Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 13.3

Prabhupāda:

kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama [Bg 13.3]

[O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.]

[aside:] Both of them are not in order? Hmm.

[reads from purport:] "While discussing the subject matter of this body and the owner of the body, the soul and the Supersoul, we shall find there different topics of study: the Lord, the living entity and matter. In every field of activities, in every body, there are two souls: the Supersoul and the individual soul."

Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it for acceptance that there is one soul only, Supersoul. But here we get from Kṛṣṅa, the authoritative source of knowledge, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul. Not one soul. Ātmā and Paramātmā.

[reads from purport:] "Because the Supersoul is the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa says, 'I am also the knower, but I am not the individual owner of the body..."

[loud buzzing sound] What has happened? If it is not working, get it out.

Last night we have already explained that the Supersoul, or Kṛṣṅa, is the knower of the pains and pleasure of every body, whereas the individual soul is the knower of pains and pleasure of his own body. In another place Kṛṣṅa says, avināśī tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam [Bg 2.17].

[Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.]

The consciousness of the individual soul is spread all over the body. That is avināśī, indestructible. That is avināśī. Kṛṣṅa says, avināśī tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena, by the soul, he is, by his potency, spread all over the body. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa being the Supersoul, He is not only spread..., His consciousness is not only spread over this my individual body, but His consciousness is spread in..., of all bodies. All over the universe there are 8,400,000 species of forms, and Kṛṣṅa's consciousness is all-pervading. He knows everything.

So as soon as our consciousness becomes Kṛṣṅa conscious... Kṛṣṅa understands. Kṛṣṅa is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

So Kṛṣṅa can understand your purpose. We cannot cheat Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa can immediately understand how much serious and sincere you are for understanding Kṛṣṅa or approaching Him or going back to home, back to Godhead. That Kṛṣṅa can understand. As soon as He understands that "Here is a soul, he's very serious," He takes care of you, especially. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Kṛṣṅa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is equal to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ [Bg 9.29].

[I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.]

Nobody is dearer or dveṣa, or subject, object of jealousy. Kṛṣṅa is not envious, neither specially inclined to everyone. Actually, God's position is neutrality. Everyone. He likes for everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29].

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is friend of everyone.

We are seeking friendship with so many people to get our motive realized. But if we make Kṛṣṅa..., if we know Kṛṣṅa is already ready... In the Upaniṣad it is said that two birds in friendly way are sitting in the same tree, the body. So if we understand, "Kṛṣṅa is my best friend..." Kṛṣṅa says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He's not only my friend, your friend, but He's a friend of everyone. So that friendship is equally distributed. But if one becomes special devotee, ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā, with love and affection, one who is engaged in the service of the Lord, He's especially inclined to him. That is Kṛṣṅa's mercy to the devotee. Kṛṣṅa is equal to everyone, but He is specially inclined to the devotees who is engaged in His service with love and faith.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te [Bg 10.10]

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

Kṛṣṅa gives him... Because He specially takes cares of the devotee.

So everyone's heart, He is sitting. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. But He takes special care of the devotee, guides him, gives him intelligence. What kind of intelligence? Yena mām upayānti te. Just to give him the clue how one can go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṅa does not give intelligence how one can gain some material prosperity. That is entrusted to the māyā—devī-māyā, or Durgādevī.

Therefore people are not very much interested in worshiping Kṛṣṅa. They are generally interested in worshiping Goddess Durgā, Lord Śiva. Because by worshiping Lord Śiva, Goddess Durgā, they get material opulence. So to worship the demigods means cent per cent materialism. There is no question of spiritual life. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says... What is that verse? Naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante 'nya-devatāḥ [Bg 7.20]. Those who are interested in worshiping other demigods, their intelligence is taken away, hṛta-jñāna. Kāmais tais tair..., māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. These terms are there.

