Bhagavad-gita 7.7
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, April 1, 1971

Prabhupada:

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave-namah

sri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo ’stu te

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with our, this Krsna consciousness movement. So Krsna says,

mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva [Bg. 7.7]

So Krsna is present everywhere because everything is resting on Him, on His energies. Just like in a big factory the proprietor may be out of the factory, but every worker is aware that “This factory belongs to such-and-such person.” As this is possible to have always a consciousness of the proprietor of the factory by the worker, similarly, it is possible for everyone to become Krsna conscious in every activity. That is the philosophy we are trying to preach all over the world. The Bhagavad-gita philosophy is like that. Yudhyasva mam anusmara [Bg. 8.7] You have to… This world is so made that one has to work. Without working, nobody can even maintain his body and soul together. That you cannot avoid. But at the same time, we can remember Krsna. That is… That depends only on practice and understanding, pure understanding.

So here Krsna says that “There is nobody greater than Me.” That is the verdict of all ancient Vedic literatures. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also, the same thing is confirmed, that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. There is a list of different incarnations of God. In that list Lord Buddha’s name is also there. Lord Buddha’s name is described: kikatesu bhavisyati. Buddho namnanjana-sutah kikatesu bhavisyati. In Srimad-Bhagavatam the Lord Buddha’s name is mentioned as future incarnation. Bhavisyati, “will appear.” Kikatesu, “in the province of Gaya.”So this is called sastra. Because Srimad-Bhagavatam was composed five thousand years ago and Lord Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago… Therefore five thousand years ago Lord Buddha’s case was in the future. Therefore it is said bhavisyati, “He will appear.” This is called sastra. Trikala-jna. Sastra writers, they are not ordinary men. Just like Krsna is speaking. He is not ordinary man. Nobody will be interested so much if Bhagavad-gita was written by ordinary man. It was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was recorded by His incarnation, Vyasadeva. So it is transcendental literature. Ordinary literatures, they cannot be perfect because there are four defect: bhrama-pramada-karanapatava-vipralipsa. Bhrama means “to commit mistake.” Pramada means “illusion,” and vipralipsa means “cheating,” and karanapatava, “inefficiency of the senses.” So sastra means above these defects. Where there is no such defect, that is sastra. And you can understand how five thousand years ago Lord Buddha’s appearance was predicted. Similarly, still there is prediction about kalki-avatara, which will take place about four lakhs and 27,000 years hereafter. Kalki-avatara’s name, his father’s name and where he will appear, everything is there. This is called sastra.

So we have to understand Krsna from the sastra. Krsna Himself speaking that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] “There is nobody else greater than Me.” And when Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gita, he also accepted Krsna like that. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan: [Bg. 10.12] “You are Parabrahman.” So Krsna is Parabrahman. Brahman, we are all Brahman because we are part and parcels of Parabrahman, but we are not Parabrahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. We are supported by Krsna. We are supported by God. He is one, God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asankhya. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.

So from the ancient literature we understand that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. There are many incarnation of Krsna, expansion of Krsna, svamsa and vibhinnamsa. Some of the expansions are direct personal expansions, just like Lord Rama, Nrsimhadeva, Varaha. There are many. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan [Bs. 5.39]. Krsna is existing, expanding Himself in various forms like Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, and so many others. There are different kinds of incarnations, avataras—saktyavesavatara, gunavatara, manvantaravatara, yugavatara. Many incarnations. And in the Bhagavata it is concluded that the Lord’s incarnations are so numerous that you cannot count. Just like if you sit down on the bank of a river, you cannot keep an account of the waves, how many waves are passing, similarly, there is no account how many incarnations are coming out from Krsna. But Krsna is above all. Here Krsna personally says, and it is confirmed by all the sages, authorities, formerly by great sages like Narada Muni, Vyasadeva, Asita, Devala, and in the modern age by all the acaryas: Sankaracarya, Madhvacarya Ramanujacarya, Visnusvami—so many other acaryas—Lord Caitanya. Everyone accepts that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can you deny? We have to be guided by the acaryas. Acaryavan puruso veda. One who follows the principles of acaryas, he knows the things as they are. That is the verdict.

