Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Nitai: “Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.” Prabhupada: apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat So Krsna has explained this material world, bhumir apah analo vayuh. Now, this is also nature, prakrti. There is another nature, prakrti. Prakrti means stri-linga, woman. Jiva-bhuta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as purusa. Not purusa. The Mayavadi philosophers, they think themselves as purusa. The karmis also, they think they are purusa. Purusa means enjoyer, and prakrti means enjoyed. But Krsna does not say that the living entity is purusa. He says prakrti. Prakrti is always subordinate to the purusa. That is the natural way. In the Manu-samhita it is said that prakrti, or stri, never deserve to be independent. Na stri svatantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakrti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme purusa, Purusottama. Krsna is Purusottama. And Krsna has been accepted as the purusa by Arjuna. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan, purusam sasvatam [Bg. 10.12]. It is not that Krsna has become purusa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Krsna is purusam sasvatam, eternally He is purusa, eternally He is enjoyer. He’s never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Krsna, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-marga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be purusa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi. This is bhakti-yoga. So this material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy, although prakrti, still, it is superior energy. That is explained. Why superior? Because the spiritual energy, prakrti, can control over the material energy. There is some tint of purusa activities, but actually, living entity is not purusa. He’s prakrti. So as the material energy, bhumir apah analo vayuh, is controlled by the supreme controller, Krsna, similarly, we are also controlled by the supreme controller, Krsna. And because Krsna is controller both of the material energy and the spiritual energy, He’s called the supreme controller. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. In another place Krsna says, so far the material energy is concerned, He says, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Mayadhyaksena: “Under My superintendence, this material energy is working.” In another place, in the Brahma-samhita, it is said, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. Durga-sakti, or external energy, Durga,… Durga means the superintendent of the fort. Durga. Durga means fort, where you cannot get out or cannot enter very easily. That is called durga. Dur-gamana. So Durga means the superintendent deity of this material world. So she is very powerful, Durga. How much powerful? Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktih. She can create, she can maintain, and she can destroy the whole material energy, whole material cosmic manifestation. She’s so powerful. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva [Bs. 5.44] Still, she is working not independently. Chayeva. Just like chaya, or reflection, or shadow. Not independently. The material scientists who think that the material energy is working independently, they are mistaken. Material energy cannot work independently. We have got experience. However gorgeous a machine may be, unless there is touch of the spirit soul, the machine cannot work. Similarly, the big machine, cosmic manifestation, everything is going on very nicely, but it is being worked out by the plan of Krsna. That is stated by Krsna Himself, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10], and similarly it is confirmed by Brahma, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44], yasya hi… Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga, icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa. Sa durga yasya icchanurupam api cestate. Now, not independent. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead desires, she works. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So description of this… Krsna has proposed in the beginning of this chapter that asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu: [Bg. 7.1] “Without any doubt, as you can understand Me completely, I am describing.” Now, here is the description. Krsna says that the material energy and the spiritual energy, both of them are different energies of Krsna. In the Vedas also it is stated, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has nothing to do Himself because His energies are so complete that simply by His desire, the energies work svabhaviki, automatically. Just like the energy within a seed. You implant it, put it in, within the earth, put little water, and it fructifies. It becomes a big tree, banyan tree. The energy is so perfect. We can study by ordinary understanding. The banyan tree, one fruit, and there are thousands of seeds within one fruit. And each seed is containing another banyan tree. This is a fact. We can experience. Now, how much energy is there, a small seed. But the energy is so complete that it can produce a big banyan tree. Not only a big banyan tree, many millions of fruits, fig fruits, and each and every fruit there are millions of seeds. Just imagine parasya saktih, the energy of the Supreme, how perfect it is. And so perfect… Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. The energy is put there, electric energy or spiritual energy is there, and automatically it becomes perfectly done. Wherever it is… As it is required. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. We, if we try to paint one picture of a banyan tree, it will take so much energy of us and days. Still, it is simply painting. It is not perfect. But Krsna’s energy is so perfect that within the seed everything is there, and in due course of time it fructifies and comes into nice, perfect tree. This is called Krsna’s energy. So both the spiritual energy and material energy, the source is Krsna. Therefore the conclusion should be that life does not come from matter. Matter comes from life. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, bhinna prakrtir me astadha. Krsna is life, and from Him these material energies—earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—has come. So the huge, gigantic material cosmic manifestation is caused by the supreme life. Not that life has come from matter. So there are so many theories, but Krsna, the supreme life, the supreme being, is the source of everything. Therefore Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8] The, this fact is known to the devotees. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Krsna is the source. Absolute Truth is Krsna. In the Vedanta-sutra the inquiry is athato brahma jijnasa. What is that Absolute Truth, the supreme source of everything? That supreme source is Krsna. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning: janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat [Bhag. 1.1.1]. Abhijnah. Krsna is the supreme creator, and He knows everything. Anvaya-vyatirekabhyam, directly and indirectly, both ways. He knows everything. He says also in Bhagavad-gita, vedaham samatitani. He knows everything. Krsna, when He was asked by Arjuna that “You say that this philosophy of Bhagavad-gita was taught by You to the sun-god. How can I believe it?” the answer was that “The thing is that both of us, we were present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten.” That is the difference between Krsna and ordinary living be… He is complete; we are not complete. We are incomplete, fragmental portion of Krsna. Therefore we must be controlled by Krsna. If we do not agree to be controlled by Krsna, then we shall be controlled by the material energy, this bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh. Actually, we are spiritual energy. We should voluntarily agree to be controlled by Krsna. That is devotional service. That is devotional service. We are spiritual energy, and Krsna is the Supreme Spirit. So if we agree to be controlled by Krsna, then we are promoted to the spiritual world. If we agree. Krsna does not interfere with your little independence. Yathecchasi tatha kuru. Krsna say to Arjuna, “Whatever you like, you can do.” That independence we have got. So out of that independence we have come to this material world, to enjoy freely. So Krsna has given us freedom, “You can enjoy freely.” And we are trying to do that. But the result is that we are becoming entangled. We are given the freedom to work in this material world. Everyone is trying to become the master of the material world. Nobody is trying to become the servant. Only we, the Vaisnavas, we are trying to become servant. The karmis and jnanis, they do not like to become servant. They criticize us that “You Vaisnavas, you have got slave mentality.” Yes, we have got the slave menta… Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. That is our position. What is the use of claiming artificially, “I am master”? If I had been master, then why the fan is required? I am servant of this influence of summer season. Similarly, I shall be servant in the winter season, too much cold. So we are always servant. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Actual, our constitutional position is eternal servant of Krsna. Krsna is the supreme controller. This Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that these foolish persons or rascals, mudhah… I am not manufacturing the words “foolish” and “rascal.” It is said by Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. He has spoken like that. You’ll find. Duskrtinah, always acting sinfully, and mudhah, and rascals, ass. Naradhamah, lowest of the mankind. “Oh, you are…? Krsna, You are speaking so much ill of these materialist scientists? There are so many philosophers. They’re all naradhamah?” “Yes, they are naradhamah.” “But they are educated.” “Yes, that is also…” But what kind of education? Mayaya apahrta-jnanah: “The result of their education—knowledge has been taken away by maya.” The more one is educated, the more one is atheist. At the present moment… Of course, education does not mean… Education means to understand. Jnani. Educate, educated means wise man, educated man, jnani. The actual jnani means mam prapadyate. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19] That is education. The education does not mean to become atheist, “There is no God. I am God, you are God, everyone is God.” This is not education. This is ajnana. The Mayavadis, they think that they have become one with God. That is not education. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. They are thinking that they have become liberated, but actually, avisuddha-buddhayah, their intelligence is not purified. Therefore falsely claiming. If one is God, then how he has become dog? This much common sense there is not. God is God; dog is dog. This Dvaitavada philosophy is perfect. Acintya-bhedabheda, simultaneously one and different. We have got… Because we are spiritual energy, therefore… Krsna is Supreme Spirit. Therefore we are in one in quality, but Krsna is the Supreme. Anor aniyan mahatah. He’s mahato mahiyan, and we are anor aniyan. We are smaller than the smallest. This relationship with Krsna is perfect. If we had been actually God, then why we are fallen? This is not possible. God is God. He’s never… God’s name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But jiva-bhuta, jiva, living entities, they are cyuta. They falls down from the spiritual platform to the material platform. So they may… Although we have fallen in the material platform, but because we are spiritual energy, therefore Krsna is describing this living entity as para prakrti. It is prakrti. Prakrti means to be controlled by the purusa. This is to be understood. Prakrti is never controller. The purusa is controller. Therefore Krsna says that apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param. So jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. It is para-prakrti, superior energy, because it is trying to control over the material energy. Every one of us, we are trying to control over the material energy. The big stone, big hill, they, that is material energy, but the spiritual energy, a human being, is breaking the hill by dynamite. Therefore it is superior energy. It is also energy, but superior energy, because the…, it can control even the biggest mountain. Nowadays, by scientific advancement, they are making so many tunnels within the big, big mountain. Big, big ocean, they are making tunnel. They are drilling oil. Controlling. Therefore superior energy. But that does not mean they have become God. That is mistake. God is different. God is Krsna, the supreme controller. He’s controller of the material energy and the superior energy. This should be the conclusion. