720504 - Lecture SB 02.09.15 - Tokyo

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720504SB-TOKYO - May 04, 1972 - 16:31 Minutes

Pradyumna: (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees respond)

dadarśa tatrākhila-sātvatāṁ patiṁ

śriyaḥ patiṁ yajña-patiṁ jagat-patim

sunanda-nanda-prabalārhaṇādibhiḥ

sva-pārṣadāgraiḥ parisevitaṁ vibhum

(SB 2.9.15)

(break)

Translation: "Lord Brahmā saw in the Vaikuṇṭha planet the Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of all sacrifices and the Lord of the universe, and who is served by the foremost servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, Arhaṇa, His immediate associates."

Prabhupāda: Hm. So here, as Brahmā saw God, His abode, His associates, so anyone can see also. Brahmā is also living being. Just like if Mr. Nixon can become president, you can also become president. But not that you can become God. You can become president, but you cannot become God. That is not possible.

A foolish conclusion is that, "If I can become president, then I can become also God." But these associates of God, they are equally . . . we have already heard how their bodily features are. They are also of the same color. Hmm? They are also same color. Bhrājiṣṇubhir parito . . .

bhrājiṣṇubhir yaḥ parito virājate

lasad-vimānāvalibhir mahātmanām

vidyotamānaḥ pramadottamādyubhiḥ

savidyud abhrāvalibhir yathā nabhaḥ

(SB 2.9.13)

Where is, the color is described? Ah, yes.

śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ

piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ

sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi-

praveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ

(SB 2.9.11)

There is one śloka where is this description is there about the color?

Pradyumna: The devotees?

Bhānu: Śyāma . . .

Devotee (1): Text eleven. Śyāmāvadātāḥ. Complexion.

Sudāmā: Yes. "The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing, sky-bluish complexion."

Prabhupāda: Yes, śyāmāvadātāḥ, śyāma, śyāma. Śyāmasundara. Kṛṣṇa is known, therefore, Śyāmasundara. This is the sky color. You can understand. Because the sky has no own color, because the color of Kṛṣṇa is spread as brahma-jyotir, that is being reflected in the sky. This is the color of God. Śyāmasundara, therefore called. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham . . . (Bs. 5.38)

So we can see at least the color of the Lord. Here it is said "sky-bluish." How can you deny? Who can say that, "I have not . . ." If you have seen . . . just like the sunshine. Sunshine is whitish. So in the sunshine, you can see the whitish color. So you can at least imagine what is the color of the sun planet, what is the color of the predominating deity there. A little intelligence required.

So if the sky . . . when clear sky, you see bluish sky, that is reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā, by expansion of the bodily effulgence, the brahma-jyotir . . . in that brahma-jyotir there are many universes, in that brahma-jyotir, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. The sky's bluish effulgence is there.

Above this material sky there is another sky, whose reflection you simply can see little. Just like outside there is a brilliant light, so you can get little reflection within your room; similarly, this universe is dark and covered. It is covered, round, surrounded. But outside that universe . . . or this universe is floating in that effulgence. It is reflected. The sky is reflected bluish. This is the . . . let the so-called scientist challenge it. Here is a description from the Bhāgavata: yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40).

So we have to know from the right source what is God. We cannot imagine. You cannot know even what is there within the sky. The scientists calculate that to go to the ultimate region . . . what is called? Circumference?

Śyāmasundara: Stratosphere? Stratosphere?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It will take forty thousands of years with the speed of 18,000 miles per hour. No, or . . . some estimation. Anyway, forty thousands of years. So who is going to live for forty thousand years to see, and go and see and come back? They cannot go even to the moon planet, theorizing. How they can go? But this is fact. If you have got power, you go and see. But they cannot go a few miles, and they are proud that, "We have known everything. We know everything." This is their foolishness. Our knowledge is so imperfect; still, we are proud of our knowledge: "Oh, I have known everything. I know everything. I am God. I am God."

So . . . and foolish like that . . . just like a foolish child, he is declaring himself, "I am God," and there are so many followers: "Oh, he is God. He is God." You see? They do not know what is God. At least we know what is God in this sense: that our God, when . . . actually He is God. Therefore, at the age of seven years, He lifted a big mountain on the finger. So we accept this God. When He was young man He married sixteen thousand wives. These are the unique instances. And why shall I accept a cheap God who cannot provide even one wife? We are not . . . because he cannot provide it, he does not marry.

So this kind of God we don't accept. There must be symptoms of God: sarva-śaktimān, with all potency, aiśvaryasya, all riches, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya, with all strength. If He has all strength, is it very difficult for Him to raise a hill on the finger if He has got all strength? That is the definition of God: all-powerful. So why should I deny that "Ah, this is all story"? It is not story. It is fact.

If He is all-powerful, what is the difficulty for Him to lift a mountain? If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient. Because if we say "all potency, all-powerful, all-good," then to maintain sixteen thousand wives with sixteen thousand palaces and all the palaces made of first-class marble and gold and jewels, and the furnitures are made of ivory . . . these are description. That is God. Why we shall accept a nonsense God simply having a big beard or some . . .? You see? No. We don't accept. We accept real God.

What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "When we speak of the king, it is naturally understood that the king is accompanied by his confidential associates like his secretary, private secretary, aide-de-camp, ministers, advisors, etc."

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, what is the meaning of king? "God is imperson. God is zero"—what is this nonsense God? If our great conception, a king or president we understand is a great personality, if in this tiny material world in one corner of this planet there is a big president like Nixon, and he has got secretary, his staff, his this and that, so many things, and why God should be without any associates, nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, zero? What kind of God? He must be associated with so many associates.

Then?

Pradyumna: "So also, when we see the Lord, we see Him with His different energies, associates and confidential servitors, etc. So the Supreme Lord, who is the leader of all living entities, the Lord of all devotee sects, the Lord of all opulences, the Lord of sacrifices and the enjoyer of everything in this entire creation, is not only the Supreme Person, but also He is always surrounded by His immediate associates, all engaged in their loving, transcendental service to Him."

Prabhupāda: Śriya-pati. Śriya, the goddess of fortune. He is not only sātvatāṁ patim. He is not only the Lord of the devotees. So therefore if we accept the Lord of everything, then where is the question of our poverty? If your father is very big man, very rich man, then where is the question of poverty? So devotee renounces. But a devotee has got all the opulences of the Supreme Lord, background. So he doesn't want to be opulent himself, but the background is all-opulent. If need be . . . just like a small child, a very rich man's son. So he may remain a simple child, but the all the property of his father is there on his back. If there is need, the father will spend all the property for the child. So the child does not require to acquire property.

That is bhakti. If you simply become devotee . . . because Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is described here, sātvatāṁ patim. Sātvata, a devotee. Then you get everything. If you know Kṛṣṇa, then you know everything. If you get Kṛṣṇa, then you get everything. Why should you try to get this thing, that thing, that thing? Simply try to get Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's protection. Then you get everything. You simply try to know Kṛṣṇa; then you know everything. Śriya-patiṁ. Śriyaḥ patiṁ yajña-patiṁ jagat-patim (SB 2.9.15).

So we can end here. Little have kīrtana?

Devotee: All glories to you Śrīla Prabhupāda. (obeisances) (end)