Māyā is working in two ways: prakṣepātmikā-śakti, āvaraṅātmikā-śakti. Āvaraṅātmikā-śakti means she is covering. Āvaraṅātmikā-śakti, she is covering. Real fact is covered by māyā. Just like the cloud covers the sunshine—we cannot see. Now a few days it is going on, there is cloud always. We do not see the sun. That does not mean there is no sun in the sky. So māyā does not allow us to see Kṛṣṅa. That is one śakti. Āvaraṅātmikā-śakti. And another śakti is prakṣepātmikā-śakti: even one desires to see Kṛṣṅa, she throws away. She tests whether actually he wants Kṛṣṅa, or keeping Kṛṣṅa in the front, he wants some material pleasure. Therefore she throws away. In this way māyā-śakti is acting. Kṛṣṅa therefore says, daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

Māyā is very powerful. But if one is very rigid in devotional service, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te, he can overcome the influence of māyā.

So kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. So that kṣetrajña, knower of the body, Kṛṣṅa, He's also there. He's always ready to help us, provided we are serious about Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa's mercy. So this is the process of pleasing Kṛṣṅa. Just like we are sitting here together and we are talking about Kṛṣṅa. Our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is specially meant for talking about Kṛṣṅa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered,

āmāra ajñāya guru haña tāra ei deśa yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṅa'-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128]

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

This is our mission. The Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means we are preaching the teachings of Kṛṣṅa, Bhagavad-gītā as it is, kṛṣṅa-upadeśa. Another kṛṣṅa-upadeśa, about Kṛṣṅa. Bhagavad-gītā is the instruction given by Kṛṣṅa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the instruction given by Vyāsadeva and other sages about Kṛṣṅa. So both of them are kṛṣṅa-kathā. So that is our mission, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa. What Kṛṣṅa is instructing directly, that is also kṛṣṅa-upadeśa, and what is being spoken about Kṛṣṅa, that is also kṛṣṅa-upadeśa.

So the Bhāgavata process is, if we want to improve, if we want to make our life successful, then we must engage ourself in this program of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, or hearing about Kṛṣṅa. Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is there, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. He is there, Kṛṣṅa, within your heart. So as soon as you are very serious and eager to know about Kṛṣṅa... This is very nice science. If you simply know about Kṛṣṅa, you become liberated. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

Simply you try to understand Kṛṣṅa. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3].

[If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of all controllers, one can understand everything else.]

This is the Vedic instruction. If you simply understand Kṛṣṅa, then all other things becomes automatically known. You don't have to make separate endeavor to know. You'll know what is Paramātmā, what is Brahman, what is this material world, what is this material nature, what is our relationship—everything will be revealed. Teṣām aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ, nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṅa says to special favor.

teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā [Bg 10.11]

[Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.]

This is Kṛṣṅa's words in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you actually become Kṛṣṅa conscious, the result will be you'll get special favor from Kṛṣṅa. Teṣām eva anukampārtham. Kṛṣṅa is specially favorable to the devotees. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā. Therefore this is the beginning. This is the beginning of...

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted this. Sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gataṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

We have to be submissive, not a speculator, that "Now I have become Brahman." Brahman, everyone is Brahman. There is no question of becoming Brahman. We have now forgotten. We have forgotten that we are Brahman. We are misidentifying with this body. This is māyā. Otherwise... Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg 18.54].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

It is not that by some process I become Brahman. I am Brahman, but on account of māyā, my knowledge is covered. I am thinking, "I am product of this material world," "I am American," "I am Indian," in terms of the soil where we have taken birth. Yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṅape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ [SB 10.84.13].

[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]

Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. The whole world is mad after this process of bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They are... Instead of worshiping Kṛṣṅa, they are worshiping the land in which one is born. That is called under the name of, going on, so many "isms." So this is described as bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.

But actually, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is Para-brahman; therefore we, being part and parcel, we are also Brahman. Just like particles of gold is also gold. So there is no question of becoming Brahman. Brahman we are already. Simply we have to know that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa." That is knowledge. Jñānaṁ jñeyam. Jñeyam, this knowledge, that "I am Brahman." And as soon as we are perfectly situated in that spiritual knowledge, aham brahmāsmi, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg 18.54]. There is no lamentation.

Everyone is lamenting, because he's a śūdra. Śūdra's business is to lament. But when one understands, brāhmaṅa, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṅaḥ, he does not lament. We have seen many brāhmaṅas, they are not very materially opulent, but they are happy. They are happy with Kṛṣṅa. That is brāhmaṅa's business. Brāhmaṅa-vaiṣṅava. Brāhmaṅa must be a Vaiṣṅava, Kṛṣṅa conscious. If a brāhmaṅa is not Vaiṣṅava, then he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṅo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. A vipra, a brāhmaṅa, a learned... Vipra means a learned brāhmaṅa. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. One who has learned, studied all the Vedic literatures and has acquired knowledge, he is called vipra. So simply studying Vedic literature will not do. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṅaḥ. He must realize what is Brahman. Then he becomes brāhmaṅa.

