Prabhupada:

maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na cahaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ;
[Bg. 9.4]

This verse, we have been discussing last night, this is distinct explanation of impersonalism and personalism. Actually, there cannot be any impersonal idea. Here, Krṣṇa says avyakta-murtina. Even avyakta, nonmanifested, it has also a murti, a form. Generally we conceive impersonalism, voidism, voidism, compared with the sky. Sky is called zero, void, but sky has also a form. We see daily, a big round form. So there cannot be anything without form. That is not possible. Therefore Krṣṇa particularly says avyakta-murtina. Although it is nonmanifested, but it has got a form. But one who does not take to the real form and takes to the imaginary form, that has been explained in the Bhagavad-gita, klesaḥ; adhika-taras teṣam avyaktasakta-cetasam. Those who are attached to the impersonal form, they unnecessarily take some trouble, klesaḥ; adhika-taraḥ;.

Of course, to understand the form of the Lord, that is not very easy thing. It requires much intelligence. Intelligence, that is also a kind of tapasya. Without tapasya, nobody can understand the form of the Lord, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Because generally we take it for granted "form" means a form like me. Krṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati, tad aham asnami [Bg. 9.26]. Now, we offer eatables to the Lord. Krṣṇa says tad aham asnami, "I eat." But the atheists cannot see. They cannot see that how Krṣṇa is eating. They say that "You offered something to Krṣṇa, but He has not eaten. It is lying there; you are eating." But no, Krṣṇa has eaten. They do not know how they eat, how Krṣṇa eats. That is their fault. Poor fund of knowledge. One has to learn how Krṣṇa can eat. Krṣṇa can eat simply by seeing. Simply, Krṣṇa's all parts, all the indriyas, different parts of the body, limbs, they're as good as Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa can eat, just like we eat through our mouth, but Krṣṇa can eat with His eyes. That is absolute. We have, because we are not absolute, we have got distinction between my, our eyes and our hands, our mouth. There are distinction which is called sagata viveḥ;. We have got difference of body between yourself and myself, and in the body also there are differences. My eyes are different from my hands, my hands are different from my legs. But Krṣṇa, being Absolute, He has no such distinction. That they do not understand. Therefore they can not imagine how God, Krṣṇa, can have a form. "If He has a form, then the form is like this, our," the Mayavadis they say. They believe that when Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is defied by Krṣṇa: avajananti maṁ muḍha manuṣiṁ tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11], "Because I come as a human being, these rascals take Me as one of the human being." This is the beginning. Muḍha, this word is used, very word. Muḍha means rascal. Because Krṣṇa comes as this child of Yasoda-mata, or as the son of Vasudeva, therefore these Mayavadis, they mistake that Krṣṇa or Brahman has taken the form, accepting the body from maya. But that's not the fact. Krṣṇa is not under maya. Krṣṇa says, sambhavamy atma-mayaya: not accepting this material energy. He's ordering, sambhavami yuge yuge, sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6].

So the so-called rascal scholars, they think Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's body are different. As we, we spirit soul, we are different from this body, similarly these Mayavadis, they also think that Krṣṇa is different from His body. We have several times discussed, a big scholar, when Krṣṇa says in this Ninth Chapter, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], he translates nice but comments that "It is not to Krṣṇa, the person. It is unto the Supreme Brahman who is within Krṣṇa." He does not know Krṣṇa, that Krṣṇa has no such difference. He is Parabrahman. He has no difference as between the soul and the body. He is complete spiritual body, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Krṣṇa is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, sac-cid-ananda. So there cannot be any difference between Krṣṇa and His soul. There is no such thing. But these people, the so-called scholars, they do not understand Krṣṇa, but they have the audacity to write comments on Bhagavad-gita. They do not know what is Krṣṇa, but they have the impudency to write comments on Bhagavad-gita. Krṣṇa says, "It is meant for you, Arjuna, because you are My devotee," bhakto 'si, priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Nobody can understand Bhagavad-gita unless one is very dear to Krṣṇa and bhakta of Krṣṇa. Nobody can understand. That is the first step. One must be very dear to Krṣṇa and one must be a devotee of Krṣṇa, then he can touch Bhagavad-gita. Of course, there are so many things, jñana-yoga, bhakti-yoga, dhyana-yoga, haṭha-yoga, karma-yoga. So many yogas are there. But Krṣṇa says, "The most confidential part of knowledge, My dear Arjuna, I am giving you, because you are so, My dear friend," sarva guhyatamam, the Eighteenth Chapter, that, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66], man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namas...

