Pradyumna:

sarvataḥ; paṇi-padaṁ tat
sarvato 'kṣi-siro-mukham
sarvataḥ; srutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tiṣṭhati

Translation: "Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists."

Prabhupada: So we are now discussing jñeyam, the object of knowledge. Previously we discussed the process of knowledge, amanitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsa kṣantir arjavam, acaryopasanam... [Bg. 13.8]. Twenty items we have discussed. The chief is: mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicariṇi. The chief of them is bhakti, mayi ca ananya-yogena, without any diversion. Ananya-yogena bhakti-yoga. That is the chief point. Then other qualities of knowledge will develop automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcana sarvair guṇais tatra samasate suraḥ; [SB 5.18.12].

As soon as you become a pure devotee of the Lord, all the good qualities of the demigods, suraḥ;. There are two classes of men: sura and asura. Sura means devotees, and asura means nondevotees. So good qualities can be found in the suras. Ahiṁsa amanitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsa kṣantir arjavam [Bg. 13.8]. There are many instances that the devotees are all qualified.

Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he was only five years old boy and his father was always chastising him because his only fault was he was chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra. So the world is so made, full of demons, that simply for your fault of chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra you'll have so many enemies, even your father. This is the position. Simply for this fault, that because we are chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra, we have got so many enemies. This is the world. Sura and asura. Because the more asuras... They'll never tolerate. The glorifying the Lord, they cannot tolerate. It is very difficult for them. So there are two classes of men, suras and asuras. Sura means viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ;. Sura means devata, or the demigods; and asura means, viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayaḥ;. And asuras means just the opposite number of viṣṇu-bhakta. They are asuras.

So if you develop Krṣṇa consciousness, if you develop love for Krṣṇa, then automatically the qualities of the suras, or the demigods, will develop. You haven't got to endeavor separately for becoming qualified in good qualities. Automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcana sarvair guṇais tatra samasate suraḥ;, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇaḥ; [SB 5.18.12].

But if one is nondevotee, he cannot have any good qualities. Why? Now, mano-rathenasati dhavato bahiḥ;. Because he is on the mental platform. Devotee means one who is acting on the spiritual platform, and nondevotee means those who are acting on the material platform, either bodily platform or mental platform. These are material platform. Bodily platform, they are called karmis. They are working for their personal benefit.

Generally, everyone in the Bombay city, they are working very hard, but what is the aim? For their personal profit. That is called karmi. Either in this life... Even those who are performing yajñas for being elevated to the heavenly planet. That is also karma, karma-kaṇḍiya. They are also karmis. Either for becoming happy in this life or becoming happy... Happy nobody can become; it is illusion. But by sense gratification we think that we are happy. That is the karmi life, on the bodily platform. And the mental platform is little subtle. The philosophers, the poets, the scientists, like that.

So both the bodily platform and mental platform, they are material. Because the body is also matter and mind is also matter. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyam, prakrtir me bhinna aṣṭadha [Bg. 7.4]. This body is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky, and mind is there, subtle body, mind, intelligence and egotism. So both platform are material platform. Therefore it is said harav abhaktasya. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are not acting on the mental or the gross material platform. They are not working on that platform. They are working on the spiritual platform.

So good qualities can be attained automatically when you work on spiritual platform. But if you work on material platform, means the gross body and the mind, then good qualities cannot be attained. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa mano-rathenasati dhavato bahiḥ; [SB 5.18.12]. Therefore we find that educated persons, so-called educated... They are not educated because in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, the so-called educated persons are bereft of real knowledge, mayayapahrta-jñanaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. Apahrta-jñanaḥ;. Why? Asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;. Because they have taken the position of becoming an atheist, no faith in God. They are asura. So any asura, mayayapahrta-jñanaḥ;... He may be MA, PhD, from academic career, but his real knowledge is taken away. Therefore he is atheist. Actual knowledge is to know God. Therefore Krṣṇa is explaining what is knowledge, jñeyam. Because as soon as you become actually wise, then you become liberated. But if you are not liberated, that means your knowledge is imperfect. Your knowledge is imperfect.

