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740811 - Lecture Festival BG 07.05, Appearance Day, Sri Krsna, Janmastami - Vrndavana

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



740811BG-VRNDAVAN - August 11, 1974 - 35:45 Minutes



Nitāi: "Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe."

Prabhupāda:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
(BG 7.5)

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think themselves as puruṣa. The karmīs also, they think they are puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that the living entity is puruṣa. He says prakṛti.

Prakṛti is always subordinate to the puruṣa. That is the natural way. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that prakṛti, or strī, never deserve to be independent. Svātantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakṛti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama. And Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the puruṣa by Arjuna. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). It is not that Kṛṣṇa has become puruṣa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam; eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakti-yoga.

So this material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy, although prakṛti, still, it is superior energy. That is explained. Why superior? Because the spiritual energy, prakṛti, can control over the material energy. There is some tint of puruṣa activities, but actually, living entity is not puruṣa; he's prakṛti. So as the material energy, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ, is controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa, similarly, we are also controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa. And because Kṛṣṇa is controller both of the material energy and the spiritual energy, He's called the supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). In another place Kṛṣṇa says, so far the material energy is concerned, He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa: "Under My superintendence, this material energy is working."

In another place, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā-śakti, or external energy, durgā . . . Durgā means the superintendent of the fort. Durgā. Durgā means fort, where you cannot get out or cannot enter very easily. That is called durgā. Dur-gamana. So Durgā means the superintendent deity of this material world. So she is very powerful, Durgā. How much powerful? Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She can create, she can maintain, and she can destroy the whole material energy, whole material cosmic manifestation. She's so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva (Bs. 5.44): still, she is working not independently. Chāyeva. Just like chāya, or reflection, or shadow. Not independently. The material scientists who think that the material energy is working independently, they are mistaken. Material energy cannot work independently. We have got experience. However gorgeous a machine may be, unless there is touch of the spirit soul, the machine cannot work. Similarly, the big machine, cosmic manifestation, everything is going on very nicely, but it is being worked out by the plan of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), and similarly, it is confirmed by Brahmā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā, yasya hi . . . sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā, icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā. Sā durgā yasya icchānurūpam api ceṣṭate. Now, not independent. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead desires, she works. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

So description of this . . . Kṛṣṇa has proposed in the beginning of this chapter that asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1): "Without any doubt, as you can understand Me completely, I am describing." Now, here is the description. Kṛṣṇa says that the material energy and the spiritual energy, both of them are different energies of Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas also it is stated, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate.

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate
na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate
parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8)

The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has nothing to do Himself, because His energies are so complete that simply by His desire, the energies work svābhāvikī, automatically. Just like the energy within a seed. You implant it, put it in . . . within the earth, put little water, and it fructifies—it becomes a big tree, banyan tree. The energy is so perfect. We can study by ordinary understanding. The banyan tree, one fruit, and there are thousands of seeds within one fruit. And each seed is containing another banyan tree. This is a fact. We can experience. Now, how much energy is there, a small seed. But the energy is so complete that it can produce a big banyan tree. Not only a big banyan tree—many millions of fruits, fig fruits, and each and every fruit there are millions of seeds.

Just imagine parāsya śaktiḥ, the energy of the Supreme, how perfect it is. And so perfect . . . svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. The energy is put there, electric energy or spiritual energy is there, and automatically it becomes perfectly done, wherever it is . . . as it is required. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We, if we try to paint one picture of a banyan tree, it will take so much energy of us, and days. Still, it is simply painting. It is not perfect. But Kṛṣṇa's energy is so perfect that within the seed everything is there, and in due course of time it fructifies and comes into nice, perfect tree. This is called Kṛṣṇa's energy.

So both the spiritual energy and material energy, the source is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion should be that life does not come from matter; matter comes from life. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa is life, and from Him these material energies—earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—has come. So the huge, gigantic material cosmic manifestation is caused by the supreme life, not that life has come from matter.

