740222 - Lecture BG 07.07 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740222BG-BOMBAY - February 22, 1974 - 34:28 Minutes

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

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

(BG 7.7)

mattaḥ - beyond myself; parataraṁ - superior; nā nā ānyat - anything else; kiñcid - something; asti - there is; dhanañjaya - oh conqueror of wealth; mayi - in me; sarvam - all that be; idaṁ - which we see; protaṁ - strung; sūtre - on a thread; maṇi-gaṇā - pearls; iva - liken

(break)

Translation: "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread."

Prabhupāda:

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

(BG 7.7)

So the material and spiritual world, everything is manifestation of two energies. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. On these verses we have discussed two days that etad yonīni sarvāṇi, whatever is manifested, material or spiritual, both of them are coming from the energy of the Supreme. Just like heat and light, these are two energies of the fire.

So that is also explained in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa: parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat.

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.52)

Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat or sarvedaṁ khalu brahma, the Vedic injunction. The energy and the energetic cannot be separated. If there is no energy, there is no meaning of the energetic. And there is no meaning of energetic if it has . . . if he has no energy. So those things are simultaneously present. The example, as we have given several times, that the sun and the sunshine and the heat of the shine . . . sun, they're always present. Wherever there is sun, there is light and there is heat. So heat and light is the understanding of the presence of sun. Sometimes sun is covered, but it still . . . we experience heat and light. Therefore we understand the sun is there. Similarly Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there. You have to understand by the energies—the material energy and the spiritual energy. That is already explained in two verses.

So now in Kṛṣṇa is summarizing in this verse . . . because the whole manifestation, sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, the whole universe is presentation of the energy of the Lord, therefore there is nothing but Lord. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Just like in this, in this material world, we have got experience, the sun is the cause of all material manifestation. When the sunlight or sun heat . . . just like the Western countries, in this season the sunlight and heat is practically not present, therefore it is snowfall. There is no foliar in the trees, every tree is deserted, due to the sun. And as soon as from the month of April the sunshine will be little more, I mean, increased, at once the leaves will come out. In the Western world, this experience . . . anywhere. The sun is the cause of everything, all this material world. So you can say that in this material world, there is nothing superior energy than the sun. Similarly, this is also a creation of God, the sunshine. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Savitā means sun.

yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.52)

Even the sun, which is the supreme cause of this material world, even this universe . . . all the planets, they are rotating on account of heat of the sun. If the sun moves little this side or that side, everything will be blazing fire or frozen into ice. This is scientific truth.

So as the sun is the supreme cause of this material world, similarly the supreme cause of . . . there are many millions of universes and millions of suns. They are all caused by the supreme energy of Kṛṣṇa, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ and apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām (BG 7.4). Two prakṛtis, parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. So the Vedānta-sūtra, that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the original source of everything, Brahma that is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Brahma is not supreme. Then Kṛṣṇa would have said not . . . "Brahma is the Supreme." But He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Brahma is the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahma is not the supreme cause. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā (BG 14.27). Brahma is existing on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa has the right to say, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no more superior cause." And the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā also says, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So it is not that Kṛṣṇa is saying only. It is accepted by the supreme Vedic authority, Lord Brahmā.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

The Vedānta-sūtra also says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt (SB 1.1.1). The Bhāgavata explains, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. He's abhijñaḥ. He knows everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ. That is Kṛṣṇa. And Arjuna accepted. Arjuna said, in the Tenth Chapter, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14): "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, I accept in toto." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no more superior being or superior authority than Me." If you accept that, "There is no more superior authority or supreme being than Kṛṣṇa," then you study Bhagavad-gītā. And if you cut the head and the tail and accept something and reject something, that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Take it as it is. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, not curtailing this or that, "This meaning is that; that meaning is that." No such nonsense. We accept . . . this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa says that He is the supreme authority. We are preaching, "Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority." Where is the difficulty? We don't manufacture anything. We don't say: "I am the supreme authority." No. I am rascal. I am fool. I am imperfect. But Kṛṣṇa is Supreme, Kṛṣṇa is perfect. That is our preaching: as servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore, because you are presenting Kṛṣṇa as He is, therefore our preaching is perfect. I may be imperfect, but our preaching is not imperfect. It is very simple. We are preaching all over the world, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." And these foreign boys and girls who are after me, they also accept. They do not say that "Here is another God, sir. Why you are asking?" That is the difficulty in India. As soon as we shall say, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa is the . . . there is no more superior person than Kṛṣṇa," others will say: "No, why this gentleman is not superior than Kṛṣṇa?" That is the difficulty. They'll not accept. They are brain has been full with hodgepodge things. Therefore they cannot take Kṛṣṇa consciousness so . . . of course, at heart, in India everyone feels for Kṛṣṇa, but they have been educated in such a wrong way, they cannot accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, as Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. This is the difficulty.

