Pradyumna: (Translation:) "The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas."

Prabhupada: So this is the description of Vedic literature. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ; [Bg. 15.15]. That will be described. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vida jñane. Vid-dhatu. From vid-dhatu, the word Veda has come, which means knowledge. There are different kinds of knowledge, and all kinds of knowledge you can get perfectly from the Vedas. There is Dhanur-veda, Ayur-veda, Ṛg-veda, Sama-veda, different branches of Veda, but the objective of studying Vedas means to understand Krṣṇa. Vedais ca sarvaiḥ;. All kinds of Vedas. Any book of knowledge. There are different types of book of knowledge. So if by studying the books of different types of knowledge one comes to the understanding of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krṣṇa, then his knowledge is perfect.

Therefore Krṣṇa says, bahunaṁ janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. After studying Vedas, speculative knowledge, bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan, when one is actually a wise man, bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Krṣṇa. Why? Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. Because Krṣṇa is everything. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is, everything, Krṣṇa's energy. This material world is also expansion of Krṣṇa's energy. Similarly, the spiritual world is also expansion of Krṣṇa's energy. The brahmajyoti is also expansion of Krṣṇa's energy. Paramatma is also expansion of Krṣṇa's plenary portion. In this way, when one understands perfectly well that whatever we are experiencing, that is Krṣṇa's energies... It is described in the Viṣṇu Puraṇa,

eka-desa-sthitasyagner
jyotsna vistariṇi yatha
parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

This jagat, akhilaṁ jagat, is nothing but manifestation of Krṣṇa's energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;. Parabrahman is Krṣṇa. We may be Brahman... Because we are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, therefore we are Brahman. Now we are identifying with this matter. So mukti means when we stop identifying with this matter and we learn how to realize ahaṁ brahmasmi. Simply realization not. To act as Brahman, Brahman, that is perfection of knowledge. Not to simply realize. Just like for example a person he feels that "I am Indian." That is very good. But Mahatma Gandhi, he also was Indian, but he acted as a first-class Indian. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi is so much adored.

So simply to realize that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmasmi, that is not perfection. That is avisuddha-buddhayaḥ;, uncleansed intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayaḥ; [SB 10.2.32]. Simply understanding ahaṁ brahmasmi will not help us because it is stated in the sastra that aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; patanty adhaḥ; [SB 10.2.32], even by severe austerities and penances one comes to the stage of merging into Brahman, sayujya mukti, still, there is chance of falling down. Aruhya krcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ; patanty adhaḥ; [SB 10.2.32]. Why? Now anadrta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ;. One who has not realized the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krṣṇa, he falls down.

We have seen many big, big sannyasis in India, very learned scholar, and very nicely they can describe sastra also, but they are entangled in politics. Why? If this world is mithya, jagan mithya, you have rejected it, then why you are again coming to politics? Why you are coming in the mithya world? Because there is no realization. Avisuddha-buddhayaḥ;. Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa vimukta-maninaḥ;. They are thinking that "We have now become liberated," maninaḥ;. Actually, they are not liberated. Because avisuddha-buddhayaḥ;, their intelligence is not yet clear, therefore, even after severe austerities, penances, they come to the point of Brahman realization, because they have no realization of the lotus feet of Krṣṇa, they fall down. Because there is no engagement. I do not wish to name the big, big sannyasis of India who fell down in this way. But you know that the Mayavadi sampradaya, they take this world as mithya. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithya. If jagat is mithya, then why you come down again for philanthropic activities, for political activities? That is called maya. That is the last snare of maya. Maya dictates that "Now we have failed to become minister, to president, and so many other big, big posts. Now you become Brahman." You are already Brahman. Simply you have to realize. That's all. That is knowledge, that I am not the... Brahman realization means that "I am not this body." Because so long one identifies with this body, he is no better than animal. That is the first lesson. Krṣṇa says in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaraṁ yauvanaṁ jara, tatha dehantara-praptiḥ; [Bg. 2.13]. Deha and dehinaḥ;. So that is preliminary knowledge of Brahman realization. But if you do not fix up in your Brahman realization... That is para-bhakti.

brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma
na socati na kaṅkṣati
samaḥ; sarveṣu bhuteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

When actually one is liberated from the bodily concept of life and he sees spiritual identity everywhere, samaḥ; sarveṣu bhuteṣu, paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ; [Bg. 5.18], then he can be situated in the activities of Brahman. The bhakti-yoga is the activities of Brahman. The Mayavadi philosophers, they are thinking that after Brahman realization there is no more activity. But that is not the fact. Real activity begins after Brahman realization. That is Brahman activity. That is bhakti-yoga. Krṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, and we are Krṣṇa's part and parcel. Naturally we are also Brahman, because part and parcel of gold must be gold. There is no doubt about it. But it does not mean that the small particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is not possible. Part is never equal to the whole.

