Pradyumna: Bhagavad-gita, chapter number four, "Transcendental Knowledge."

One: "The Blessed Lord said, I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind. And Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvaku." Purport: "Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gita traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the kings of all planets. The royal order is especially dedicated to the protection of the inhabitants, and as such, its members should also understand the science of the Bhagavad-gita in order to rule the citizens and protect them from the onslaught of material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, an eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture, and devotion."

Prabhupada: Hm. Stop. So in this verse the exact Sanskrit word is

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur ikṣvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]

evaṁ parampara-praptam
imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ;
sa kaleneha (mahata)
yogo naṣṭaḥ; parantapa
[Bg. 4.2]

So this Bhagavad-gita, science of Bhagavad-gita, is not a new presentation. Just from this verse we can understand that it was instructed to the sun-god. Sun-god, apart from what is the duration of age of sun-god, but from the Manu, because the next statement is vivasvan manave praha... Vivasvan. The sun-god's name is Vivasvan. Just like your, the chief executive head is called the president, similarly, there is a chief executive head also in the sun planet, president. And the present president's name is... Just like your present president's name is Mr. Nixon, similarly, the present predominating deity in the sun planet is known as Vivasvan. So everything is in detail.

This is called Vedic literature. Vedic literature is not concerned only with this planet. Vedic literature deals with all the universal planets. Just see here is the statement. Krṣṇa says that "In the beginning I explained this science of Bhagavad-gita to the present predominating deity of sun planet, whose name is Vivasvan." Do you think that Krṣṇa is playing joke or speaking something lie, that he said to Vivasvan, the present presiding deity? No, that is not possible. Actually He has spoken. And Krṣṇa... One... Others may think of Krṣṇa... Avajananti maṁ muḍhaḥ; [Bg. 9.11]. Rascals and fools may think of Krṣṇa as ordinary man, but in India the great acaryas, just like Saṅkaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu—practically these acaryas are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world—they have all accepted Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Krṣṇa is speaking, that is right.

Now, you can understand that if Krṣṇa spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gita. Apart from sun-god's duration of age, if we simply take the present age, Vaivasvata Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the age of Vaivasvata Manu is seventy-one multiplied by forty-three hundred thousands of years. Forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by seventy-one. It is a very long duration of life. Now, at the present moment the Vivasvan, the Vaivasvata Manu's age is half-finished. That means the number, the numerical strength, forty-three hundred thousands of years into seventy-one, divide by two. So long years Bhagavad-gita was spoken.

So Bhagavad-gita is not a new thing, a new adventure. And the person who spoke Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god, does it mean that He left something to be commented by some, these mundane men to understand the meaning of the Bhagavad-gita? Such a great personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He told something which is to be understood by the interpretation of a mundane scholar? Do you think it is reasonable? No. Whatever he spoke, that is all right. And that is clear. There is no question of interpreting in a different way. Just like here, "The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan.' " What is difficulty there? Is there any word which you cannot understand? Is anyone here who cannot understand these lines? It is clear. "The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god whose name is Vivasvan.' " It is clear. How you can interpret?

Now, the thing is, unless I think of Krṣṇa that "He is an ordinary man. How He could say to the sun-god Vivasvan?" Then the interpretation is required. But that sort of thinking is not bona fide because if you want to study Bhagavad-gita, you have to take the words of Bhagavad-gita. The Blessed Lord. He is Lord. He can say. The Lord is not like ordinary man. That "Because we cannot say to the sun-god, therefore Krṣṇa cannot say," that is our foolishness. Why should we calculate Krṣṇa's activity with my activities? Therefore all the commentaries who think Krṣṇa as ordinary man, they are null and void. Such commentaries should not be accepted.

We have explained in our introduction that all the commentaries in the market, they are simply presentation of the particular commentator's personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gita. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, then you should understand as they are said. You don't interpret in your own way.

Now, because there should be some doubt of the ordinary man, that "How Krṣṇa could say to the sun-god?" that is explained in the next verse. Because Arjuna was taking instruction from Krṣṇa, he knew Krṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise he would not have accepted him as a spiritual master. But because others would doubt, "This is fictitious that Krṣṇa said to the sun-god. How it is possible?" so you will find Arjuna said, "The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?" Krṣṇa is taking our position, er, Arjuna. Persons who are thinking of Krṣṇa as ordinary person, so Arjuna is trying to clear that point, that Krṣṇa is not ordinary person. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he has put this question, that "The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to you."

