Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sa evedaṁ sasarjagre
bhagavan atma-mayaya
sad-asad-rupaya casau
guṇamayaguṇo vibhuḥ;
[SB 1.2.30]

Translation: "In the beginning of the material creation, the Absolute Lord, in His own transcendental position, created the energies of cause and effect by His own internal energy."

Prabhupada:

sa evedaṁ sasarjagre
bhagavan atma-mayaya
sad-asad-rupaya casau
guṇamayaguṇo vibhuḥ;

So here is the information of creation. The creation is from a person, not from the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Creation, there must be brain; otherwise how there is question of creation? We are part and parcel of Krṣṇa. We are..., we have also creative power. So as soon as there is question of creative power, there must be a brain behind the creation, and brain means a person. Creation cannot be possible from void or impersonal thing. We have several times discussed this point, that the government, this word, appears to be impersonal, but actually, behind the government there is a person—the president or the king, like that. So this creation, cosmic manifestation, is possible through the creative power of the Supreme Person; therefore God cannot be impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the manifestation of God. God must be a person. This is the conclusion. Sa eva idam: this cosmic manifestation was created. In another place it is stated, aham evasam agre: before creation, there was God, Krṣṇa. And when this material creation will be finished, He will remain.

Therefore Krṣṇa, or God, is not one of these created, material created things. That is admitted even by the staunchest impersonalist, Saṅkaracarya: narayaṇaḥ; paraḥ; avyaktat. Vyakta avyakta, this mahat-tattva, from which this material cosmic manifestation is there, but narayaṇa-para, Narayaṇa is above. That means above this creation. Narayaṇa, or Krṣṇa, is not one of the product of this creation. Just like our existence: we are one of the products of this creation. So Narayaṇa, or Krṣṇa, is not one of the products of this material creation; therefore it is to be understood that Krṣṇa's body is not material. But the Mayavadi philosophers, they think like that, that Krṣṇa is God, but He has accepted a material body. This is Mayavadi philosophy. But how Krṣṇa can accept a material body, because He existed before the material creation? Another consideration is that even if He accepts a material body, that is not material for Him. That is also spiritual. It appears to us as material, but that is spiritual. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. He has got multi-energies, and because He is spirit, complete spirit, therefore His energies are also spiritual. Sakti-saktimator abhedaḥ;. There cannot be any distinction between the powerful and the power.

So here it is clearly said that sa evedaṁ sasarjagre bhagavan atma-mayaya: "Bhagavan created by His energy." It is not that Bhagavan is finished after this creation. The Mayavada philosophy is that everything is God; therefore there is no separate existence of God. That is impersonalism. But here it is said that bhagavan atma-mayaya: He created this cosmic manifestation by His energy. Purṇasya purṇam adaya purṇam eva avasiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. His full energy, even it is taken away from Him, still, He is full, He's complete. He's not exhausted. So sa evedaṁ sasarjagre bhagavan atma-mayaya, sad-asad-rupaya. The maya is displayed... Maya means energy. That is displayed in two ways: material and spiritual. Material is asat, and spiritual is sat. Asat means which does not exist permanent, permanently. Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. It is created, again it is annihilated. Therefore it is called sometimes asat. Asat means not false, but not permanent. So this material creation is also manifestation of Krṣṇa's energy, and there is another creation, but that is not creation. That is always existing. That is the spiritual world, sanatana. Paras tasmat tu bhavaḥ; anyaḥ; avyaktaḥ; avyaktat sanatanaḥ; [Bg. 8.20]. That, that manifestation, that is internal potency. This is external potency. This material world is manifestation of the external potency of Krṣṇa, whereas the spiritual world is the manifestation of His internal potency. Unfortunately, the modern advancement of education has no information what is that spiritual world. He has... They have no information. They are concerned with this material world only. That is also not perfectly. But there is spiritual world. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6], Krṣṇa says. There is another, another manifestation of His internal potency. That is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Here, in this material world, material world means it is not eternal, not blissful and not full of knowledge. This is material world. In the Viṣṇu Puraṇa it is said: avidya-karma-saṁjñanya trtiya saktir iṣyate. This manifestation of energy is full of ignorance. The nature of this world is called darkness, tamasi, tama. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. So sad-asad-rupaya casau guṇa, guṇamaya aguṇaḥ;. Krṣṇa, when He's called aguṇa, or nirguṇa, that means He's not affected by these material modes of nature. Above material nature. We are affected. We living entities, we are affected by the material modes of nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But Krṣṇa is not affected. That is Krṣṇa..., difference between Krṣṇa and ourself.

