Pradyumna: Translation: "Krṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Sri Krṣṇa..." (noise)

Prabhupada: (aside:) Stop this.

Pradyumna: "...yet He appears as the son of Maharaja Nanda." [Cc. Adi 7.7]

Prabhupada: (noise) (aside:) Stop. Svayam bhagavan krṣṇa. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Whatever Kaviraja Gosvami is speaking, not out of his own whimsical way, whatever he's speaking, he's following the parampara system. That is Vaiṣṇavism, or acarya. Acaryavan puruṣo veda. (noise, talking) (aside:) Stop this. Unless we accept the acarya in the parampara system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible. So Kaviraja Gosvami, he's describing this Caitanya-caritamrta strictly according to the verdict of the sastras. His statement is that Krṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavan krṣṇa. Bhagavan is person; Bhagavan is not imperson. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. First realization of the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge is impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called brahmajyoti. Then next realization is Paramatma, the localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But realization of Krṣṇa, that is the ultimate realization. Svayam bhagavan krṣṇa.

Bhagavan means six opulences. Nobody is richer than Bhagavan, nobody is stronger than Bhagavan, nobody is more beautiful than Bhagavan, nobody is wiser than Bhagavan, and nobody is more renouncer than Bhagavan. That is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasaḥ; sriyaḥ; (Viṣṇu Puraṇa 6.5.47). That is Bhagavan. Svayam bhagavan. He is opulent—ṣaḍ-aisvarya-purṇa—not partially. He knows everything. Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, vedahaṁ samatitani [Bg. 7.26]. He knows past, present, and future. He says, therefore, that "All these, My dear Arjuna—yourself, Myself and all the soldiers and kings who have assembled here—it is not that we were not existing before. We are existing at the present moment also, and in future also we shall continue to exist." And how we shall exist? Individually. Otherwise Krṣṇa would have said that in future, when we become liberated, then we shall become one. No. He says, "Even in future also, we shall continue to exist like this. You are individual. You are Arjuna. I am Krṣṇa. And all other living entities..." That is real understanding. Every one of us living entities, we are all individual persons, and Krṣṇa is also individual person. This is knowledge. Nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam eko yo bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Krṣṇa, or God, He's also nitya, eternal. We are also nitya, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die. That is the preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding, that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmasmi, but I am individual." Nityo nityanam. Krṣṇa is individual person; I am also individual person. When Krṣṇa says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], it does not mean that I become one with Krṣṇa or merge into the existence of Krṣṇa. I keep my individuality, Krṣṇa keeps His individuality, but I agree to abide by His order. Therefore Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna that "I have spoken to you everything. Now what is your decision?" Individual. It is not that Krṣṇa is forcing Arjuna. Yathecchasi tatha kuru: [Bg. 18.63] "Now whatever you like, can do." That is individuality.

So this is the ultimate knowledge, that, this Mayavada philosophy, that to become one, merge into the existence, merge into the existence means we merge into the order of Krṣṇa. Our individuality at the present moment is maya, because we are planning so many things. Therefore your individuality and my individuality clashes. But when there will be no more clashing—we shall agree, "Central point is Krṣṇa"—that is oneness, not that we lose our individuality. So as it is stated in all Vedic literature and spoken by Krṣṇa, we are all individual, all individual. Svayaṁ bhagavan ekale isvara. But the difference is that He is the supreme ruler, isvara. Isvara. Isvara means ruler. Actually He is ruler, and we are also ruler, but we are subordinate ruler . Therefore He is ekale isvara, one ruler. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇa, in the Brahma-saṁhita. Ekale isvara. Isvara cannot be many. That is not isvara. The Mayavada philosophy that everyone is God, that is not very right conclusion. That is rascaldom. Krṣṇa says, muḍha. Na maṁ prapadyante muḍhaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. One who does not submit to the supreme isvara, the Supreme Lord, you should know it perfectly well that "Here is a muḍha, rascal," because it is not that everyone, we can become isvara. That is not possible. There is then no meaning of isvara. Isvara means the ruler. Suppose we are in a group, this, our International Society. If everyone becomes ruler or acarya, then how it can be managed? No. There must be some head. That is the principle in our practical life. We follow our political leaders. We cannot say that "I belong to this party" unless I follow a leader. That is natural.

