740208 - Conversation B - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740208R2-VRNDAVAN - February 08, 1974 - 12:43 Minutes

(poor recording)

Prabhupāda: ". . . sun-god is . . . (indistinct) . . . to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning he instructed the science . . . (indistinct) . . .?" So that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's appearance, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9), if you understand Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance, then immediately you become liberated. Because you are not liberated, therefore you are asking these things. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If we actually understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, then we are liberated. But because you do not know, tyaktvā, Kṛṣṇa in truth, therefore you are asking this question. Kṛṣṇa exists, Arjuna exists.

aparaṁ bhavato janma

paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ

katham etad vijānīyāṁ

tvam ādau proktavān iti

(BG 4.4)

So everything is answered. If people would study Bhagavad-gītā . . . but they do not study as it is; they study according to their whims. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as it is.

Kṛṣṇa . . . if ordinary human being or living entity, he does not die, he is ever-existing—and every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa—how there can be death of Kṛṣṇa or birth of Kṛṣṇa? If the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa they are na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), how Kṛṣṇa can die and again take birth? Therefore janma karma me divyam. These are all transcendental subject matters. One has to know from the right source; then these questions will be answered.

Kṛṣṇa is always there. Kṛṣṇa is not within the time limit— five thousand years or this years or that years. No. Just like for us today is 8th February, 1973 . . . '74—but not for the sun. Our days are changing; the sun is brilliant always. There is no darkness, there is no night. Is it not? Is it not a fact? So where is the past, present, future for the sun? Past, present, future for you, not for the sun. Our date has changed, eh, from 7th February to 8th February, but the sun is not changing dates. Is it not? So if the sun, the creation of Kṛṣṇa, is not changing date, how Kṛṣṇa can change His date? We require little common sense. Sun is one of the creation of Kṛṣṇa. The sun is not changing date, so how Kṛṣṇa can change? Because we change date, therefore we are asking about Kṛṣṇa like that, because we are thinking that Kṛṣṇa may be like us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11): "The mūḍhās think of Me just like I am one of them." For us five thousand years is very great, long years, duration of time, but for Kṛṣṇa five millions of years, trillions of years—because He has no past, present or future. Kṛṣṇa has no past, present. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26): He knows past, present—everything. That answer is given there. Here is it said:

bahūni me vyatītāni

janmāni tava cārjuna

tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi

(BG 4.5)

He knows everything. Then where He is past and present and future? We forget our past; we do not know what is future. Therefore there is past and . . . but here, veda ahaṁ, tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. How He can be old? Everything is present for Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of past, present and future. And because you have . . . that is the difference between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person, Arjuna is living entity. The difference is given here:

bahūni me vyatītāni

janmāni tava cārjuna

(BG 4.5)

"My dear Arjuna, you had also taken many, many births, I had also taken, but the difference is," tāny ahaṁ sarvāṇi veda na tvaṁ vettha, "you do not remember."

This is the defect of the Māyāvādīs, they make equal with Kṛṣṇa. So here is the difference. Ask these Māyāvādī rascals, "Do you remember your past? Do you know what is your future?" They don't. So how can you accept them as God? This is God: tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha. Ask him, "Do you know your past, present, future? Then claim that you are God." That is the qualification of God . . . (indistinct) . . . therefore, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11): the mūḍhās only they think Kṛṣṇa is like them, Kṛṣṇa is like them. But how you can be like Kṛṣṇa? Here is your defect: you do not know past, present and future; Kṛṣṇa . . . (indistinct) . . . (break) What is your question?

Devotee: The question was, Prabhupāda, that at the end of the day of Lord Brahmā, Vivasvān, I believe, was . . .

Prabhupāda: Everything finished.

Devotee: Yes. Then they said . . .

Prabhupāda: Vivasvān will be also finished, because Brahmā's finishing, whole universe will be finished. So Vivasvān is within the universe. He will be also finished. Therefore whatever benedictions you take from other demigods . . . suppose you take benediction to go to the sun planet and live or go to the Brahmāloka. That is not benediction, because everyone will be finished at the end. As I have got my end of life, either Brahmā, Vivasvān, everyone has got end of life—anyone within this material world. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says:

antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ

tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām

(BG 7.23)

Those who are less intelligent, they are trying to get duration of life like Brahmā or Vivasvān, but they will be finished. But our aspiration is not to become finished—to live eternally. That you can have with Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Now, just the end of the day, the day of Brahmā, he destroys the sun. On his next day, after taking rest for the night . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: . . . does he recreate the sun and the lower planetary systems?

Prabhupāda: Yes, again.

Devotee: Is it the same personality, jīva, Vivasvān?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Devotee: The same.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: He has . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: As you go to sleep, you wake up with the same, I mean to say, inclination in the morning. Is it not? Similarly at the time of annihilation either Brahmā, the sun-god and everyone they sleep, and again they wake up in the morning: suptotthita-nyāya. Just like you sleep, forget everything, at night. Again when you awaken, you remember immediately, "Oh, I'll have to go to my . . . (indistinct) . . . I have to do this, do that." This is the idea. Immediately you remember, suptotthita-nyāya.

Devotee: So as Lord Vivasvān has the same incarnations, Lord Brahmā, he is in the same . . . (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Everyone, he becomes annihilated with some particular type of mentality, and according to that mentality he gets next body: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). That has to be practiced-at the time of death what you shall remember. If you remember Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Therefore we require bhajana-smaraṇaṁ, always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, so that you may get the chance of remembering Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful. All these vṛndāvana-vāsīs chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa, only for this purpose—if at the time of death they can remember Kṛṣṇa, that is success of life: ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). This is the . . . (indistinct)

Devotee: If one is engaged in regular bhakti in one's life, does Kṛṣṇa then give one a better opportunity to remember Him at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: That is already explained . . . (indistinct) . . . buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ (BG 10.10). Kṛṣṇa gives all opportunities. Kṛṣṇa is giving. We are not accepting the opportunities. Vṛndāvana also. I have come to give you Vṛndāvana, but still "I am after money and women," that's all.

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) (end)