Bhagavad-gita 13.14
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, October 7, 1973

Pradyumna:

sarvatah pani-padam tat sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham sarvatah srutimal loke sarvam avrtya tisthati

Translation: “Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists.”

Prabhupada: So we are now discussing jneyam, the object of knowledge. Previously we discussed the process of knowledge, amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam, acaryopasanam… Twenty items we have discussed. The chief is: mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini. The chief of them is bhakti, mayi ca ananya-yogena, without any diversion. Ananya-yogena bhakti-yoga. That is the chief point. Then other qualities of knowledge will develop automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah.

As soon as you become a pure devotee of the Lord, all the good qualities of the demigods, surah. There are two classes of men: sura and asura. Sura means devotees, and asura means nondevotees. So good qualities can be found in the suras. Ahimsa amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam. There are many instances that the devotees are all qualified.

Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he was only five years old boy and his father was always chastising him because his only fault was he was chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So the world is so made, full of demons, that simply for your fault of chanting Hare Krsna mantra you’ll have so many enemies, even your father. This is the position. Simply for this fault, that because we are chanting Hare Krsna mantra, we have got so many enemies. This is the world. Sura and asura. Because the more asuras… They’ll never tolerate. The glorifying the Lord, they cannot tolerate. It is very difficult for them. So there are two classes of men, suras and asuras. Sura means visnu-bhakto bhaved daivah. Sura means devata, or the demigods; and asura means, visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayah. And asuras means just the opposite number of visnu-bhakta. They are asuras.

So if you develop Krsna consciousness, if you develop love for Krsna, then automatically the qualities of the suras, or the demigods, will develop. You haven’t got to endeavor separately for becoming qualified in good qualities. Automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah.

But if one is nondevotee, he cannot have any good qualities. Why? Now, mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih. Because he is on the mental platform. Devotee means one who is acting on the spiritual platform, and nondevotee means those who are acting on the material platform, either bodily platform or mental platform. These are material platform. Bodily platform, they are called karmis. They are working for their personal benefit.

Generally, everyone in the Bombay city, they are working very hard, but what is the aim? For their personal profit. That is called karmi. Either in this life… Even those who are performing yajnas for being elevated to the heavenly planet. That is also karma, karma-kandiya. They are also karmis. Either for becoming happy in this life or becoming happy… Happy nobody can become; it is illusion. But by sense gratification we think that we are happy. That is the karmi life, on the bodily platform. And the mental platform is little subtle. The philosophers, the poets, the scientists, like that.

So both the bodily platform and mental platform, they are material. Because the body is also matter and mind is also matter. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, apareyam, prakrtir me bhinna astadha. This body is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky, and mind is there, subtle body, mind, intelligence and egotism. So both platform are material platform. Therefore it is said harav abhaktasya. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are not acting on the mental or the gross material platform. They are not working on that platform. They are working on the spiritual platform.

So good qualities can be attained automatically when you work on spiritual platform. But if you work on material platform, means the gross body and the mind, then good qualities cannot be attained. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. Therefore we find that educated persons, so- called educated… They are not educated because in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, the so-called educated persons are bereft of real knowledge, mayayapahrta-jnanah. Apahrta-jnanah. Why? Asuram bhavam asritah. Because they have taken the position of becoming an atheist, no faith in God. They are asura. So any asura, mayayapahrta-jnanah… He may be MA, PhD, from academic career, but his real knowledge is taken away. Therefore he is atheist. Actual knowledge is to know God. Therefore Krsna is explaining what is knowledge, jneyam. Because as soon as you become actually wise, then you become liberated. But if you are not liberated, that means your knowledge is imperfect. Your knowledge is imperfect.

So Krsna says jneyam. Jneyam means mat-param brahma. In a previous verse it has been explained, anadi mat-param brahma. Brahma means brhatya brhanatyad iti brahma.(?) Nothing is great than Brahman. That is being explained, how Brahman, what is the meaning of Brahman. Brahman means sarvatah pani-padam tat: “Brahman has got His hands and legs everywhere.” Just like I have got my hands and legs, this is limited. I have got my hands. Why I cannot stretch five feet? Only three feet. That is also with great difficulty. But the Brahman’s hand, sarvatah, sarvatah, everywhere.

Just like Krsna said, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Now Krsna says that “Either a little flower, a little fruit, or little leaf…” Anyone can collect these things. Even if he is the poorest of the poor, then he can also collect a little flower, a little fruit, little water and offer Krsna, “My dear Krsna, I wanted to offer You something, but I am so poor. I have nothing to offer. I have collected these three things as You have prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. “Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti.

