740816 - Lecture BG 07.10 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740816BG-VRNDAVAN - August 16, 1974 - 32:26 Minutes

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

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

viddhi pārtha sanātanam

buddhir buddhimatām asmi

tejas tejasvinām aham

(BG 7.10)

(break)

Translation: "O son of Pṛthā, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent and the prowess of all powerful men."

Prabhupāda:

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

viddhi pārtha sanātanam

buddhir buddhimatām asmi

tejas tejasvinām aham

(BG 7.10)

So bījaṁ, the original seed of life: sarva-bhūtānāṁ. The modern scientists, they are trying to prove that life comes from matter, chemical evolution. But we don’t accept that. We accept from Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the original life. Kṛṣṇa is not a dead stone. As it is said in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.2): the Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates. So that Absolute Truth, what kind of . . . absolute Truth, is it dead matter or living force? It cannot be dead matter, because there are so many living entities; and the Absolute Truth is a dead matter, it cannot produce living entities, because we have no such experience that from dead matter living entities are coming out. That is not possible.

Sometimes we see that from cow dung some life is coming out. Sometimes we see from the heaps of rice the scorpion is coming out. So foolish people will think that the rice is the cause of the life of the scorpion. But that is not the fact. Real fact is the scorpion, they lay eggs within the heaps of the rice, and by fermentation of the rice the eggs become fructified, and life come out. Not that rice, a dead matter, is the cause of the life. So now big, big scientists, they are trying to prove that life come from matter. But here we understand from Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority, that He is the origin of all life: bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ. In another place Kṛṣṇa says:

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

(BG 14.4)

In all species of life. There are 8,400,000 species of life—aquatics, trees, plants, insect, then reptiles, then birds, beast, then human being. This is the evolutionary process, asatiṁ caturaṁś caiva (Padma Purāṇa). These are all mentioned in the Vedic literature about the evolution. Not that the foolish theory of Darwin is the origin of evolution. The evolutionary theory is there. Not theory—fact. So Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya. Yoni means the original source of birth. So there are so many living entities are there. Kṛṣṇa claims:

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

Again He says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Just like father gives the bījaṁ, yathā-yoni yathā-bījaṁ (SB 6.1.54). The mother is the yoni, and the father is the bījaṁ. So without father there cannot be any life, because the father gives the bījaṁ, the seed. Many places in the Vedic literature it is stated that life does not come from matter, but life comes from the supreme life, Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Viddhi: you should understand. Don’t be misled that life comes from matter. It is not fact. Therefore He says, viddhi, sanātanam. Not that nowadays it has become like that, that life is coming from life; formerly life was coming from matter. So, viddhi māṁ sanātanam. The sanātanam means "eternally.” Eternally.

The sanātana word is used in so many places. In another place, Kṛṣṇa says:

mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ

jīva-loke sanātanaḥ

(BG 15.7)

And another place, Kṛṣṇa says:

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anyo

'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ

(BG 8.20)

The sanātana word is used in many places. Sanātanam means "eternal." So this bījaṁ, Kṛṣṇa, is sanātanam. Sanātanaṁ taṁ prabhum āśrayāmi (Vilāpa-kusumāñjali). The sanātana word is very important thing. So there is a place, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, another nature: paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Bhāva means "nature." Just like this. This is also nature, this material cosmic manifestation. This is also nature. But this is not sanātanam. This is temporary, asanātana. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here in this material world everything is created at a certain date. It remains for some time, it grows, it produces some by-products, then gradually dwindles and at last vanishes—finished. So this is not sanātana. Sad-vikāra: six kinds of changes. Just like your body, my body, this is not sanātanam. This is asanātanam. Asanātanam means "not permanent." But the bījaṁ, the seed, or the living entities, they are sanātanam. They are not temporary. Therefore it is said:

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

viddhi pārtha sanātanam

(BG 7.10)

So we are sanātanam. We cannot understand that "Why we should be subjected to the rules and regulation of asanātana, not sanātana?" Actually, although we are . . . Kṛṣṇa says in many places, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ (BG 2.20). Again He says sanātanam. Another place Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-lokev sanātanam (BG 15.7). So we have lost our intelligence. That several places the living entity is described as sanātanam, eternally then, "Why I am under the tribulation of so many rules and regulation of this material nature?" This is the question. This is called brahma jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is intelligence. Unless one is promoted to this intellectual platform that, "I am sanātana" . . . in so many places it is described. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, in Kaṭha Upaniṣad. (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are nityas, and Kṛṣṇa is also nitya. Nityo nityānāṁ. Description of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is given there, that He is the chief nitya. We are nityas, but we are subordinate nityas. We require a leader. And in our material life also we require a leader. Without leader, there is no progress.

