721111 - Lecture SB 01.02.32 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

721111SB-VRNDAVAN - November 11, 1972 - 35:41 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

yathā hy avahito vahnir

dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu

nāneva bhāti viśvātmā

bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān

(SB 1.2.32)

(break) . . . hi—exactly like; avahitaḥ—surcharged with; vahniḥ—fire; dāruṣu—in the wood; ekaḥ—one; sva-yoniṣu—the source of manifestation; nānā iva—like different entities; bhāti—illuminates; viśva-ātmā—the Lord as Paramātmā; bhūteṣu—in the living entities; ca—and; tathā—in the same way; pumān—the Absolute Person.

Translation: "The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, although He is the absolute one without a second."

Prabhupāda:

yathā hy avahito vahnir

dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu

nāneva bhāti viśvātmā

bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān

(SB 1.2.32)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is residing along with the living entity within the heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Īśvara, the Supreme Personality, is residing in everyone's heart. In another place it is said, kṣetra-kṣetrajña chapter, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3).

Kṣetrajña means the knower of the body. I, you, every one of us, we are individual living entities. We are also kṣetrajña. I know this is my body, this is my finger, this is my hair, this is my leg. Jña. Jña means one who knows. So I know, you know. You know about your body, I know about my body. Therefore we are all kṣetrajñas. Kṣetrajña means one who knows about his field of activities.

Everyone has been given, awarded, a certain type of field of activities for sense enjoyment. We want a certain type of body, certain type of sense enjoyment, and Kṛṣṇa gives us the facility through the agency of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Actually we are dependent. I want something; Kṛṣṇa gives us through the material agent. At the same time, He also accompanies, as a friend. The footnote is there, dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vṛkṣaṁ pariṣasvajāte tayor anyaḥ pippalaṁ svādv atty anaśnann anyo 'bhicākaśīti (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.6). Śruti-mantra.

So both the living entity and the Supersoul is sitting on the same tree. This body is supposed to be the tree, and the heart is supposed to be the nest. And in the nest, as there are two birds, similarly, there is one bird, the living entity, individual, and the Supersoul, both. One is eating the fruit; the other is simply observing, witnessing. Anumantā upadraṣṭā.

Anumantā means "giving order." Just like a child wants to take something, but he also depends on the order of the father. The child is insisting: "Father, I want this." Father says: "No, you don't take it." "I shall touch it. I shall touch the fire." Father says: "No, don't touch it." But he's insisting and crying, so father says: "All right, you touch." Similarly, we create our own fortune and misfortune. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So the father wants us to do something else, but we want to do something else against the wish of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants that every one of us should surrender unto Him and work according to His direction, but we want to do against His will. Therefore we create our own fortune and misfortune. That is the way.

So there are different types of body, and each one is acting in a different way. Different way means the . . . why they are working different way? If the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, is the same in the . . . in each and every body—īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61)—why one is acting different from the other? So one is acting different . . . that is the action of the individual soul. The Supersoul is there, simply sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Because he's insisting, and He's sanctioning, "All right, you do like this."

Therefore nāneva bhāti viśvātmā. Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appears to be acting differently. He's not acting differently. Just like the magistrate. Magistrate is giving different judgment, "This man should be treated like this. This man should be treated . . ." The man . . . the magistrate, is the same, but because the culprit is different, therefore he has got to give different judgment. Culprit is different; he's not different. He's one.

This is the proof that Paramātmā and jīvātmā are two different personalities. They're not one. This is the proof. Why? Nāneva bhāti viśvātmā. He's Viśvātmā, the Supersoul. Why one is acting as a hog, one is acting as a dog, one is acting as a demigod, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa? Why these differences?

We are all living entities, jīva-tattva, and the Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is the same in everyone's heart. Why they are acting differently? This is the proof that there is individual soul, jīvātmā, and the Paramātmā. Paramātmā is sanctioning. The same example: the magistrate, or judge, is giving different judgment because the criminals, or the complainers, they are different. Nāneva bhāti viśvātmā bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān (SB 1.2.32).

The example is given: yathā hy avahito vahnir dāruṣu. In every wood there is fire. A small wood, there is small fire; in a big wood, there is big fire. The fire is the same, but according to the different size of the wood, fuel, the, the, what is, the flames of the fire appears to be different. The flames of the fire appears to be different because the living entity is different, of different types. They have got different desires, according to the contact of the material quality.

Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why they are different? Because kāraṇam, the cause, is—kāraṇam means cause—is guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Asya, or this living entity, he is associating, contacting different qualities.

