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—
Māyāpur, March 27, 1975
Nitāi: "What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but
the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but
His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute
Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him."
Prabhupāda:
yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā
ya ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so asya aṁśa-vibhavaḥ
ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇaḥ ya bhagavān iha sa svayam ayaṁ
na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha
[Cc. Ādi 1.3]
Now the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is establishing with great
stress that nacaitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha: "There is
no greater truth than KṛṣṇaCaitanya." We are after truth, so here the
author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he is asserting that "Here is the Supreme
Truth,
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt. Kṛṣṇāt, because Kṛṣṇa
has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. We have explained this truth yesterday
according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-
nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-
śikṣārtham ekaḥpuruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Puruṣaḥ purāṇa
ḥ. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaḥ,He
is puruṣaḥ, and purāṇaḥ, ādyam, the original person. Govindam ādi-
puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁbhajāmi **. In many Vedic literature Kṛṣṇa is
described as the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the oldest. Purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ nava-
yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. Although He is the oldest of all, still, He is
always like fresh youth, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. So how it is possible? They
are trying to understand God. Sometimes they paint the picture of God
as very old man. Because He is the original person, so by this time He
must have become very old. This is imagination. This is not actually the
form of the Lord. The form of the Lord is there in the Brahma-
saṁhitā and other Vedic literatures. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who is a
impersonalist, he has accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as the supreme Nārāyaṇa. In
his comment on Bhagavad-gītā he
says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt:"Nārāyaṇa is beyond this material
creation." And while describing Nārāyaṇa, he has
affirmed, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ: "That Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa." And
he has clearly mentioned, "Now He has appeared as the son
of Devakī and Vāsudeva," to confirm just like identification is confirmed
when the father's name is there.
So Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva, accepted by all ācāryas. We are not talking
of the fools and rascals who are theorizing without any knowledge. We
are concerned with the authorities. So authorities... Especially in India,
the whole Vedic system is being followed by the people under the
authorities of the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is following
the path of the ācāryas, he knows. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. We cannot
accept anyone as authority if he does not follow
the paramparā, disciplic succession of ācārya. That is the Vedic
system. Evaṁparamparā-
prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So Kṛṣṇa is para-
tattva. Na caitanyātkṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha. He is very
emphatically asserting that "There is no more greater truth
than Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." So according to the Vedic system, if
you say something very emphatically, you must prove by Vedic
evidences. Otherwise you can go on talking; nobody will hear.
Sometimes people ask us about Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that
"What is the Vedic evidences?" So that Vedic evidences will be given,
later chapters of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is not falsely
asserting. Kavirāja Gosvāmī is very, very advanced devotee and scholar.
He is not ordinary human being. He was empowered by Madana-
mohana.
So nobody should try to write any Vedic literature. Vedic literature
means the śruti, smṛti, Purāṇa. They are Vedic literature. Therefore
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also confirmed,
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ
utpātāyaiva kalpate
[Brs. 1.2.101]
Utpātā, simply disturbance. Yata mat tata patha: "I can manufacture my
own way." This rascaldom has been condemned by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
He says that harer bhaktiḥ... You will find many so-
called bhaktas crying, falling down on the ground. But immediately
after, he is smoking bidi. So why this is going on? Because they do not
follow the injunction of Śrīla RūpaGosvāmī. Chanting, dancing very
loudly, and after the performance is finished—I have seen it—"Can you
give me a bidi?" You see? "My throat is now dried up." So this
is utpātā. Śrīla RūpaGosvāmī has described this kind of so-called
devotional attitude is simply disturbance. They imitate. Imitate.
Therefore Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has condemned. There are so
many apa-sampradāya going on in the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's
devotee. Who are they? Āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi,
sahajiyā, sakhībhekī, smārta, jata-gosāñi. Then ativāḍī,
cūḍādhārī, gaurāṅga-
nāgarī, tota kahe ei tāra saṅga nāhi kori: Tota Bābājī, he says, "I do not
associate with these classes of men." So after disappearance of
Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu, so many apa-sampradāya sprang up. So we
should be very much careful that... Sampradāya means who are carefully
following the Vedic principle. Therefore KavirājaGosvāmī, although
asserting the truth, he is prepared to give Vedic evidences. Now he has
begun.
The Vedas, they begin with the Upaniṣad. Vedānta-
sūtra, Upaniṣad, they are all Vedic literature. Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa,
Mahābhārata, they are all Vedic literatures. Four Vedas—Sāma, Yajur,
Ṛg, Atharva—then the Upaniṣad, then the Vedānta-sūtra, then Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedānta-sūtra is the same thing.
It is explanation. Therefore at the end of each chapter of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam it is stated by Vyāsadeva, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means comment on the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-
sūtra is the gist code of all Vedic literature. And then it is
explained, athāto brahmajijñāsā. That is explained in the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: "Jīvasya, for living being, the only
business is to enquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the only
business. People are in trouble because they have given up their real
business. Human life is meant for this business, brahma-jijñāsā, to
enquire about the Absolute Truth. We have been given so many
facilities by nature. There are so many living entities, they are standing
on the ground for many years. The trees, the plants and the aquatics,
for many, many years they are in the water. The flies and insects, for
many, many years they are in that condition. And gradually, by
evolution, we come to this form of human life. Especially the Aryans,
the advanced, civilized human being, he has got all the facilities. The
uncivilized men live in the jungle, and they cannot utilize the resources.
(people making noise) Ask them to stop. Somebody must remain there.
So therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, in very simple Bengali song,
he says, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. This is our life. We have got
this human form of life, but we are simply spoiling it. This is the whole
situation. In our this movement we are traveling all over the world, and
according to our views, how they are spoiling their very valuable
human life in false identification that "I am this body," everyone, in big,
big names, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am...,"
and they are spoiling their life under this bodily concept of life.
According to śāstra, anyone who is identifying himself, this body... That
is the first instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa brought Arjuna to
fight with the Kurus, and he identified himself as this body, and
therefore he thought, "Killing of my cousin-brothers, it will not be good
because I have got bodily relation." So to dissipate this conception of
life—that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā—Kṛṣṇa chastised
him, Arjuna, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁprajñā-
vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11]. We are talking very, very big, big talks
and plans, but actually we are nothing better than cats and dogs. This is
our position because we are identifying with this body. "My country,
my community, my society, my family,
my..." Ahaṁmameti [SB 5.5.8]. Jīvasya moho ayam ahaṁ mameti. The
y do not know. This is the ignorance, basic ignorance. "I" and "my." "I
am this body, and anything in relationship with the body is mine." This
is ignorance. But this ignorance is going on all over the world. That's a
fact, this ignorance.
Therefore in the beginning the author said,
vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nityānanda sahoditau
gauḍodaye puṣpavantau
citrau śandau tamo-nudau
[Cc. Ādi 1.2]
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, both of Them have
come to deliver these fallen souls of this material world who are in the
darkness of conception. So They are fighting all over the world this
darkness. Just now somebody told me that the king of the Arabia is
killed. He is killed now by his nephew or somebody else. This is going
on. Even in family affairs it is going on. Why? This
darkness. Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho
'yam ahaṁmameti [SB 5.5.8]. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with
His
associates, NityānandaPrabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and
Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are trying to dissipate the darkness
of this false identification. Kṛṣṇa simply instructed Arjunaabout his
darkness of identity, and He punished
him, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11]
"You are talking very big, big words, but you are lamenting on a subject
matter on which no learned person laments." Gatāsūn
agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ.That means "You are fool number
one." Paṇḍitāḥ. "No paṇḍita makes like that. Now try to understand
what is the position."
Then He said,
dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ
dhīras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]
"First of all try to understand what you are." That is the beginning
of Bhagavad-gītā. It is no politics. It is knowledge, pure
knowledge. Bhagavad-gītā is pure knowledge. The politicians take
advantage of it. The sociologists, the so-called swamis, yogis, they take
advantage of it and try to prove their all nonsensical theories. But it is
not at all Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītāas it is is pure knowledge,
beginning with the first knowledge one has to understand, that he is not
this body. Because this is the basic principle all ignorance: "I am this
body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I
am that"—this is the basic principle. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says
the same thing in a different way. He says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am
not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not
a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha, I am not
a sannyāsī." These are negation. Then what is the positive? He
says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-
dāsānudāsaḥ: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of the
servant of the gopī-bhartuḥ, Kṛṣṇa, who maintains the gopīs."
So this is our identification. But we have forgotten our identification.
kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
We have forgotten our real relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and we are trying to
be happy by material adjustment. This is modern civilization. One is
thinking, "If I get such nice house, nice motorcar, nice business, nice
bank balance, nice wife, nice children..." This is material civilization. But
they do not know. Despite all these nice things, he will never be happy.
Now you Europeans and Americans, you have got a good qualification. I
described many times that you are no more very much interested with
all these "nice" things, so-called nice things. Real nice thing is spiritual
understanding. That nice thing begins: ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this
body." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is
instructing Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. Try to
understand."
So we should learn from Kṛṣṇa. We should learn
from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is KṛṣṇaHimself. Therefore the
author says that "You accept this authority." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt para-
tattvaṁ param iha. If you want knowledge, then... You have missed
already, because when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared five
hundred years ago people already became fools and rascals. They did
not care for the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore He again came
as devotee of Kṛṣṇa to teach us how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to love Kṛṣṇa.
This is CaitanyaMahāprabhu's cult, the same thing.
When Kṛṣṇa appeared He said, sarva-
dharmān parityajyamām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up
everything, so-called rascaldom. Just surrender to Me."
And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said the same thing as a
devotee: yāredekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He
did not say anything new. That is the authenticity. "I have
manufactured some way"—these are all rascaldom. The same thing you
should... You can... Just like in your country it is said, "Old wine in a
new bottle." Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching the same
thing. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same
thing: yāre dekha, tāre kaha'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. And
we are saying the same thing, na kṛṣṇāt caitanyātpara-tattvam: "There
is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." Why? Because He is
talking the same truth as Kṛṣṇa said. This is called paramparā system.
What Kṛṣṇa said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said the same thing, and we
are talking the same thing.
So there is no difficulty to understand the Absolute Truth. It may be
presented in a different way... Not different way. It is
directly. Kṛṣṇa says directly that "You surrender to Me,"
and Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this
cult," yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128], the
same thing. We are not going to teach anything which is not spoken
by Kṛṣṇa and which is not supported by Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva. This is
our principle. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement. Kṛṣṇa preached Kṛṣṇa Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhupreac
hed the same principle, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28], and we
are preaching the same thing. We do not preach anything else. We do
not manufacture anything. That is not our business.
So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you
all European boys and girls joined this movement under my soliciting. I
went to your country with this word only. I did not show you any
magic, neither I have any knowledge how to play magic. That is not
possible. I simply repeat the same thing, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva, the
devotional form of Kṛṣṇa. You accept Them. Your life will be
successful."
Thank you very much. (end)