In the Bhagavad-gita also, we find: acaryopasanam. We have to follow the footprints, footsteps, of the acaryas, because they can give us right direction. And one who does not follow the acaryas and creates and manufactures his mental concoction, his version will not be accepted. There are many different commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita, but not all of them are according to the direction of the acaryas. You have to accept Bhagavad-gita as it is under the direction of the acaryas. They do not make any change. They explain how Krsna is the greatest. Not that comment in a different way and deviate you that Krsna is ordinary man.

So Krsna, from Krsna, the next expansion is Baladeva, svayam prakasa. And from Baladeva, there is catur-vyuha: Sankarsana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. So again there is, from Sankarsana, there is Narayana. From Narayana, there is another expansion, the same: Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. And from that Sankarsana, there is purusavatara, Maha-Visnu. From Maha-Visnu, there is Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From Garbhodakasayi Visnu, there is Ksirodakasayi Visnu. The Ksirodakasayi Visnu is situated in everyone’s heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61] In this way, Krsna is expanding in so many ways. By personal expansion, by the expansion of His energy, by the expansion of His differentiated parts and parcels. Just like we are. We living entities are vibhinnamsa. We are also expansions of Krsna. So He is expanding Himself in so many ways. Svamsa, vibhinnamsa, and sakti, tatastha-sakti, cit-sakti, antaranga-sakti, bahiranga-sakti. So we have to understand Krsna in that way. And if we study scrutinizingly all these literatures, we shall come to the conclusion that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if there is any name of God, that is perfectly given in this word, Krsna, “all- attractive.” There are many diverse meaning of Krsna given by the acaryas, but on the whole, Krsna is the actual name of God.

So how you have to… For ordinary man, how one can understand Krsna, that He is all-pervading? He is all-pervading. He is everywhere. Now, how to appreciate that He is all-pervading? That direction is given by Krsna Himself. If we follow the direction of Krsna, how to appreciate Him, then naturally and surely we shall come to the point to understand Krsna, although He is all- expansive. So Krsna says,

raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh pranavah sarva-vedesu sabdah khe paurusam nrsu

Just try to understand Krsna by your daily experience. Krsna says that “When you drink water and when you quench your thirst, when you feel the nice taste of water, that taste I am.” Krsna says. So you can understand Krsna daily as soon as you drink water. Why one should say that there is no God? You just try to appreciate God according to the prescription given by God. Then you’ll understand.

Just like a doctor gives you medicine and he gives you direction also that “You drink this medicine, take the bottle and take two drops or five drops,” as he gives direction. Then gradually you understand that by taking that medicine, you are being cured, you are feeling in health. Similarly, this prescription given by Krsna… This is meditation actually. When we meditate upon the taste of the water, that means we are meditating on Krsna. Similarly, Krsna says prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: “I am the sunshine, moonshine.” So who has not seen the sunshine? If you have seen sunshine and if you follow this prescription given by Krsna, then early in the morning you’ll see Krsna. Why do you say that “I have not seen Krsna. Krsna is not present before Me”? But you follow Krsna’s instruction, and He will be present. He is present; simply we have to purify our eyes and senses to understand Him. That is required. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38]. Suppose you have a beloved friend. As soon as you hear telephone call, “Who is it?” “I am this.” “Oh.” You immediately see him. Does it not? Immediately, by the sound. Why? Because you are known to him, you are in love with him. Similarly, in this way, if you develop your dormant love of Krsna, you’ll see Krsna in every moment. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38].

It is not at all difficult to see Krsna. Why do you say, “Can you show me God?” Why you are not seeing God? Here is God. So Krsna says, raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh. So who has not seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? Simply to understand, one has to understand that what is this sunshine? The sunshine is the reflection of Krsna’s bodily effulgence. Just like what is this moonshine? This is reflection of the sunshine. Similarly, the sun is also reflection of the brahmajyoti. And what is the brahmajyoti? Brahmajyoti is Krsna’s bodily effulgence. Then why do you say that you have not seen Krsna? There are many other instances. Krsna is giving some of them. If you study, if you meditate upon them, then you will see Krsna gradually. He will be revealed. He’ll be present immediately. It is all revelation. Not that by your eyes you can see. But if you follow the prescription, the direction, you will see Krsna daily, always, twenty-four hours.

