Devotee:

dehé nityam avadhyo 'yaà
dehe sarvasya bhärata
tasmät sarväëi bhütäni
na tvaà çocitum arhasi

"O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature."

Prabhupäda: Dehé nityam avadhyo 'yaà dehe sarvasya bhärata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began, dehino 'smin yathä dehe kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä [Bg. 2.13]. Deha, dehé. Dehé means one who possesses the body. Just like guëé. Ästhate in prata.(?) The grammatical. Guëa, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin çabda. So the nominative case of dehin çabda is dehé. Dehé nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Kåñëa has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bhärata. This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Kåñëa: sarvasya. And in other place, Kåñëa says, sarva-yoniñu kaunteya sambhavanti mürtayaù yäù: [Bg. 14.4] In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, täsäà mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Ahaà béja-pradaù pitä: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Kåñëa and the mother is material nature, or spiritual nature.

There are two natures. That is explained in the seventh verse. The material nature and the spiritual nature. Or the superior nature or inferior nature. Just like in our body there are inferior parts and superior parts. Body is the same. But still there are different parts of the body. Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this hand...? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature, the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source, Absolute Truth... Janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.

Therefore, this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehé, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Kåñëa. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Paëòitäù sama-darçinaù. Because he's paëòita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidyä-vinaya-sampanne brähmaëe [Bg. 5.18]. Within the first-class learned brähmaëa, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidyä-vinaya-sampanne brähmaëe gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, çuni-çuni means the dog-caëòäla, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya bhärata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Kåñëa or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Kåñëa, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Kåñëa says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmät sarväëi bhütäni. Again, He says, sarväëi bhütäni. Na tvaà çocitum arhasi. It is your duty. Kåñëa is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed. In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tathä dehäntara-präptiù. Dehäntara-präptiù. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.

For a kñatriya who are engaged in fighting, in religious fight... Fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then the fighting is all right. So kñatriya killing in the religious fight, he's not responsible, he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brähmaëa. He sacri... He puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly, kñatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained in the next verse. "So it your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehé, avadhya, you cannot kill, he's eternal." Now, dehe sarvasya bhärata, this important point you should note it that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't matter. But... Therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit. Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence by the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on spirit. Therefore, it is called inferior. Yayedaà dhäryate jagat. Dhäryate, it bears. The spirit is there; therefore, the gigantic universe is resting on the spirit. Either the supreme spirit Kåñëa, or the small spirit. There are two kinds of spirit. Ätmä and paramätmä. Éçvara and parameçvara.

So the matter is explained by Kåñëa, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakåtià paräà yayedaà dhäryate. Jéva-bhütäà mahä-bäho yayedaà dhäryate jagat. So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gétä. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in the air? That is also explained. Gäm äviçya aham ojasä dhärayämi. That, just try to understand. A big 747 airplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is there. Not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gétä, gäm äviçya aham ojasä. Kåñëa enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the... Aëòäntara-stha-paramäëu-cayäntara-stham. It is stated in the Brahma-saàhitä.

eko 'py asau racayituà jagad-aëòa-kotià
yac chaktir asti jagad-aëòa-cayä yad-antaù
aëòäntara-stha-paramäëu-cayäntara-sthaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
[Bs. 5.35]

Without Kåñëa's entering into the matter, nothing can work. Aëòäntara-stha. Within this universe, He is there as Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu. Therefore the universe exists. Aëòäntara-stha. And within the universe there are so many material, I mean to say, identities, entities. Even this atom. The çästra says even within the atom, He, as Paramätmä, He is within the body of everyone. Not only within the body of living entities, but He is within the paramäëu, the atom. They are studying now atomic energy. Still they are finding difficulty. Dividing, dividing, dividing. Because they cannot find out that there is God, there is Kåñëa.

So without Kåñëa's, I mean to say, presence, nothing can exist. Therefore, one who is advanced Kåñëa conscious, he sees only Kåñëa. Not the outward covering. Because without Kåñëa nothing can exist. In the Caitanya-caritämåta, it is said: sthävara-jaìgama. There are two kinds of entities: moving and not moving. Moving means sthävara and... Moving means jaìgama. Sthävara-jaìgama. And sthävara means not moving. So there are two kinds of entities. So you can see these two kinds of entities, some of them are moving, some of them are not moving. But a mahä-bhägavata sees both the entities, moving and not moving, but he does not see the moving or not moving. He sees Kåñëa. Because he knows that the moving means living force. So living force, that is also Kåñëa's energy. And the nonmoving is material. That is also Kåñëa's energy.