So Krṣṇa says jñeyam. Jñeyam means mat-paraṁ brahma. In a previous verse it has been explained, anadi mat-paraṁ brahma. Brahma means brhatya brhanatyad iti brahma.(?) Nothing is great than Brahman. That is being explained, how Brahman, what is the meaning of Brahman. Brahman means sarvataḥ; paṇi-padaṁ tat: "Brahman has got His hands and legs everywhere." Just like I have got my hands and legs, this is limited. I have got my hands. Why I cannot stretch five feet? Only three feet. That is also with great difficulty. But the Brahman's hand, sarvataḥ;, sarvataḥ;, everywhere.

Just like Krṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Now Krṣṇa says that "Either a little flower, a little fruit, or little leaf..." Anyone can collect these things. Even if he is the poorest of the poor, then he can also collect a little flower, a little fruit, little water and offer Krṣṇa, "My dear Krṣṇa, I wanted to offer You something, but I am so poor. I have nothing to offer. I have collected these three things as You have prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. "Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real thing is bhakti.

Krṣṇa, He has appeared here in His form to accept your offerings, not that He is poor. So Krṣṇa comes here to accept your offering, but the demons want to break it. This is demon. He does not think that "Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has so kindly come here in Juhu and accepting our offerings." But the demons will not tolerate. "No, Krṣṇa cannot..." This is called asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;. Asura, rakṣasa.

Ravaṇa. "Bring Rama's wife, Lakṣmiji, Sita." This is demonic. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but a demon, first-class demon, rakṣasa. Therefore it is said, harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇaḥ;. Even though he was a devotee of Lord Siva, because he was not a Vaiṣṇava, therefore he had no good qualification. He had no good qualification. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa mano-rathenasati dhavato bahiḥ; [SB 5.18.12]. Mano-rathena, by mental platform. Ravaṇa thought that "I shall enjoy the Lakṣmiji of Narayaṇa." But that is not possible. You can think like that. So everyone is after Lakṣmiji. The Ravaṇa's philosophy. The whole world is after material acquisition, lakṣmi. Money is called lakṣmi. Everyone is after money but nobody knows that money can be properly utilized when there is Narayaṇa. Lakṣmi can stay when there is Narayaṇa. Lakṣmi-Narayaṇa. You cannot keep Lakṣmi alone without Narayaṇa, that is not possible. Then you'll be finished, just like Ravaṇa. He wanted to kill Sita without Rama; therefore he was finished with his whole family.

That is awaiting. The whole world is awaiting that disaster. The America has got atom bomb and Russia has got atom bomb. As soon as there is another war, the whole world will be finished. So this is the ajñana. Mayaya-apahrta-jñanaḥ;. They do not know that we cannot keep Lakṣmi without Narayaṇa. That is not possible. Lakṣmi can be kept at home with Narayaṇa, but she cannot leave Narayaṇa. So if you want to enjoy false lakṣmi, that is different thing.

Therefore a person who is devoid of knowledge, who is not devotee, Krṣṇa conscious, he has no value. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇaḥ;. He cannot have any good qualities. This is our test. We are not very learned, but we can test because we have got the testing tube. Just like a scientist tests chemically, analytically tests, how pure one chemical is within the test tube, similarly, we have got a test tube. What is that? That test tube it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;
prapadyante naradhamaḥ;
mayayapahrta-jñana
asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;
[Bg. 7.15]

As soon as we see that one is not surrendered soul to Krṣṇa, he is mayayapahrta-jñana. Then what is the category? Duṣkrtina, always sinful. Must be. Because he is sinful, he cannot surrender to Krṣṇa. Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;.

And another class—muḍha, rascal, without any knowledge. He cannot also surrender to Krṣṇa. Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; naradhamaḥ;. And the lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because this human body, this man's body, not the dog's body, cat's body, but the man's body, that is meant for understanding Krṣṇa. Athato brahma jijñasa. That is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs, jumping from here and there. So therefore he's not taking the opportunity of understanding Krṣṇa. Therefore naradhama. Adhama. Adhama means the lowest. First-class man utilizes life for proper benefit. But one who cannot... They are called krpaṇa also. Miser.