Sun-god, Vivasvan, the sun planet, father of Manu... Manu's age we cannot calculate. About forty millions of years ago Manu was born, and his father, we do not know what is his age. So how it is possible, if Krṣṇa is ordinary man, He spoke to him? That is being cleared. So what He answered? "The Blessed Lord said, 'Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot." That is the difference between God and man. That is the difference between God and man. We cannot remember. Even we cannot remember what I did at this time yesterday. That is our forgetfulness, is our nature.

To commit mistake, to forget, to be illusioned, to be cheated, imperfection of the senses—these are our qualifications. Every one of us, anyone who is in this material world, they are subjected to these defects: he is sure to commit mistake—"To err is human"—he is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. Just like a mundane scholar. I do not wish to name. A mundane scholar, he admits, his introduction, that it is very difficult to interpret Bhagavad-gita in one's own way. It is so tightly fitted. Actually it is so. Unless you contradict yourself, you cannot interpret Bhagavad-gita according to your own way.

So Arjuna is clearing that, and Krṣṇa is saying, "The difference is that I take, I appear..." As you will find later on, Krṣṇa says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanaṁ srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. Whenever there is discrepancies in the procedure of religious function and there is predominance of irreligiosity, at that time God or God's representative comes to this world to make things nicely. So Krṣṇa appears. Krṣṇa appears, and we also appear.

But our appearance and Krṣṇa's appearance is different. We have accepted this body, we have appeared in this world, forced by our karma according to our past deeds. Just like we are sitting. Every one of us have different features of body. Why? According to different karma. The body is made according to karma. That is the explanation of difference. So we cannot know. And we can understand that your mentality, my mentality, is different. You act in different way; I act in different way. That is the way, every one of us. Therefore we are forced to accept a certain type of body according to our karma. But Krṣṇa does not. We change our body. Just try to understand.

This forgetfulness means change of body. Just like we had some certain type of body in our previous life, but we do not know. Forgotten. Because I have changed the body, therefore I have forgotten. What to speak of my last birth? Even in your childhood, when you were, say, three or four years old, you did so many things. But do you remember them? No. Because you have changed the body. That body is gone. Therefore we have forgotten. Forgetfulness means change of body. We are changing body every second, every minute. Therefore we are forgetting. And Krṣṇa does not forget. That means he does not change body. This is pure understanding of Krṣṇa.

Krṣṇa said that "Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them." Many, many. Thousands and thousands of times Krṣṇa appeared on this world, but He remembers everything. And I cannot remember about my childhood. So how can I become one with Krṣṇa? These Mayavadi philosophers, they are declaring that "I am God." How you can? What is your qualification that you become God? God is not so cheap thing. People have taken it that "Everyone can become God. Every one of us God." This is another illusion, another maya, because we do not know what is God. Here is God. He says that "Many, many millions of years ago I spoke to sun-god. I remember it." This is God. Simple truth. This is the proof that He is God. Read the explanation, purport. "In the Brahma-saṁhita..." Read it.

Pradyumna: Oh. "In the Brahma-saṁhita we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Govinda, Krṣṇa, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same, original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth."

Prabhupada: The exact verse in Sanskrit word is

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyaṁ puraṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.33]

Advaita. Advaita means Krṣṇa expands Himself. Krṣṇa can expand Himself. That is God.

Just like I am sitting here. You are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your, some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that "Mr. such-and-such is at home," so the reply will be, "No. He's not at home." Krṣṇa is not like that. Krṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutaḥ; [Bs. 5.37]. He is present everywhere. It is not that because Krṣṇa was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha. Not only Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha, everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita Krṣṇa is here also, now. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Krṣṇa is everyone's heart. In your heart there is Krṣṇa. In my heart there is Krṣṇa, everyone's heart. So Krṣṇa is not like that.

Therefore, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta means unlimited—but one, advaita. There is no difference. Just like the electricity power. I give you a crude example. Unlimited factories are running in electricity. Different types of work is being utilized by electric energy, but the electricity is one. Similarly, God is one, but He can expand. That is His potency. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport].

