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710719 - Lecture BS 33 - New York

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



710719BS-NEW YORK - July 19, 1971 - 13:26 Minutes



Prabhupāda:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.33)

So advaita. Advaita means without duality. Advaita acyuta, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Kṛṣṇa's expansion: Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Then Nārāyaṇa, then Mahā-Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu—innumerable expansions.

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Each and every form, Kṛṣṇa's, they are without any duality. Just like I and my photograph, that is my expansion, but it is not one—it is dual. What service you can take from me, you cannot take the service from the photograph. Therefore it is not advaita; it is dvaita, duality. You may have millions of photographs, but each one of them, they're different. But Kṛṣṇa, He has got millions of forms, They're one. That is the difference.

Advaitam acyutam. Acyutam means one who does not fall down. Because He has expanded in so many forms, it does not mean the potency of Kṛṣṇa has decreased. The same thing you chant in the Īśopaniṣad: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). Kṛṣṇa is so full, pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. If you take complete Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, still, He is Kṛṣṇa.

That you cannot understand in the materialistic condition, because if I have got one rupee or one dollar, if I take that one dollar, then it becomes zero. But Kṛṣṇa is so complete, you go on taking Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, still, Kṛṣṇa is complete. Advaita acyuta. Acyuta means does not diminish or does not fall.

Advaitam acyutam anādi. Anādi means it has no beginning. Because we have got this material body we have got a beginning. You may ask somebody, "What is your birthday?" That means beginning. Anything material, it has got a beginning and end. Anything which has got beginning has got end also, and change also. So Kṛṣṇa has no beginning, there is no end, and there is no change. Try to understand.

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta means unlimited. Unlimited forms, Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. He's the original, oldest person. Because ādyaṁ, original. Just like if you find out in your family who is the original man, so as far as you can count, you go a hundred years, two hundred years back, find out who is the origin of your family members, so that man must be purāṇa. Purāṇa means very old. Kṛṣṇa, being the original person, ādi-puruṣam . . . govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi means original.

So you do not think that He might have become very, very old. Because our material conception . . . sometimes we paint picture: "God is the original person. Then He must be very old. He must have grown so much white, gray hairs." No. The Vedic knowledge says, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33).

The oldest man, but nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always just like a young man, sixteen to twenty years old. That is called nava-yauvana. When a man or woman comes to sixteen years, that is the beginning of youthful life. So sixteen to twenty years, this is very nice—in full energy. And that is the time for growth, intelligence.

Unfortunately, we spoil this period, so we become less intelligent, life becomes shorter. If we spoil this period, then our life will be shortened. And if we keep this period complete celibacy, brahmacārī, then you can live up to hundred years. So this period is very nice. It is called nava-yauvana, just new youthful life. So Kṛṣṇa you'll find all new, always new youthful. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa's picture as old. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca.

Then again, it is said, vedeṣu durlabha.

(aside) What is that sound?

Vedeṣu durlabham. Vede means in the Vedic literature, if you make research work how Kṛṣṇa is, then it will be very difficult. Then you come to the impersonal only. Vedeṣu durlabham. You have to go beyond the Vedas. What is that? Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33).

Kṛṣṇa is available through His confidential devotee. Not that if anyone has studied very nicely all Vedic literatures he'll understand Kṛṣṇa. No. Maybe, but it is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa can be delivered by His devotee, ātma-bhaktau. Therefore you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is paramparā system.

If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, if you want to have Kṛṣṇa . . . Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a very nice song. He's praying to a Vaiṣṇava, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more (from Śaraṇāgati): "Sir, Vaiṣṇava, you are Ṭhākura. You are as good as Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kindly accept me as your dog." Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jāna . . . kukkura means dog. Just like dog follows the master very faithfully.

We have to learn something from the dog. The dog also is a teacher: how to become faithful to the master. That teaching we can have even from the dog. He is very satisfied. Whatever food you give, he'll not protest; still, he'll remain faithful. There are so many good qualifications of a dog. So therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more—"Kindly accept me as your dog. I shall serve you faithfully."

Why? Kṛṣṇa se tomāra kṛṣṇa dite pāra: "Because Kṛṣṇa is yours, you can deliver Kṛṣṇa." Very nice song. "Kṛṣṇa is yours. By your devotional service, you have made Kṛṣṇa your property; so you can deliver Kṛṣṇa to me. Therefore I want to follow you as faithfully as a dog."

Vedeṣu durlabham. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: vedeṣu durlabha. If you study independently all the Vedas . . . Veda is the source of knowledge. So vedeṣu durlabha, it will be difficult. But if we approach Kṛṣṇa's devotee, then it will be very easy. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau.

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvenaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.33)

This is the next śloka. The record is aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32).

Next śloka is this, advaitam acyutam anādim. You can repeat. Advaita . . . I say, you say. (devotees repeat)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(sings)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.33)

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

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