So when one is elevated devotee, maha-bhagavata—he is called maha-bhagavata—he does not see anything but Krsna. Everywhere he sees Krsna. Sthavara-jangama dekhe na dekhe tara murti. He is seeing on the seaside a great ocean, a great sea, but he is not seeing the sea, but he is seeing Krsna. He’s (seeing) Krsna’s energy, how Krsna’s energy is working, and it is producing such vast ocean and sea. He is thinking like that. That is meditation. Anywhere he goes, he simply thinks of Krsna. Sthavara-jangama dekhe na dekhe tara murti. He does not see the material form of anything. Sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti. Everywhere he sees Krsna. This is called Krsna consciousness.

So one has to develop. How one can develop? This is the process: sravanadi-suddha-citte, if you hear. And as you go on hearing, your dirty things on the heart becomes clear. This hearing process is so nice.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam [Bhag. 1.2.17]

If you simply hear about Krsna. Just like we are speaking about Krsna from this Bhagavad-gita. So if you try to understand Krsna as directed by Krsna, then Krsna will also cooperate with you. Just like a teacher, when he sees that a student is very intelligent, he is following the direction, the teacher is more interest, takes more interest in that student. That is natural. If the teacher says, “My dear child, my dear boy, you write in this way,” and if he tries, then the teacher takes more interest. Similarly, as soon as you will try to understand Krsna according to the direction given by Him, Krsna is within you, He will help you more and more. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam [Bg. 10.10] Krsna says, “I give him special intelligence to understand.”

So therefore our duty is to follow the instruction of Krsna as it is given. So Krsna says, pranavah sarva-vedesu. The omkara, pranava… om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. The Vedic mantras, om bhagavate vasudevaya namah. This omkara, this pranava, is Krsna. So anyone who is chanting the Vedic hymns, and as soon as he vibrates this sound, transcendental sound, om, here is Krsna. So how we can avoid Krsna? Simply we have to know. You have to purify your eyes. You have to purify your ears. You have to purify your hands. You have to purify your legs. In this way, when your senses are purified in every step, in every moment, you will see Krsna, nothing but Krsna. The purificatory process—just to purify the eyes. Krsna is present before you in arca-murti, arcavatara, nicely dressed by the devotees. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana **. It is the duty of the devotee to decorate the sri-vigraha, the form, transcendental form of Krsna very nicely so that thousands of people may come in the temple and see Krsna. And as you go on seeing Krsna and your eyes become purified, then you will see Krsna, how nice Krsna is. Just like when Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the Jagannatha temple, as soon as He saw Krsna, immediately He fainted because His eyes were prepared to see Krsna.

So we have to prepare our eyes to see. We have to prepare our ears to hear about Krsna. In this way we can see Krsna. And this is the process, how to… Just like we use our tongue. That is one of our senses. So Krsna says that raso ’ham apsu kaunteya. Everyone drinks water. So he tastes it, relishes the taste of the water. So as soon as he relishes the taste of the water, according to the direction of Bhagavad-gita, he can see Krsna. Similarly, by the tongue you can eat bhagavat-prasadam, the foodstuff offered to Krsna. And as soon as you taste the foodstuff offered to Krsna, you immediately remember Krsna, how nicely Krsna has taken this foodstuff. So by the tongue you can begin. Simply by eating krsna-prasadam, without reading any Vedic literature, without reading even Bhagavad-gita, if you simply think of Krsna, “How nicely Krsna has tasted this foodstuff,” you become Krsna conscious.

So to become Krsna conscious is not very difficult job. Simply you have to follow the direction. That’s all. But if you manufacture your own meaning, commentation on Bhagavad-gita, then you are deviated. You are lost. Srama eva hi kevalam. Then such kind of reading Bhagavad-gita is simply waste of time and energy. That’s all. Therefore those who are not Krsna conscious, who are not hearing from Krsna conscious personalities, they are simply wasting time. The so-called reading of Bhagavad-gita, lecture on Bhagavad-gita, without Krsna… God, kingdom of God without God. We want kingdom of God, peace and prosperity, but without God. There must not be God. That is our secular government. We want kingdom of God, but without God. That is not possible. If you give up God or God’s relationship, there is no question of kingdom of God or peace and prosperity.

