The Nature of the Supreme Lord

0:00Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Recitation and translation of Srimad Bhagavatam

7:12[Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting, etc.]

7:12SB 7.6.20-23परावरेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्मान्तस्थावरादिषु ।भौतिकेषु विकारेषु भूतेष्वथ महत्सु च ॥२०॥गुणेषु गुणसाम्ये च गुणव्यतिकरे तथा ।एक एव परो ह्यात्मा भगवानीश्वरोऽव्ययः ॥२१॥प्रत्यगात्मस्वरूपेण दृश्यरूपेण च स्वयम् ।व्याप्यव्यापकनिर्देश्यो ह्यनिर्देश्योऽविकल्पितः ॥२२॥केवलानुभवानन्द स्वरूपः परमेश्वरः ।माययान्तर्हितैश्वर्य ईयते गुणसर्गया ॥२३॥parāvareṣu bhūteṣubrahmānta-sthāvarādiṣubhautikeṣu vikāreṣubhūteṣv atha mahatsu caguṇeṣu guṇa-sāmye caguṇa-vyatikare tathāeka eva paro hy ātmābhagavān īśvaro 'vyayaḥpratyag-ātma-svarūpeṇadṛśya-rūpeṇa ca svayamvyāpya-vyāpaka-nirdeśyohy anirdeśyo 'vikalpitaḥkevalānubhavānanda-svarūpaḥ parameśvaraḥmāyayāntarhitaiśvaryaīyate guṇa-sargayāThe Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthāvara], such as the plants, to Brahmā, the foremost created living being. He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided. He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ānanda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent.

8:22**Translation = "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthāvara], such as the plants, to Brahmā, the foremost created living being.

8:22He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego.

8:22Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities.

8:22He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided.

8:22He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ānanda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent."**

Defining the nature of absolute truth

8:42Prabhupāda: So this is the description of the Absolute Truth. [to Svarūpa Dāmodara:] You can explain in your own way. Just stand up and explain. They'll be glad. The Absolute Truth, explanation.

9:02Svarūpa Dāmodara: The Absolute Truth?

9:03Prabhupāda: Yes, you can explain in your scientific way. [laughter]

9:18Svarūpa Dāmodara: We impose that, ah...

9:23Prabhupāda: Stand up and say. They'll be glad to hear. [laughter]

9:23Svarūpa Dāmodara: We make a prerequisite, saying that in order to understand the difference between life and matter, the basic requirement is to have some understanding of the Absolute Truth.

9:31Just like in mathematics and physics and in chemistry, there are certain axioms from which the knowledge... [break] ...and theories are produced from these axioms. [indistinct]

9:49Similarly, if one would accept Absolute Truth, the axiom of the truth, in order to understand the basic meaning of God, the difference between life and matter, the requirement is very scientific process, they say axioms, actions that can be proven.

10:10They say the Absolute Truth cannot be proven by [indistinct]. So we take Absolute Truth source of everything.

10:18Prabhupāda: Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining Himself.

Necessity of inquiry and spiritual guidance

10:40Absolute Truth is the ultimate end, Vedānta. The subject matter of knowledge is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we have got this human form of life to inquire about the Absolute Truth.

11:03Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam SB 11.3.21

11:18Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No.

11:53The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam: One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam, the Absolute, or the auspicity, beyond this material world.

12:18Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance. So here, our position in this material world = darkness. We are simply speculating in so many ways what is the ultimate cause.

12:39There are so many philosophers, but they are speculating only, without any definite knowledge. So śāstra says that speculative knowledge will not be successful at any time.

Limitations of speculation and material research

13:01In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām BS 5.34

13:13Manaso, by mental speculation, muni-puṅgavānām. One who speculates, he is called muni. So muni-puṅgava. Puṅgava means the most exalted muni, if he simply speculates about the Absolute Truth, how many years?

13:47Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara.

13:48Just like people are now going in the outer space to find out some shelter in the moon planet, in the Mars planet, similarly, if you want to find out the Absolute Truth or the abode of the Absolute Truth...

