| Bhagavad-gétä
4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974
Pradyumna: Translation: "The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy." Prabhupäda: Çré bhagavän uväca. We have already explained the meaning of bhagavän in connection with the first verse. Still, again, we are repeating, bhagavän... Bhaga means opulence, and when the Sanskrit affix is there, vat-pratyaya, one who possesses opulence, he's called bhagavän. So it is described by Paräçara Muni that aiçvaryasya samagrasya "Bhagavän means who possesses these six opulences in full: all riches, all strength, all influence, all wisdom, all beauty, all renunciation." So, it has been analyzed how we possess all these opulences, and it has been found by the great sages that Kåñëa is the possessor of all opulences-all beauty, all wisdom. Éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù [Bs. 5.1]. The supreme possessor is Kåñëa. Sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù, anädir ädir govindaù sarva-käraëa-käraëam [Bs. 5.1]. So Bhagavän is individual; we are also individual, part and parcel. Just like the father is individual, and the sons are also individuals. We are all sons of God. Mamaiväàço jéva-bhütaù jéva-loke... [Bg. 15.7]. So we are all individual. In the Second Chapter, Kåñëa said that "We all, you, Me, and all the soldiers and the kings who have assembled here, they were existing before as individual, and we are existing now as individual, and in future also we shall exist as individuals." So that is being explained again.
Bahüni me vyatétäni janmäni tava cärjuna. As individuals, we are taking birth. That Kåñëa's birth will be explained in the next verse. Ajo 'pi sann avyayätmä. Ajaù. Ajaù means "who does not take birth." We are also aja. Na janma... What is that? Na jäyate na mriyate vä kadäcin...na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20], nityaù çäçvato 'yaà puräëaù. That is the description of the living entities. A living entity, as we are, we also do not take birth. We are eternal, part and parcel of Kåñëa. Kåñëa is eternal; we are also eternal. Kåñëa is individual; we are also individual. The difference is that He is éçvaraù paramaù, He's the supreme controller, and we are... We are also controller, but limited, very minute controller. That is the difference. God is great, and we are a small particle. That is the difference. Therefore Kåñëa said that "I also take My birth, and you also take your birth, but the difference is..." Täny ahaà veda. "I know how many times I took birth, but you... You also took, many times, but you have forgotten." That is the difference. Täny ahaà veda sarväëi na tvaà vettha parantapa. You cannot remember. Actually, we do not remember. What I was in my last birth, I do not know. Death means forgetfulness. Death means to forget everything. Just like daytime and nighttime. Nighttime also, when we sleep, we forget all our business in daytime. We have got everyday experience. We are different person at night. We are dreaming something, dreamland, somewhere I have gone, and forget that I have got a body which is lying on the bed, I am the father of such and such sons, I am the husband of such and such... No, you forget everything. And again, in the daytime, you forget everything, what you dreamed. This is our practical experience. Similarly, we had our last birth, but we have forgotten. But Kåñëa does not forget. That is the difference between Kåñëa and the living entities. I have explained already. We forget because we change body. Tathä dehäntara-präptiù. Dehäntara-präptiù, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathä dehäntara-präptiù. But Kåñëa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible. It is said in the Bhagavad-gétä, tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti mäm eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. So when we go to Kåñëa, we get the similar body. Although we are subordinate, still, the facility is almost the same, seventy-eight percent. So about Kåñëa it is, in the Brahma-saàhitä it is said, advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam Advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam. Kåñëa can expand Himself-ananta-rüpam. Ananta means unlimited. Just like in the Bhagavad-gétä it is said, éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe 'rjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61]. Now, we are individual souls. So we are also associated with Kåñëa, as Paramätmä within the heart. Paramätmä is there. Sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöaù. Where the Paramätmä is there, that is also stated: hådi, "in the heart." Sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöaù. There is no, I mean to say, mistake. Kåñëa says, "I stay within the heart of everyone." They are sitting, two birds... That is stated in the Upaniñads. Sitting on one tree. This body is tree, and Paramätmä and jévätmä, both of them are sitting on the same tree. The jévätmä is relishing the fruit of the tree, and Paramätmä is only observer. Paramätmä is observer. Anumantä upadrañöä. Upadrañöä, simply seeing our activities. Kåñëa is so kind, God is so kind, that He is living with me just to turn my face towards Him. He's so.... Just looking after the opportunity when this living entity.... mamaiväàço