So God, Krṣṇa, is not imperson at the ultimate end. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. So Paramatma is subordinate to the Supreme Person, Krṣṇa, and Brahman is also subordinate to the Supreme Person, Krṣṇa. Brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭha. Brahman, the impersonal Brahman feature, brahmajyoti, that is resting on Krṣṇa. It is very easy to understand. We can see that the sunshine is resting on the sun globe. Sun globe is localized, but sunshine is very big. It is distributed all over the universe. But that does not mean that sunshine is more important than the sun globe. The sun globe is important, and the still more important is the sun-god. Within the sun globe there is sun-god, Vivasvan. He is a person. And there is also other living entities, their, all their bodies are made of fire. Here in the material science, they sterilize. They, they are under the impression that when there is too strong temperature, the microbes die, or when there is too cold, the microbes die. There are two kinds of sterilization: either by increasing the heat or decreasing the heat, below zero. But Bhagavad-gita, from Bhagavad-gita we understand, adahyo 'yam: soul is never killed in fire, neither it is killed by extreme coldness. Nityaḥ; sasvato 'yam. Spirit cannot be counteracted by any material reaction. That is spirit. So therefore, the theory that in the fire the living entity dies, it is not; otherwise how these slokas are there in the Second Chapter? Adahyo 'yam, akledyo 'yam, asoṣya 'yam. That means anything material, that can be cut into pieces, but the soul cannot be cut into pieces. Acchedyo 'yam. It cannot be cut into pieces. Acchedyo' yam. Adahyo 'yam: it cannot be burned into ashes in the fire. Akledyo 'yam asoṣya 'yam: by the reaction of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air, that is not applicable in the soul. So if they're not applicable to the soul, which is minute particle of the Supreme Soul, how it is applicable to the Supreme Soul? Therefore it is a miscalculation that Krṣṇa, the Supreme Soul, is affected by this material nature. That is not possible. Therefore Krṣṇa says that sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]. Besides that, Krṣṇa says that material nature works under His direction, mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ; suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. There are other evidences. In Brahma-samhita:

srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sa...
[Bs. 5.44]

Sa durga, icchanurupam. Yasya icchanurupam api ceṣṭate. Sa durga. Srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktiḥ;. Durga is so powerful that it can create..., she can create, she maintains, and she can annihilate everything; still she is working as maidservant under the direction of Govinda. Govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami **. And it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ; suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10].

So Krṣṇa is the origin of everything.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ; sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matva bhajante maṁ
budha bhava-samanvitaḥ;
[Bg. 10.8]

Vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhaḥ; [Bg. 7.19]. One who understands Krṣṇa perfectly... We cannot understand Krṣṇa perfectly—that is not possible. But as far as our knowledge is concerned, as far as we can study Vedas, if we simply can understand that Krṣṇa is the origin of everything, isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. Paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ;. Every one of us, somehow or other, we are isvaraḥ;. Isvaraḥ; means controller. So we have got some controlling capacity, according to our capacity, but we are not the supreme controller. That is not possible. Supreme controller is Krṣṇa. You may be controller, I am controller, but above me there is another controller. Above him there is another controller. But above him there is another controller. In this way, within this material world, the supreme controller is Brahma, within this material world, not beyond this material world. Only on the..., on this universe, in each and every universe, there are many Brahmas, many Rudras, and many other demigods—many suns, many moons, many, many, millions.

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv (aseṣa)-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aseṣa-bhutaṁ
govindam adi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajami
[Bs. 5.40]

So everything is Krṣṇa's energy; therefore Krṣṇa says, maya tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4]. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma means Krṣṇa's energy is spread everywhere, everything. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;.