So Krṣṇa has already described bhakti-yoga. Now He is describing about the activities of this material world. Traiguṇya-viṣaya. Activities of the material world means to act in such a way that you become liberated at the end and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is real activities of this material world, not to act as the animals—eating, sleeping, mating. So this material world is now described, compared with a banyan tree which has its root upwards, above. That means this material world is created from the spiritual world. Eko narayaṇa asit. In the spiritual world there is always Narayaṇa. Even Saṅkaracarya, he says narayaṇaḥ; avyaktat paraḥ;. The spiritual world has nothing to do with this material world. This material world is created. Just like the banyan tree. It takes its root and it is created. So the seed of the creation is in the spiritual world. Sa ikṣata, sa asrjata. The creation is coming from the spiritual world. Spiritual world means the kingdom of God, Narayaṇa, or Krṣṇa. So here the material world is described as urdhva-mulam. In other words, it is reflection of the spiritual world. Just like if you stand on the shore of a lake, you will find all the trees reflected in the water downwards. Real tree is on the shore of the lake, and the reflection is downwards. The upper part of the tree has gone down. So this material world is compared with that reflection. It is chaya. In Brahma-saṁhita also, it is said, srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. The superintending deity of this material world is goddess Durga, durga-sakti. So she creates this material world. Srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir ekaḥ;. Krṣṇa's energy. Krṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; [Bg. 7.4]. This material energy is His energy. The energy is always compared with feminine part. And the energetic is always compared with the male part. Male part and female part. Krṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gita, ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita [Bg. 14.4]. So He is the seed-giving father. Bijo 'haṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg 7.10]. So He is the original seed of this material world. And from there, from the spiritual world, it has expanded. Ūrdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvatthaṁ prahur avyayam [Bg. 15.1]. Avyayam, eternal. This material energy also eternal.

There are three kinds of energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: the material energy, the spiritual energy and the marginal energy. From the material energy, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ;, this material creation is effected. And the spiritual energy, the Vaikuṇṭha-loka, paras tasmat tu bhavaḥ; anyaḥ; avyaktaḥ; avyaktat sanatanaḥ; [Bg. 8.20]. That is eternal. So that is spiritual world. And in between the two worlds, material and spiritual, there is one energy. That is living energy. We living entities, we are marginal energy. We are also energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtiṁ param, jiva-bhutaṁ maha-baho yayedaṁ dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. Krṣṇa describes the marginal energy, the jiva-bhuta, the living entities.

So jiva-bhuta, living entities, they are actually prakrti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣa means enjoyer. But Mayavadi philosophy, they want to turn the prakrti into puruṣa. The jiva. Jiva is described as prakrti, para-prakrti. Jiva-bhuta. They are better than, superior than the matter because they adjust matter. The resources, the material resources, they try to enjoy it. They cannot enjoy, but try to enjoy it. Therefore it is called superior energy. But it is energy, not the energetic. So this material world is eternal, and the living entities, they are also eternal, avyaya. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. And eternal. This material world is eternal in this sense: because it is Krṣṇa's energy. If Krṣṇa is eternal, His energy is also eternal. But the manifestation of this energy is temporary. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Energy is there. Unless the energy is there, how it is manifested? Janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. There are so many energies, within you, within me. They are not always manifest. But at times they are manifest. They are called acintya-sakti. Things are happening without our calculation. That is acintya-sakti, inconceivable energy. As Krṣṇa has got inconceivable energy... He creates this material world by His inconceivable energy, vast oceans, vast lump of matter, the universe.

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-aṇḍa-nathaḥ;
viṣṇur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseṣo
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.48]

So Maha-Viṣṇu, by His breathing only, unlimited number of universes are coming and going into. So such inconceivable energies are there. And because we are part and parcel of Krṣṇa, we have got also inconceivable energy, which is not always manifest, but at times it manifests. Similarly, this material world is avyaya, eternal energy, but it is not false, as the Mayavadi philosophers say, jagan mithya. No. Jagat is not mithya, but it is fact, but it is temporary. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We don't say that this world is false. Why it should be false? If has come from the truth, actually truth, how it can be? Purṇam idaṁ purṇam adaḥ; purṇam idam, purṇat purṇam udacyate [Isopaniṣad, Invocation]. It is perfect. But it is being misused. That is maya. How it is being misused? Krṣṇa says that He is the enjoyer. Bhoktaraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor of all the lokas, all the brahmaṇḍas, but unfortunately, we are dismissing Krṣṇa. We are trying to be the enjoyer of this material world. That is maya. The world is not maya, but the intention of the living entities to enjoy this material world, to satisfy his senses, that is maya. He is becoming entangled. Just to try to enjoy this material world... That the so-called scientists and philanthropists and politicians, they are trying to enjoy this material world to their best capacity, and they are inventing devices how to enjoy it... This is maya. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy eṣa guṇamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. They are allured by this maya, "Try to enjoy me," and these conditioned souls are after that, how to enjoy.

