750115 - Lecture SB 03.26.40 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

750115SB-BOMBAY - January 15, 1975 - 29:07 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

dyotanaṁ pacanaṁ pānam

adanaṁ hima-mardanam

tejaso vṛttayas tv etāḥ

śoṣaṇaṁ kṣut tṛḍ eva ca

(SB 3.26.40)

(break) (01:27)

"Fire is appreciated by its light and by its capacity to cook, to digest, to destroy cold, to evaporate, and to give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking."

Prabhupāda:

dyotanaṁ pacanaṁ pānam

adanaṁ hima-mardanam

tejaso vṛttayas tv etāḥ

śoṣaṇaṁ kṣut tṛḍ eva ca

(SB 3.26.40)

So people may be astonished that "They are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why they are discussing the action and reaction of fire?" Generally, they think Bhāgavata reading means rāsa-pañcādhyāya, bās, immediately jump over to the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, to know God means to know everything in detail. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). That is the Vedic injunction. If we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must understand also how Kṛṣṇa's different energies are working. That is called tattvataḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). The other day I was reading Gandhi's discourses on Bhagavad-gītā. He said that "I can imagine any way Kṛṣṇa. I do not accept the historical Kṛṣṇa." In this way, so many things. He was a big man. He can say like that. But we cannot imagine or manufacture Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not Kṛṣṇa. God is never imagined or speculated or manufactured by my limited knowledge and limited senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everything. But if we want to know tattvataḥ Kṛṣṇa, in truth, how Kṛṣṇa has created the pañca-bhūta and how each bhūta or each material element is working, that is being discussed. This is perfect knowledge, tattvataḥ.

So because they do not want to know Kṛṣṇa in tattvataḥ, factually, therefore they mistake Kṛṣṇa. Especially they attack Kṛṣṇa, that "He killed so many demons. He had rāsa-līlā with so many gopīs. He married so many wives"—misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. But if Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, almighty, then what is difficulty for Him to marry 16,108 wife? Kṛṣṇa has many, many millions and millions of devotees. Some of them desiring to Kṛṣṇa . . . to serve Kṛṣṇa as servant. Some of them are desiring Kṛṣṇa, to serve Him as friend or as father, as mother, as lover, as wife. So there are many devotees, ananta devotees, only not one or two. So Kṛṣṇa has to satisfy every one of them. That is not difficult for Him. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). There are so many millions and trillions of devotees. They are surrendering to Kṛṣṇa and desiring to serve Him in his different propensity, and Kṛṣṇa fulfills everyone's desire.

So to understand Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, to know about Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is like that. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). If you study just like here, analytical study of fire: dyotanam, illumination; pacanam, digesting; pānam, increasing thirst . . . If you don't feel thirsty, that means the agni, or the fire element within the stomach, is not working. Agni-māndya. Māndya, the word comes from manda. Manda means slow. So the Āyurvedic treatment, they say it, agni-māndya. So when there is agni-māndya, there is medicine how to ignite the fire again. There is fire within the stomach, within the abdomen. Everything is there. So according to Āyurveda treatment, this kapha, pitta, vāyu. Vāyu . . . About the air we have discussed something in the previous verses. Now agni, and then kapha, mucus. Mucus, bile and fire.

So to know Kṛṣṇa means know everything, because Kṛṣṇa is everything. How Kṛṣṇa is working in everything, even in different parts of our limbs, represented by demigods, they are all described. Even our eyelids moving under the direction of some demigod. And demigods, they are different parts and parcels, bodily limbs of whole Kṛṣṇa. So do not mind, "Why Bhāgavata is studying Kṛṣṇa so analytically?" That is required. If we understand Kṛṣṇa by analytical study, how His divine power is working throughout the whole universe, within the atom, within myself, within the movable, immovable, everywhere, antaryāmī . . . Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim (Bs. 5.35). Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. This universe, that is not one universe. We are in one of the universes. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described, "As there are many multimillions of mustard seed within a bag." Just imagine. If you bring one bag of mustard seed, round, round, so that round, round seed, that each and every universe. So one devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Vāsudeva Datta, he prayed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, You have come. You deliver all these fallen souls, conditioned souls within the universe. Your kindness can do that. And if You think they are so sinful they cannot be delivered, then I am prepared to take all their sins. I shall remain here alone to suffer. You kindly deliver them." This is Vaiṣṇava desire. Vaiṣṇava is not selfish. He is . . . Vaiṣṇava's real qualification is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: he is unhappy by seeing others unhappy. Personally he has no unhappiness. Why he should be unhappy? He has got Kṛṣṇa. But as he has become happy by getting Kṛṣṇa, so he wants others also to become happy, and therefore he tries to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows that all these conditioned souls, they are, I mean to say, rotting in this material world and suffering. And the only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. Only remedy is. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4).

This was recommended by Śrīla Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the king. He said that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is bhavauṣadhi. Bhavauṣadhi means bhava. Bhava means this repeated birth and death. Bhava means you be, and again you not be—not be for few months. Our death means a sleeping for seven months. That is the description we get from the śāstras. Just like you go on sleep every night, so death means to sleep for seven months, unconsciousness, very deep sleep in the womb of the mother. Then as soon as another body is grown up by the ingredients supplied by mother's body or nature, then we get back again consciousness. Just like when we sleep deeply, there is no consciousness. There is consciousness—this is called suṣupti, unconscious. And again, as soon as the body is complete, then we get back our consciousness. Then we become in sleepy condition. Then again, when we come out of the mother's abdomen, that is awakening state. There are three states of conditions: jāgrti, suṣupti and svapna—dreaming condition, awakening condition and unconscious or deep . . . Actually, we do not die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit (BG 2.20). There is no question of death. It is simply sleeping or deep sleeping, like that.

