Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.23-4 Nitai: “The material energy springs up from the mahat-tattva, which evolved from the Lord’s own energy. The material ego is endowed predominantly with active power of three kinds—good, passionate and ignorant. From these three types of material ego the mind, the senses of perception, and the organs of action, and the gross elements evolve.” Prabhupada: mahat-tattvad vikurvanad bhagavad-virya-sambhavat kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah samapadyata vaikarikas taijasas ca tamasas ca yato bhavah manasas cendriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api So the process of creation, how, one after another, it takes place, that is described here. So the total energy, mahat-tattva, by interaction, the begins… The moving, the pushing, begins from the bhagavad-viryata. Bhagavad-virya-sambhavat. Virya means energy. We understand virya sometimes—the semina. It is something like that; not exactly the material semina, but potency or energy, spiritual energy. That is the beginning of creation. So wherefrom the creative energy begins? That is… In the Vedic literature we understand, sa aiksata: “Simply by glancing.” Not… When there is the word virya, it does not mean that, as in the material world, we discharge semina by sex intercourse. It is not like that. That virya, that energy, can be emanated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead any way. Therefore bhagavad-virya-sambhavat. In the Brahma-samhita it is said, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. Viryata we can understand as semina discharged from the genital. It is not like that. Viryata, that virya or that energy, can be emanated from any part of the body, of the transcendental spiritual body, everywhere. That is called omnipotency. So just like Lord Brahma was born not from the womb of Laksmi Narayana… Narayana was lying down, and Laksmi was present. To beget Lord Brahma, there was no necessity of taking the help of Laksmiji. He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahma. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body. That is spiritual body, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], omnipotent. That is explained in the Brahma-samhita, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. The limbs and the parts of the body has got the potency of any other limb. Just like we can beget child, we can impregnate by the genital, but it is not required for the Supreme Personality of God. In the Vedas it is said, sa aiksata: “Simply by glancing the same.” The same. “He glanced over the total material energy, and the material energy, total mahat-tattva, became agitated.” Then, one after another, the creation was there. So kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah. Kriya-sakti, the creative energy, kriya-sakti. God is not impotent. He is fully potent, and His energies are acting. We can experience in our daily life. So this kriya-sakti begins in three different categories, tri-vidhah. Kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah samapadyata. Ahankara, ego, identification, “I am.” Everyone is conscious of his activities, ego: “I am doing this.” But this ego, this is called false ego. This material, under the material energy, this ego, is called another way upadhi, designation. The real ego is aham brahmasmi: “I am spirit soul.” But on account of being in touch, being born in this material world, my kriya-sakti, my activities, are being done under different designation, under tri-vidhah. Why under different designation. Because immediately there is creation, the gunamayi, the three kinds of modes of material nature, they also become manifest, and on account of this, our ego, false ego, association with a particular type of material modes of nature, I am thinking, “I am like this” or “I am this.” Just like in this body, I am thinking, “I am a human being” or “I am Indian” or “I am brahmana” or “I am sannyasi,” or this or that, so many things. Similarly, when I am in the dog’s body, so I think, “I am dog. My business is barking and give service to the master.” In different bodies different ego. This is called upadhi, upadhi, three kinds of upadhi: sattvika-upadhi, rajasika-upadhi, tamasika-upadhi. But originally there was no upadhi. The upadhi begins when the srsti, creation, begins under different ego. So originally it is svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam iti cetasah. The consciousness is pure. The same example, as we have explained yesterday, that the water is coming from the sky. Before touching the ground it is pure, crystal, distilled water. So before touching this material energy… Iccha-dvesa samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Before our material body creation, in spiritual consciousness, it is clear, crystal clear. But when it is agitated by the material desires… In Bengali there is that poetry, krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. What is that? That desire is that “I can independently enjoy.” The example… There are many such examples. Just like a man is honest, but if he becomes polluted by the desire that “If I can get that money by fair or unfair means, I will become rich, so let me take this money,” so immediately mind becomes agitated, and it becomes under the spell of criminality. Then gradually, under superior judgment, I am put into the prison house. So similarly, originally we are all pure, Krsna conscious, but as we have got little independence… Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore—God has got full independence—so we have got independence according to the quantity. Just like a small drop of ocean water has got a little quantity of salt also, similarly, we are anu, and God is vibhu; He is Prabhu, and we are servant; He is master, we are servant. The master has got independence, and the servant has also independence, not that because one is servant, he has no independence. He has got independence. If he likes, he can give up the service of the master and live independently. This is crude example. Similarly, our material contamination means that, when we desire to live without Krsna consciousness: “Why we shall be subservient to Krsna? We shall live independently…” That is going on. Material life means everyone is trying to become victorious in the struggle of existence without God consciousness. That is our material disease. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. We may revolt. That independence we have got, little independence, and we can misuse it, that “Why shall I serve Krsna? Let me serve myself.” “Let me serve myself” means “Let me serve my different propensities, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, matsarya,” like that. My independence means “I will not serve God; I will serve my lusty desires.” You cannot become independent. This is a concoction only, that “I will not serve Krsna.” But you have to serve. What is that? “Then I serve my lusty desires.” Indriya-trpti, indriya-trpti. Yad indriya-pritaye. Simply to satisfy… Krsna consciousness means there is no such thing as indriya-trpti, or sense gratification. Everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsika means the indriya, or the senses. That is stated here also, manasas cendriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api, that different types of indriya for sense gratification, we develop. This is the creation, every one of us developing, and it is become complicated with so many other desires. Each life is full of desires. Therefore in the Guru-stotra in the morning we recite, ar na koriho mane asa. Is it not? What is that? Devotee: Ar na koriho mane asa. Prabhupada: Ar na koriho mane asa. So that is required. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya… **? Devotee: Cittete koriya aikya. Prabhupada: Cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa. That is liberation. Otherwise we shall be implicated. And what guru says? Guru says the same thing as Krsna says. That is guru. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Krsna also… Guru also says the same thing. That is guru’s business, that “You surrender to Krsna and fully be engaged in Krsna’s service.” So therefore Narottama dasa Thakura advises, “Take this very seriously.” Ar na koriho mane asa: “No more. Stop any other desires.” Then your life is successful. Ar na koriho mane asa. vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ’vyavasayinam Buddhayo ’vyavasayinam. Vyavasayatmika, niscayatmika. “Now, my life will be successful when I accept very seriously the instruction given by Krsna and it is delivered to me through the transparent via media of guru. Then it will be successful.” Ar na koriho mane asa. So some way or other, originally, we are all Krsna conscious, pure, svaccha. Svacchatvam avikaritvam. Now vikurvanat, now, being transformed or agitated somehow or other… Anadi karama-phale, padi’ bhavarnava-jale. We cannot ascertain when this transformation took place. There is no necessity of making research how we fell in this material contamination or envelopment. But we should be intelligent enough to understand that we are fallen now. That is… How we fell—you can trace out the history, but it is very difficult because anadi karama-phale, nobody can ascertain. Just like when a man is diseased he goes to doctor. So when he goes to the doctor, the doctor gives him medicine according to the symptoms and the diagnosis. There is no necessity of find out the history, how he fell diseased. There is history, but that is not possible to trace out. Therefore it is said, anadi karama-phale. Anadi. Anadi means… Adi means the creation. Creation… Before creation, I contaminated this desire, iccha-dvesa samutthena. I became revolting to the desires. Krsna says… Every one of us revolting now also. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], but we are revolting, “Why? Why shall I surrender to You? This is too much You are demanding.” This is going on. This is going on. This is the disease. And to cure the disease Krsna Himself comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati, tadatmanam srjami [Bg. 4.7]. But we are so stubborn that we won’t, do not like to be cured. So what Krsna will do? How Krsna will help? He is coming. He is sending His devotee. He is leaving behind Him the sastras. Ataeva krsna veda-purana karila. The Vedic literature, Veda, Purana… “So I elaborately explained the Vedic ideals in the Puranas.” Purana means supplementary. They are not to be neglected, the history. Then Mahabharata, then Vedanta Purana, er, Vedanta philosophy, then explanation of Vedanta philosophy, Srimad-Bhagavatam. And Mahabharata means which contains Bhagavad-gita. So many literatures there are. And who has made it? Made it, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva is Krsna’s incarnation. Vyasavatara. That is stated in the sastras. So Vyasadeva made all this literature. That means Krsna made through His incarnation. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritamrta we find this verse: anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli’ gela, ataeva krsna veda purana karila.(?) So some way or other, we are fallen in this material condition of life, making a… Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. This manasas cendriyani, as it is stated here, manasas ca indriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api. Maha-bhuta, maha-bhuta, these five elements, ksitir ap tejo marud vyoma, and mind. So in this way we are entrapped, and there is struggle. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati, mamaivamsa: [Bg. 15.7] “They are My part and parcel. They can live as good as I am, but unfortunately, they are undergoing a struggle for existence on account of this polluted mind.” What is that pollution? Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. He thinks that “What is the use of…” this is, what is called, “service mentality, slave mentality.” They say, “This bhakti-marga is slave mentality. Instead of becoming God, they want to become servant or slave of God. So this is slave mentality.” No, this is not slave mentality. This is actual liberation, because our constitutional position is to remain. We are servant of Krsna. But somehow or other, we revolted. Still we are revolting. Although Krsna coming and canvassing, “Just surrender unto Me,” but still we are revolting. This is our disease. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. So if we want to be cured again and come to our original consciousness, Krsna consciousness, which is svacchatvam avikaritvam santatvam iti cetasah, then we have to take to this Krsna consciousness. That is the only way. There is no other way to become peaceful. Santatvam avikar…, without any change, fixed-up mind—that is Krsna consciousness, santi. If you want… Everyone is hankering after santi. The santi formula is given everywhere in the sastra. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is personally saying, “This is santi.” What is this? bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati [Bg. 5.29] Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam—who? Not these political leaders. We are taking these political leaders as our friend and carried away by their dictation. Some political leader says, “You do like this,” another political leader, “Do like that.” So we are not, no. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka…, suhrdam. If we want to take advice of real well-wisher, so suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. Similarly, a sadhu, he is also suhrdam sarva-dehinam, the same thing. As Krsna is the supreme friend, well-wisher, suhrt… Suhrt means good heart. Friend, mitra, it is little different from suhrt. Mitra means I make friendship with you with some motive. But a father, he is suhrt, mother is suhrt, always well-wishing. Or there may be some friend also, always well-wishing. But the best example, that the father is always well-wishing: “How my son will be well situated? How he will be happy?” Similarly, Krsna is… Krsna says that “When one can understand Me as suhrdam sarva-bhutanam,” then santim rcchati, “then he will get santi, santatvam.” When we accept it, firmly convinced that “Krsna is my father, Krsna is my friend, Krsna is my well-wisher…” And Krsna says. Where is the difficulty? Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. He takes charge. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. He is giving assurance. mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim [Bg. 9.32] Everything is there. So on account of this dirty position of material contamination, we cannot accept Krsna as the real friend. Therefore we cannot get santi. So if we want really santi, then we must accept the formula, suhrdam sarva-dehinam jnatva mam, not this political leader, that political leader, no. They do not know what is the actually path of santi. They cannot. They do not have santi in themselves. How they can…? “Physician heal thyself.” The physician himself is a diseased person, maya-mohita, so how they can help us? So this is not possible. We have to accept Krsna as suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva: He is the proprietor of everything. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Mahesvaram. Isvara, mahesvaram. Paramesvaram. Mahesvaram or paramesvaram. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1] In this way, if we can understand that “Krsna is the proprietor, Krsna is the enjoyer, Krsna is my supreme friend,” then santatvam, we can get santi. Otherwise this material envelopment will always create disturbances and… Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat. Then we will be always in fearful condition, in anxiety. But if we accept this formula, then no more we are in this, I mean to say, hodgepodge of this material existence. We will live clearly, svacchatvam. That is called svacchatvam avikaritvam. So a Krsna conscious person is not agitated by the material action and reaction. He remains fixed-up, naisthiki-bhakti. This is called naisthiki-bhakti, nistha, firmly convinced. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah [SB 1.2.19]. Naisthiki-bhakti. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu. This is abhadra, this material contamination, kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah, three kinds of kriya-sakti: working in the modes of ignorance, working in the modes of passion… These are the moha, that when these two things, kriya-sakti, this kriya-sakti under the spell of passion and spell of ignorance, is almost gone… Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya. So this is the only process. Let us hear from Srimad-Bhagavatam, not these professional. But just like here Kapiladeva is explaining Sankhya philosophy. Every word of Bhagavatam, sublime. And this is given to us by Vyasadeva, because we do not know how to get out of this entanglement of material envelopment. Anartha upasamam saksat, anartha. On account of being entangled in this material modes of nature, we have accumulated so many unwanted things, anartha. That is called anartha. Artha means substance, and anartha means illusory things. So many things. So that is our material condition of life, and the only remedy is become Krsna conscious, and that is… How we can become Krsna conscious? Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23] Visnu means Krsna. Simply hear and speak about Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, January 1, 1975