Traiguṇya-viṣaya veda nistraiguṇyo bhavarjuna. So Vedas also says that "If you make such and such sacrifice, then you will be elevated to such and such higher planetary system to become demigods and enjoy beautiful woman, higher standard of life." So yam imaṁ puṣpitaṁ vacam, veda-vada-rataḥ; partha nanyad astiti vadinaḥ;. So we must understand what is this material world, how it is working. That will be described in this Fifteenth Chapter.

urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvatthaṁ prahur avyayam
chandaṁsi yasya parṇani
yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
[Bg. 15.1]

One who understands what is the constitution of this material world, how it is working, what we are, why we have come here, why we are so struggling hard for existence, what is our duty, how to get out of this entanglement... That is Vedic knowledge. Not only to get out of this material entanglement, but to be engaged. Because simply to get out is not the final business. Suppose you are being employed in a place you do not like. You want to change. Simply if you resign your post, that is not good. You must take another nice post. Then it is good. Similarly, simply to become freed from this material ent... [break]

...is to remain eternal servant of Krṣṇa. That is perfection of life. Anyone who is engaged in the eternal service of the Lord, he is perfect, he is mukta. Muktir hitva anyatha rupaṁ svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ; [SB 2.10.6]. This is mukti. Mukti means to be freed from the useless activities. The material activities, they are all useless activities, because in the bodily concept of life. Just like the monkey. He is also very active. In Vrndavana we have got good experience, always active. But useless. Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami has described, phalgu-vairagya. The monkey is vairagi. He lives in the forest. He has no cloth even. Other vairagis, they have got little cloth, but these monkeys have no cloth. And they live in forest and eat fruits, vegetarian, but rascal number one. So therefore Rupa Gosvami has said,

prapañcikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ;
mumukṣubhiḥ; parityago
vairagyaṁ phalgu kathyate

Phalgu means less valuable, less important. Or there is Phalgu river. Phalgu river, you know, in Gaya there is a Phalgu river. On the bed of the river you'll find all sand, dry, but if you push your hand little below the sand, you will find water. This is practi... Therefore it is called phalgu-vairagya. Actually, outside, as vairagi, no cloth, even does not touch even cloth, but inside, every monkey has one dozen wife at least. So this kind of phalgu-vairagi or markaṭa-vairagi is not required. Sri Rupa Gosvami says,

prapañcikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ;
mumukṣubhiḥ; parityago
vairagyaṁ phalgu kathyate

Vairagya. Actually, we cannot make actually vairagya. Vairagya means to refrain from material enjoyment or sense enjoyment. That is vairagya.

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ; prayojitaḥ;
janayaty asu vairagyaṁ
jñanaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

Jñana and vairagya, these two things are required to purify our existence. And that is made possible simply by devotional service to Lord Vasudeva, Krṣṇa. Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ; prayojitaḥ;, janayaty asu vairagyam. Very soon one becomes vairagi.

Just like these European, American boys. They are vairagis. They were engaged in full material enjoyment. But they have given up for Krṣṇa's sake everything. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. They have given up. This is vairagya. But the energy is utilized for Krṣṇa's service. They are preaching this Krṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. It was the duty of the Indians. Unfortunately, the Indians are callous. They are now after technology. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised all Indians,

bharata-bhumite haila manuṣya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

The para-upakara, to distribute Krṣṇa consciousness... Everybody is suffering for want of God consciousness, or Krṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is the greatest humanitarian work, welfare activities, is to distribute this Krṣṇa consciousness. So it was the duty of the Indians. Bharata-bhumite haila manuṣya-janma yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India, his duty is to perfect his life by becoming Krṣṇa conscious and distribute it all over the world. That is his duty. But they are not doing. Some way or other, I have collected some these young Europeans and Americans. They are helping in this movement. So we have come to Vrndavana for this purpose, that those who are actually serious to render service to Krṣṇa, they should join this movement, heart and soul, and help broadcasting this movement all over the world. Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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