14:13The description is there in the śāstra: BS 5.43गोलोक नाम्नी निज धाम्नि तले च तस्यदेवी महेश हरि धामसु तेषु तेषु |ते ते प्रभाव निचया विहिताश्च येनगोविन्दम् आदि पुरुषं तमहं भजामि ॥ ४३ ॥goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasyadevi maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣute te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yenagovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmiLowest of all is located Devī-dhāma [mundane world], next above it is Maheśa-dhāma [abode of Maheśa]; above Maheśa-dhāma is placed Hari-dhāma [abode of Hari] and above them all is located Kṛṣṇa's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms.

14:33The topmost planet in the spiritual sky is the..., called Goloka. That is Kṛṣṇa's place. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. And below this there are Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas.

14:57Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa. Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma, this material world. And Maheśa-dhāma, the Śivaloka. And devī-mahesa, hari-dhāmasu. Hari-dhāmasu means Vaikuṇṭha.

15:21So these are the different status of dhāma. We cannot calculate, estimate even this Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma. This material world is called Devī-dhāma.

Acquiring knowledge through the Vedic process

15:39It is controlled by Devī, goddess Durgā. BS 5.44सृष्टि स्थिति प्रलय साधन शक्ति एकाःछायेव यस्य भुवनानि बिभर्त्ति दुर्गा |इच्छा अनुरूपम् अपि यस्य च चेष्टते सागोविन्दम् आदि पुरुषं तमहं भजामि ॥ ४४ ॥sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekāchāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgāicchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sāgovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmiThe external potency Māyā who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself.

16:03So this Devī-dhāma is being controlled by the most powerful energy, Durga. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka. But she's acting as chāyeva, a shadow of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

16:27This is also summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā: BG 9.10मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् ।हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥१०॥mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥsūyate sa-carācaramhetunānena kaunteyajagad viparivartateThis material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.So in this way, if we study through the śāstra, everything is there.

16:50If you want to find out the Absolute Truth, how? Śāstra cakṣuṣāt: through the śāstras, through the Vedic knowledge, you'll find the Absolute Truth. If we actually accept that Veda means knowledge...

17:17Vetthi veda vida jñāne. Veda means knowledge, jñāna. So Veda-anta, the last, last phase of knowledge. The last phase of knowledge is the Absolute Truth. You have to go up to that.

17:41So that Absolute Truth, if you go on speculating, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo BS 5.34that will not be possible. Śata-vatsara-sampragamyo, by hundreds and hundreds of years, if you go on with speed...

18:07What is that speed? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. Aeroplane, airplane, vāyor athāpi. And what is the speed?

18:26Vāyor athāpi. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. Manaso vayu: by the speed of air and mind. Mind is very speedy.

18:41You are sitting here, you can immediately remember ten thousand miles away, it is so speedy.

18:46So even by the mind's speed you cannot, by going over the space, koṭi-śata-vatsara, many millions of years still it remains unknown.

19:05So this is not the way to understand the Absolute Truth, but if we accept the Vedic process, avaroha panthā, when the knowledge comes from the Absolute Truth, then it is possible.

19:30So we Kṛṣṇa conscious, I mean to say, devotees, we try to understand the Absolute Truth by the grace of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya BG 7.7

19:50= "I am the Supreme." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam BG 15.15

Understanding Krishna and the cosmic manifestation

19:56In this way, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is speaking, as they are stated in the śāstra, as it is accepted by the ācāryas, then we can have some trace of the Absolute Truth. Just like Kṛṣṇa says,

20:29BG 10.42अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥ ४२॥atha vā bahunaitenakiṁ jñātena tavārjunaviṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnamekāmśena sthito jagatBut what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.

20:35The expansion of the Absolute Truth, how it is working, so Kṛṣṇa summarized before Arjuna that this material world, material world... Ekāṁśena sthito jagat, this material world. What is that material world?

20:59This material world, we see only one universe to our vision. Similarly, there are millions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jadad-aṇḍa koṭi BS 5.40

21:14Jagad-aṇḍa means one universe, and in each universe, koṭiṣu aśeṣa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭisv aśeṣu vibhūti-bhinnam BS 5.40There are millions of planets, and each planet is different from here.

21:40That is God's creation. So all this together, ekāṁśena sthito jagat, this material world is one-fourth part exhibition of God's creation. And three-fourths' part is in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world.

22:01So by speculation, by our research, it is impossible, but we can get a glimpse of knowledge of the Absolute Truth when we receive it through the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

22:21Thank you very much.

22:22Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]