Prabhupada:

bahir antas ca bhutanam
acaraṁ caram eva ca
sukṣmatvat tad avijñeyaṁ
durasthaṁ cantike ca tat

The Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should always remember the Supreme Truth in the ultimate issue is the person. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Without understanding this tattva, we cannot understand the Absolute Truth. The first realization is impersonal Brahman. Then still further, advanced realization is localized Paramatma, and still further, advanced realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

The Absolute Truth, the same objective, to the less intelligent class of men or in the beginners, He appears to be impersonal, Brahman, impersonal Brahman.

Just like, the same example, as we are very, very far away, ninety million miles away from the sun planet, we can touch the sunshine, not the sun planet. That is not possible. We have no such power that we can touch the... Although the sun planet is there, everyone can go and touch it, but it is beyond our power. This is the position of our material experience, and what to speak of spiritual experience?

About the spiritual experience, it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhita,

panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-puṅgavanam
so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.34]

There is a planet. Just like you see the sun planet. It is in your front, you are daily seeing it, but you have no power to go there. This is about the material planet, and how you can approach the spiritual planet where Krṣṇa lives, Goloka Vrndavana? Goloka eva nivasati. Everything is there, but you require power to reach.

So, we can realize in the beginning the sunshine. Then, if we are able to approach the sun planet, that also not possible, but still, we can hope. But still, you have to enter the sun planet, and there is sun-god. From the sun-god the glaring effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. Although the sunshine and the sun globe and within the sun globe the sun-god, they are of the same thing, quality, light and heat, still, there are degrees of light and heat. You can touch the sunshine but you cannot touch the sun globe, neither you can enter the sun globe. That requires a different power.

So this is material, and now this sun shining and the sun globe is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhita, that

yac cakṣur eṣa savita sakala-grahaṇaṁ
raja samasta-sura-murtir aseṣa-tejaḥ;
yasyajñaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami

Now this sun globe, it is very powerful planet within this universe. Therefore it is called the king of all planets. Yac cakṣur eṣa savita. Savita means the sun planet. Sakala-grahaṇaṁ raja samasta-sura-murtir aseṣa-tejaḥ;. Unlimited power, aseṣa-tejaḥ;. But still, this sun planet is also moving in its orbit. The sun planet has got its orbit. All planets, they have got their orbit. Yasyajñaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakraḥ;. Kala-cakraḥ;. It is moving like that, sixteen thousand miles per second, the speed of sun planet. Everything is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So still, such a big planet, powerful planet, it is rotating under someone's order. That is Govinda. Yasyajñaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami **. There must be someone directing. Don't think it is automatically moving. There is direction. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ;
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

So we are not so intelligent to understand that the material nature is working, moving, under the direction of the Supreme Personality. But we can experience it.

Just like a machine, computer, a very subtle machine. It is working wonderfully. But there is a person who is pushing the button. Without that the machine is useless. It is lump of matter. Similarly this gigantic universe, cosmic manifestation, nature, is working very wonderfully. The sun is moving, moon is moving and the earth is moving, everything in right direction and minute time, and not a single inch is moving here and there. Everything is going on nicely. How? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita,

mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ;
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

It is under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So jñeyam. Krṣṇa is explaining the subject matter of knowledge. First of all Krṣṇa has explained the process of knowledge. Amanitvam adambhitvaṁ kṣantir arjavam. Mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicariṇi. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥ;kha-doṣanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. These are the process of knowledge, to know. If we remain befooled, ignorant, that we are missing the chance.

Everything we can know. This human form of body is specially meant for that purpose. You can understand what you are, what is this material nature, what is God and how we are related, how things are going on. Everything is there, but we are so foolish that we do not take care. We live like cats and dogs, eat something and sleep and have sexual intercourse and then we are afraid always and then die. This is cats' and dogs' life. Real life is to know, athato brahma jijñasa. That is real life, human life. One must be inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, brahma-jijñasa, not inquiring in the market, "What is the rate of share? What is the rate of rice? No, not for this inquiry. Jijñasuḥ; sreya uttamam. To inquire about the Absolute Truth, uttamam, beyond this material nature. Udgata tamam. This material nature is called tama. Tamaso ma jyotir gama. These are the Vedic injunctions.