jéva-loke He is struggling for existence in this material world with his concocted mind and senses. So Kåñëa is looking for the opportunity when the living entity will come back to Him. Because we are all sons. So father, if the son is bewildered, gone out of the home and loitering in the street, the father is very anxious to get him back, although the son has forgotten. This is the position. Therefore, as Paramätmä, He's guiding us. Sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöaù. "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca [Bg. 15.15]. From Him, we get the remembrance. I wanted to enjoy something. Kåñëa gives us full opportunity: "Now here is the opportunity. You can do it." Anumantä. He's so kind. But that is not our actual business. Our actual business is to go back to home, back to Godhead, not to enjoy in this material world. But still, because we want it, Kåñëa gives us all facilities. Mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca [Bg. 15.15]. If we want to enjoy this material world, Kåñëa will give us all the opportunities. You can become the topmost living entity like Lord Brahmä, and you can become an insignificant ant. According to your karma. Anumantä upadrañöä. So this is going on. Therefore Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, ei rüpe brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. In this way, we are wandering all over the universe as some body. Sometimes human being, sometimes demigods, sometimes cats, sometimes dogs, sometimes tree, sometimes plant, sometimes insect, sometimes Brahmä, sometimes ant, sometimes pig. Anything. There are 8,400,000 species of life. So this is our circulation. Therefore Kåñëa says that tava cärjuna. "As Paramätmä, I am with you always. And you are changing so many bodies." Of course, Arjuna did not change because he's devotee. He is accompanying Kåñëa always. Sakhä ceti, bhakto 'si sakhä ceti. So he's friend. He takes his birth as human being whenever Kåñëa wants. Kåñëa has His associates. When He comes on this planet in this universe, He comes with His associates. So the Päëòavas, they are Kåñëa's eternal associates. Although associate, still, Arjuna forgets about his previous birth because he's human being, whereas Kåñëa remembers. So Kåñëa also takes birth, very many incarnations. rämädi-mürtiñu kalä-niyamena tiñöhan This is stated in the Brahma-saàhitä. Kåñëa is appearing in so many incarnations. Just try to understand what is the position of Kåñëa. He is situated as Paramätmä in everyone's heart. Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe 'rjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61]. And He's giving direction to everyone. And there are unlimited, innumerable living entities. So He has to give instruction in different ways to so many living entities. How much busy He is, just try to imagine. Still, His position is the same. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilätma-bhütaù [Bs. 5.37]. Goloka eva nivasati. Kåñëa is still in His own original place, Goloka Våndävana, and He's enjoying in the company of Çrématé Rädhäräëé. That business is.... It is not the Mäyävädé philosophy. Because He has expanded Himself in so many hearts of the living entities, that does not mean that He is finished in His own abode. No. Still He's there. That is Kåñëa. Pürëasya pürëam ädäya pürëam evävaçiñyate. This is the Vedic information. Even the... Here we have got material experience. If you have got one rupee, if you take one anna, then it is fifteen annas. Or if you take two annas, it is fourteen annas. If you take sixteen annas, it becomes zero. But Kåñëa is not like that. He can expand Himself unlimited forms; still, the original Kåñëa is there. That is Kåñëa. We have got experience: one minus one equal to zero. But there, in the spiritual world... That is called Absolute. One minus, million times one minus, still, the original one is one. That is Kåñëa. Advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam [Bs 5.33]. So that Kåñëa you cannot understand vedeñu, simply by studying Vedic literature. Although the Vedas means, Vedänta means, to understand Kåñëa. Vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyaù [Bg. 15.15]. But unfortunately, because we do not take the shelter of Kåñëa or His devotee, we cannot understand what is the purpose of Vedas. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter. Mayy äsakta-manäù pärtha.... Mayy äsakta-manäù pärtha yogaà yuïjan mad-äçrayaù. Mad-äçrayaù. Asaàçayaà samagraà mäà yathä jïäsyasi tac chåëu [Bg. 7.1]. If you want to understand Kåñëa asaàçayam, without any doubt, and samagram, and in full, then you have to practice this yoga system. What is that yoga? Man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Mad-äçrayaù yogaà yuïj... Yogaà yuïjan, mad-äçrayaù. Mad-äçrayaù, this word is very significant. Mat means... "Either you take directly..."That is not very easy thing. "...shelter of Me, or one who has taken shelter of Me, you take shelter of him." Just like there is electric powerhouse, and there is a plug. That plug is connected with the electric powerhouse, and if you push your wire in the plug, you also get electricity. Similarly, as it is stated in the beginning of this chapter, evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. If you take shelter of the paramparä system.... The same example. If you take the shelter of the plug which is connected with the powerhouse, you get immediately electricity. Similarly, if you take shelter of a person who is coming in the paramparä system... There is a paramparä system. Kåñëa, He instructed Lord Brahmä. Lord Brahmä instructed Närada. Närada instructed Vyäsadeva. Vyäsadeva instructed Madhväcärya. Madhväcärya instructed in so many ways. Then Mädhavendra Puré. The Mädhavendra Puré, Éçvara Puré. From Éçvara Puré, Lord Caitanya. In this way, there is a paramparä system. There are four Vaiñëava sampradäyas. The Rudra-sampradäya, Brahma-sampradäya, Kumära-sampradäya, and Lakñmé-sampradäya, Çré-sampradäya. So sampradäya-vihénä ye manträs te niñphalä matäù.