741226 - Lecture SB 03.26.17 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

741226SB-BOMBAY - December 26, 1974 - 33:45 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (devotees repeat)

prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya

nirviśeṣasya mānavi

ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān

kāla ity upalakṣitaḥ

(SB 3.26.17)

(break)

"O My dear mother, O daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, the time factor, as I have explained, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom the creation begins as a result of the agitation of the neutral, unmanifested nature."

Prabhupāda:

prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya

nirviśeṣasya mānavi

ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān

kāla ity upalakṣitaḥ

(SB 3.26.17)

Now Bhagavān Kapiladeva is describing what is the kāla, time factor. Time factor is another manifestation or feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kāla . . . the beginning of creation, that is the beginning of kāla. So that beginning is started by the Supreme Personality of Godhead: sa aikṣata. These are the Vedic information. "The Lord glanced over the mahat-tattva," sa asṛjata, "and in this way creation began."

Creation is not without the touch of the Supreme Puruṣa, Person. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). There is puruṣa. The prakṛti, woman, strī, if she is not in contact with a puruṣa, then there is no creation. There is . . . sāmyasya. Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya. Without the touch of puruṣa, prakṛti remains guṇa-sāmya, no manifestation of the three guṇas. Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya nirviśeṣasya. At the time of nirviśeṣa . . . nirviśeṣa means without varieties. Without varieties. Nirviśeṣasya mānavi, addressing His mother, Devahūti. Devahūti is the daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, and Svāyambhuva Manu brought the daughter before . . . what is Kapiladeva's father's name?

Devotees: Kardama Muni.

Prabhupāda: Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni was a great mystic yogī, but he desired to marry, and immediately Svāyambhuva Manu . . . the Svāyambhuva Manu is also paramparā, is the son of sun-god, Svāyambhuva Manu. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha (BG 4.1). So this Manu is one of our predecessor guru. Vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So the spiritual science was spoken to Vivasvān, the sun-god. Therefore the kṣatriyas . . . there are two families: one from the sun-god, one from the moon-god. So Sūrya-vaṁśa, Candra-vaṁśa. So those who are kṣatriyas coming from the Sūrya-vaṁśa . . . Lord Rāmacandra also appeared in the Sūrya-vaṁśa. So prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya.

So Manu . . . Manu belonged to the Sūrya-vaṁśa, and the daughter of Manu is Devahūti. Therefore the son is addressing the mother, mānavi. Mānavi. The manuṣya, the word has come from manu. Mānuṣya. Mānuṣya means "coming from Manu." The human race, they are coming from Manu. So therefore the human society is controlled by the Manu-saṁhitā. There is a book, Manu-saṁhitā, the law-giving. Manu has given law. That law . . . at least the Hindus, or the followers of the Vedic principle, their law is Manu . . . Manu-smṛti. Manu-smṛti is also translated in Russian language. Professor Kotovsky told me. In my statement there is. He has admitted that "We have translated the Manu-smṛti." So the mānava, the human race, has come from Manu. Therefore it is called mānuṣya, mānava. And the Manu's direct daughter, Devahūti, is addressed here by his (her) son, Kapiladeva, mānavi.

Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya nirviśeṣasya. Guṇa-sāmya. When the three modes of material nature is not agitated, it is in the neutral stage, guṇa-sāmya. The guṇa-sāmya . . . the Buddha philosophy is . . . the highest goal is guṇa-sāmya, where there is no manifestation by the agitation of the guṇas. That is their ultimate goal, guṇa-sāmya, nirvāṇa. On account of agitation of the three guṇas, these manifestations are there, and that is called viśeṣa. Viśeṣa means varieties. And nirviśeṣa or nirvāṇa—practically the same thing, "Finish these varieties and again become nirviśeṣa, no variety, neutral stage." That is the highest perfection of Buddha philosophy, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi.

There are two kinds of atheistic philosophers. One is nirviśeṣa, and the other is śūnyavādi. So my students, therefore, they address, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. So whole world is nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Some of them are advocates of zero. There are many big, big philosophers writing on zero. They believe in zero, but they write volumes of books. Why you are wasting time writing volumes of books on zero? After all, if you are going to be zero, remain zero. So zero means disgust. Even Mahatma Gandhi, we have also heard in the paper, in the morning the day when he was killed, the morning, he was disgusted with so many different opposing elements, letters and news, so he said that, "I don't want to live anymore. It is too much disgusting to me." And the same evening he was killed.