You have to enter, you have to understand the world of light. This world is the world of darkness. It is simply... We require, therefore, sunlight, moonlight, electric light. Otherwise it is dark. It is called tamaḥ;. But there is another world which is full of light. It is so full of light that you do not require the sunlight, moonlight or electric light there.

na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasaṅko na pavakaḥ;
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramaṁ mama
[Bg. 15.6]

The spiritual world there is. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanaḥ; [Bg. 8.20]. Everything is there, but we do not take care. We think that "We have understood three bighas of land, my neighborhood" or "this, my India" or "my America," "this planet," "That is sufficient knowledge." No, that is not sufficient knowledge. You have to know so many things. But if you understand Krṣṇa, to understand Krṣṇa means to understand everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñate sarvam idaṁ vijñataṁ bhavati. If you try to...

This Krṣṇa consciousness movement is that try to understand Krṣṇa, as Krṣṇa is speaking in the Bhagavad-gita. Don't mal-interpret. Don't be foolish, that "Krṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means that," manufacture some words and you be also foolish and make others foolish. No. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you'll understand everything.

Now here Krṣṇa says, bahir antas ca bhutanam. The Absolute Truth is there, bahir antas ca, not that it is in a different position or different angle of vision. You are already in the Absolute Truth, even materially conception. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]. These are the material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements. So even taken materially, so what is this material? We have already explained. The materials are different energies of the Supreme Lord. Bhinna me prakrtir aṣṭadha. Krṣṇa says, "These eight kinds of material nature, subtle and gross, they are My energy, inferior energy." Itas tu viddhi me prakrtiṁ param.

So, the mind is within, the intelligence is within, the soul is within, and outside your body... So this body made of five elements, they are also Krṣṇa's energy, and within, the mind, intelligence and the soul, that is also Krṣṇa's energy. Two kinds of energies: supreme, er, inferior and superior. Therefore He is outside and inside both. Bahir antas ca bhutanam. Every living entity, Krṣṇa is existing outside and inside. Therefore we have to purify both outside and inside. That is our human life. Human life means to become purified. Because we are not purified, therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Because we are not purified...

That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, tapo divyaṁ putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Ṛṣabhadeva advised his sons, "My dear sons," tapo divyam, "just undergo austerities." This life, human life is for austerities, penance. Therefore you'll find in the Vedic civilization, big big saintly persons, big, big brahmaṇas, kṣatriyas, rajarṣis, they are engaged. Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was the prince, royal family, but still he left everything and underwent meditation to understand himself. There are many others. Bharata Maharaja, under whose name this country is called Bharatavarṣa, at the twenty-fourth years of his age, he left his kingdom, his wife, little children, and went for austerity, penance. This is meant for.

This life is meant for not to live extravagantly without any responsibility like cats and dogs. We should be very responsible. Austerity. Little austerity. In the Kali-yuga you cannot undergo severe austerity, but even if you follow little austerity, little something must be done. Little austerity. Just like you do not commit any sinful life. What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This much austerity. If you simply accept these four principles.

Now these Europeans and Americans, they are accepting. You see how they are advancing. You cannot understand the supreme pure, Absolute Truth, keeping yourself impure. It is not possible. You can understand God when you are pure. Yeṣam anta-gataṁ papam. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot understand God if you are sinful.

Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. Those who are not purified, sinful acting, sinful, acting only sinfully, such person is called duṣkrtina. Krtina, they are... Krti means meritorious. But these rascals are meritorious in doing all sinful activities. Sinful activities also require merit. Even if you become a very expert thief, this stealing is sinful activity, but it requires some brain. It requires some brain. Therefore the word is used, krtina. Krtina means meritorious. But duṣkrtina. Their merit is being applied for sinful activity. Similarly, there is another word, sukrtina. You can employ your merit for pious activities. The merit is the same.

