Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.34
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, March 12, 1976

Pusta Krsna: “From that great lotus flower from which Brahma is generated, certainly Brahma could not see anything else except the big lotus flower. Therefore Lord Brahma, diving within the water, executed austerity and penance for one hundred years but still could not get any trace of You. The reason is that when a seed is fructified, the original seed cannot be seen.”

Prabhupada:

tat-sambhavah kavir ato ’nyad apasyamanas tvam bijam atmani tatam sa bahir vicintya navindad abda-satam apsu nimajjamanah jate ’nkure katham uhopalabheta bijam

So from the beginning of the creation the same illusion is continued. Brahma, when he was born, created, he was created not by ordinary father and mother, but he was created on a lotus flower stem which grew from the navel of Maha Visnu, er, yes, Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Therefore Brahma’s another name is Aja. He’s not born like ordinary human being. Svayambhu. He’s also known as Svayambhu. Everyone is born by father and mother, but he was born… Of course, father was there, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, but he did not come through the womb of mother. This is omnipotency. Lord Visnu is lying on the Sesa bed, and Laksmiji is engaged in the service of massaging the lotus feet of Visnu, but Visnu did not take the help of Laksmiji to beget Brahma. He personally begot from the navel. Therefore we should understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can perform anything he likes from any part of His body. That we chant always, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. We have got knowledge, experience, that when a child is born it has got a different source of being born, but Garbhodakasayi Visnu wanted the child be born from the navel and not from the mother of the navel—there was no mother—but the father Himself. This is called angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. Every part of the body, every limb, has got the potency to act like other parts of the body. We can see only with the eyes, but God can see with His finger. That is God. We can eat through mouth, but God can eat from any part of His body. If He simply touches His toe, He can eat. If He simply glances over the foodstuff offered to Him, He has eaten it. That we do not know. Therefore we’re sometimes surprised that “How He has eaten?” that “You are offering so many nice things. It is lying down there. How I shall understand that He has eaten?” Yes, He has eaten. Simply by seeing, He has eaten. And because He’s nija-labha-purna, He’s satisfied by His own self, therefore by simply glancing, He has eaten and it has become prasadam. You can take it. This is the meaning of angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti.

So those who cannot understand the omnipotency, they speak of omnipotency, but they do not know what is that omnipotency. They describe sometimes, “God is omnipotent,” but they do not know how the omnipotency acts. Here are some of the examples. Those who are devotee, they can understand. Nondevotees, they call—what is?—“mythology.” It is not mythology; it is all fact. But foolish people who do not know how Krsna or His confidential devotee act, they do not know it. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that ye bhaje sei bada abhakta hina chara: “One who is devotee, he is exalted. And those who are not devotees, they are low grade,” hina chara, “condemned.” So nobody can be exalted personality without Krsna consciousness. That is not possible. This is the verdict of the Vedic knowledge. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna mano-rathena asato dhavato bahih: [SB 5.18.12] “Those who are not devotees of the Lord, they cannot have any good qualities.” That is not possible. “Why? There are so many big, big men, doctors, doctorate, having so big, big title from university.” No. The sastra says, “Yes.” Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna [SB 5.18.12]. Why they have no good qualities? Because mano-rathena: “They are hovering over the mental platform.” They have no realization of the spiritual platform. Therefore you’ll find all these great scientists, philosophers, they are simply concocting with mind. The mind has no value. With mind you cannot reach spiritual platform, because it is material. With material instrument you cannot go to the spiritual platform. It is not possible. God can be understood. God is all-spirit, and He can be understood by spiritual method, not material method. Material method means up to the standard of mental speculation and mental concoction. That is not the way. Mano-rathena asato dhavato bahih. In the Brahma-samhita it is also said,

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam so ’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs 5.34]

By mental speculation, mental speed, you cannot reach the spiritual world. Mental speed is very strong. Everyone, we have got experience—you are sitting here. Immediately, within a second, you can go to our London temple by the mental speed. So even by the mental speed for many, many years, if we run over the space, still, we cannot reach the spiritual world. That is not possible.

But Krsna is everywhere. Krsna… Andantara-stha paramanu-cayantara-stham. As Krsna is being described, Visnu, within this universe, so He is not only within the universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu; He is within your heart also. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61] And not only within your heart, but as many atoms are there, the composition of your body, in each atom He is there. Andantara-stha paramanu-cayantara-stham. So Krsna is everywhere. But why you cannot see? Antar-bahir-avasthitam. Krsna is within and without. If He is within every atom, then atoms are there, outside and inside. So antar-bahih, He is situated. Anyone can see Him, but He cannot be seen to the nondevotee. He cannot be… Nayam prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah. He is not exposed to everyone. He is simply exposed to the devotee. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayan… [Bs. 5.38]. The nondevotee cannot see. Naham prakasah sarvasya [Bg. 7.25]. Unless Krsna agrees to be seen, you cannot see. It is not possible. You cannot force Him to be seen by You. No, that is not possible. Svayam eva sphuraty adah. He… When He likes, He’ll be seen by you, not that you can force Him. You cannot say that “Now I am qualified. Krsna must come, and I’ll see Him.” That is not possible. We are never qualified unless Krsna agrees to be seen by you. This is the… Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah: [Bg. 7.25] “Everyone cannot see Me.” Yoga-maya-samavrtah: “I am covered, I am veiled by the yoga-maya.” Yoga-maya will not allow you to see unless you are devotee. Therefore Krsna confirms this fact: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know Krsna, God, as He is, then you must practice devotional life. Then He’ll be seen. Bhaktya mam, yavan yas casmi tattvatah. To know Krsna ordinarily— “Oh, Krsna was born in India, in Mathura. He’s the son of such and such, and He was very big man”—that is not tattvatah. Tattvatah means as He is, sac-cid-ananda vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1].