That expansion, in the Viṣṇu Puraṇa it is said,

eka-sthani (desa)-sthitasyagner
jyotsna vistariṇi yatha
parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktis
sarvaiva (tathedam) akhilaṁ jagat

Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Idaṁ sarvam. Whatever we are seeing, they are simply expansion of Krṣṇa's energy. Just like a big merchant, a big industrialist, he has got big, big factories. So these factories, he, one can say that this is Mr. Birla's factory or Mr. such and such gentleman's factory, Tata's factory. But still, although the factory belongs to Tata, the factory is running on by the energy of Tata, but you cannot find, if you want to see where is Tata here, Mr. Tata, that you cannot see. Tata is seen sitting in his room and is pulling button and everything is going on. Similarly, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto [Bs. 5.37]. Krṣṇa in His place, He is with Radharaṇi. He is enjoying playing on His flute. Why He has to do anything? Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya karyaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do. If we can see ordinary, a Mr. Tata or Mr. Birla, has nothing to do, everything is being done by his energy, so how great energy has got the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just we can imagine.

So His energy is acting, working. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jñana-bala-kriya ca. His energy is acting in such a way, perfect way, that as we see that it is automatically, automatic. An electronic machine, just by putting here, a button, it is immediately responding five thousand miles away, the same button working. That this scientific method we have discovered. And we have discovered; the law is there. You have simply learned to push one button, but there are vividhaiva button. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. So simply by His willing, everything is being done. That is Krṣṇa. Simply by His willing. Vicamati. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Simply by this will, "Let there be creation," there is creation. But there is action of the energy of Krṣṇa, but the energy is so subtle that immediately it performs: svabhaviki jñana-bala-kriya ca. You see, study one flower, how finely it is constructed, how... The botanist can study that it is running in this way, the veins are running in this way, the system is like this. But who has made the system, that is to be studied. Not only simply studying the superficial nature. A flower is coming out. It is not coming automatically. Exactly the same energy. Just like if we want to paint one flower, we have to apply our energy. We have to collect a color and the brush and apply our attention. Similarly, Krṣṇa is doing, but His energy is so perfect, it becomes quickly done, immediately. Immediately. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. The same example: just like now in the electronic days. Formerly we have to connect so many things before doing telegraphic transfer, but by electronic: immediate, simply by pushing one button.

So if in the material world such subtle things can be performed, so spiritually, still fine, finely it can be done. Therefore Krṣṇa says that "Whatever you see," maya tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4], "it is My expansion of energy." "It is My expansion of energy." The same example as it is given in the Viṣṇu Puraṇa, just as a fire is there in one place. The another example is just like sunshine. Sun is fixed up. You can see, everyone can see that it is lying, stationed, in one insignificant corner of the sky, but his sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and everything, all planets, all vegetation, all seasonal changes, they are depending on the sunshine. Similarly, Krṣṇa has got His rays of the body, brahmajyoti, yasya prabha [Bs. 5.40], prabha. Brahmajyoti is described as prabha. Yasya prabha prabhavato [Bs. 5.40]. As soon as there is brahmajyoti... Brahmajyoti is always there. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. In the brahmajyoti, innumerable universes are coming out, anywhere. In another place it is said, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vila-ja jagad-aṇḍa-nathaḥ; [Bs. 5.48]. Jagad-aṇḍa-nathaḥ; means Brahman. So everything is coming from Him. But the same thing, that is the Vedic injunction. Yato va imani bhutani jayante. These are the Vedic injunction. Yato va imani, sa aikṣata, sa (Sanskrit). So, sa vai..., raso vai saḥ;: everything, all, reservoir of all rasas. Same, same thing is explained here, maya tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4].