Just like money. Money you can utilize for duṣkrtina and for sukrtina. You can utilize your money for drinking wine, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling. And you can utilize your money for Krṣṇa's service, for offering yajñas, for constructing temple, sacrifices, push on the saṅkirtana movement, Krṣṇa consciousness movement. So money is not good or bad. As you utilize it... Similarly, merit, merit also, there. You have got already merit better than the animals, but you have to utilize it for proper service. That is called Krṣṇa consciousness. Consciousness we have got, merit we have got. Simply we have to utilize.

Now, here Krṣṇa says that bahir antas ca bhutanam. You have to undergo austerities to see Krṣṇa both outside and inside. If you understand this philosophy, then your life is successful. Antar bahiḥ;, antar bahiḥ;. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ; kim, naradhito yadi haris tapasa tataḥ; kim antar-bahir yadi haris tapasa tataḥ; kim, nantar-bahir yadi haris tapasa tataḥ; kim [Narada-pañcaratra].(?) If you can see Krṣṇa, antaḥ;, within, and bahiḥ;, outside, then your all tapasya finished. You are perfect now. Tapasa tataḥ; kim. No more tapasya.

And if you cannot see the Supreme Lord inside and outside, then you may undergo various types of tapasya and education—it is all useless, useless waste of time.

dharmaḥ; svanuṣṭhitaḥ; puṁsaṁ
viṣvaksena-kathasu yaḥ;
notpadayed yadi ratiṁ
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

If you cannot understand the viṣvaksena... Viṣvaksena is another name of Krṣṇa, or God. Viṣvaksena-kathasu yaḥ;, dharmaḥ; svanuṣṭhitaḥ; puṁsam. "I am a learned brahmaṇa," "I am very expert kṣatriya." "I am expert vaisya." This is called dharma, varṇasrama-dharma.

Even if you execute your varṇasrama-dharma... Nobody is executing nowadays. Everyone is sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavaḥ;. But even if you execute your dharma, brahmaṇa-dharma, kṣatriya-dharma, vaisya-dharma, but even after doing so very perfectly, very orderly, if you do not develop your Krṣṇa consciousness, viṣvaksena-kathasu yaḥ;, na ratim, if you do not feel attraction... Just like here, viṣvaksena-katha, krṣṇa-katha, is going on, but nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. Viṣvaksena-kathasu ratiṁ na utpadayet. There are so many educated persons, but they are not interested. They'll be interested to go to cinema, to the drinking house, to the meat-eating hotel. They are interested.

This is the position of Kali-yuga. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutaḥ; [SB 1.1.10]. Therefore they are so unfortunate, always disturbed, always disturbed. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayaḥ;. Prayeṇalpayuṣaḥ; kalav asmin yuge janaḥ;. First qualification is they do not live long. A very short period of life. And still manda, very bad. Manda-matayaḥ;. And they have got their philosophy, something rascaldom. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyaḥ;, and all unfortunate. They cannot eat even properly. There is no milk, there is no ghee, there is no rice. This is the position of Kali-yuga.

So therefore in this age, if we want to save ourselves from this onslaught of this age, the proposition is kaler doṣa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan guṇaḥ;. Parikṣit Maharaja was informed by Sukadeva Gosvami, "My dear King, I have described about the faulty nature of this age." Kaler doṣa-nidhi. Doṣa-nidhi means an ocean of faults. "But there is one good opportunity." Kaler doṣa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan guṇaḥ;. "There is one good quality." What is that? Kirtanad eva krṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ; paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra, one can become free from all this contamination and he can go back to home, back to Godhead." This is another advantage of Kali-yuga. In other yuga one has to undergo so much severe austerity, penances. Then one can realize. But in this age the things have been made easy. That is also mercy of Krṣṇa because these people are so much, disturbed and fallen, downtrodden, they cannot undergo very severe austerity. Simply chant.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Cc. Adi 17.21]

These are the shastric injunctions, and actually it is happening. In Europe and America they are simply chanting this Hare Krṣṇa mantra. They are advancing very quickly to understand. This Bhagavad-gita, they are now reading as it is. Latest report is, in London we are selling fifteen thousand copies per month. So they are taking interest, because it is presented as it is, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, no rascal interpretation, "This meaning is this, this meaning that." What authority you have got to make like that? Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you'll be benefited.