So the supreme leader is Kṛṣṇa. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Therefore our eternal relationship is with Kṛṣṇa, nitya sambandha. Nitya siddha. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is called nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya (CC Madhya 22.107). This kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is nitya-siddha. Nityo nityānāṁ. For eternally it is a fact that we are all servant of Kṛṣṇa, and our duty is to render service unto Him. That is confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). That is our position. And mukti means . . . that is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ

sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ

(SB 2.10.6)

This is called mukti. Mukti means hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ. We are acting otherwise. We have forgotten that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This forgetfulness is causing us all trouble, all tribulations, all miseries. We want to enjoy this material world, forgetting that we are not enjoyer, we are simply servant. Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa'. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁśāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

If you want śānti, then you should understand Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is the bhokta; He is the enjoyer. We are not enjoyer. The mistake is that we are trying to be enjoyer. Karmī, jñānī, yogī, they are trying to become enjoyer. And only the devotees, they want to remain as this eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference.

So this is eternal. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kar, he confirms, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Bhakti means bhagavān, bhakta. And the transaction between bhagavān and bhakta is called bhakti. The bhakti definition is the activities, the natural activities, between the bhakta and the bhagavān. Whenever there is the word bhakti, bhakti means there must be three items: the bhagavān must be there, the bhakta must be there, and the transaction between the bhakta and bhagavān must be there. That is called bhakti. So this is our aim in life, sanātana. Because we are sanātana, our business, eternal business, is bhakti. Just like here, this is still further clear. Another place, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Here it is said, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. This is one thing. In other place, in Thirteenth Chapter, He says—or Fourteenth Chapter, I think—He says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4), the same bīja. Therefore He is the father. He is the seed-giving father.

So what is your relationship with father? The relationship with father means father should be revered; father should be obeyed. You should remain obedient to the father. That is your natural position. If you become disobedient to father, that is your unnatural position. Therefore in the material world . . . material world means every one of us, we are disobedient to the supreme father. This is material life.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta 6)

Because we are trying to become the master, not servant. Everyone is trying to become master. That is the material disease. And everyone is trying to become the enjoyer of the material resources. Everyone is trying to be proprietor of this world or another, even Candraloka. They could not manage this world as proprietor, and they are trying to go to another planet to become proprietor. This is going on. This is material disease. He will never accept that "I am not proprietor. I am not proprietor. Proprietor is Kṛṣṇa." Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. If we accept this simple thing, there is immediately peace. The people, even in this . . . on this globe, they are . . . everyone has made a group: "We are Americans," "We are Indians," "We are Pakistanis," "We are Japanese," "We are this and that," and claiming, "This is mine," so-called. This is called nationalism. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yat-tīrtha. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma means the land. The modern advancement means to become nationalist. What is that nationalism? The bhauma ijya-dhīḥ: worshiping the land of birth. This is called nationalism.

So this is called mistaken identity. Actually the bhūmi, or the land, does not belong to you. It belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

(BG 5.29)

And we are falsely trying to become friends of others—leaders. But we do not know how to become friend. Actually nobody is going to be my friend. Everyone wants to exploit me, but in the shape of friend he comes to exploit. This is the world. Why you should claim "friend"? "My sir, I am your friend. What can I do for you?" If I am real friend, then I should inform everybody that Kṛṣṇa is your original, only friend. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don’t claim . . . we are friend in this way that, "I have brought a good news for you." I am friend in that way. "What is that good news?" "That you have got a very nice friend, Kṛṣṇa. Very powerful. Very powerful friend." "Oh, what I am? I'm nothing."

This is actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is trying to become friend, leader, leader of the people, and they do not know who is friend. They are falsely claiming to become friend, and misleading people more and more. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās (SB 7.5.31). A friend, a blind friend, he is claiming other blind friends, "My dear blind friends"—he is also blind—"I will protect you." And other blind friends, they also do not see what kind of friend he is. "If he is friend, if he wants to help us, we are already blind. Whether he can help us at all?" Because both of them are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās. They do not know. They want to become friend. But what kind of friend? Blind friend. So they cannot help. That is the verdict of the Vedas.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

(SB 7.5.31)

These so-called blind rascal friends, they are trying to make us happy by material adjustment. That is not possible. It is not possible.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

(BG 7.14)

Kṛṣṇa says: "This material world, the illusory external energy, you are under her control." We are, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. In another place, in Brahma-saṁhitā, the material energy is described as the Durgā, Mother Durgā:

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā

chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā

(Bs. 5.44)

So we are very fond of worshiping Mother Durgā to take some concession, but such kind of concession will not give me relief. When we worship Mother . . . Goddess Durgā, we ask from her, dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi yaśo dehi rupavati bharyam dehi. So Mother Durgā gives. But that will not help us if we . . . because the place where we are, in this material world, it is duḥkhālayam. You cannot be happy simply by getting a beautiful wife and very big bank balance. That is not possible. It is mistaken idea. Because the place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, Kṛṣṇa says.