So in everything he sees only Kåñëa. Premäïjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaù sadaiva hådayeñu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva. They sometimes inquire, "Have you seen God?" Those who are actually devotees, advanced devotee, he's simply seeing Kåñëa, nothing else. Premäïjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaù sadaiva hådayeñu [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means always. Hådayeñu vilokayanti. Yaà çyämasundaram acintya-guëa-svarüpaà govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi **. So this is... More you advance in Kåñëa consciousness, you'll simply see Kåñëa. And if you become practiced to see Kåñëa always, sadä tad-bhäva-bhävitaù... Yaà yaà väpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Yad yad bhävam. So if you always think of Kåñëa... That is Kåñëa's instruction also. Manmanä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always think of Me." That is the first-class yogi, who thinks of Kåñëa always. Yoginäm api sarveñäà mad-gatenäntar-ätmanä bhajate yo mäà sa me yuktatamo mataù [Bg. 6.47]. He's first-class yogi. And devotee is. We already... Otherwise, why he should think of Kåñëa? Man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé. One, only bhaktas can think of Kåñëa always. Man-manä bhava mad-bhaktaù. "Because you are My bhakta your duty is to think of Me always." Is it very difficult task? You are seeing Kåñëa in the temple. The more you see Kåñëa, Kåñëa, Kåñëa, Kåñëa, twenty-four hours engagement in Kåñëa consciousness means you'll be practiced to see Kåñëa always. This is Kåñëa consciousness movement. You cannot forget Kåñëa even for a moment. And that is the instruction. Man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things. When there is Deity in the temple, you see and you get the impression. When out of the temple also you can see within you heart, if you have developed love for Kåñëa. Otherwise, officially, you come to the temple and as soon as... "Botheration, let me forget it." That is another thing. But the whole process is meant for developing love for Kåñëa. Sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokñaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhaktir adhokñaje. That is first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system. This Kåñëa consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating people to think of Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking. We cannot think of anyone unless we love him. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved. Say one boy, another girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them always. "When we shall meet again, when we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-manä bhava mad-bhaktaù. You can become a devotee of Kåñëa, you can think of Kåñëa always, provided you have developed love for Kåñëa. Premäïjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. By bhakti, you can develop your love for Kåñëa. That is required.

So in the lower stage of animal life, Kåñëa is there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bhärata. In another place, Kåñëa says this dehé or kñetra-jïa, the owner of the body is there, and there is another kñetra-jïa, another owner. That is Kåñëa. Kñetra-jïaà cäpi mäà viddhi sarva-kñetreñu bhärata. As the individual soul is there within the body, similarly, the Supersoul, Kåñëa, is also there. Both of them there. Both of them there. So He is the owner of all bodies. All bodies. Sometimes Kåñëa is accused by the rascals, that "Why He danced with other's wife?" But actually He is the proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bhärata. I am not proprietor; He is the proprietor. So if the proprietor dances with his, I mean to say, maidservants, or devotees, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? He is their proprietor. You are not proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bhärata. He is... The individual soul is in every body and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor. Kåñëa says that bhoktäraà yajïa-tapasäà sarva-loka-maheçvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Maheçvaram, He's the supreme proprietor. Suhådaà sarva-bhütänäm. He is actual friend. If I have got some lover, I am friend, I am not friend. Actual friend is Kåñëa. Suhådaà sarva-bhütänäm. As it is said, tasmäd sarväëi bhütäni. Kåñëa is the real friend. So if the gopés dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Kåñëa, they think it is immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Kåñëa is the real husband. Therefore, He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-maheçvaram.

So one who does not know Kåñëa, rascals, they accuse Kåñëa as immoral of woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Kåñëa, His affairs with the gopés. But they do not paint picture how He is killing Kaàsa, how He is killing the demons. They do not like this. This is sahajiyä. They, for their debauchery, for their business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Kåñëa. "Kåñëa has done this." "Kåñëa has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great devotee of Kåñëa, because we are immoral." This is going on. Therefore, to understand Kåñëa, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence. Bahünäà janmanäm ante jïänavän [Bg. 7.19]. Jïänavän means the first-class intelligent wise. Mäà prapadyate. He understands what is Kåñëa. Väsudevaù sarvam iti sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù. Such kind of intelligent mahätmä... You can find out rascal mahätmä, simply by changing dress, without Kåñëa consciousness, declaring himself as God or Kåñëa. Kick on their face. Kåñëa is different from all these rascals. But if you understand Kåñëa, if you are so fortunate-ei rüpe brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only the most fortunate persons can understand Kåñëa, what is Kåñëa. Ei rüpe.

There are many, many millions and trillions of living entities within this universe. And they are rotating in different species of life, 8,400,000-in this way, unfortunate. Simply repetition, birth and death, birth and death in different... Out of them, if one is the greatest fortunate, he is given the chance, guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja. By the mercy of guru and Kåñëa, he gets the seed of devotional service. And if he's intelligent, unless he is intelligent, otherwise how he gets the seed? That is initiation. And if he waters... Just like if you get a nice seed, you have to sow it and pour little, little water... Then it will grow. Similarly, anyone who by great fortune has come into Kåñëa consciousness, the seed of devotional service, he should water it. And what is the water? Çravaëa-kértana-jale karaye secana. This is watering. This hearing and chanting about Kåñëa. This is watering. Don't be absent from the class. This hearing and chanting is watering the seed of devotional service. If you make it official and be absent from hearing... This is most important thing. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù [SB 7.5.23]. This is most important thing. To hear. Çravaëaà kértanam does not mean hearing and chanting of any other entity. No. Viñëu. Çravaëaà kértanam. The rascals, they have manufactured "kälé-kértana".Where is there in çästra there is kälé-kértana, çiva-kértana? No. Kértana means glorifying the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa. That is kértana. Not any other kértana. But they have manu... competition, kälé-kértana. Where is in the çästra kälé-kértana? Durgä-kértana? These are all nonsense. Simply Kåñëa. Çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Kåñëa should be worshiped, Kåñëa should be heard, Kåñëa should be chanted, Kåñëa should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance Kåñëa consciousness.