But unless you accept, unless you come to this point, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, your education, your knowledge and everything is imperfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

If you don't accept in this life . . . but if you are sincere to understand what is God, then you'll have to wait for many other lives. Life after life, you have to struggle. And then, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, if you come in touch with a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning, teaching of Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Out of many, many millions of person, one is trying to make his life perfect. Everyone, mostly, 99.9%, they're blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are being led by blind men. They are blind, and they're led by blind men. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that the ultimate goal of life: to understand Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, and go back to Him. That is the goal of life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is being taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is the goal of life. But they are misled. They are captivated by this material energy. That will be explained in this chapter also. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). They have been bewildered by the three modes of material nature. They're not trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. They're not trying to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are in difficulty. The whole trouble is due to this ignorance. Therefore there is great necessity for broadcasting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. There is great necessity.

So this business was entrusted by . . . Lord Caitanya started this movement. Actually, Kṛṣṇa started this movement five thousand years ago and taught this subject matter to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. But unfortunate as we are, we could not take up the mission of Kṛṣṇa. The mission of Kṛṣṇa was, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). As soon as there is discrepancy in the matter of discharging religious principle . . . means, religious principle means the law of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the laws of God. Religion does not mean "I have manufactured some religion, he has manufactured some religion, he has manufactured some religion, and another man has . . . yes, all religions are right. Yata mata tata patha (Ramakrishna)." No. That is nonsense. Religion is one. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Kick out all sorts of religious principles; simply surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is confirmed. That is first-class religion, which teaches how to surrender to God and how to become a lover of God. That is religion. Otherwise, they are simply cheating religion.

That is explained in the Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavam atra vedam (SB 1.1.2). Dharmaḥ projjhita, cheating type of religion, is kicked out from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita. And Śrīdhara Svāmī gives his comments: atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam. Anyone, any type of religion . . . just like the Māyāvādī philosophy. They are trying to have mokṣa, to merge into the existence of the Supreme. But Bhāgavata says, "No, that is also cheating." Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Adi 1.90), catur-varga . . . the word . . . first of all, they do not know what is religion. But the . . . actually life, perfection of life, begins from religion, dharma. Then artha. Then following the religious principle, you acquire money, artha. Artha is required. But not in . . . sinfully, but properly. Dharma artha kāma. Then, you have got senses, you have you require to satisfy the senses. So artha required for sense gratification. But that artha must be based on religion. This is called dharma, artha and kāma. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa. Then, when one actually becomes wise, he's no more attracted by sense gratification; rather, he desires a greater type of sense gratification, namely, he wants to become God, to merge into the existence of God. So that is also cheating. You cannot become God. That the . . .

(break) . . . māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā, one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes, Kṛṣṇa is the source of material energy and spiritual energy, as it is explained here. And therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. And Kṛṣṇa confirms this fact: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). This is required. This is required. We have to accept this. Kṛṣṇa says this. And Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12). Ādyam, "You are the original person. You are the original . . ." Puruṣam ādyam, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ādyam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. This is all confirmed. The audience, Kṛṣṇa . . . I mean to say, Arjuna, is accepting, and Kṛṣṇa is confirming.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. Otherwise where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. If we do not accept the author, or the speaker, of the Bhagavad-gītā, and if we do not accept the student of Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, then where is the study of Bhagavad-gītā? It is something nonsense. You have to accept the version of Bhagavad-gītā as it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, and you have to accept the version of Arjuna as it is admitted by Kṛṣṇa. Then you are perfect in Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise you have simply wasted your time.

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply laboring. Simply uselessly laboring. If you do not awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness by studying the Vedas, by studying Bhagavad-gītā, by studying Bhagavad . . . simply Bhagavad-gītā. This is the essence of all Vedic literature, although it is A-B-C-D, beginning of spiritual life, spiritual understanding. Unfortunately, people do not understand even the A-B-C-D of this Bhagavad-gītā. And what to speak of becoming graduate and postgraduate? This is the difficulty. If we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, at least we understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. God is explaining Himself. And you are searching after God, making sear . . . there are so many institutions. In Oxford University there is a big research department. But here God is canvassing. He's explaining. There was a great controversy. What is that professor?

Pradyumna: Professor Al Zaehner.

Devotee: Hardy.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Pradyumna: Al Zaehner, Professor Zaehner.

Prabhupāda: Professor Zaehner. So I invited him. So he did not dare to come before us. So there was another professor. What is that? Sir . . .?

Pradyumna: Sir Alistair Hardy.

Prabhupāda: Sir Alistair Hardy. He came. He admitted. He's making research. So these things are going on. Why research? Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is explained and commented by so many, many great, stalwart, I mean to say, commentator, especially Śrīdhara Svāmī, Rāmānujācārya, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana. So many great scholars, they have commented upon Bhagavad-gītā. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is the real necessity of life. That we have explained several times.