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. And the… Because… That will be explained in the next verse. Because the superior energy is controlling the material energy… Or trying to control. Not controlling, but trying to control. That is called struggle for existence. Actually, we cannot control the material energy, but we are trying. That endeavor, to try to control over this material energy, is called struggle for existence. Actually, we shall not be controller. We shall not be able to control. That is explained. Therefore, in the material world, we are trying to solve one problem, but we are getting new problems. In the Western countries we see it very easily. Man manufactured the horseless carriage, motorcar, to go very swiftly, but now it is problem is where to park and how to drive the motorcar. In America we have seen. They are increasing different paths, one after another, one after another, one after another. Still, the problem is not solved. Still somewhere you’ll find bottleneck. So many accidents. So we cannot actually solve the material problems. That is not possible. Material energy is so strong. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka [Bs. 5.44]. You cannot control over. Because real controller is Krsna. We are simply trying to control over the material energy. That will be, never be successful. This is knowledge. Krsna says therefore, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Mama maya duratyaya. It is very difficult. But without Krsna consciousness, forgetting Krsna, we are trying to control over the material energy. That is explained by a Vaisnava poet, very simple language, krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare As soon as we forget Krsna, the supreme controller, and we want to control over the material energy, bhoga vancha kare… Bhoga means control over. “I shall control this market. I shall be the head of the market.” Everyone is trying that. So krsna-bahirmukha. He does not know the real controller is Krsna. So krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. This bhoga vancha, on account of this bhoga vancha, he becomes subjected to the conditions offered by this material nature. Therefore it is said, daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14] So in the Bhagavad-gita is…, everything is explained. Either you study in, comparing in the modern scientific and philosophical ways, or as you accept it as it is, the conclusion is the same—Krsna is the supreme controller. That will be explained later verses. Therefore if you are sensible, if you are actually wise, I mean, if you are actually advanced in knowledge, then you should surrender to Krsna. This is the conclusion. We have to surrender. Therefore Krsna says bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19] You have to (be) controlled. You cannot be independent. The more you become independent, you become more and more entangled. Yajnarthe karma, karmani, anyatra karma-bandhanah. If you don’t act for Yajna, Yajna-purusa, Krsna, then you’ll be entangled. So the best thing is if we become wise… Wise means… Krsna says that “This is your position. You have to surrender unto Me. You did not surrender unto Me; therefore you are suffering so much in this material world.” Today is Krsna’s birthday. He descends to give us instruction. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Krsna advents Himself… Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glanih. What is that? When we forget Krsna and try to become the master of the world. This is dharmasya glanih. When we want to become master of Krsna, that is dharmasya glanih. So Krsna advents Himself. This is, today is the auspicious day of Krsna’s adventing to kill Kamsa and to release Vasudeva. This is Krsna. Yada yada hi dharmasya… Paritranaya sadhunam. Vasudeva, His father, was arrested, put into the prison house. To release him from the prison house, and to kill the Kamsa, duskrtina, raksasa… The raksasika philosophy is “How to kill Krsna, how to become godless.” Kamsa was planning to kill Krsna. That is… Kamsa, or the demons, that is plan. But Krsna comes to kill the demons and protect the devotees. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8] But He is kind to both the demons and the devotees. By… Anyone who is killed by Krsna, he also gets liberation. And what to speak of the devotee. So on this advent day of Krsna we shall seek protection at the lotus feet of Krsna. Then we shall be able to cross over this illusory energy, ocean of illusory energy. samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam padam padam yad vipadam na tesam So Krsna is adventing today. There is stotra by the demigods. We should read, how Krsna protects the demigods or the devotees. We should seek protection of Krsna. This world is so dangerous. It is said, padam padam yad vipadam. Every step there is danger. But if we take shelter, samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh, if we take shelter of the lotus feet of Murari, under whose lotus feet the whole mahat-tattva, cosmic manifestation, is resting, then this big ocean of birth and death, we can cross very easily. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam means the impression by the hoof of a calf and the water contained in it. The whole ocean becomes like a spot, a small spot, created by the impression of the hoof. That is called vatsa-padam. So this Krsna consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are requesting and training the bewildered living entities who have forgotten Krsna to revive Krsna consciousness so that he may be saved from the onslaught of material nature. This is Krsna consciousness movement. It is the greatest humanitarian welfare activities to the human society. Take it very seriously and be happy. Thank you very much. (end)
Janmastami
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, August 11, 1974