Then Krsna says, pranavah sarva-vedesu sabdah khe paurusam nrsu. When one man is famous… Yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo ’msa-sambhavam. Anything extraordinary, if you find Krsna is the most extraordinary personality, but even within this world, if you find some great leader, great politician, great scientist, great businessman… There are so many. And he is very famous. So you should know that this fame and name of this person is due to Krsna’s mercy. You see Krsna there. Nobody can be greater than any other friend unless he is specially bestowed the mercy of Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, yad yad vibhutimat sattvam mama tejo ’msa-sambhavam. A little portion of Krsna’s mercy is there. Krsna is most opulent. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. You can claim that you are proprietor of ten crores of rupees or other can claim that “I am proprietor of fifty crores of rupees,” and other can claim hundred crores of rupees, but nobody can claim that “I am the proprietor of all the money that is available within this material world.” Nobody can say that. Even Brahma cannot say. But Krsna, oh, His description is that samagrasya aisvaryasya: “All the wealth that is conceivable, He is the proprietor.” So any wealthy person, any rich person you see within this material world, it should be understood that a portion of Krsna’s money has been taken by him. That’s all. Nobody can claim that “I am the proprietor of all the money that is here in this material world.” That is not possible. So if that man also thinks that “Whatever money I have got, it is Krsna’s money, Krsna’s mercy, Krsna has mercifully given me this money,” then what is his next duty? He should spend it for Krsna. That is the proper utilization of money. Similarly, if one is famous, he should utilize his fame for Krsna’s service. Suppose I am trying to spread this Krsna consciousness movement, but if a very famous man tries for it, it will be very quickly spread. That is the utilization of his fame. If a scientist, if he proves Krsna’s supremacy by scientific law, then his knowledge in science is perfect.

So everyone who possesses anything, if he knows that it is the gift of Krsna and it should be utilized for Krsna, then his life is successful.

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]

Samsiddhir hari-tosanam. It doesn’t matter what you are. You may be an engineer, you may be a lawyer, you may be a businessman. Whatever you are, it doesn’t matter. But try to satisfy Krsna by your profession, by you occupation. Then you are successful. Samsiddhi. It doesn’t matter what you are doing. It doesn’t require that you have to give up your profession as a lawyer and join us as a sannyasi and dance. if you cannot do that… Everyone can do that, but if you think that you cannot do this, then utilize your profession for Krsna’s service. Then you become perfect.

So Krsna consciousness is not a necessity for the members of this Society; it is the necessity of everyone throughout the whole world, without any discrimination. One has to take this advantage to become Krsna conscious, to understand Krsna in this way. Then the result will be sublime. Yo janati tattvatah. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Just like anyone who understands that the taste of the water is Krsna’s energy, the sunshine is Krsna’s energy, the moonshine is Krsna’s energy, the Vedic mantras, that is also to please Krsna… And the sound vibrated in the sky, or anywhere, the sound element is Krsna. And the energy or the name, fame, opulence of big men of this world, that is also Krsna. In this way, if we study Krsna, then we know Him gradually. And as soon as we understand Him, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah: “One who understands in truth,” tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9], “immediately he becomes liberated, so much so that after quitting this body he comes to Me.”

So what is the difficulty? Even in your ordinary life you can study Krsna, you can understand Krsna. And Krsna will help you. As soon as you begin studying Krsna, understanding Krsna, Krsna will help you from within. Krsna is with you. Krsna is not far away. He is so kind that He is sitting in your heart as your friend just to help you, how you become liberated from this material contamination. Why you do not take this advantage? Every sane man should take advantage of this instruction of Bhagavad-gita, but rightly, as it is said. Then anywhere he may be, it doesn’t matter, he is a liberated person.

iha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa gira nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivan-muktah sa ucyate

Anyone who is trying to become Krsna conscious and being Krsna conscious he is trying to serve Krsna sincerely… He may be situated anywhere. It does not matter, he is Indian or Hindu or Mussulman or Christian or this or that. Simply if he thinks of Krsna always in the process as described here, he becomes liberated.

So you can become liberated at your home. Simply you have to think of Krsna. The gopis were so elevated devotees. What was their function? The only function was that they were always thinking of Krsna. That’s all. Lord Caitanya therefore recommends, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. These vraja-vadhus, name… (end)