Just like if you have got millions of dollars, you don't use it, you keep it only in the bank or in the treasury to see, "Oh, I have got millions of dollars." But utilize it. That is intelligence. Utilize, make it millions to ten times millions by doing a business or something like that. That is intelligence. Similarly, this body, this human form of body, athato brahma jijñasa... To understand Brahman. That Brahman is being explained to understand, how Brahman. Sarvataḥ; paṇi-padaṁ tat. Brahman means the greatest. So greatest means not limited. We are limited. Our hands and legs are limited, but Krṣṇa's hands and legs are not limited. Sarvataḥ; paṇi-padam.

Brahman means Krṣṇa. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita Krṣṇa is addressed as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. When Arjuna understood Krṣṇa, in the tenth chapter we'll find, he's addressing Krṣṇa, that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Brahman, all of us are Brahman, ahaṁ brahmasmi. It is not very difficult to understand. "I am not this body, matter, but I am spirit soul." Therefore anyone can understand that he is Brahman. Spirit soul is Brahman, not the Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman is Krṣṇa. We are Brahman, but part and parcel of the Brahman. Mamaivaṁso jiva-bhutaḥ; [15.7]. We are part and parcel of the Paraṁ Brahman. Therefore we are Brahman.

Therefore a part and particle of gold is also gold. A particle of the sea water is also sea water, salty sea water. That is oneness. So far the quality is concerned, that is oneness. A drop of sea water and the whole sea water, in quality, they are one. Because the taste of a drop of sea water is also salty, therefore you can understand the whole water is salty. Chicklena[?]. So you can understand Paraṁ Brahman if you understand yourself. That is called self-realization. Simply the difference is Paraṁ Brahman, is the greatest, and you are the smallest. He is vibhu, you are aṇu. But maya is so strong, because we are qualitatively one, we are thinking we are the Supreme Brahman. That is another nonsense. "Because I am salty, therefore I am the sea water." This is not very good logic. A part cannot be equal to the whole.

So here jñana means, to understand the Paraṁ Brahman means, sarvataḥ; paṇi-padam: "Paraṁ Brahman has got paṇi, hands, and pada, and legs, everywhere." How it is possible? That is knowledge. That is knowledge. It is possible because we are part and parcels of Krṣṇa, we have got our hands and legs, therefore Krṣṇa has got his hands and legs everywhere. But our hands and legs are now engaged otherwise. It is not for Krṣṇa. That is called illusion. Actually, the hands and legs belong to Krṣṇa. My hands, it is not my hand, it is Krṣṇa's hand. My leg, it is Krṣṇa's leg, but in maya, in illusion, it is covered, upadhi. My hand means it is Indian hand." "My leg means Indian leg." "My hand means American hand." "My leg means American leg." No. It is neither American leg, neither Indian leg, neither Indian hand, nor American hand. It is all Krṣṇa's hands and legs. That you have to realize. That is real knowledge. That is jñeyam. You have to understand that you are not the proprietor of these hands and legs. Krṣṇa is the proprietor.

Therefore Krṣṇa's another name is Hrṣikesa. Hrṣika means senses, and isa means the master. Hrṣikesa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthapaya me acyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Another place Arjuna has addressed Krṣṇa as Hrṣikesa. No, I mean to say Sañjaya said "Hrṣikesa." So Krṣṇa's another name is Hrṣikesa. So hrṣika means indriya, senses, and hrṣikesa means the master of the senses. We have got our hands and legs, we have got our mouth, we have got our tongue, everything we have got. That's all right, but the real knowledge means to realize that these hands, legs, tongue, eyes, ears—everything belongs to Krṣṇa. That is knowledge.