Krsna, He has appeared here in His form to accept your offerings, not that He is poor. So Krsna comes here to accept your offering, but the demons want to break it. This is demon. He does not think that “Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead has so kindly come here in Juhu and accepting our offerings.” But the demons will not tolerate. “No, Krsna cannot…” This is called asuram bhavam asritah. Asura, raksasa.

Ravana. “Bring Rama’s wife, Laksmiji, Sita.” This is demonic. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but a demon, first-class demon, raksasa. Therefore it is said, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. Even though he was a devotee of Lord Siva, because he was not a Vaisnava, therefore he had no good qualification. He had no good qualification. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. Mano-rathena, by mental platform. Ravana thought that “I shall enjoy the Laksmiji of Narayana.” But that is not possible. You can think like that. So everyone is after Laksmiji. The Ravana’s philosophy. The whole world is after material acquisition, laksmi. Money is called laksmi. Everyone is after money but nobody knows that money can be properly utilized when there is Narayana. Laksmi can stay when there is Narayana. Laksmi- Narayana. You cannot keep Laksmi alone without Narayana, that is not possible. Then you’ll be finished, just like Ravana. He wanted to kill Sita without Rama; therefore he was finished with his whole family.

That is awaiting. The whole world is awaiting that disaster. The America has got atom bomb and Russia has got atom bomb. As soon as there is another war, the whole world will be finished. So this is the ajnana. Mayaya-apahrta-jnanah. They do not know that we cannot keep Laksmi without Narayana. That is not possible. Laksmi can be kept at home with Narayana, but she cannot leave Narayana. So if you want to enjoy false laksmi, that is different thing.

Therefore a person who is devoid of knowledge, who is not devotee, Krsna conscious, he has no value. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. He cannot have any good qualities. This is our test. We are not very learned, but we can test because we have got the testing tube. Just like a scientist tests chemically, analytically tests, how pure one chemical is within the test tube, similarly, we have got a test tube. What is that? That test tube it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah [Bg. 7.15]

As soon as we see that one is not surrendered soul to Krsna, he is mayayapahrta-jnana. Then what is the category? Duskrtina, always sinful. Must be. Because he is sinful, he cannot surrender to Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah.

And another class—mudha, rascal, without any knowledge. He cannot also surrender to Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah naradhamah. And the lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because this human body, this man’s body, not the dog’s body, cat’s body, but the man’s body, that is meant for understanding Krsna. Athato brahma jijnasa. That is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs, jumping from here and there. So therefore he’s not taking the opportunity of understanding Krsna. Therefore naradhama. Adhama. Adhama means the lowest. First- class man utilizes life for proper benefit. But one who cannot… They are called krpana also. Miser.

Just like if you have got millions of dollars, you don’t use it, you keep it only in the bank or in the treasury to see, “Oh, I have got millions of dollars.” But utilize it. That is intelligence. Utilize, make it millions to ten times millions by doing a business or something like that. That is intelligence. Similarly, this body, this human form of body, athato brahma jijnasa… To understand Brahman. That Brahman is being explained to understand, how Brahman. Sarvatah pani-padam tat. Brahman means the greatest. So greatest means not limited. We are limited. Our hands and legs are limited, but Krsna’s hands and legs are not limited. Sarvatah pani-padam.

Brahman means Krsna. You’ll find in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna is addressed as param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12] When Arjuna understood Krsna, in the tenth chapter we’ll find, he’s addressing Krsna, that “You are Param Brahman.” Brahman, all of us are Brahman, aham brahmasmi. It is not very difficult to understand. “I am not this body, matter, but I am spirit soul.” Therefore anyone can understand that he is Brahman. Spirit soul is Brahman, not the Param Brahman. Param Brahman is Krsna. We are Brahman, but part and parcel of the Brahman. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [15.7]. We are part and parcel of the Param Brahman. Therefore we are Brahman.

Therefore a part and particle of gold is also gold. A particle of the sea water is also sea water, salty sea water. That is oneness. So far the quality is concerned, that is oneness. A drop of sea water and the whole sea water, in quality, they are one. Because the taste of a drop of sea water is also salty, therefore you can understand the whole water is salty. Chicklena[?]. So you can understand Param Brahman if you understand yourself. That is called self-realization. Simply the difference is Param Brahman, is the greatest, and you are the smallest. He is vibhu, you are anu. But maya is so strong, because we are qualitatively one, we are thinking we are the Supreme Brahman. That is another nonsense. “Because I am salty, therefore I am the sea water.” This is not very good logic. A part cannot be equal to the whole.