In the Bhagavad-gita you will understand in the Thirteenth Chapter that Krṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. The living entity... I am living entity; you are living entity, every one of us. I am living in this body; you are living in this body. We have got different bodies. So Krṣṇa said that "The living entity is the proprietor or the knower of the particular body." But He says again, kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi: "I am also knower of this particular body," sarva-kṣetreṣu bharata, "in every body." Aṇḍantara-stha-paramaṇu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. He is in every body, in every atom. That is Krṣṇa.

Now I am living in my body. If there is pain here, I can understand, "Here is pain." But if there is some pain in your body, I cannot understand. Therefore I am different from you. But Krṣṇa can understand what is pain or pleasure in my body, and what is pain or pleasure in your body and everyone's body. That is Krṣṇa. Sarva-kṣetreṣu.

That is God, not that, simply by claiming, "I am God. I am the same God." And how you claim God? Can you tell what I was thinking? Can you tell what he is thinking? No. Then how... What kind of God you are? Don't accept a cheap God. These are the symptoms of God. Adv aitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. He has got ananta, unlimited... There are unlimited living entities. In the Vedas it is stated, nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13): "There are unlimited living entities, unlimited eternals. But there is one, another, one supreme eternal, supreme entity."

What is the difference between this, the unlimited number, or plural number, and one singular number? That is also answered. Eko bahunaṁ yo vidadhati kaman: "That singular number one entity is supplying the, all the necessities of all the plural number living entities." We are plural number entities. The living entities, we are plural number. Nityo nityanam. This nityanam is plural number, possessive case, in Sanskrit. And He is nitya. He is one, singular number. Eko bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman: "That one is supplying the necessities of all living entities."

Don't you see how God is supplying all the necessities of birds, beasts, and everyone? Ours also. We don't acknowledge. Because we are civilized, we are, we do not acknowledge. The birds, beasts also do not acknowledge, but because they are birds and beasts. So we are just becoming like birds and beasts, denying the existence of God, denying the authority of God.

We are taking advantage. Vidadhati kaman. If Krṣṇa does not supply you this light, sunlight, you will die. But He does not charge anything. But because you are human being, you should try to repay: "Oh, Krṣṇa is giving us so much facilities. Let me render some service unto Him." This is Krṣṇa consciousness. This is to acknowledge, "O God, You are so kind. You are giving so many things. So I have collected this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know. Still, please accept." This is finish, your business. You are a great devotee. You are a great Krṣṇa conscious personality, and Krṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Krṣṇa does not want you, from you, very nice thing. Krṣṇa is complete in Himself. He can produce many, many nice things. He is not begging from you, but still, He is expecting something from you because He is supplying so many things to you. Is it not?

Suppose if you have got a friend, you always give him. Don't you expect something: "Oh, I give so many things to my friend. He does not offer me anything?"? Don't you feel, out of love? Father, mother, they do so many things for the children. If the children do not do anything for the father and mother, are they not happy? Are they happy? No. They are unhappy: "My children are so ungrateful."

Although He does not want—Krṣṇa is full in Himself—but if we supply something to Krṣṇa... Krṣṇa's good is to be supplied to Krṣṇa. The fruit is not produced by you. Krṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati: [Bg. 9.26] "Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf, oh, I accept." Tad aham asnami, bhakty-upahrtam: "Because he has brought with the devotion and love, I accept it." If Krṣṇa accepts your offering, then your life becomes sublime. That is Krṣṇa consciousness.

Simply we should have to acknowledge. We are getting so many facilities from Krṣṇa. He is sitting within your heart, He is supplying you all necessities, He is giving you sunlight, He is giving you moonlight, He is giving you rainy, seasonal rains, fruits, flowers, grains, and you are so ungrateful that you do not acknowledge?

In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Krṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Krṣṇa. Eko bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman.

So try to understand in this way Krṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Krṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Krṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Krṣṇa's, and Krṣṇa is mine."

So although Krṣṇa is present everywhere, as it is stated here, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam puraṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. Adyam means the original personality. Krṣṇa is the original father. You will find in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yaḥ;: [Bg. 14.4] "In every species of life, all types of forms of life, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father." The father is the seed-giving agent, and mother gives the body.