So there are so many theories, but Kṛṣṇa, the supreme life, the supreme being, is the source of everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). The . . . this fact is known to the devotees. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is the source. Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra the inquiry is, athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is that Absolute Truth, the supreme source of everything? That supreme source is Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the beginning: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme creator, and He knows everything, anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ (SB 2.9.36), directly and indirectly. Both ways, He knows everything. He says also in Bhagavad-gītā, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He knows everything.

Kṛṣṇa, when He was asked by Arjuna that, "You say that this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā was taught by You to the sun-god. How can I believe it?" the answer was that "The thing is that both of us, we were present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary living being . . . He is complete, we are not complete. We are incomplete, fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we must be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. If we do not agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we shall be controlled by the material energy, this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Actually, we are spiritual energy. We should voluntarily agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. That is devotional service. That is devotional service. We are spiritual energy, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit. So if we agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we are promoted to the spiritual world. If we agree. Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with your little independence. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "Whatever you like, you can do." That independence we have got.

So out of that independence we have come to this material world, to enjoy freely. So Kṛṣṇa has given us freedom, "You can enjoy freely." And we are trying to do that. But the result is that we are becoming entangled. We are given the freedom to work in this material world. Everyone is trying to become the master of the material world. Nobody is trying to become the servant. Only we, the Vaiṣṇavas, we are trying to become servant. The karmīs and jñānīs, they do not . . . (indistinct) . . . like to become servant. They criticize us, that "You Vaiṣṇavas, you have got slave mentality." Yes, we have got the slave . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). That is our position. What is the use of claiming artificially, "I am master"? If I had been master, then why the fan is required? I am servant of this influence of summer season. Similarly, I shall be servant in the winter season, too much cold.

So we are always servant. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). Actual, our constitutional position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that these foolish persons or rascals, mūḍhāḥ . . . I am not manufacturing the word "foolish" and "rascal." It is said by Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). He has spoken like that, you'll find. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, always acting sinfully; and mūḍhāḥ, and rascals, ass. Narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind. "Oh, You are . . .? Kṛṣṇa, You are speaking so much ill of these materialist scientists? There are so many philosophers. They're all narādhamāḥ?" "Yes, they are narādhamāḥ." "But they are educated." "Yes, that is also . . ." But what kind of education? Māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ: "The result of their education—knowledge has been taken away by māyā." The more one is educated, the more one is atheist—at the present moment.

Of course, education does not mean . . . education means to understand. Jñānī. Educate . . . educated means wise man, educated man, jñānī. The actual jñānī means māṁ prapadyate. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is education. The education does not mean to become atheist: "There is no God," "I am God, you are God, everyone is God." This is not education; this is ajñāna. The Māyāvādīs, they think that they have become one with God. That is not education. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become liberated, but actually, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), their intelligence is not purified. Therefore falsely claiming. If one is God, then how he has become dog? This much common sense there is not. God is God; dog is dog. This Dvaitavāda philosophy is perfect, acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. We have got . . . because we are spiritual energy, therefore . . . Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Spirit. Therefore we are one in quality, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Aṇor aṇīyān mahataḥ. He's mahato mahīyān, and we are aṇor aṇīyān. We are smaller than the smallest. This relationship with Kṛṣṇa is perfect. If we had been actually God, then why we are fallen? This is not possible. God is God. He's never . . . God's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But jīva-bhūta, jīva, living entities, they are cyuta. They falls down from the spiritual platform to the material platform.

So they may . . . although we have fallen in the material platform, but because we are spiritual energy, therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing this living entity as parā-prakṛti. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled by the puruṣa. This is to be understood. Prakṛti is never controller. The puruṣa is controller. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. So jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). It is parā-prakṛti, superior energy, because it is trying to control over the material energy. Every one of us, we are trying to control over the material energy. The big stone, big hill, they . . . that is material energy; but the spiritual energy, a human being, is breaking the hill by dynamite. Therefore it is superior energy. It is also energy, but superior energy, because the . . . it can control even the biggest mountain. Nowadays, by scientific advancement, they are making so many tunnel within the big, big mountain. Big, big ocean, they are making tunnel. They are drilling oil. Controlling. Therefore superior energy. But that does not mean they have become God. That is mistake. God is different. God is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. He's controller of the material energy and the superior energy. This should be the conclusion. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).