So if we keep Kṛṣṇa consciousness very active always, that means try to understand Kṛṣṇa from different angles of vision. Here also, as we are studying analytically the functions of agni, but what is this agni? This is also Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo anala vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anala. Anala means agni. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Just like sunshine: sunshine is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Whenever there is sun, wherever there is sun, there is sunshine. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa's energies are also there. Therefore Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means all-pervading. So Kṛṣṇa's energies are spread everywhere, just like the illumination, dyotanam. It is called dyotanam, illumination. If the fire is there, there must be illumination. And you have seen in the morning—as soon as the sun . . . before the sun rising actually, before we can see the sun, immediately there is illumination, dyotanam. So the energy, sunshine, is the energy of the sun. It is always there. Sunshine is not differentiated from the sun. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energy is not differentiated from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore fire is Kṛṣṇa's energy, air is Kṛṣṇa's energy, water is Kṛṣṇa's energy, land is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the sky is Kṛṣṇa's energy. This is Kṛṣṇa's all-pervasiveness, or God's all-pervasiveness. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat (Viṣṇu Purāṇa): "Akhilam, the entire universe, is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy."

Therefore in the advanced stage of devotional life a devotee does not see fire; he sees Kṛṣṇa. A devotee does not see air, but he sees Kṛṣṇa. A devotee does not see sky, but he sees Kṛṣṇa. Sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). Iṣṭa-deva. Kṛṣṇa is the worshipable Deity of the devotee. So immediately he sees anything, because he knows it is Kṛṣṇa's energy . . . Just like we, generally, as soon as we see in the morning light, we can understand there is sun. Immediately. There is no delay. "Now there is sun." The sun may not be visible immediately, but because the darkness is gone and there is light, although glimpse light, now we understand, "This is morning, and now there is sun." Similarly, a advanced devotee, because he knows everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy . . . So this is energy study. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8): "Apsu, in the water, the taste I am." Because every one of us become thirsty and we take water. And actually it is so; the taste of water is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise who can give taste unless Kṛṣṇa is there? Now take. There are big, vast water in front of Bombay. Now change the taste. Then there is no need of acquiring water from here and there, bringing big, big pipes. No. You take and change the taste, salty taste, and making drinkable. No. That you cannot unless Kṛṣṇa does it. Therefore the taste is Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult to understand.

So if we study in this way, analytically, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy . . . Śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the illumination of the sun and the moon." So you can create by . . . Scientists, they say the sun is combination of so many chemicals. Now you create one sun and illuminate the whole universe. That you cannot do, because that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create Kṛṣṇa. You cannot imagine Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Foolish persons, they may say, "Kṛṣṇa is my imagination." No, He's not imagination. He's fact. Simply one has to know how Kṛṣṇa is present in everything. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya

prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ

praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu

(BG 7.8)

So there is list of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Don't say that "We have not seen God. Can you show me God?" Why don't you see? The God says, "I am here," but why don't you see? God says, "I am the taste of water." So when you drink water, why don't you see God in the taste? He is visible in every step. Every working of this nature, He is doing that. Simply we have to make our eyes to see. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is there, present. Kṛṣṇa, God, is present everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Kṛṣṇa is present here. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). But when you learn the art to see Him within your heart, that is called mystic yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1).

The yogic process is to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. That is real yoga. That is real yoga system. Try to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. Then you first-class yogī. That is the perfection of topmost yogic process.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

If you can learn how to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart always, twenty-four hours, then your life is perfect. That is perfection of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: how you can learn to see Kṛṣṇa within your heart, within others' heart, and everywhere. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). This is wanted.

So this is possible by increasing our love for Kṛṣṇa. Simply we have to increase our love. Just like in practical life also, we begin to love somebody, one after another, gradually, not all of a sudden; similarly, we have to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa. That love for Kṛṣṇa is the devotional process.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sarvātma-nivedanam

(SB 7.5.23)

Then surrender. That is the ultimate state of loving affairs: surrender. Why one should surrender to another person unless there is love? Just like wife surrenders to husband and husband protects the wife. This is general duty. So why one man is interested with one woman for giving her all protection, and why one man is surrendered to . . . one woman is surrendered to one man? What is the basic principle? The basic principle is love. So similarly, our full surrender, full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can be achieved when we develop our love for Kṛṣṇa little by little, little by little, and then come to the perfection. When we come to the perfection, then we cannot live without Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us. In the last stage of His life He exhibited such manifestation of love that He was dying without Kṛṣṇa. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me (Śikṣāṣṭaka 7). Śūnyāyitam. Śūnyāyitam, "everything is vacant." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. "Without Govinda, I see everything vacant." Sometimes we have got experience. If we lose a friend, a son, at that time everything becomes vacant without my son, without my lover. That is practical. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was exhibiting that type of love for Kṛṣṇa, that He was feeling that "Without Kṛṣṇa, everything is void." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. This He taught personally, how to raise oneself to the topmost stage of love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate aim and object of life. Premāñ . . . (break). . .yaṁ śyāma-sundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.38). To see Kṛṣṇa within the heart always . . . (break) (end).