Therefore bhakti means to become liberated from the false understanding that "This is my leg, my head." No. It is Krṣṇa's. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When we become purified... Purified means at the present moment we have got this false knowledge, "This is my hand, this is my leg." When we become purified, we understand that "This is Krṣṇa's leg, Krṣṇa's hand, Krṣṇa's eyes." That is wanted. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

Nirmalam, this is liberation. So long we are materially attached, it is mala. Mala means dirty things. But when we are purified of the dirty things, we can understand. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was in the beginning thinking that "My hand, my leg, it is meant for my family." Therefore he was hesitating to kill, that "This hand, it belongs to my family, to my kinsmen, to my country, to my nation, to my society. How I can use these hands and legs against them. Krṣṇa, I'll not fight." This is ignorance. He did not know that his hands and legs belong to Krṣṇa. And when he understood... After reading, after hearing Bhagavad-gita from Krṣṇa, he understood, "Well I was thinking the hands and legs belong to my family, to me. No. It belongs to Krṣṇa. It must be used for Krṣṇa." Then he decided, "Krṣṇa," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73], "now You want me... Because this is Your hand, Your leg, so you want to use these hands and legs for fighting. I must use it." This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Otherwise how...?

Of course, Krṣṇa is all-pervading, still, we are also part and... Everything. All-pervading means everything belongs to Krṣṇa, everything Krṣṇa's energy. Just like the sun is all-pervading. How it is all-pervading? By the light and the heat. Light and heat is all-pervading. Although sun is localized. sun is situated in one place, how it is all-pervading? Because it is supplying the heat and light throughout the universe. Therefore it is all-pervading. And what is the heat and light? The energy of the sun. Similarly, the original sun is Krṣṇa and He has got two energies: the material energy and the spiritual energy. So therefore everything is Krṣṇa's. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ; sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is realization, when you understand that everything belongs to Krṣṇa because everything is manifestation of Krṣṇa's energies.

Just like this whole material world. What is this? This is only expansion of the energy of the sun, heat and light. Those who are scientists they can understand. Physics, heat and light. Similarly, the whole creation, that is Krṣṇa's energy, heat and light, material energy and the spiritual energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinna me prakrtir aṣṭadha [Bg. 7.4]. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtiṁ param, jiva-bhutaṁ maha-baho yayedaṁ dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. That is the superior energy, living entity.

So we are living entity. We are superior energy of Krṣṇa, but we have become inferior on account of this material covering. We have become inferior but we are not inferior. We are superior energy. When we act for Krṣṇa, then we are situated in our own position. That is called mukti. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, mukti means hitva anyatha-rupaṁ svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ; [SB 2.10.6]. That is mukti. Mukti does not mean that you have got now two hands, and as soon as you become mukta, you'll have three thousand hands. No, not that. Mukti means svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ;. When we understand that "I am utilizing hands and legs and eyes for my sense gratification. No, this is wrong. It should be utilized for Krṣṇa's service. My hands should be engaged for Krṣṇa's service. My hands should be engaged for cleansing this temple. My hands should be engaged for cooking Krṣṇa's food." In this way. "My hands should be utilized for writing for Krṣṇa, glorifying Krṣṇa. My legs should be used for going to the temple of Krṣṇa. My eyes should be used for seeing beauty of Krṣṇa. My ears should be used for hearing glories of Krṣṇa. My tongue should be used for chanting Krṣṇa's holy name." That is mukti.

Mukti is not a very difficult thing. You can attain mukti in a second simply if you agree, as Krṣṇa says,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo
mokṣayiṣyami (ma sucaḥ;)
[Bg. 18.66]

That ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo mokṣayiṣyami, this is mukti, mokṣayiṣyami. So Krṣṇa is offering you this mukti. Muktiḥ; paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat. Viraktir anyatra syat. When you understand that "These hands and legs belong to Krṣṇa, so I am misusing them. So long I have misused them. I use for my personal sense gratification or expanded sense gratification." The so-called socialism, nationalism, this ism, that..., that is also sense gratification but it is expanded sense gratification. First of all... [break]