This human form of life. The . . . Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that hari hari bifale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, Hari, I have simply spoiled my life." Bifale jan . . . hari hari bifale janama goṅāinu. "I have wasted my time." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu: "I got this nice human form of body especially for worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but I have not done that. Therefore willingly I have drunk poison." Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. The saṅkīrtana movement is not manufactured in this material world. It is released from Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world. Golokera prema-dhana . . . otherwise, why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa . . .? It is not material sound. Any material sound, you chant thrice, you'll be tired. But you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours, you'll never be tired. Therefore it is not a sound of this material world, it is the sound of the spiritual world. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy, "I am not attracted to this." This is the lamentation of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a Vaiṣṇava. Biṣāya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale: "In this material existence, this eating, sleeping, mating and defending, with this business always my heart is burning." Biṣāya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, taribare nā kainu upāya. "I did not make any means to get out of this." Golokera prema-dhana. Therefore indirectly he's giving hint that human life is meant for worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

This is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi . . . here Arjuna is addressed as Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means the richest man, who has conquered over wealth. In other sense, only dhanañjaya, a person who has conquered over wealth, he can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhanañjaya . . . Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya, because after Battle of Kurukṣetra there was no money. So by the order of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he brought from the Himalaya range a great quantity of gold so that he could expend them for performing aśvamedha-yajña, rājasūya-yajña. So therefore from that name, from that person, this title was given by, I mean to say, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to that Arjuna, Dhanañjaya.

So mayi sarvam idaṁ protam. The example is very nice. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. Just like pearls. The pearls . . . take it, pearl is round, and the innumerable universes are also round. So all these universes are staying . . . mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4), Kṛṣṇa says. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. So everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa. In another place He says that, "I am sustaining all these planets." Of course, we understand law of gravitation according to our theory, but actually, according to Vedic description, the Saṅkarṣaṇa is sustaining all these planets. So anyway, it is to be understood. Just like the, all the planets are floating in the air in weightlessness . . . how this weightlessness comes? That is explained here. Mayi, "It is resting on Me," Kṛṣṇa says, mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva (BG 7.7).

So He's the ultimate cause. He is the cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Parama īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be successful. Because our this human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the real knowledge. Unless you come to this real knowledge, your life is unsuccessful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19): "Those who will not accept Me in one life, he has to wait for many, many lives, but to come to this conclusion, that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā . . ." If you actually want to become mahātmā, then you have to come to this point, that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. That is mahātmā. Mahātmā does not mean by simply changing this dress. Mahātmā means who understands Kṛṣṇa. He's mahātmā, because his soul is increased in dimension to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa ma . . . mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). As soon as you become mahātmā, then you are no longer under the control of this material nature. That is also confirmed. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Otherwise, you have to remain under the clutches of māyā and punished by him.

kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare

nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

These are simple Bengali poetries by Vaiṣṇavas that as soon as you desire to enjoy your senses . . . that, that, that enjoyment of senses will not give you happiness. That is our practical experience. Anybody, call anybody who is engaged in sense gratification, ask him, "Are you happy?" He'll never say. They are . . . we have practically seen. These Europeans and Americans, they have enough sense gratification. Sense gratification means money and women. So they have got enough of it. Why they are after me, rejecting this? Because sense gratification will never give you satisfaction. That is false satisfaction. Real satisfaction is when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is satisfaction.

kṛṣṇendriya-tṛpti-vāñchā-dhare 'prema' nāma

ātmendriya-tṛpti-vāñchā tāre nāma 'kāma

(CC Adi 4.165)

When you sat . . . want to satisfy your senses, then you are under the clutches of kāma, lust. But the same endeavour, when you want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called prema, or bhakti.

So Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching. Why you should satisfy Kṛṣṇa? Because there is no more a greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. We are trying to serve here greater authority. Every one of us . . . we are going to office, we are going to party meeting, we are going to be elected president. So what is that? That I assure that, "I shall satisfy your senses. You want this? I shall give you. Please elect me." Everyone is trying to satisfy the senses. Either of own self . . . he's giving false promise. Actually, he wants to satisfy his own senses. As soon as he becomes minister, he'll satisfy his own senses. But he's getting elected by promising satisfying . . . to satisfy your senses. But the sense gratification is going on. But there is chaos because the point is missing. There is no activity for satisfying senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore one should learn that you are satisfying the senses of others. Try to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, because there is no more greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. We are satisfying the senses of greater authority, that's all, or my senses, because my senses are also greater authority—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. These are very strongly dictated me, "Do this." I don't want to do this. My conscience is beating. But my kāma, my lust, is forcing me.

So this is my position. So in this position, I'll never be satisfied. If you understand that, "Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, and my only duty is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa," then your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya . . . (break) (end)