But these Mayavadi, they think that "I am the same. I am..., I am distributed everywhere. I am moving the sun, I am moving..." They mediate like this. This is nonsense. How you are moving? It is said, maya tatam idaṁ sarvam. "I am expanded all over this body," that you can say. My limitation. Kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, that is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Idaṁ sariraṁ kṣetram iti abhidhiyate. I am not exactly controller; still, suppose I am the proprietor of this body. Actually, I am not proprietor of the body. Actually proprietor of this body, Krṣṇa, Paramatma, but I have given the place. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. Jivatma is the proprietor of this body. He has been given this spot to act, just like this human body is given by nature to us. Now we can act. If we act just like human being, then your life is successful. The chance given by nature is fruitful. What is that chance? This body is given for inquiring about Brahman: athato brahma jijñasa. Atha, now we have got this human form of body. Now inquire about Brahman. Why you are going to the share market: "What is the price of this share?" But we are wasting in that way. (Sanskrit) Not inquiring about Brahman. (Sanskrit) The dogs and cats, they are all, "Where is some food? Where is some stool?" They are inquiring. Not that inquiry. Just like the hog is inquiring whole day, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" Not, not that inquiry. The human body is meant for inquiring about Brahman: athato brahma jijñasa. This is Vedanta-sutra. But they're not interested in inquiring about Brahman. Nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke kaṣṭan kaman arhate viḍ-bhujaṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. Viḍ-bhujam, hogs, viḍ-bhujam. Viḍ-bhujam means stool-eater. They are working very hard, but this human body is not meant for that purpose. Kaṣṭan kaman. Kaman means the necessities to fulfill, to satisfy the senses, ahara, nidra, bhaya, mithuna—where to eat, where to sleep, where to have sexual intercourse, where..., how to defend. These are kaman. These are bodily necessities. But for fulfilling simply the bodily necessities if we work so hard, then where is the difference between us and the hogs? They're doing same thing. Therefore sastra says, nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke. They are all, all the bodies, they have got, cats and dogs and hogs, they have also got body. Trees, they have got their body. But nrloke: in the human society when you have got a body, it is not meant for working hard like hogs and dogs. This is human civilization. This is human civilization. Then what is it meant for? Tapo, tapasya. That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization. But we have made program for economic development, working hard day and night like hogs and dogs. This is going on. This is going on under the name of civilization. And to satisfy me after hard labor, there is wine and women and flesh. That's all. This is not civilization. This is hog civilization. Real civilization is for tapasya. Everything, God has given us everything you need. For human being, Krṣṇa has given you nice fruits, nice flowers, nice grains, nice milk, nice sugar. Why don't you eat them nicely? That is Vedic civilization. Take the grains, take the fruits, take milk, take sugar, make varieties of preparation, offer Krṣṇa, and take the prasada and chant Hare Krṣṇa. This is civilization. This is civilization. Otherwise, simply working hard for sense gratification without any discrimination whether it is mother, or sister or any..., that is hog civilization. That the hog has no discrimination you'll find.

So therefore sastra says, nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke kaṣṭan kaman arhate [SB 5.5.1]. They do not understand what is civilization. Here Krṣṇa said, now, aprapya maṁ nivartante mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani [Bg. 9.3]. But they do not know what is mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. Is there any university where this education is given, what is mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani? Can any big philosopher can say what is this mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani? They do not know. Krṣṇa said that "If you do not get Me, here is a chance, human form of body." Aprapya mam. "If you don't get Me, if you come..., do not come to Krṣṇa consciousness, then what is the result? Nivartante, mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani." If you do not take chance... Just like sometimes you have seen somebody takes his bird in the field and let him loose, out of the cage, and the bird goes and he also goes behind. But if the bird takes chance, "Now I am..., now let loose, let me fly away." But that, that he does not do. He again comes into the cage, again. Again he comes. So this human form of body is just like let loose. Now you get the freedom of flying away from this mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani, but that we'll not do. We'll enter again. We'll enter. Everything is clear.

So we are not interested how to get out of the cage of mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. We are again and again coming back to the cage. This is called ajñana. This is called ajñana. Jñana means that I am eternal, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. I don't..., I am not annihilated after the killing, after the annihilation of this body. Nityaḥ; sasvatayam, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Then why I am entering this body, which is annihilated? That is the problem. That is mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. If you enter again into this material body, then again mrtyu. Again enter, again die, again mrtyu. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. This is the problem, mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. But nobody is interested how to get out of this problem. They do not know, they do not feel. They think that "After death I am annihilated." But that is not the fact. The fact is that you have to enter another body, and any material body you accept, either king's body or dog's body or hog's body or tree's body, it will be finished. It will. That is called mrtyu, mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani.