So that is the Vedic statement, nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There must be one leader, the leader of the same quality, nitya. I am nitya, Krṣṇa is nitya. Krṣṇa is also living entity; I am also living entity. Nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam. So what is the difference between Krṣṇa and me? The difference is that there are two nityas or two cetanas. One is described as singular number, and the other is described as plural number. Nityo nityanam. This nityanam is plural number, and nitya is singular number. So God is nitya, one, singular number, and we, we are being ruled. We are plural number. This is the difference. And how He is ruling the plural number? Because eko yo bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman. He's supplying all the necessities of life of all these plural number; therefore He's isvara, He's Krṣṇa, He's God. One who provides all the necessities of life, He's isvara, He's Krṣṇa, He's God. So we can very well understand that we are being maintained by Krṣṇa, and why we should not be ruled by Him? This is a fact. Now, you can see in this country, in this village, Mayapur, their so many food grains are growing, but who is supplying? That is Krṣṇa. It is not possible to grow these food grains in your factory. No. That is not possible. He's helping us. He has stated in the Bhagavad-gita, annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. Unless you eat sufficiently, unless you have food grains in stock, you cannot flourish. Bhutani. Bhavanti. Bhavanti means flourishing. So both animals and men, they must eat sufficiently. There must be food grain sufficiently. So that food grain you cannot manufacture in your factory. You may start a very big factory, Goodyear Tire factory, but that tire also will not move when there is no supply of petrol. This is your position. You are dependent even for this tire and petrol, and what to speak of this food grain. So who is supplying the food grain? The supplying person is... Eko yo bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman. That singular number individual person, He is supplying. You can say prakrti, nature, is supplying. No. Nature is not supplying. Nature is the agent of supply. Real supplier is Krṣṇa. Eko yo bahunaṁ vidadhati kaman. And that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ; suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Nature is working under the instruction or the indication of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krṣṇa.

In Brahma-saṁhita also, it is stated, srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. Here it is the vibharti, and bibhavanti... So nature is dependent, although nature has got this power, very extensive power, srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya, to create, to maintain and to annihilate. Such power nature has got, and therefore she is called Durga, Durgadevi. In Bengal there is great pompous Durga-puja. That is nature worship. So... But nature is yasya ajñaya; she is working under the order of Krṣṇa. We Vaiṣṇava, it is not that we do not care for Durga-devi. Somebody, they say like that. No. We offer her all respect because she is the agent of Krṣṇa, but we do not accept foolishly that Durga is all in all. No. That we do not accept. Durga is the agent, working agent of Krṣṇa. Yasyajñaya. Srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga, icchanurupam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sa [Bs. 5.44]. Sa ceṣṭate yasya icchanurupam. And Krṣṇa also confirms this: mayadhyakṣeṇa prakrtiḥ; suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Therefore Krṣṇa is the supreme isvara, controller. She is conducting the activities of the material nature. But those who are muḍhas, they are captivated by the wonderful action of material nature. That is called materialist. Tribhir guṇamayair bhavaiḥ; mohitaḥ;. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. They are bewildered. Nature's business is to keep you fool always. And if you can surpass the bewilderment of material nature, if you agree to be controlled by the supreme controller, then your life is successful. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta author says that "Here is the controller," ekala, "one." And Krṣṇa also says, mam ekam. Not that imitation Krṣṇa. Then you'll be befooled. Mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja.

So all the verdict of the sastra is the same. It is simply our misfortune that we do not understand the verdict of the sastra. In the sastra, everything is there. So Krṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. That is the verdict of the sastra. In the Brahma-saṁhita it is said. In Bhagavata also said,

ete caṁsa-kalaḥ; puṁsaḥ;
krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulaṁ lokaṁ
mrḍayanti yuge yuge
[SB 1.3.28]

So try to understand. And Krṣṇa said, mattaḥ; parataraṁ nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "No more superior." You don't misunderstand that there is something superior to Krṣṇa. That is rascaldom. So long we shall remain such rascal we shall not surrender to Krṣṇa. Therefore Krṣṇa said, na maṁ prapadyante duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;. Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. Prapadyante. Who does not surrender to Krṣṇa? You'll say that "There are so many big, big persons, and they do not surrender to Krṣṇa. So they are all muḍhas?" Yes, they are all muḍhas. That is the verdict of the sastra. We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible, against the principle of the sastra. If we keep one competitor of Krṣṇa, then we are muḍha. Here it is said, advitiya. Not that there is another Krṣṇa, dini-Krṣṇa, no. There is no... There cannot be any competitor of Krṣṇa. Therefore Krṣṇa says, mattaḥ; parataraṁ nanyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more anyone, bigger authority than Me." And here is also, Caitanya-caritamrta kaja, Kaviraja Gosvami, says, advitiya: no competitor, sir. Here we are all gods, the rascaldom, that "Everyone is God." But there is competition of Gods. But in case of Krṣṇa there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compete with Krṣṇa. When Krṣṇa was present He showed it by practical example. Nobody could compete Him in either knowledge, either strength or love affairs or any field of activities. There was no competition.