Another meaning of this verse is that if He has got, sarvataḥ; paṇi-padam, He has got His legs and hands, eyes, head, then how He becomes impersonal, void? Where is this conception comes from Bhagavad-gita? The rascals say that "God is impersonal, no form." How it is possible, if He has got hands and legs, head and ears, how He has become formless? Tell me. Who is there? How He becomes formless? He is not formless. But the difference is His form is different from our form. Our hands and legs are limited, but He has got His hands and legs... That is not limited, that is unlimited. That is difference. When we say, when there is such thing as formless, formless means He hasn't got a form like us which is limited. Sac-cid...

isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ;
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaḥ;
anadir adir govindaḥ;
sarva-karaṇa-karaṇam
[Bs. 5.1]

He has got His form, He has got His hands. Just like Krṣṇa says,

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahrtam
asnami (prayatatmanaḥ;)
[Bg. 9.26]

Now if you say, Krṣṇa is in the Goloka Vrndavana, far, far away from here. How He accepts?" That is the answer is here, that sarvataḥ; paṇi-padam. He has got hands. That is the Vedic injunction. Apaṇi-pado javana-grhitaḥ;. The Absolute Brahman has no hands and legs, but He can accept anything, He can walk everywhere. Just contradictory. Pasyaty acakṣuḥ;. He has no eyes. but He can see everything. This is the difference. He has got His form. That is spiritual form, that is not this material, limited form, but He has got His form. One who does not understand His unlimited form, Brahman form, sarvataḥ;... Everywhere He can go, everywhere He can see, everywhere He can accept whatever you offer. Everywhere He can walk. That is His form, but He is not formless.

Therefore He is called omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. These are the adjectives given to God. Omnipresent. He is present everywhere. That's a fact. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He's sitting within your heart, He's seeing everything, what you are acting. Isvaraḥ; sarva... Sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ; smrtir jñanam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Not that to make Krṣṇa formless, "He does not eat. He does not speak. He does not walk. He has no hand. He has no head." That is not knowledge. That is ignorance, foolishness. Muḍha. Avajananti maṁ muḍha manuṣiṁ tanum asritam, paraṁ bhavam ajanantaḥ; [Bg. 9.11]. Because He does not know the paraṁ bhavam. This is paraṁ bhavam. Krṣṇa has form, but a form not like us. That is paraṁ bhavam. He is present everywhere.

He can accept anything, wherever you offer. That Krṣṇa says, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahrtam asnami. Krṣṇa says, "I take." Who are you to say that Krṣṇa does not accept? Krṣṇa accepts, provided it is given with devotion. That is wanted. Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahrtam. Anyone brings something to offer Krṣṇa with bhakti, Krṣṇa is not hungry but He accepts... [break]

These are the Vedic injunctions. He takes whole foodstuff, still He remains full. Purṇasya purṇam adaya purṇam evavasiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. These are the Vedic injunctions." So that is, Krṣṇa is teaching, sarvataḥ; srutimal loke. He can hear. It is not that Krṣṇa is in the Goloka Vrndavana, far, far away, therefore we are chanting His glory here, He cannot... [break]

...sarvataḥ; srutimal loke. He can hear everywhere. Sarvataḥ; srutimal loke. Sarvam avrtya tiṣṭhati. Because He is Brahman, He is covering everything. He is everywhere. Brhatyad brhanatvat(?). Therefore He is Paraṁ Brahman. This is knowledge. You have to understand... Don't think Krṣṇa is limited because he appeared before us, He has appeared here in the form of a stone. He's not stone. Stone is His energy. [break] He can appear before... [break]

Then don't think that here "These people are worshiping a stone," as the atheist will speak. Arcye sila-dhir guruṣu vaiṣṇave jati-buddhiḥ; naraki... [break] ...in the sastra that "Don't think the worshipable Deity is made of stone, made of metal." Because in the wood there is Krṣṇa and because Krṣṇa is omnipotent He can accept. [break]

...apaṇi-pado javana-grhitaḥ;. So in this way try to understand... [break] ...anyatha ajñanam. Then you are in ignorance, ajñana. [break] ...Krṣṇa, then you are liberated. Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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