In the Bhagavad-gita there is another instance. When Arjuna asked Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Krṣṇa said that, "First of all, I narrated this yoga system of Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god." So, in order to clear this matter, Arjuna inquired from Him: "My dear Krṣṇa, we are born very recently. How is that You narrated this yoga system to the sun-god?" Arjuna, of course, knew everything, but in order to clear our doubts, he raised this question. And Krṣṇa answered that "You were also present at that time, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." So this is another proof that Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa's body does not change. Krṣṇa, when He comes, when He appears, He comes in His original spiritual body. Therefore Krṣṇa has warned that avajananti maṁ muḍhaḥ; [Bg. 9.11]. The Mayavadi philosophers who think that Krṣṇa has accepted a material body, they are described as muḍhas. They have no sufficient knowledge. Paraṁ bhavam ajanantaḥ;. They do not know what is the power behind Krṣṇa. So Krṣṇa creates. Before creation, aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, devanam. First of all, Brahma was created. Then other great sages were created. Then other demigods were created. But Krṣṇa says, aham adir hi devanam. Therefore He's not a created being of this material world. We have to consider in that way. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ; sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. The Vedanta-sutra: janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. So Krṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ; [Bg. 10.8]. Iti matva bhajante maṁ budha bhava-samanvitaḥ;. One who knows Krṣṇa, the Supreme, adi-puruṣam, adyaṁ puraṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33], his knowledge is perfect. If one thinks Krṣṇa as one of the products of this material word, then his knowledge is imperfect. He's still in the darkness of this material creation.

So those who are in the darkness of this material creation, they consider Krṣṇa as one of the human beings. As a great scholar says, when Krṣṇa says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji maṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], the scholar points out that "It is not to Krṣṇa. It is the..., it is up to the inner soul which is within Krṣṇa." There is no "within" and "without" Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa..., as we have got difference between within and without, Krṣṇa has no such difference. And those..., one who does not know, they think, such persons thinks Krṣṇa as one of the products of material creation. That is not the fact.

sa evedaṁ sasarjagre
bhagavan atma-mayaya
sad-asad-rupaya casau
guṇamayaguṇo vibhuḥ;

Vibhu. He's vibhu, we are aṇu. That is the difference. Krṣṇa is vibhu, unlimited. We are limited. So we, we cannot be equal to Krṣṇa. The Mayavada philosophy that there is no difference between jiva and Bhagavan... There is sufficient difference. He is vibhu; we are aṇu. Aṇor aṇiyan mahato mahiyan. He's the greatest of the great, and He's the smallest also. So Krṣṇa cannot be equal..., or nobody can be equal to Krṣṇa, or greater than Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Krṣṇa. Everyone is below Krṣṇa.

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta: ekale isvara krṣṇa, ara saba bhrtya [Cc. Adi 5.142]. Only Krṣṇa is the supreme master. Ekale isvara krṣṇa, ara saba bhrtya. Now... Siva-viriñci-nutam [SB 11.5.33]. Even great demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, they also subordinate to Krṣṇa. They offer their obeisances to Krṣṇa. Siva-viriñci-nutam. And in the Brahma-saṁhita it is confirmed by Brahma: isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. Isvara. Everyone can be an isvara. Isvara means controller. So we are also controller of something. A business man is controller of his business; I am controller of my disciples. There are so many controllers. So in that sense, everyone is isvara, in the sense of controller. But Lord Brahma says, isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]: "The supreme controller, the supreme controller is Krṣṇa." What is the difference between supreme controller and ordinary controller? Ordinary controller means that he controls and he is controlled, both. We are controller, but nobody can say that "I am not controlled." We are controlled. But Krṣṇa, He's controller, but not controlled. That is the difference between Krṣṇa and ourself. So we cannot be equal with Krṣṇa. We are controlled. I think in Glasgow, one boy, he was presenting himself as God. So I asked him, "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" He admitted, "Yes, I am controlled." "Then how you can be God?" God is never controlled. God is controller, but He's not controlled. So if we take ourself as so many samples of God, that is all right, but we are controlled God, not controller God. So that statement of Caitanya-caritamrta,

ekale isvara krṣṇa ara saba bhrtya
yare yaiche nacaya, sei taiche kare nrtya
[Cc. Adi 5.142]

We are controlled in every moment.

So Krṣṇa is vibhu; we are aṇu. Never consider that we are equal to Krṣṇa. That is a great offense. That is called maya. That is the last snare of maya. Actually, we have come to this material world to become one with Krṣṇa. We thought that we shall become like Krṣṇa.

krṣṇa-bahirmukha haña bhoga vañcha kare
nikaṭa-stha maya tare japaṭiya dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

Because we wanted to become one with Krṣṇa, to compete with Krṣṇa, therefore we are put into this material world. Maya tare japaṭiya dhare. And here, in this material world, it is going on. Everyone is trying to become Krṣṇa. That is maya. Everyone. "First of all, let me become a big, big man; then let me become the minister, let me become the president." In this way, when everything fails, then "Let me merge into the existence of God." That means, "Let me become God." This is going on. This is material struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become Krṣṇa.