So here jnana means, to understand the Param Brahman means, sarvatah pani-padam: “Param Brahman has got pani, hands, and pada, and legs, everywhere.” How it is possible? That is knowledge. That is knowledge. It is possible because we are part and parcels of Krsna, we have got our hands and legs, therefore Krsna has got his hands and legs everywhere. But our hands and legs are now engaged otherwise. It is not for Krsna. That is called illusion. Actually, the hands and legs belong to Krsna. My hands, it is not my hand, it is Krsna’s hand. My leg, it is Krsna’s leg, but in maya, in illusion, it is covered, upadhi. My hand means it is Indian hand.” “My leg means Indian leg.” “My hand means American hand.” “My leg means American leg.” No. It is neither American leg, neither Indian leg, neither Indian hand, nor American hand. It is all Krsna’s hands and legs. That you have to realize. That is real knowledge. That is jneyam. You have to understand that you are not the proprietor of these hands and legs. Krsna is the proprietor.

Therefore Krsna’s another name is Hrsikesa. Hrsika means senses, and isa means the master. Hrsikesa. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta. Another place Arjuna has addressed Krsna as Hrsikesa. No, I mean to say Sanjaya said “Hrsikesa.” So Krsna’s another name is Hrsikesa. So hrsika means indriya, senses, and hrsikesa means the master of the senses. We have got our hands and legs, we have got our mouth, we have got our tongue, everything we have got. That’s all right, but the real knowledge means to realize that these hands, legs, tongue, eyes, ears— everything belongs to Krsna. That is knowledge.

Therefore bhakti means to become liberated from the false understanding that “This is my leg, my head.” No. It is Krsna’s. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When we become purified… Purified means at the present moment we have got this false knowledge, “This is my hand, this is my leg.” When we become purified, we understand that “This is Krsna’s leg, Krsna’s hand, Krsna’s eyes.” That is wanted. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

Nirmalam, this is liberation. So long we are materially attached, it is mala. Mala means dirty things. But when we are purified of the dirty things, we can understand. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was in the beginning thinking that “My hand, my leg, it is meant for my family.” Therefore he was hesitating to kill, that “This hand, it belongs to my family, to my kinsmen, to my country, to my nation, to my society. How I can use these hands and legs against them. Krsna, I’ll not fight.” This is ignorance. He did not know that his hands and legs belong to Krsna. And when he understood… After reading, after hearing Bhagavad-gita from Krsna, he understood, “Well I was thinking the hands and legs belong to my family, to me. No. It belongs to Krsna. It must be used for Krsna.” Then he decided, “Krsna,” karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73], “now You want me… Because this is Your hand, Your leg, so you want to use these hands and legs for fighting. I must use it.” This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Otherwise how…?

Of course, Krsna is all-pervading, still, we are also part and… Everything. All-pervading means everything belongs to Krsna, everything Krsna’s energy. Just like the sun is all-pervading. How it is all-pervading? By the light and the heat. Light and heat is all- pervading. Although sun is localized. sun is situated in one place, how it is all-pervading? Because it is supplying the heat and light throughout the universe. Therefore it is all-pervading. And what is the heat and light? The energy of the sun. Similarly, the original sun is Krsna and He has got two energies: the material energy and the spiritual energy. So therefore everything is Krsna’s. Parasya brahmanah saktih sarvedam akhilam jagat. Sarvam khalv idam brahma. That is realization, when you understand that everything belongs to Krsna because everything is manifestation of Krsna’s energies.

Just like this whole material world. What is this? This is only expansion of the energy of the sun, heat and light. Those who are scientists they can understand. Physics, heat and light. Similarly, the whole creation, that is Krsna’s energy, heat and light, material energy and the spiritual energy. Bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, bhinna me prakrtir astadha. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param, jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. That is the superior energy, living entity.

So we are living entity. We are superior energy of Krsna, but we have become inferior on account of this material covering. We have become inferior but we are not inferior. We are superior energy. When we act for Krsna, then we are situated in our own position. That is called mukti. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, mukti means hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. That is mukti. Mukti does not mean that you have got now two hands, and as soon as you become mukta, you’ll have three thousand hands. No, not that. Mukti means svarupena vyavasthitih. When we understand that “I am utilizing hands and legs and eyes for my sense gratification. No, this is wrong. It should be utilized for Krsna’s service. My hands should be engaged for Krsna’s service. My hands should be engaged for cleansing this temple. My hands should be engaged for cooking Krsna’s food.” In this way. “My hands should be utilized for writing for Krsna, glorifying Krsna. My legs should be used for going to the temple of Krsna. My eyes should be used for seeing beauty of Krsna. My ears should be used for hearing glories of Krsna. My tongue should be used for chanting Krsna’s holy name.” That is mukti.