So we are accepting similar bodies, 8,400,000 forms of bodies are there, and one after another we are entering and leaving and entering and leaving. This is called mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. But we have no such brain that how to get out this mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. We can get out. That is, that will be, that is explained, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti. This is maya. Maya means actually I am not under this mrtyu-saṁsara-vartmani. Atma mayam rte rajan. It is maya. Just like in dream, I enter some kind of body. At night, every night we can experience, that when you sleep we dream that "I have taken another body. I have gone to another place. I am working in a different way, forgetting this body." This is daily experience. And when that dream is over, then again I come to this body. I remember, "Oh, I have to go there, I have to do this," another action, other activity. This is going on. I am accepting this gross dream and this subtle dream, but what is my actual position? That I do not know. This is called ignorance. That actual position we can understand if we become Krṣṇa conscious. If we simply become Krṣṇa conscious, then we can understand our actual position. Then we can be saved, and that is stated here, asraddadhanaḥ; puruṣa dharmasyasya parantapa [Bg. 9.3]. Asraddadhanaḥ;. If one is not interested in Krṣṇa consciousness, asraddadhanaḥ;, no faith—"I have no faith"—but it is for your interest, sir. Why you say that "I have no interest"? That is the.... Na te viduḥ; svartha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They, the rascal, they do not know what is his interest. He does not know. Bahir-artha-maninaḥ;, durasaya. Bahir-artha-maninaḥ;. He has got this material body, and he's thinking, "Satisfaction of my senses, that is my interest," bahir-artha-maninaḥ;. And andha yathandhair upaniyamanas. And another rascal leader who gives him impetus, "Yes, you do this, you do that, you will be very much satisfied. You do..."

So many materialists, they engage them. That is very nice. They like to abide by such leaders. But what are those leaders? Andha. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. They are themselves blind, and they are leading other blind followers. This is going on. Na te viduḥ; svartha-gatim. But actually leading, actually leader is Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. He is actual leader. So don't follow all these nonsense things. Don't follow all these "isms"; you'll spoil your life, because you are not this body, that is the first... Tatha dehantaraṁ prapti, dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. So everything clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gita. So instead of accepting these blind leaders, we should know who is actual leader. Krṣṇa is the leader. We'll, if we take leadership of Krṣṇa, then our life is perfect. We could properly utilize the utility of human life. Otherwise we have been mislead.

Now Krṣṇa is therefore explaining that the, whatever you are seeing in this material world... What is this material world? This material world is combination of the spiritual and material energy of Krṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;. There are two different energies of Brahman. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. What is this Calcutta city? Calcutta city means the earth, water, air, fire, sky. These are material elements, gross elements. Mind, intelligence and ego, these are the subtle elements. These eight elements, Krṣṇa's energy, and beyond this energy, aparayam, these are inferior energy. Beyond this inferior, super..., inferior energy there is a superior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtiṁ para [Bg. 7.5]. Another superior. What is that superior energy? Jiva-bhuta, the living force, the living entity. So what is this world? This world, or take this Calcutta, what is it? It is a combination of material energy and spiritual energy. The spiritual energies are the living entities. He has got this material body; therefore it is a combination. So they are working. But who is working? Actually working these living entities, and he is utilizing this material energy. This is going on. Yayedaṁ dharyate..., the whole world is going on like this: a combination of material energy and spiritual energy. The spiritual energy is superior and the material energy is inferior. Therefore whatever we are seeing, they are simply display, manifestation of two energies of Krṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ; sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. This is jagat.

So although energy and the energetic, they are nondifferent, still energy is not the energetic. This is called acintya-bhedabheda, simultaneously one and different. The energy is not different, just like the fire and the heat and the light. The heat and light is from the fire. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and light, but still heat and light is not fire. Try to understand. This is acintya-bhedabheda. Heat is not different from fire, light is not different from fire, but still heat and light is not fire. Similarly, the everything, whatever we see, they are simply manifestation of the two energies of God, Brahman. So they are not different from Brahman, at the same time different from Brahman. This is called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. Therefore Krṣṇa says here that mat-sthani sarva-bhutani: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything is resting on My energy, but I am not them." The Mayavadi philosophers, they are mistaken, mistaking that when everything is expanded as God's energy, then why there is separate God? This is material conception. God is always separate from His energy. That is distinctly said here: maya tatam idaṁ sarvam. Everything is emanation of God's energy, but still God is not there. If you worship the energy of God, that is not God-worshiping. Indirectly it is, but directly it is not. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita. The kamais tais tair hrta-jñanaḥ; prapadyante 'nya-devataḥ; [Bg. 7.20]. Anya devataḥ;: they are energies of Krṣṇa. But there is no need..., if you approach directly to the energetic, the energy is automatically touched and worshiped. Sarvarhaṇam acyutejya. Just like if you pour water in the root. Root is the cause of the tree. So the tree, the, I mean, the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, everything, they are also expansion of the root. So if you water on the root, the service expands to other parts of the root.

