User:Anurag

Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya is saying—“tad evaṁ cetanā cetanātmakam kṛṣṇam jagat madīyam kāle-kāle mattaḥ evaṁ utpadyate mayi yā pralīyate mayi eva avasthitaṁ mat śarīra vrataṁ mat ātmakam ca iti aham eva kārya avasthayaṁ kāraṇa avasthayaṁ ca sarva śarīrarathayā tat prākāra avasthitaḥ”—just see. He is giving the conclusion. Everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa, remaining in Kṛṣṇa, and finally merging into Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is Kṛṣṇam jagat.

Just like cloth is made from thread. The thread is coming from cotton. Cotton comes from seed. Seed comes from tree. So in this way, we can understand the chain. But the real source, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām, Kṛṣṇa says, “I am the seed of all existence.” So He is the kāraṇa, and He is the kārya also. That is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā—“īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam”.

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Just like bīja is the cause, tree is the effect, and again that tree becomes the cause for flower. Flower becomes cause for cotton. Cotton becomes cause for thread. Thread becomes cause for shoe. Shoe becomes cause for cloth. In this way, it is all connected. But we see only the last product—cloth. We say, “It is made in the factory.” Yes, but wherefrom the factory got the raw material? Ultimately, the cause is Kṛṣṇa. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he sees this.

So there is a story. Very nice story. One time, Nārada Muni was going to meet the Lord. On the way he met one cāmāra, one cobbler. And the cobbler asked, “Mahārāja, where are you going?” Nārada Muni said, “I am going to see the Lord.” The cāmāra said, “Please ask my question to the Lord—when will I be liberated?” Nārada Muni agreed.

Then again, he met a brāhmaṇa, very learned, big paṇḍita. He also asked the same thing—“Please ask the Lord when I will be liberated.” Nārada Muni went to Vaikuṇṭha, and after his discussions, he asked the Lord about the two persons. Lord said, “That brāhmaṇa—he will take many, many births. And that cobbler—he will be liberated in this very life.”

Nārada Muni was surprised. “My Lord, that brāhmaṇa is learned scholar, reciting so many śāstras, and this cobbler—he is just mending shoes.” Lord said, “Just go and tell them what I was doing.” “What, my Lord?” “I was passing an elephant through the eye of a needle.”

Nārada Muni came back. First he met the brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa asked, “So what was the Lord doing?” Nārada Muni said, “He was pulling an elephant through the eye of a needle.” The brāhmaṇa became upset. “Don’t tell me such nonsense. That is impossible. God may be great, but not a fool.”

Then Nārada Muni went to the cāmāra. Cāmāra asked, “What was the Lord doing?” Nārada Muni said, “He was pulling an elephant through the eye of a needle.” The cāmāra started crying—"Oh! My Lord is so powerful. He can do anything!” Nārada Muni asked, “You really believe this?” He said, “Why not, Mahārāja? Daily I see the Lord’s greatness. I am sitting under a banyan tree. From one small seed, such a big tree comes. And in every fruit, there are thousands of seeds again. So if the Lord can put a huge tree in a tiny seed, then why He cannot pull an elephant through a needle?”

Just see, this is called full faith—ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Without accepting the acintya-śakti of the Lord, you cannot understand Him. Acintya khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. This is not a matter of argument. If God is great, He must have inconceivable power.

But our foolishness is—we think, “Yes, God must be powerful, but maybe a little more than us.” If I can lift 1 ton, He can lift 2 tons. No! God is aiśvaryasya samagrasya, unlimited. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa as a 7-year-old boy lifted Govardhana Hill for seven days. But the rascals say, “Oh, that is a story.” Why story? Is it not possible for God?

Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam. When God comes like a human being, foolish people think He is like us. But He is not. His body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Our body is material, His body is spiritual.

Now take this Deity form. The atheists say, “Oh, these people are worshiping stone.” No. This is arcā-vigraha, authorized. Lord appears in a form we can see, so we can offer our service. You cannot see the soul with these eyes. So how you can see the Supersoul or Bhagavān?

Therefore, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ, these eyes are material. We cannot see spirit through material senses. But the Lord is so merciful—He appears in arcā-vigraha so we can serve Him. That is His mercy. If someone says, “God is stone,” he is rascal. Because even stone is also God—bhūmir āpo’nalo vāyuḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, “All this material energy is My separated energy.”

Stone, water, fire—all are energies of the Lord. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Earth, water, fire, air, ether—gross; and mind, intelligence, false ego—subtle. These are all Lord’s energies. And soul—jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho—that is another energy, the superior energy.

So we have two bodies—sthūla (gross) and sūkṣma (subtle). We can see the gross body. But mind, intelligence, ego—you cannot see. And beyond that is the ātmā—that is also not visible. But all are energies of the Lord.

So if the tiny jīva is not visible, how you expect to see the Parameśvara, the Supreme Soul, with these eyes? Therefore He comes in arcā-vigraha, in the temple, to accept your service.

Only devotees can see Him. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. One who has love—he can see the Lord everywhere.

So this cobbler, though materially uneducated, he has full faith. He understands, “Yes, my Lord can do anything.” But the so-called paṇḍita doubts, “How can God do that?” This is kuṭarka, dry argument.

So first thing—to approach God, you must accept His acintya-śakti. If you try to understand God with your tiny brain, that is foolishness. The scientists also fail. They say “nature,” but they don’t know whose nature. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram—“Under My supervision, material nature works.”

Brahma-saṁhitā also says, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā. Durga is also energy of the Lord. She maintains the creation, but she is like a shadow. Just like wife spends money, but the money is from the husband. So ultimately, the controller is Viṣṇu—viṣṇu-śaktiḥ.

Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca—the Lord has unlimited potencies. And they work so perfectly, you cannot imagine.

Just like banyan seed—such a small thing, and inside it the whole tree is packed. Or an ant—so small, smaller than full stop. But it has hands, legs, stomach, heart—everything. Who made it? That is the acintya-śakti.

We make big airplanes, we are proud. But Kṛṣṇa makes a flying insect. No engine, no petrol, still flying. So if we do not accept God’s inconceivable power, we remain frog in the well—kūpa-maṇḍūka nyāya. Sitting in a small well and thinking, “This is all.” That is foolishness.

But those who are devotees—they understand. Kṛṣṇa is cause of all causes—sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.