Bhagavad-gita 4.24
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)

Pradyumna: (leads chanting and reads translation)

brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samadhina

Translation: “A person who is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.”

Prabhupada: Some of you explain.

Devotee: Translate.

Prabhupada: Translation is already there.

Devotee: Should we translate in French, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes. Where is French Bhagavad-gita.

Harikesa: Can we read the purport, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Harikesa: Purport. “How activities in Krsna consciousness can lead one ultimately to the spiritual goal is described here.” [break]

Prabhupada: So discuss any question.

Yogesvara: Sometimes we speak of the material energy as being different from the spiritual energy and other times we speak of all energies being ultimately spiritual, so what is the understanding?

Prabhupada: Just like the electricity energy, is coming from the same source. But it is being utilized for different purposes. Sometimes it is helping to make cooler, and sometimes it is helping to make heater. But cooler and heater are two opposite things. But it is being done by the same energy. How it is being done?

In the Vedanta-sutra it is said janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. Brahma or absolute truth is that from where everything is emanating. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavah. “I am the source of everything.” Mattah sarvam pravartate. “Everything is coming from Me.” So in another place, to make further clear, bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinna me prakrtir astadha. “These eight energies, they are My energies.” Astadha, eight. Earth, water, air fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Bhinna separated.

Just like I am speaking in the dictaphone, but after some time, without me, it will speak exactly like this. So, I am speaking, but I’m not present there. Similarly, material world means it is being conducted by Krsna, but still, Krsna, personally, He’s not present there. In another place Krsna says that

maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caham tesv avasthitah

Find out this verse. Krsna’s energies present, and Krsna is seemingly absent, that is material.

Jayatirtha:

maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caham tesv avasthitah

”By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.”

Prabhupada: Explain that. [break] So, it is understood or if there is difficulty, you can question?

French Devotee: What does it mean when Krsna says “I am not in them”?

Prabhupada: Huh? “I am not in them” because you cannot see there. Krsna is there, but you cannot she Him. You are not advanced. Just like another example. Here is, the sunlight is here. Everyone experiences. But that does not mean sun is here. It is clear? Sun is here means… Sunshine is here means sun is here. But still, because you are in the sunshine, you cannot say “Now I’ve captured the sun.” Sunlight is existing in the sun, but sun is not present in the sunshine. Without sun there is no sunshine. That does not mean the sunshine is sun. At same time, you can say the sunshine means sun.

This is called acintya-bhedabheda, simultaneously one and different. In the sunshine you feel the presence of the sun, but if you are able to enter in the sun globe, you can meet the sungod also. Actually, the sunshine means the rays of the body of the person living in the sun globe.

That is explained in the Brahma-samhita, yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. On account of Krsna’s… You have seen Krsna’s effulgence is coming. That is the source of everything. That expansion of that effulgence is the brahmajyoti, and in that brahmajyoti, innumerable spiritual planets, material planets, are generated. And in each and every planet there are varieties of presentation.

Actually, the origin is the Krsna’s rays of the body, and the rays of the body’s origin is Krsna. Any other questions? [break] …or not?

Devotee: We say that Krsna is present within the spiritual, within the heart of the living entity.

Prabhupada: Krsna is present everywhere.

Devotee: As a person or as an energy?

Prabhupada: In His energy. Also person. person we cannot see with the present eyes, but energy we can feel. Clear this point more and more. So when fully realized, then this verse, that everything is brahma, sarvam khalv idam brahma… The advanced devotee, he does not see anything except Krsna.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada: Is there is actual difference between the material energy and the spiritual energy?

Prabhupada: Yes, difference, there are many differences. The same example, electricity. So many things are working, difference of energy. Even the dictaphone is working, electricity. By the same energy, electricity. Therefore Krsna says aham sarvasya prabhavah. He’s the origin of everything.

Devotee: It is explained in Bhagavad-gita that one change body during the lifetime, but we see that a black man never becomes white, or that there is a constant, there is something constant within the body though it changes. What is it? How come this is, changes body but still we can recognize someone from his youth to his old age.

Prabhupada: So when you further advance you’ll find there is no distinction between black and white. Just like a flower is coming out, there are many colors. So it is coming from the same source. As such there is no such difference, but to make it beautiful there are so many colors. In the sunshine there are seven colors, and from that seven colors, multicolors are coming out, origin the one color white, and then so many colors coming. Is that clear or not?

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, if Krsna has created everything and everything is submitted to Krsna’s will, can we really say what is good or bad?

Prabhupada: There is no good or bad, it is mental concoction. But on the whole, in the material world means everything bad. Spiritual world everything is good. Material world means absence of spiritual world, that’s all. You bring again spiritual world, it is good.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, since presently we cannot see Krsna as He is as a person, how can we, how should we meditate on Him?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Yogesvara: He says now, because we are not yet advanced enough to see Krsna as the Supreme Person directly, how should we meditate upon him.

Prabhupada: You do not see Krsna is in the temple? (laughter) We are worshiping something vague? You have to see Krsna as Krsna says. In the present stage… Just like Krsna says raso ’ham apsu kaunteya. Krsna says “I am the taste of the water.” You see Krsna in the taste of the water. That will make you advanced. According to different stages… Krsna says “I am the taste of the water.” So when you drink water, why don’t you see Krsna. “Oh, this taste is Krsna.” Raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh. When you see the sunshine, moonshine. Krsna says “I am the sunshine, I am the moonshine.” So as soon as you see in the morning, sunshine, you see Krsna.(end)