yatha taror mula-niṣecanena
trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhaḥ;
praṇopaharac ca yathendriyaṇaṁ
tathaiva sarvarhaṇam acyutejya
[SB 4.31.14]

So it you simply worship Acyuta.... Acyuta means the Supreme Lord who never falls, who never falls down. We are cyuta. Although we are qualitatively one with God, but we have got the tendency of falldown. Therefore we have fallen down in this material world. But Krṣṇa does not fall down. When Krṣṇa comes, He is not like us. And if you consider Him as one of us, then you must be rascal number one. Avajananti maṁ muḍha manuṣiṁ tanum... [Bg. 9.11], paraṁ bhavam ajananto. So that is Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is expanding by His energy everywhere. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;. But in the saktiḥ;, although there is relationship, that is also in different way indirectly Krṣṇa, but there is no Krṣṇa. That is not Krṣṇa. If you have.... (break) Maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-murtina mat-sthani sarva-bhutani [Bg. 9.4]. Everything is resting in His energy, mat-sthani sarva-bhutani. Na cahaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ;: "But I am not there." And if you, instead of Krṣṇa, if you worship the energy.... The material scientist, he is also worshiping Krṣṇa, but He is worshiping the Krṣṇa's material energy, not Krṣṇa. Therefore, if one says that "I am worshiping the energy of Krṣṇa, therefore there is no need of worshiping Krṣṇa," that is not good. That is not. Ye yatha maṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. If you stick to the worshipment of the energy, you'll get that success, but not as much success as Krṣṇa worship. Therefore it is clearly said,

maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na cahaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ;
[Bg. 9.4]

In another place it is said that, just like He says that "The worshiping the other demigod, that is also worshiping Me," but avidhi bhur bhavam. Yajanty avidhi-purvakam: that is not vidhi. Vidhi is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇam [Bg. 18.66], to worship Krṣṇa. It is very simple. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. But people will not accept this simple thing which will give him complete perfection. But mayayapahrta-jñana asuri bhavam asritaḥ;, because they have taken the atheistic view, asuri bhavam asritaḥ;, therefore maya has taken his knowledge. They..., everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Mayaiva vihitan hi tan. If we worship other demigod, they cannot independently offer you any benediction. Krṣṇa said, mayaiva vihitan hi tan. They have to take sanction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead before giving you the benediction. But still such benediction is temporary, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣaṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg. 7.23]. They are temporary.

So such temporary benediction is meant for the alpa-medhasam, one whose brain substance is very small, or the brain substance, instead of brain substance, it's cow dung. They attempt, they accept in this way; otherwise every sastra says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ; [Bg. 15.15]. One..., all the Vedic literatures, they aim at understanding Krṣṇa, and Krṣṇa says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me." It is so easy. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam... Any, any part of the world, any poor man can offer Krṣṇa. This is the poorest, not that who are rich, for them it is prescribed. Anyone can offer Krṣṇa according to his capacity. Krṣṇa is not hankering after your offering, but if you offer Krṣṇa, that is for your own interest, own benefit. Maya tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-murtina [Bg. 9.4].

na ca mat-sthani bhutani
pasya me yogam aisvaram
bhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho
bhutatma bhuta-bhavanaḥ;

This is acintya-bheda. The same thing I have already explained, that the heat and light is not different from the fire, but still the fire is not there. Similarly, although Krṣṇa is not there, but everything is there in Krṣṇa, and everywhere you can find Krṣṇa also at the same time, because everything is Krṣṇa's energy.

Just like here we are worshiping Deity made of stone. Everyone knows that the Deity is made of stone. That atheist class will say, "How is this? These foolish people are worshiping a stone statue." But no, that is not same stone statue. Stone is also Krṣṇa, because bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; [Bg. 7.4]. So one who knows the art, by worshiping stone also, he can worship Krṣṇa. By worshiping stone also. It is Krṣṇa's mercy. Because at the present moment, ataḥ; sri-krṣṇa-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. By your blunt senses, you can not understand what is Krṣṇa, what is Krṣṇa's name, what is Krṣṇa's form, what is Krṣṇa's activity. Therefore Krṣṇa, by His causeless mercy, has come before us in the form of stone so that we can see Him. Because we cannot see beyond stone. We cannot see beyond wood. And wood and stone is also not beyond Krṣṇa. That is also Krṣṇa. So Krṣṇa has given us the facility to worship Him in the way as we can understand. It is not that Krṣṇa.... Krṣṇa is stone, because Krṣṇa says bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ;. He can take service from this, any form. There are eight kinds of forms. Either you paint, either you make a form from wood, from stone, from jewels, and according to Vedic system there are so many different types of Deities. So Krṣṇa can accept your service in any way. That is Krṣṇa's omnipotency. He has got omnipotency. But we can handle. If we simply, if we want to worship the gigantic viraṭ-rupa of Krṣṇa, if you want to dress Him with cloth, where is such..., where is there such amount of cloth? How you can do it?