So one has to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth both outside and inside. Antar bahis ca bhutanam acaraṁ caram eva. There are two things. Some of them are moving, or with life, and some of them are not moving. Even living beings... Here it is called bhutanam. Bhutanam means living entities. So there are some living entities which are moving, just like we. Cats, dogs, human beings, and flies, and so many living beings, they are moving. And other living beings, just like trees, plants, they are standing one place. Sthavara-jaṅgama. Sthavara means one place. Caram acaram. Sukṣmatvat, in every living being there is the Supreme Lord. Aṇḍantara-stha-paramaṇu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Even within the atom. Sukṣmatvat avijñeyam. Because it is so small, minute... That minute means that Krṣṇa's part and parcel. Krṣṇa is the gigantic viraṭ or vibhu, and we living entities, we are aṇu. Sukṣmatvat. So... (aside:) Don't talk.

Sukṣmatvat tad avijñeyam. Because we have got... We have already explained this, that our eyes, they cannot see the subtle things, minute things. We require some instrument, just like microscope. But even with microscope, our so-called microscope cannot see what is that soul. It is very very minute. Ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Jiva-bhagaḥ; sa vijñeyaḥ;. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya. Kesagra [Cc. Madhya 19.140], the tip of the hair, you...Sata-bhagasya. You divide into hundred, and then take one part, again divide into hundred. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. That ten, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, it is so minute. But there is the thing, very minute.

Just like a small grain of poison, venomous poison. If it is injected in your body, you will die immediately. It has got so power. Similarly, the minute spirit soul is so minute, one ten-thousandth part. Still, because that minute spirit soul is there, you are moving, you are acting, your brain is working, you are denying the existence of God, you are doing all these things. Sukṣmatvat tad avijñeyaṁ durastham, durasthaṁ cantike ca tat.

Durastham. Now, you cannot calculate where this abode of God is there. Durastham. Panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara. If you go with your plane with the speed of mind, panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs. 5.34], by airplane, vayu-ratha... This vayu airplane is mentioned in the Brahma-saṁhita. Vayor athapi manasaḥ;, and with the speed of mind. Muni-puṅgavanam, discovered by great scientists, still, avicintya-tattve, it is so far away. Avicintya-tattve. Therefore it is called durastham.

And at the same time, antike, very near, very near, just like Krṣṇa is standing here. One has to understand. Very near. He has kindly come to you, near, so near that you can touch His lotus feet, you can offer Him some foodstuff, you can decorate. He's agreeing, "Yes, I will accept your..." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. And before this, Krṣṇa has said, sarvataḥ; paṇi-padaṁ tat. He has got hands and leg everywhere. In the Vedas also it is confirmed, apaṇi-pado javana-grhitaḥ;. Apaṇi-pada, He has no hands and legs, but whatever you offer in sacrifice, He immediately accepts. How He accepts? How He accepts? That is called durastham. Very, very far away; at the same time, antike. Immediately... Provided you know the means. If you know, then you can see. Premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ; sadaiva hrdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. That is God's power. He can remain far far, away, but He can immediately be approachable by the devotees.

There is another verse, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyaṁ puraṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Vedeṣu durlabham. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by simply studying the Vedas, although the Vedas mean vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ;... [Bg. 15.15]. Krṣṇa is to be understood. That is the Vedic object. But if you have no devotional feeling, then, even if you go on reading Vedic literature for many millions of years, you'll not understand what is Krṣṇa. Vedais ca sarvaiḥ;. Although it is the objective of Vedic study is to understand Krṣṇa, so vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. But if you go through the mercy of a devotee, atma-bhaktau... Or He is very easily available to the devotees. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ; [Bg. 18.55].

If you simply speculate He'll remain dure. Durastham antike ca. But if you surrender as Krṣṇa says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja... [Bg. 18.66]. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Simply by this process... He confirms it, that "Anyone who has taken this process..." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo janati tattvataḥ;. So simply by this process... Tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. These are things in the Bhagavad-gita, plainly said. Unfortunately we do not read it, or even if we read it, we misinterpret it, or somebody mislead me. So-called scholars and so-called rascals mislead us, and we remain in the darkness.

So try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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