So this material nature is our mother. According to Vedic conception, the material nature, mother, is worshiped. There are seven kinds of mother. Not one mother.

atma-mata guroḥ; patni
brahmaṇi raja-patnika
dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi
saptaita mataraḥ; smrtaḥ;

Atma-mata, real mother, from whom I have taken birth, atma-mata. Guroḥ; patni, the wife of spiritual master. Atma-mata guroḥ; patni brahmaṇi. Brahmaṇi, the wife of a brahmaṇa, learned scholar. Atma-mata guroḥ; patni. Why learned scholar? He is also guru because from learned scholar you learn so many things, and guru teaches us so many things. Therefore he is father, and his wife is mother.

Atma-mata guroḥ; patni brahmaṇi raja-patnika. Raja-patnika means a queen. And now there is no king, queen, but formerly there was king and queen. So queen is also mother because king is father. He is giving protection to the citizens. Atma-mata guroḥ; patni brahmaṇi raja-patnika dhenuḥ;, cow. Cow is our mother. Why? She is supplying milk. You are drinking milk. So you are killing cows? Oh, that's not good, killing mother. Atma-mata guroḥ; patni brahmaṇi raja-patnika, dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi. Prthvi, that material nature, is also mother because by the material nature, I got this body.

So if you study Vedic literature very nicely and if you try to understand, then your life will be sublime. So this Krṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give you all the authoritative information from Vedic literature. They are not manufacturing anything. They are not empiric philosophers presenting something, mental concoction. No. Therefore this Bhagavad-gita, we have presented: Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

This is our business, just like a post peon's business is to deliver the envelope as it is. And if there is good news, it is for you. If it is bad news, it is for you. But the peon's business is to deliver as it is. Similarly, our business is to present Krṣṇa's message as it is. Then you become spiritual master. Spiritual master does not become grown just like tree. No. It is carrying the message from higher authorities as it is stated. "I told this message," Krṣṇa says, "to Vivasvan, the sun-god. He told to his son Manu. Manu told to his son Ikṣvaku. In this way this is coming down. Now it is broken. Therefore I am saying unto you, Arjuna."

So there is no difficulty in administering this Vedic message to the world provided we simply carry the same message as it was delivered by Krṣṇa unto you. That is not very difficult. Anyone can do it. You simply try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is and distribute it: "Krṣṇa says this." That's all. You haven't got to comment or add anything, something. But to present, you can speak something, but the central point should not be missed. Then people will be benefited. Then people will be benefited. They will receive the message as it is, and this is transcendental message. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

amara ajñaya guru haña tara' ei desa
yare dekha, tare kaha 'krṣṇa'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Lord Caitanya says that "Every one of you become the spiritual master, every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you." "Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job." No. No difficult job. Caitanya Maha... Amara ajñaya: "Just try to carry out My order. That's all. Then you become spiritual master." And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal's education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure.

Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yatha. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ putaṁ hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, this message of Bhagavad-gita is hari-katha. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yatha. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.

Therefore this parampara system, evaṁ parampara-praptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ; [Bg. 4.2]. "The Blessed Lord said that 'I said to Vivasvan. Vivasvan said to Ikṣvaku. Ikṣvaku said to Manu. Manu said to his son.' " In this way, rajarṣi. Rajarṣi. Formerly the kings were taken instructions, the head of the state, because they were responsible for the citizens' spiritual life, not only material prosperity but spiritual prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature.

The father is responsible, the king is responsible, the teacher is responsible, the husband is responsible for development of spiritual life of their dependent. Bhagavata says that "If you cannot develop the spiritual life of your dependent, then don't become a spiritual master, don't become a teacher, don't become a father, don't become a husband." These things are restricted. So it is very nice culture, this Vedic culture. Try to understand.

And Bhagavad-gita is the essence of such Vedic knowledge. And it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Krṣṇa. Try to understand it as it is; then your life will be sublime. You will feel joyful always. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Abhyasat: "By nature we are joyful." But what is that nature? That spiritual nature, not this material nature. Material... Manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhanindriyaṇi prakrti-sthani karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. If we remain in the material nature, then our whole struggle for existence will continue. It will never stop. But if you take to the spiritual nature, Brahman nature, brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], you immediately become joyful. So everyone... (end)

690103BG.LA