So this zero, void philosophy, when one becomes very much disgusted, they want to make it zero, finish everything. So this nirviśeṣa, or zero, is undeveloped stage. Just like a girl, unmarried girl, is undeveloped stage, but when she comes in contact with a puruṣa, then she develops with so many children. So that beginning of motherly life is called time. But the time is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruṣa. Now, prakṛti herself cannot produce anything. This material manifestation which we see, so beautiful cosmic manifestation, that is not alone by the prakṛti, as the materialistic scientists think that, "There was a chunk, and there became manifested." These are foolish theories.

Real is that in contact. Sa aikṣata. That is the Vedic information. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead glanced over the prakṛti, mahat-tattva, then the three guṇas agitated, and she begins to give birth in so many varieties of the twenty-four elements. We have already discussed the twenty-four elements. The ingredients are there. That is prakṛti. And pradhāna means when they are not manifest, and prakṛti means when they are manifest. And prakṛti, pradhāna, and above them, there is the puruṣa. That puruṣa is Bhagavān, sa bhagavān. Ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān. Wherefrom the prakṛti begins to manifest, that is with the touch of Bhagavān. How touch? Sa aikṣata: by simply glancing over, the prakṛti becomes pregnant.

Now we cannot understand how one can make his wife pregnant simply by glancing. That is possible by Bhagavān. Therefore He is called Almighty. We have got experience, if we want to make pregnant my wife, then we have to use certain sense. That particular sense can make pregnancy. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being all-powerful, He can do anything from anywhere from any sense. That is almighty. We speak of almighty—"God is almighty"—but we do not understand what is the Almighty. This is almighty. The Almighty Lord, simply by glancing over prakṛti, He makes the prakṛti pregnant, and the prakṛti produces so many varieties of life. Ceṣṭā. Ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān.

So the prakṛti cannot give birth to the varieties. That is wrong theory. That is wrong theory. The real variety begins when the prakṛti is in touch with the puruṣa. That is our experience also. How we can say that prakṛti can give birth or woman can give birth to a child or many children without being touch with man? Where is our experience? There is no such thing. Therefore we should not take prakṛti as everything. We must find out the Puruṣa. Therefore the puruṣa who gives birth to these material varieties, that is Lord Śiva, and the prakṛti which gives birth to these varieties, that is Durgā. Therefore the original prakṛti and puruṣa is represented by śiva-liṅga and devī-patha. Those who are worshiper of śiva-liṅga, they know the devī-patha and the śiva-liṅga, they are worshiped. The original father, Kṛṣṇa, says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the seed-giving father." Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). There are varieties of forms of life. How they are being begotten? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. That pitā, father, is Lord Śiva.

So when Kṛṣṇa comes in touch with prakṛti for giving birth of these varieties of forms of life, that is Śiva. That is Śiva. Śiva is not different from Kṛṣṇa, but still, Śiva is not Kṛṣṇa. This is called inconceivable one and different. Inconceivable one and different. The example is given, just like milk and yogurt, dahī. Dahī is not different from milk. It is milk—it is milk, everyone knows—but it is not milk, at the same time. You cannot get the benefit of milk by drinking dahī, or yogurt. Milk is used for different purpose, and dahī is different purpose. When you take too much milk, you get dysentery, and if you go to the physician, he gives you some medicine to take with yogurt, dahī. So dahī, or yogurt, is not different from milk, but it is not milk. Similarly, all these demigods, especially Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they are the original chief demigods from Viṣṇu . . .

So these demigods, or even we . . . we are also the same principle, the living entities. Brahmā is also in the category of living entities, and Lord Śiva is between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. In between. Therefore you cannot keep Lord Śiva as living entity category, neither Viṣṇu category. Via media. Kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-samyogāt (Bs. 5.45). The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not come directly in touch with this prakṛti, but the form by which He touches this prakṛti, that is Lord Śiva. Therefore Lord Śiva is not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; at the same time, he is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the conclusion. So that ceṣṭā . . . ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān. Therefore Lord Śiva's another name is Kāla-bhairava. Kāla-bhairava. And he is the master of the annihilation. When this whole material creation will be required to be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. It is created by Lord Brahmā, it is maintained by Lord Viṣṇu, and when it will be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. Therefore there are three original demigods. So Kāla-bhairava, ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān kāla ity upalakṣitaḥ. So kāla, time factor, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is above these twenty-four ingredients of material elements. It is in between the spiritual element and the material element, via media, that kāla. This is the description of kāla.

