah. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu also teaches, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. A devotee should learn this sloka of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that he should be tolerant more than the trees. Karunikah. And they take the risk of preaching amongst the demons, nondevotees, because they are karunikah, very merciful, more merciful than Krsna. More merciful than Krsna.
Krsna says, “Don’t speak this Bhagavad-gita to the nondevotees,” because nondevotees will not accept. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Who will accept unless he is devotee? The Mayavadi, karmi, jnani, yogi they cannot accept. They are envious, “I am Krsna. I am God. Why I shall surrender to Krsna? Why shall I accept Krsna as God?” This is the position of the bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami. Therefore you will find so many yogis; they can play jugglery, magic, but they are not devotees. They will not surrender to Krsna. This is their… So such persons cannot understand Krsna.
They cannot understand the science of Krsna. They cannot understand because Krsna does not disclose Himself to the nondevotees. So by their own attempt, however big yogi or jnani or karmi he may be, he cannot understand Krsna. Krsna discloses, reveals Himself, to the anasuyave, one who is not envious. And that is devotee. Anasuyave means devotee, who does not, who is not envious of Krsna. Others, they are envious, Karmi, jnani, yogi.
The karmis will say that “You work hard, and get the result and enjoy. Why you are going to the temple to pray?” This is the philosophy of the Communists. “Why should you go to the church? Why should you go to the temple? Forget all these things. Work hard, earn money and enjoy life.” But that is demonic. Because there is envy against God, they are demons. So the science of God or science of Krsna, krsna-tattva, is never disclosed or revealed amongst the nondevotees demons. It can be revealed, it can be understood by a person like Arjuna. Therefore it is said anasuyave, jnanam te ’ham pravaksyami. Anasuyave, this very word. We should never be envious to Krsna and his devotee. If you think that “I will become… I am envious to the devotees, but I am not envious to Krsna,” no, no, Krsna does not accept that kind of business. You… First of all, you should be nonenvious to the devotee. Mad-bhaktah pujyabhyadhikah. “If you are envious to My devotee and if you become a devotee, that is not.” That is stated that one who is directly devotee of Krsna, he is not devotee. One who is devotee through His devotee, he is devotee.
This philosophy you should learn. You cannot say, “But why shall I go through guru or through Vaisnava to Krsna? I can go directly. I am so qualified.” No, you are not qualified. If you jump over like that, that is not… That is… In Bengal it is said, honar din ke ghaska (?). There is grass before the horse. If you think that I shall jump over the horse and eat the grass, that is not possible. So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Krsna. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasuyave. If you want to learn Krsna, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Krsna and His devotee, anasuyave.
Jnanam vijnana-sahitam. Jnana, this knowledge, most confidential knowledge, it is not sentiment. Vijnana-sahitam. It is science. Just like in scientific knowledge you must know theoretically and practically. Not only that, you simply know that so much oxygen, so much hydrogen produces water by mixing… That is theoretical. You have to make water by mixing these two chemicals—that is practical. So in the B.A.C. examination they take examination, test, theoretical and practical. So theoretical is,, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But when you really surrender, that is practical science. That is practical. If you decide to surrender—that is called saranagati—then you have to learn the science how to become surrendered. That is vijnana. Jnana means theoretical knowledge and vijnana means practical knowledge. So we have to do it practically, not that “I have read Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavata. So I have become a devotee.” No. You should practically demonstrate in your life that you are actually devotee. That is called vijnana-sahitam. Jnanam vijnana-sahitam.
And yaj jnatva. If you learn this science, yaj jnatva moksyase asubhat, the result is you become liberated from this asubha, inauspicious condition of life, asubha. What is that inauspicious condition of life? This materialistic life. If you want to get out of this materialistic way… This is asubha. There is no subha. People are thinking, “We shall make it subha.” Subha means auspicious by material adjustment.
By having nice car, nice road, skyscraper building and so many machine and bodily comforts which is known as material advancement. But the sastra says it is all inauspicious, all inauspicious. If you want to become free from this inauspicious kind of life, then you should learn the science which Krsna is teaching, jnanam vijnana, not this vijnana, the so-called materialistic science. You should learn the real science, sa-vijnana. That is how to surrender to Krsna, how to become not envious to Krsna. This is a great science. We have to learn. And that is spoken in this chapter, Ninth Chapter, the science of Krsna consciousness. If you become expert in that science, then you become free from this inauspicious science, this material science.
Thank you very much. (end)
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.
thank you so very much prabu i am extremely grateful to you for this knowledge Hare Krishna