Mukti is not a very difficult thing. You can attain mukti in a second simply if you agree, as Krsna says,

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami (ma sucah) [Bg. 18.66]

That aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami, this is mukti, moksayisyami. So Krsna is offering you this mukti. Muktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat. Viraktir anyatra syat. When you understand that “These hands and legs belong to Krsna, so I am misusing them. So long I have misused them. I use for my personal sense gratification or expanded sense gratification.” The so-called socialism, nationalism, this ism, that…, that is also sense gratification but it is expanded sense gratification. First of all… [break]

Another meaning of this verse is that if He has got, sarvatah pani-padam, He has got His legs and hands, eyes, head, then how He becomes impersonal, void? Where is this conception comes from Bhagavad-gita? The rascals say that “God is impersonal, no form.” How it is possible, if He has got hands and legs, head and ears, how He has become formless? Tell me. Who is there? How He becomes formless? He is not formless. But the difference is His form is different from our form. Our hands and legs are limited, but He has got His hands and legs… That is not limited, that is unlimited. That is difference. When we say, when there is such thing as formless, formless means He hasn’t got a form like us which is limited. Sac-cid…

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]

He has got His form, He has got His hands. Just like Krsna says,

patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami (prayatatmanah)

Now if you say, Krsna is in the Goloka Vrndavana, far, far away from here. How He accepts?” That is the answer is here, that sarvatah pani-padam. He has got hands. That is the Vedic injunction. Apani-pado javana-grhitah. The Absolute Brahman has no hands and legs, but He can accept anything, He can walk everywhere. Just contradictory. Pasyaty acaksuh. He has no eyes. but He can see everything. This is the difference. He has got His form. That is spiritual form, that is not this material, limited form, but He has got His form. One who does not understand His unlimited form, Brahman form, sarvatah… Everywhere He can go, everywhere He can see, everywhere He can accept whatever you offer. Everywhere He can walk. That is His form, but He is not formless.

Therefore He is called omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. These are the adjectives given to God. Omnipresent. He is present everywhere. That’s a fact. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61] He’s sitting within your heart, He’s seeing everything, what you are acting. Isvarah sarva… Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Not that to make Krsna formless, “He does not eat. He does not speak. He does not walk. He has no hand. He has no head.” That is not knowledge. That is ignorance, foolishness. Mudha. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam, param bhavam ajanantah [Bg. 9.11]. Because He does not know the param bhavam. This is param bhavam. Krsna has form, but a form not like us. That is param bhavam. He is present everywhere.

He can accept anything, wherever you offer. That Krsna says, tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami. Krsna says, “I take.” Who are you to say that Krsna does not accept? Krsna accepts, provided it is given with devotion. That is wanted. Tad aham bhakty-upahrtam. Anyone brings something to offer Krsna with bhakti, Krsna is not hungry but He accepts… [break]

These are the Vedic injunctions. He takes whole foodstuff, still He remains full. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. These are the Vedic injunctions.” So that is, Krsna is teaching, sarvatah srutimal loke. He can hear. It is not that Krsna is in the Goloka Vrndavana, far, far away, therefore we are chanting His glory here, He cannot… [break]

sarvatah srutimal loke. He can hear everywhere. Sarvatah srutimal loke. Sarvam avrtya tisthati. Because He is Brahman, He is covering everything. He is everywhere. Brhatyad brhanatvat(?). Therefore He is Param Brahman. This is knowledge. You have to understand… Don’t think Krsna is limited because he appeared before us, He has appeared here in the form of a stone. He’s not stone. Stone is His energy. [break] He can appear before… [break]

Then don’t think that here “These people are worshiping a stone,” as the atheist will speak. Arcye sila-dhir gurusu vaisnave jati-buddhih naraki… [break] …in the sastra that “Don’t think the worshipable Deity is made of stone, made of metal.” Because in the wood there is Krsna and because Krsna is omnipotent He can accept. [break]

apani-pado javana-grhitah. So in this way try to understand… [break] …anyatha ajnanam. Then you are in ignorance, ajnana. [break] …Krsna, then you are liberated. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)