So it is Krṣṇa's kindness that He has appeared before you in a small form, so according to your capacity, you can make very nice dress, and Krṣṇa, you can dress Him. And by dressing Him, Krṣṇa will understand that "Here is my devotee. He is giving Me some service." This is the position. Therefore temple worship, the Deity worship is necessity for the kaniṣṭha-adhikari. Simply if you think that "Krṣṇa is everywhere. I shall think of Krṣṇa, meditate on Him," that is not possible. Meditation, that is also regu..., requires good qualification. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ; [SB 12.13.1]. But Krṣṇa, by His kindness, arca-murti, a child can see also Krṣṇa. Any innocent, any illiterate man can see, any man can see—a brahmaṇa can see, sudra can see. Therefore the Deity worship so important.

na ca mat-sthani bhutani
pasya me yogam aisvaram
bhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho
mamatma bhuta-bhavanaḥ;

Mamatma bhuta-bhavanaḥ;: "Everything is coming from Me; therefore everything is in Me. Still I am not there." This is called acintya-bhedabheda.

yathakasa-sthito nityaṁ
vayuḥ; sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvaṇi bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya

Just like in the sky there are so many things. Yathakasa. Yathakasa-sthito nityaṁ vayuḥ;. The vayuḥ;, vayuḥ; is everywhere, but it is within the sky. It is nityo, nityam. Nityaṁ vayuḥ; sarvatra-go mahan tatha sarvaṇi bhutani mat-sthani. "Everything is in Me, and still I am not there." So Krṣṇa is outside, Krṣṇa is inside. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Krṣṇa is so kind. Krṣṇa is outside. Krṣṇa is inside. Krṣṇa is outside. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithya—no. Jagan not, not mithya, because these elements, jagat means these five elements. That is also Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa in everything. Krṣṇa's energy, how we can say it is mithya? It is not mithya; it is fact, but we do not know it is Krṣṇa. We are claiming, "This is our land," but we do not know it is, it is whose land. That is our mistake. Land is not mithya; land is fact. But we do not know whose land, to whom this land belongs. That we do not know. But a devotee knows that isavasyam idaṁ sarvam [Iso mantra 1], everything belongs to Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa also says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the proprietor of all lokas." But we are claiming, "This is Indian land, it is our land," "This is Chinese land," "This is American land," and you are fighting. This is due to want of Krṣṇa consciousness. Actually everything belongs to Krṣṇa. We belong to Krṣṇa. My body belongs to Krṣṇa. I am part and parcel of Krṣṇa; therefore my only duty is to serve Krṣṇa. This is perfect knowledge. Otherwise all nonsense.

This is the...

yathakasa-sthito nityaṁ
vayuḥ; sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvaṇi bhutani
mat-sthani

Sarva-bhutani, "Everything," mat-sthani, "they are My part and parcel." Therefore the part and parcel duty is to serve the whole. Just like this finger, part and parcel of this body, its duty is to serve the whole body. When it is..., there is some defect, then it cannot serve. Then anyone, any living entity who is not engaged in Krṣṇa's service, he is in abnormal condition of his life. That is not.... That is called conditional life. And as soon as he gives up this conditional life, he takes to Krṣṇa consciousness and begins serving Krṣṇa, that is mukti. That is mukti. Svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ; hitvanyatha-rupaṁ [SB 2.10.6], mukti. This is the definition of mukti. Muktir hitvanyatha-rupaṁ svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ;. Mukti means you give up your abnormal condition of life and you be situated in your own constitutional life. That is mukti.

So we are spreading this mukti. Krṣṇa consciousness means mukti consciousness. Take it very seriously. Try to understand and take advantage of it and be happy. That is our request.

Thank you very much. (end)

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