So we should understand Kṛṣṇa simply as Kṛṣṇa says. Not whimsically, not by mental speculation. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by mental speculation. That is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ . . . (SB 10.14.29). Kṛṣṇa tattva can be understood by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, not by your mental speculation. Don’t try to understand Kṛṣṇa by your defective mental speculation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa what He is, even though you become . . . you are a siddha, yatatām api siddhānāṁ. What to speak of ordinary men, those who are siddhas . . . siddhas means self-realized, spiritually situated, especially the jñānī. So even out of them, millions of jñānīs, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy to understand.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

(BG 7.19)

If one understands Kṛṣṇa, then he will immediately surrender to Him. That is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Māṁ prapadyate. Why prapa . . .?

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

We can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the root cause of all causes.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So every śāstra will confirm Kṛṣṇa's position, and Kṛṣṇa also personally saying. And He is accepted by great authorities like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita. Formerly, five thousand years ago, and after that all the ācāryas—Madhvācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, later on Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), especially our Gauḍīya-sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu sampradāya. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya (Viśvanātha Cakravartī). Our principle is to worship Kṛṣṇa. What kind of Kṛṣṇa? Vrajeśa-tanaya. Means the son of Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā—that Kṛṣṇa. There may be many other Kṛṣṇas. People may not misunderstand. Just like one may not . . . therefore father's, mother's name is given.

So therefore here it is said, vrajeśa-tanaya. This bhūmi, this Vṛndāvana-bhūmi, is called Vraja. So Nanda Mahārāja was the king of Vraja, Vrajeśvara; and his son, Kṛṣṇa, He is ārādhya. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy: ārādhya bhagavān vrajeṣa tanaya tad dhāma vṛndāvanam. And this Vṛndāvana-dhāma is also as good as Kṛṣṇa. Do not try to see Kṛṣṇa . . . er, Vṛndāvana-dhāma as ordinary place. That is called dhāma-aparādha. Then you will never be able to understand. And the Vaiṣṇava kavi said, jaya jaya vṛndāvana-vāsī yata jana (Śrī Vraja-dhāma-mahimāmṛta 7). Anyone who is living in Vṛndāvana, even cats and dogs, they are also glorious, because next birth they will be elevated; they will be liberated. That is Vṛndāvana-dhāma. So in this way try to understand the glories of Vṛndāvana-dhāma, the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa, according to śāstra. Even if we do not know śāstra, if you simply accept that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), and His dhāma, Vṛndāvana, is as good as Kṛṣṇa, then we are far advanced in spiritual understanding.

So Kṛṣṇa is teaching personally:

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

viddhi pārtha sanātanam

(BG 7.10)

And sanātanam, this word is very important. The process by which we can understand Kṛṣṇa, and by understanding Kṛṣṇa, when we are promoted in the Kṛṣṇa's dhāma and we meet Kṛṣṇa person to person, talk with Him—there is a process—that is called bhakti-yoga. And that process is called sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma you have heard. sanātana-dharma means this bhakti-yoga. Sanātana-dharma does not mean some ritualistic ceremony. This is meant—sanātanam bījaṁ—everyone, every living entity is sanātanam. And Kṛṣṇa is sanātanam, and His abode is sanātanam. Sanātanam. Bhaktyā bhaktyā sanātanam. So if we want to be promoted to the sanātanam place and to see the sanātanam, supreme sanātanam, eye to eye, and talk with Him and dance with Him or play with Him—we are sanātanam—then we must accept this sanātana-dharma, eternal religious system. And what is that religion? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture sanātana-dhāma. It is already done by Kṛṣṇa, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavān. And that is sanātana-dharma. What is that sanātana-dharma?

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja

(BG 18.66)

You simply . . . Kṛṣṇa says this is sanātana-dharma that, "You simply surrender unto Me, and I will give you protection."

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)