There are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa; and again, if you mix these three qualities, then three into three, it becomes nine. Then again mix it: nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, different qualities. Nāneva. Nāneva bhāti. And in every living entity, within the heart of every living entity, the Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is there.

So He's not different. As like the dāruṣu, as the fuel wood are different, and therefore the flame appears to be different, similarly although Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is one, because He's acting with individual soul differently according to his different association, mentality, desires . . .

Every account is kept. Just imagine how many numberless there are living entities. Asaṅkhya. Jīva-bhāgo sa vijñeyaḥ sa asaṅkhya kalpate. There is no . . . you cannot . . . innumerable. And each and every individual soul is doing according to his own desires, and every account is kept.

Just imagine how expert accountant is required. Every account is kept. Because he has to be offered again another body, taking account of his activities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). He's acting, innumerable living entities. So how big brain is Kṛṣṇa, you can just imagine. And not only one planet—there are innumerable planets, there are innumerable universes. Everything innumerable. That is called unlimited. Everything innumerable. And still, some rascal claims that he is God.

How much brain a God requires, he does not know. How big brain . . . anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). These are analyzed, what is the nature of the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. How He is? What He is? Immediately the answer is janmādy asya yataḥ: "From Him, everything is emanating."

Everything is taking birth from Him. Janma. Not only janma, birth, but existence, maintenance, janmādi. Janmādi means birth, maintenance and death. Creation, maintenance and annihilation. Janmādi. Asya. Anything you take, asya. Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ. From whom everything is emanating, everything is taking birth, this cosmic manifestation, it is being maintained in Him. And again, when it is annihilated, it enters into His own energy. Prakṛtiṁ māṁ gacchati.

From His prakṛti, from His energy, Kṛṣṇa's energies, external energy, these five elements come out—earth, water, fire, air, sky. Five gross element and three subtle elements—mind, intelligence ego. This is the eight . . . these are the eight elements of material creation. Then all the living entities, those who wanted to enjoy this material world, they are impregnated within this material energy and they come out with different bodies for enjoying different types of sufferings or happiness. There is no happiness, it is all suffering, but we take: "It is happiness." That is called illusion.

So in this way the whole creation is going on under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Under His supervision . . . just imagine how expert supervision is there, that the sun is rising exactly in the same moment as it is to be done. The waves of the sea are going on perpetually, but the waves cannot come beyond the limit.

We have walked on the sea beach. So just at ten, one, three feet, away the big ocean, Pacific Ocean is . . . but we are certain that this Pacific Ocean cannot come beyond this limit. We are certain. How we are certain? Because there is the order of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa. Because we know, I know, you know that there is God's order. The Pacific Ocean may be very, very big, but still, he cannot disobey the order of the Supreme. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you have to study everything, how things are going on. And this is stated. You have to simply think, "Yes." You have to confirm by your brain. If you have got dull brain, then how you can study? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. The prakṛti, the material nature, is working under His direction.

And you can verify it, how nature is working correctly, exactly. Unless there is some systematic order, how everything is working systematically? As soon as there is spring, immediately thousands and millions of trees, immediately the foliage comes out. Immediately. And as soon as there is fall, September, last, all the leaves fall down, immediately.

So this is the process of creation. Just like in Bible it is said: "Let there be creation, and there was creation." So it is fact, actually. But we cannot understand how much powerful is Kṛṣṇa, or God. Simply by His will, simply by His will, everything takes place. Millions and millions things come out immediately, and millions and millions of things immediately annihilated. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

So the Supersoul, Viśvātmā, He's one. But because we are different, therefore we are acting differently. The question may be raised that if Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is one, why there are different activities? The different activities due to our will, our selection: "I want to act in this way." So He gives the facility.

Just like somebody wants to drink; the government gives license for liquor shop. Now, it is not that everyone is drinking, but there is facility for the drunkards. Because the drunkards want to drink, so government gives facility, "All right. Here is a liquor shop. You drink." But as soon as you commit some offense by drinking, you are arrested. So this arrest of the drunkard, is it the government's will or the person created such situation to be arrested? Eh?

So in this way, the whole world is going on. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says: "I am equal to everyone. I don't . . . I'm not envious of everyone . . . er, anyone, or I am friendly to everyone." He's friendly. Actually He's friendly. But people say, accuse Him, "Why God has created this distress? Why I am suffering?" You are suffering for your own fault. God created you to become happy. He's happy. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. You should be happy. But you don't accept the way of happiness. That is your fault. You don't accept . . .