And the . . . because . . . that will be explained in the next verse. Because the superior energy is controlling the material energy—or trying to con . . . not controlling, but trying to control. That is called struggle for existence. Actually, we cannot control the material energy, but we are trying. That endeavor, to try to control over this material energy, is called struggle for existence. Actually, we shall not be controller. We shall not be able to control. That is explained. Therefore, in the material world, we are trying to solve one problem, but we are getting new problem. In the Western countries we see it very easily: man manufactured the horseless carriage, motorcar, to go very swiftly, but now it is problem is where to park and how to drive the motorcar. In America I have seen, they are increasing different paths, one after another, one upon another, one after another. Still, the problem is not solved. Still somewhere you'll find bottleneck, so many accidents. So we cannot actually solve the material problems. That is not possible. Material energy is so strong. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). You cannot control over. Because real controller is Kṛṣṇa. We are simply trying to control over the material energy. That will be . . . never be successful. This is knowledge.

Kṛṣṇa says therefore, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Mama māyā duratyayā: it is very difficult. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to control over the material energy. That is explained by a Vaiṣṇava poet, very simple language:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller, and we want to control over the material energy, bhoga vāñchā kare . . . bhoga means control. "I shall control this market. I shall be the head of the market." Everyone is trying that. So kṛṣṇa-bhuliya. He does not know the real controller is Kṛṣṇa. So kṛṣṇa-bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. This bhoga vāñchā, on account of this bhoga vāñchā, he becomes subjected to the condition offered by this material nature. Therefore it is said:

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(BG 7.14)

So in the Bhagavad-gītā is . . . everything is explained. Either you study in . . . comparing in the modern scientific and philosophical ways, or as you accept it as it is, the conclusion is the same—Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. That will be explained later verses.

Therefore if you are sensible, if you are actually wise, I mean, if you are actually advanced in knowledge, then you should surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. We have to surrender. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). You have to (be) controlled. You cannot be independent. The more you become independent, you become more and more entangled. Yajñārthe karma . . . karmaṇi, anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't act for Yajña, Yajña-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be entangled. So the best thing is if we become wise. Wise means . . . Kṛṣṇa says that, "This is your position. You have to surrender unto Me. You did not surrender unto Me; therefore you are suffering so much in this material world."

Today is Kṛṣṇa's birthday. He descends to give us instruction. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa advents Himself . . . yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glāniḥ. What is that? When we forget Kṛṣṇa and try to become the master of the world. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. When we want to become master of Kṛṣṇa, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. So Kṛṣṇa advents Himself. This is . . . today is the auspicious day of Kṛṣṇa's adventing to kill Kaṁsa and to release Vasudeva. This is Kṛṣṇa. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya . . . paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Vasudeva, His father, was arrested, put into the prison house. To release him from the prison house, and to kill the Kaṁsa, duṣkṛtina, rākṣasa . . . the rākṣasika philosophy is, "How to kill Kṛṣṇa. How to become godless." Kaṁsa was planning to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is . . . Kaṁsa, or the demons, that is plan. But Kṛṣṇa comes to kill the demons and protect the devotee. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). But He is kind to both the demons and the devotees. By . . . anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa, he also gets liberation. And what to speak of the devotee.

So on this advent day of Kṛṣṇa we shall seek protection at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then we shall be able to cross over this illusory energy, ocean of illusory energy.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
(SB 10.14.58)

So Kṛṣṇa is adventing today. There is stotra by the demigods. We should read how Kṛṣṇa protects the demigods or the devotees. We should seek protection of Kṛṣṇa. This world is so dangerous. It is said, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every step there is danger. But if we take shelter—samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ—if we take shelter of the lotus feet of Murāri, under whose lotus feet the whole mahat-tattva, cosmic manifestation, is resting, then this big ocean of birth and death, we can cross very easily. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam means the impression by the hoof of a calf and the water contained in it. The whole ocean becomes like a spot, a small spot, created by the impression of the hoof. That is called vatsa-padaṁ.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are requesting and training the bewildered living entities who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that he may be saved from the onslaught of material nature. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the greatest humanitarian welfare activities to the human society. Take it very seriously and be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)