So we should not think . . . the real purport of this verse should be understood that if we are misled by thinking that prakṛti is working alone and is giving birth of varieties of things, saviśeṣa, that is wrong theory. It is exemplified like—in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta—just like in goats you will find on the neck, on the . . . it is called neck, or throat? There are some nipples. Have you seen it? So if somebody thinks that, "There is nipple; there will be milk also," no. There is no milk. That is different thing. Similarly, if some person foolishly think that material nature, prakṛti, is the cause of varieties of manifestation, that is wrong. That is wrong. It is done by the puruṣa, the Supreme Person, through the agency of prakṛti. Just like a man begets children through the agency of woman, similarly, the varieties of this material world is due to the Supreme Person, puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, original, eternal puruṣa. That is accepted by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān: "You are puruṣaṁ śāśvatam."

So God is always puruṣa. Puruṣa means the enjoyer, the male part. Male and female—two parts required, negative and positive. So the male part is Bhagavān, and the female part is the prakṛti, and combination of puruṣa and prakṛti is the varieties of creation. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. So you should not be misled that prakṛti itself has given so varieties of manifestation, cosmic manifestation. That is not possible. You have to accept the puruṣa theory by your practical experience, that without puruṣa, no prakṛti can give birth anything. Similarly, these varieties of manifestation in the world, in the material world, it is due to the combination of prakṛti and puruṣa.

So the atheistic philosopher, they think that this combination of prakṛti and puruṣa is without any aim, without any idea. Just like a man and woman meets and they may have sex—there was no idea, but they have sex. They give this example. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Sixteenth Chapter. There is no aim, and that puruṣa becomes subdued by the prakṛti, and the manifestation comes. But this Kapiladeva, you will find . . . and we Vaiṣṇava philosophers, we do not admit this that, "without any aim." There is aim. Why Kṛṣṇa says that this material world, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19)? Bhūtvā bhūtvā. There is aim. The manifestation of prakṛti, cosmic manifestation, is there to give the living entities another chance for liberation. One chance is given. Just like we have got: śrī prakṛti is now manifestated, and we are living entities; we are here, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4), in many varieties. So what is the aim? The aim is God realization. By evolutionary process, gradually we come to the human form of life. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva jīva-jātiṣu, jīva-jāti. Jīva, under different species of life, they are evolving.

jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi

sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati

kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ

pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam

(Padma Purāṇa)

In this way, the evolution is coming—from aquatics to plant's life, the insect, reptiles, then birds, then beast, then human life.

So this human life, civilized human life, followers of the Vedic principle . . . that is the civilized life, Āryans. Ārya. Therefore the followers of Vedic principle, they are called ārya, advanced. Because those who are follower . . . just like Manu-saṁhitā. It is Āryan literature, Vedic literature. So Āryan means advanced. Advanced means civilized. So if we civilized people, we give up this Āryan literature or Vedic literature and take to Jashushi(?) literature to waste our time, sex literature, then we are committing suicide. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā (CC Madhya 20.117). That Kṛṣṇa is the original father, we have forgotten. Anādi. Anādi means before the creation. Ādi means the creation. So this is a chance. This creation is there to give us chance to come to our original position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there is aim. It is not without aim. There is aim. And when there is creation, when there is civilized human being, and still they are not taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa comes personally to teach them.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata . . .

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

(BG 4.7)

So this civilized nation should take advantage of this Vedic literature. The Kardama Muni is teaching Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kṛṣṇa is teaching Bhagavad-gītā, and if we do not take advantage of these thing, then again we are in the oblivion. Again this cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, and we will remain in slumbering state for many millions and millions of years. Again there will be creation: bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is the mode of creation. So we should take advantage of this Vedic literature. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One . . . everyone should approach the bona fide spiritual master and take lessons from the Vedic literature. Then this life will be successful. We are rotting in this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), getting one short type of body, live there for some time, again it is annihilated, again another body. And we do not know what kind of body. That will depend on our karma. So . . . but you have to accept. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

So this is going on under the influence of kāla. So people should be enlightened that, "Don't remain asleep." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14). "Now you are civilized human being. You can read and write. You can understand." So jāgrata: "Now get up, be awakened. Study this Vedic literature, especially the essence of Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama means Vedic literature, Vedic knowledge. And it is its ripened fruit, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and be successful in your life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. (end)