Kṛṣṇa says that you shall be happy in this way:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

Why you claim it is your property? Why you claim? Everything is belonging to Kṛṣṇa. That is your fault. So you must suffer. You are a thief. Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). Anyone who does not offer things to Kṛṣṇa before using, he's a thief. That is prasādam. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

The whole process is to accept the Supreme. So long we do not accept the Supreme, that is māyā. That is māyā. That is going on. Nobody wants to accept the Supreme. Everyone wants to become Supreme. Even after performing severe austerities, penances, still, they want to become one with the Supreme. This is also māyā.

Therefore Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that after undergoing such severe austerities and penances, now he has become God. That is māyā. He does not know. He's not God, but he claims like that, falsely. This is the cause of his suffering. Nobody can be . . . can become God or equal to God. That is not possible. The same quotation: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only the Supreme God, Supreme Person, Īśvara, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

You are . . . why you are, rascal, trying to become Bhagavān, God? This is māyā. He does not know. He's thinking that "I have become God." This is māyā. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ means his intelligence is not yet cleansed. It's still dirty.

Although he has undergone good austerities, penances or taken sannyāsa, but the mind is dirty. Mind is dirty. So that will not help. The whole process is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. We have to cleanse our heart. We have to understand our position. Then it will be successful. If we don't cleanse our heart by regular chanting:

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

(CC Antya 20.12)

So we have to understand our position. The dirty things should be removed completely, always by hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. That is the way of understanding. Only way. This Vṛndāvana is so important, valuable. Why? Because anywhere you go in Vṛndāvana, there is the opportunity of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This whole Vṛndāvana is simply cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Unfortunately, we take to other consciousness here. Therefore we become condemned. In Vṛndāvana, if we take other consciousness, then we become condemned. Condemned means he—still, the opportunity's there—condemned to accept a body other than human being. But he's helped. Because he's in Vṛndāvana, he's making progress. Even as animal, as hogs and dogs, he's making progress, because he's in Vṛndāvana.

So Vṛndāvana is so important, because here anyone can get the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is so important. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Dhāma means where Kṛṣṇa resides. That is called dhāma. Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāmam (Caitanya-maṣjusā). Dhāmam means residence. Tad-dhāmam vṛndāvanam.

So Vṛndāvana is not polluted. Vṛndāvana is always helping us. Anyone who comes to Vṛndāvana, he's helped immediately, even though he is criminal number one. But if we remain in criminal mentality in Vṛndāvana, then we have to accept another birth to suffer. Then it will be all right, and then again he will be elevated. Due to Vṛndāvana . . . the Vṛndāvana influence will act, but if we commit something against the Vṛndāvana principle, then we have to accept . . . Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).

Karmāṇi nirdahati . . . it is said in the śāstra, the karma is reduced for the devotees. That much facility's there. Karma is reduced means in other place if you commit some sinful activities, then you have to accept a body, and then evolution will take place gradually. Then you again come to human form of body.

Then again, if you are intelligent enough, you can utilize. But in Vṛndāvana the karmāṇi nirdahati . . . suppose for your sinful, criminal acts you become hogs and dog; next life you are elevated. That is karmāṇi nirdahati. The karma, the cycle of fruitive activities, is reduced. But you have to accept. You have to accept. But nirdahati.

But why should we waste our time accepting another body of dogs and hog? That we should be very much careful. Although it is nirdahati, it is reduced, why should we accept even that reduced punishment? That should be our principle.

But we do not know. We commit ignorance. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has described: sinful activities are done due to ignorance, ajñāna. Just like a child touches the fire. Everyone knows if you touch fire, it will burn, but the child, out of ignorance, touches. Therefore the child is under the protection of the parents so that the child may not do something wrong and suffer.

So nāneva bhāti viśvātmā bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān. These varieties of living entities, it is due to the variety of desires of the living entity. Otherwise viśvātmā, He's one. He's one. And the living entity is also one, because he's the manifestation of marginal potency of the Supreme. Therefore, as marginal potency, the living entity is one.

Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who knows that the living entities, they are part and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, and they belong to the marginal potency . . . therefore they do not see any difference out of the varieties of bodies. He sees only the spirit soul. And due to the varieties of body, the activities are different, although the director, the Supreme Soul, Supersoul, is the same, one. This is the conclusion. Yathā vahnir avahito . . .

yathā hy avahito vahnir

dāruṣv ekaḥ sva-yoniṣu

nāneva bhāti viśvātmā . . .

(SB 1.2.32)

So according to our body, we act differently. The direction and sanction is there by the Supersoul. This is the purport of this verse.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)