So for to know Krsna, there are so many Vedic literatures. So we have to know through the mercy of the spiritual master. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Everything is there, just like Krsna is there in the Bhagavad-gita, but people could not understand Krsna. Now we are presenting Krsna as it is. People are understanding. They are becoming devotee. So we have to go through the right channel. Then we’ll know Krsna. And as soon as you know Krsna as He is, your life is successful. That is the aim and object of Krsna consciousness movement—simply to help the people to know Krsna. This is the only business, because as soon as you know Krsna, your life is successful in which way, eh? The success is tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. This is success. This body should be the last acceptance of material body. That is success. Otherwise, if you continue, tatha dehantara-praptih… These foolish people, they do not know that dehantara, there is change of body. Change of body is there already. You are experiencing, but they do not believe that after death there is body. Why not? If you have got experience in the life—“I have passed through so many changes of body, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, then middle age and old body”—then what is next? Why do you finish here? It is common logic. Why should you finish here? There must be body. This is real reasoning. And Krsna confirms it. Not only your contemplation. Krsna says, tatha dehantara-praptih: “In this way you’ll have another body.” The Krsna, the great authority, He says, from whom Brahma, the first creature, he learned. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Krsna, Vasudeva… Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. He… Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. He taught this Vedic literature to the heart of Brahma. He can teach you through the heart also because He is sitting there. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61].

A particularly mention, hrd-dese, “within the core of the heart.” He doesn’t say that “Isvara is situated on your finger.” No. Within the heart. The particular place is mentioned. Therefore the yogis’ practice, real yoga practice, means to find out Krsna within the heart. That is real yoga. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. This is yogi. Yogis meditate. What for meditation? To find out Krsna within the heart. That is yoga, not to show magic and gymnastic. No, that is not. That gymnastic yoga, that is not yoga. Real yoga is to find out Krsna within one’s own heart. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti… That yoga means you have to come to the platform of prema, love, not that simply official practice, you can see. You have to come to the platform… Without having love connection with Krsna, it is not possible to see Him. You may practice this hatha-yoga or gymnastic yoga for many, many births—you cannot see Krsna. Krsna can be seen when you smear with love ointment in your eyes. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. And that is possible: bhakti, through bhakti.

So therefore why not practice bhakti-yoga from the beginning if you want to see Krsna? And that is recommended by Krsna:

yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata antaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]

Krsna says, “He’s first-class yogi.” Who? “Who is always trying to see Krsna within the heart.” So it is very difficult task? In our bhakti-yoga we can teach this art of seeing Krsna within the core of the heart in one minute. It is so simple. You are seeing Krsna here. You must have impression and try to keep that impression within your heart always. Then you become first-class yogi. Why so much gymnastic and pressing the nose? No. Take directly. If you are engaged twenty- four hours in the service of the Deity, you cannot see except the Deity. This bhakti-yoga practice is so simple. Therefore kanistha adhikari, those who are neophyte, they must take to Deity worship. By Deity worship he is elevated to the position of seeing the Lord within the heart. This is very important thing. You can see—He is there—but you have no knowledge, or even if you have knowledge, you are not competent to see Him. But if you practice Deity worship…

Therefore it is the duty of guru to engage the neophyte devotee always in Deity worship.

sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato ’pi vande guroh sri-caranaravindam **

It is the duty of the guru to engage his disciple in Deity worship, in cleansing the temple, dressing the Deity, decorating the Deity, so many engagements. So everyone should be engaged. If one is not competent to dress the Deity—everyone is competent—he can simply wash the temple and cleanse it. That will also help. There is no difference, that one who is cleansing the floor of the temple and one who is engaged directly in the Deity worship… There is no difference. They are all the same. Don’t think that “I am engaged in cleansing the floor of the temple, and he is engaged in decorating the temple. I should be envious.” No. There is no question of. Any kind of duty you are engaged… Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya. If you cannot do something which is hard for you, you do anything for Krsna under the direction of spiritual master, you’ll get perfection. It is not that “I have to do this. I have to do that.” No. Krsna’s service is manyfold. If one is unable to take one kind of service, the spiritual master can give him another kind of service. But both the services are accepted by Krsna.

Thank you very much. (end)