Now, Krṣṇa, when He was present, He married sixteen thousand wives. Where is competition? One cannot marry even sixteen wives—and he becomes God. Just see the foolishness. Even from materialistic view, who is that god who can marry sixteen thousand wives? Is there any god, so-called rascal god? Is there any possibility? Krṣṇa showed, yes. Krṣṇa was attempted to be killed from the very childhood when He was three months old by Putana. But He killed the Putana rakṣasi, not He was killed. Similarly, Aghasura, Bakasura, this asura, that asura, simply from the beginning of His life, Kaṁsa and others, from the rogues, the asuras, they were making plan to kill Krṣṇa as soon as He is born. Kaṁsa, he was planning that "As soon as Krṣṇa is born..." He was trying to kill Krṣṇa's mother Devaki, but with argument of Vasudeva that "Don't do this. Your sister's son will kill you, but your sister will not kill you, so let the son be born. I shall bring it to you," Kaṁsa believed the honorable words of Vasudeva. Because he knew that "Vasudeva is very respectable, honorable man. He has promised the children, the child, will be brought to me," so he saved his sister. He was such a cruel. The rogues and cruel, they do not care even for mother and sister. They can kill anyone, you see. That is the roguism. So Kaṁsa was that type of rogue. But Vasudeva, by his intelligence, saved the situation, but as honorable person, he brought all the children to Kaṁsa. You know this history.

So the Kaṁsa or the asura's plan is how to kill Krṣṇa, or God. That is going on. Everyone, "God is dead. God is dead." When I first went to your country the philosophy was that "God is dead." But they admitted, "No, God is living. Swamiji has brought in saṅkirtana." That also they admit. Yes. So God cannot be dead. If we are not ever dead—na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]—how God can be dead? That is another foolishness. God cannot be dead. Nitya. Then there is no meaning of nitya. So this is the position of Krṣṇa; He is the Supreme Person, supreme ruler without any competitor. Advitiya, no competition. Here we have got competition, but Krṣṇa there is no competition. There cannot be any competition. You cannot say that Lord Siva or Lord Brahma or any other demigods, they are also as good as Krṣṇa, equally. No. That is not possible. Then he would not have used this word advitiya. There cannot be any competition. If somebody puts any competitor before Krṣṇa, he's a paṣaṇḍi.

yas tu narayaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahma-rudradi-daivataiḥ;
samatvenaiva vikṣeta
sa paṣaṇḍi bhaved dhruvam
[Cc. Madhya 18.116]

"Narayaṇa, the Supreme Person, if one compares with Narayaṇa with such exalted demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma...," brahma-rudradi-daivataiḥ;, "what to speak of other Indra, Candra—they are nothing in comparison to Brahma. Brahma is the creator of this universe. So even such creator, even so powerful demigod as Lord Siva, cannot be compared with Krṣṇa." Advitiya. Cannot be compared. That is paṣaṇḍi. Sa paṣaṇḍi bhaved dhruvam. So those who are comparing, "All the demigods and Krṣṇa, they are on the same level. You can worship anyone," they are all rascals. Because here it is said advitiya, Krṣṇa cannot be compared with anyone else. That is Krṣṇa. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. They may be isvara. Lord Siva may be isvara, Lord Brahma may be isvara, but they cannot be parama isvara. That is not possible. Paramesvara is Krṣṇa. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1].

So... But, at the same time, Nandatmaja, or Vasudevatmaja. That is Krṣṇa's mercy. That is dealing between His devotee and Himself. Although nobody can become Krṣṇa's father, because He is the original father-aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]—but He agrees to become the son of His devotee. This is called devotional dealing. Santa, dasya sakhya, vatsalya-rasa. This is the dealing of vatsalya-rasa. The father... Nobody can become father of Krṣṇa. That is not possible. He is the father. Ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita [Bg. 14.4]. He is the original father. Then how nandatmaja? How Nanda Maharaja can become the father of Krṣṇa? No. That father means he wanted to become the best servant of Krṣṇa. When I become father of my child, I am the best servant of the child, actually. You see the children moving, and the mother is taking care. So the mother is the best servant of the child. So this is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. They want to become one with the God, but we keep ourself always servant of God, and to become the best servant of God is also to become His father and mother. This is nandatmaja. Therefore one devotee prayed, aham iha sri-nandaṁ vande yasyalinde paraṁ brahma, srutim apare smrtim itare. The devotee is praying that "Somebody is studying the Vedas, somebody is studying the Puraṇas, the smrtis," srutim apare smrtim itare, "and somebody is studying Mahabharata to understand God." But the devotee says, "I do not want to understand God. I want to worship Nanda Maharaja, under whose..., in the courtyard of his house the Parabrahman is crawling." That is nandatma... That is the, I mean to say, superior position of nandatmaja, Nanda Maharaja. So this is philosophy. Ordinary men cannot understand. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy is so nice that instead of becoming one with the Supreme, they want to become the father of the Supreme. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Nandatmaja. Rasika-sekhara. This is also a pleasure. Krṣṇa wants to be subordinate to His devotee as son so that He may be punished. He is punishing everyone, but He wants to be punished also. That is His pleasure. And who will punish Him? His father and mother, superior. Or superior lover, Radharaṇi, can punish Him.

So this Krṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific and sublime. Try to understand. Always read the books. Don't try to understand Krṣṇa ordinarily.

manuyaṇaṁ sahasreṣu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanaṁ
kascid vetti maṁ tattvataḥ;
[Bg. 7.3]

To understand Krṣṇa is not so easy, but if you follow the mahajana, if you try to understand the philosophy through the parampara system, then you'll realize Krṣṇa and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

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