But our philosophy is different. We do not want to become Krṣṇa. We are trying to become Krṣṇa's servant. That is the difference between Mayavada philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krṣṇa. Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. The one, a person who is the lowest of the servant of Krṣṇa, he's first-class Vaiṣṇava. He's first-class Vaiṣṇava. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore teaches us:

trṇad api sunicena
taror api sahiṣṇuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyaḥ; sada hariḥ;
[Cc. Adi 17.31]

This is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We are trying to be servant. We don't identify with anything material. As soon as we identify with anything material, we become under the clutches of maya. Krṣṇa-bhuliya. Because, as soon as I forget my relationship with Krṣṇa... I am eternal servant of Krṣṇa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krṣṇa-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is the eternal identification of the living entity, to remain servant of Krṣṇa. As soon as we forget this, that is maya. As soon as I think that "I am Krṣṇa," that is maya. That maya means this maya, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge. That is jñani. Jñani means this is real knowledge, to understand his real position. This is not knowledge, that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is not knowledge. I am God, but I am sample of God. But the Supreme God is Krṣṇa. Isvaraḥ; paramaḥ; krṣṇaḥ; [Bs. 5.1]. Arjuna accepted Krṣṇa like that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Paraṁ brahma. We may become Brahman... We are Brahman. There is no question of becoming. Ahaṁ brahmasmi. This is not very difficult to understand. Because I am spirit soul, so I am Brahman. That's all right. But I am not Paraṁ Brahman. That is ignorance. I am not Paraṁ Brahman. If one, anyone thinks that he is Paraṁ Brahman, then it must be understood that he's under the clutches of maya. That is the last snare of maya. Therefore Krṣṇa says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders. Bahunaṁ janmanam ante jñanavan maṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is real knowledge.

So advancement of knowledge means to understand his real position and act accordingly. That is knowledge. That is perfection of knowledge. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" is not perfection. You have to still go further. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman," "I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. One who becomes realized souls, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful. Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Socati kaṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities. Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he's lamenting for something which he has lost. But when he realizes himself that "I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose; I have nothing to do with this material world," that is called brahma-bhutaḥ;. That is Brahman realization. Brahma-bhutaḥ; prasannatma na socati na kaṅkṣati, samaḥ; sarveṣu bhuteṣu [Bg. 18.54]. At that time, he realizes that all living entities, they are spirit soul, paṇḍitaḥ; sama-darsinaḥ; [Bg. 5.18]. That is equal vision—not the bodily vision. So long we have got bodily vision, there cannot be any equality. That is not possible. When one sees only to the spiritual existence of a living entity, there is question of seeing equally, equal vision, universal brotherhood. That is possible. Not on the bodily platform. That is not possible.

So after acquiring this knowledge, the life of devotional service begins.

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

That is required. And in that stage of devotional life, one can understand what is Krṣṇa. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ; [Bg. 18.55]. That is tattvataḥ; understanding. In another place it is said, in the Bhagavad-gita, uh, Srimad-Bhagavatam: evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ; [SB 1.2.20]. Unless one becomes jubilant, joyful, by executing devotional service, he cannot understand what is Krṣṇa. It is not possible. To understand superficially Krṣṇa, that "He..., He appeared in Mathura in His uncle's prison house...," that is also nice. But one should try to understand Krṣṇa in fact. That fact can be revealed by devotional service. You cannot challenge Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa will reveal. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ;. If we become sevonmukha, if we try to serve Krṣṇa as eternal servant of Krṣṇa, then Krṣṇa will reveal Himself, what He is. You cannot understand Krṣṇa by speculation, by mental speculation. That is not possible. Ataḥ; sri-krṣṇa-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. By sense perception, you cannot understand Krṣṇa. That is not possible.

There are many versions of the saintly persons. Just like Narottama dasa Ṭhakura says, rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti, kabe hama bhujabo se jugala-piriti. A saintly person, acarya, like Narottama dasa Ṭhakura, he says that "When I shall be very much eager to understand the path of the Six Gosvamis?" Ei chay gosai jaṅr mui taṅr das. We cannot understand Krṣṇa unless we have submitted ourself under the lotus feet of the Six Gosvamis, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We have to understand Krṣṇa in this way. It is very difficult to understand Krṣṇa, but by the grace of the Gosvamis, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, we can understand Krṣṇa.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
[SB 10.14.29]

Panthas tu... There are many shastric evidences. Panthas tu koṭi-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi manaso muni-puṅgavanam [Bs. 5.34]. So by speculation, we cannot understand Krṣṇa. That is not possible. By mental speculation, we cannot understand Krṣṇa. We have to understand Krṣṇa as Krṣṇa says, or Krṣṇa's devotee says, the Gosvamis says, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says. Then we can understand how this cosmic manifestation is created, who created, how it is created. Everything will be clear. This is the beginning of such understanding.

sa evedaṁ sasarjagre
bhagavan atma-mayaya
sad-asad-rupaya casau
guṇamayaguṇo vibhuḥ;

So Krṣṇa is transcendental, His position is always transcendental. Even though He appears before us, still, He's transcendental. This is the understanding of Krṣṇa.

Thank you very much. Hare Krṣṇa. (end)

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