(?) If you do not receive instruction of Kåñëa from the sampradäya, then niñphalä matäù, then whatever you have learned, it is useless. It is useless. That is the defect. So many people are studying Bhagavad-gétä, but they do not understand what is Kåñëa. Because they do not receive through the evaà paramparä-präptam. The paramparä, unless you go to the paramparä... The same example. If you do not take electricity from the plug which is connected with the powerhouse, what is the use of your bulb and wire? It has no use. Therefore how Kåñëa is expanding, it is vedeñu durlabha. If you simply have got academic knowledge, then it will not be possible. Vedeñu durlabham adurlabham ätma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. This is the statement of Brahma-saàhitä. Adurlabham ätma-bhaktau. One who is Kåñëa's devotee, pure devotee... anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà Pure devotee means he has no other desire, no material desire. Anyäbhiläñitä-çünyam, zero. So what is that? Anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam [Madhya 19.167]. Jïäna and karma and bhakti. Bhakti is anyäbhiläñitä-çünyam, but jïäna is abhiläñi..., there is desire for liberation, to become one with the Supreme. So that also should be given up. Jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam [Madhya 19.167]. Not covered by the speculative process or fruitive activities. Jïäna-karma.... änukülyena kåñëänuçélanam. Simply favorably cultivating Kåñëa consciousness. Änukülyena... That is bhaktir uttamä. That is first-class bhakti. And if it is mixed up, anyäbhi..., with material desire or spiritual emancipation or fruitive activities, then it is not pure devotee. So if you can approach such pure devotee... As it is stated in the Brahma-saàhitä, adurlabham ätma-bhaktau. This is ätma-bhaktau, a pure devotee. He can deliver you Kåñëa. "Take Kåñëa. Here is Kåñëa." Kåñëa-prema... That is... The symbolic representation is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He's described by Rüpa Gosvämé: namo mahä-vadänyäya When Rüpa Gosvämé... He was minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. At that time, very exalted personality. He could understand Caitanya Mahäprabhu's mission. Therefore when he first met Him at Allahabad, Prayäga, he offered his respect with these words: namo mahä-vadänyäya, the most munificent incarnation. Why? Kåñëa-prema-pradäya te. "You are distributing kåñëa-prema. It is very difficult to understand Kåñëa, but You are so kind that You are immediately delivering love of Kåñëa." You can know one person. But to develop love for him, that is another transaction. So people cannot understand even Kåñëa, and what is the saying of Kåñëa's love? But Caitanya Mahäprabhu is so kind that He's immediately giving kåñëa-prema, love of Kåñëa. Therefore He is described as the most munificent incarnation. Kåñëa Himself could not deliver Himself. He wanted. "First of all you surrender." Sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But Caitanya Mahäprabhu is so kind. Simply through this chanting and dancing, He is distributing love of Kåñëa. You can see practically. These boys from European and American countries, means all over the world, why they are chanting and dancing in this way? Do you think they have become mad? And one says, "Yes, they have become mad." Why? For love of Kåñëa. Now they have began they have become lover of Kåñëa. So kåñëa-prema is like that. That is through the mercy of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Therefore Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the symbolic representation of devotee. Bhaktävatäraà bhaktäkhyaà namämi bhakta-çaktikam. Namämi bhakta-çaktikam. He can give the strength to the devotee so that he can develop his dormant love of Kåñëa. Therefore in the Brahma-saàhitä it is stated that adurlabham ätma-bhaktau. If one is pure devotee, for him, Kåñëa is available very easy. He says in the Bhagavad-gétä. Bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù [Bg. 18.55]. "One can understand Me in truth..." Yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù. "Which is very, very difficult." manuñyäëäà sahasreñu To understand Kåñëa as He is, it is difficult. But if you take to this process of devotional service... çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù Either of these process. All the process or either of these. You become successful to develop your dormant Kåñëa consciousness, and then your life becomes successful. Thank you very much. (end) |