Brāhmaṅa is a qualification. It is not by birth. Brāhmaṅa... Just like high-court judge is a qualification. It is not by birth. The high-court judge's son is not a high-court judge unless he has the qualification of a high-court judge. Similarly, a son of a brāhmaṅa by birth is not a brāhmaṅa. When he has got the brahminical qualification, then he becomes brāhmaṅa. That qualification are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not imagination. Śamo damas titikṣavo 'rjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.42].

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

So these things are lost. Therefore India's position is now chaos and confusion, because we have lost this Vedic civilization, we have lost Kṛṣṅa consciousness, we have lost God consciousness. We are being directed by the whims. So it is very lamentable condition of India, although this Kṛṣṅa consciousness is India's original culture, Kṛṣṅa culture. Kṛṣṅa appeared on this land. Although Kṛṣṅa is not for any particular land, but still, Kṛṣṅa appeared in this holy land of Bhārata-varṣa, Mathurā. So it is the duty of the Indians to understand Kṛṣṅa culture, Kṛṣṅa consciousness cultural movement, and take part in it seriously.

That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says,

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc Ādi 9.41]

[One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.]

This is the injunction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Anyone who has taken birth in the holy land of Bhārata-varṣa...," bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya. Of course, if he's a man. If he's a cat or dog, that is a different thing. But bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. Manuṣya-janma. If he's a human being, then he must take advantage of the Vedic knowledge. Janma sārthaka kari'. Otherwise what he'll speak? If he does not know what is what, then what is the meaning of his preaching? No. So janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. It is the duty of every Indian, every man who has taken birth in Bhārata-varṣa, to perform para-upakāra, to do well others. Because in the other part of the world there is no such advantage of Vedic literature and Vedic knowledge.

Unfortunately, the Indians are neglecting this Vedic perfection, whereas in other parts of the world, the Europeans and Americans, they are taking interest. So we are not, of course, concerned with any particular nation or country. Our business is to carry out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128].

Whomever you meet—it doesn't matter whether he is Indian, European, American or African; anyone—he should be instructed about kṛṣṅa-upadeśa so that his life may be successful, and the preacher of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, his life also will become successful. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

So to become educated in the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, this is the beginning—to hear about Kṛṣṅa, to understand about Kṛṣṅa.

śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya śravana-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṅi vidhunoti suhṛt satām [SB 1.2.17]

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

[loud car horn beeping for some time]

[aside:] What is this?

Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṅa seriously... This is our program. We give chance everyone to hear about Kṛṣṅa. We are trying to construct a temple here, not for making any profit, but to give chance to the people about hearing about Kṛṣṅa. This is our mission. We are opening temples all over the world just to give people the chance to hear about Kṛṣṅa. Because as soon as we seriously hear about Kṛṣṅa... Śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ, puṅya-śravana-kīrtanaḥ. The Kṛṣṅa is there. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu, He is there everywhere.

So as soon as that individual soul is seriously engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṅa, immediately the dirty things within his heart becomes cleansed. Ceto-darpana-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

And as soon as the heart is cleansed, his all problems of this material world is solved. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam. Because he understands. Cleansing the heart means to understand that he is not Kṛṣṅa; he's part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. His duty is to serve Kṛṣṅa. This is cleansing of heart. So long it is not cleansed... Just like the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are thinking themselves that they are Kṛṣṅa: "I am God." No. That is unclean. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

Because their intelligence is not yet clear, it is still with dirty things, therefore they are thinking that they are Kṛṣṅa. No. Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. This is the philosophy.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa demands in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]:

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"Just surrender to Me." It is the right of the master to ask the servant that "You surrender." Similarly, Kṛṣṅa comes to teach this. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ. Because we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṅa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. The servant wants to become the master. That is not possible. That is not possible. If the servant remains a faithful servant, that is perfection of his life. Artificially, if the servant wants to become master, that is only botheration.

So the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is educating everyone to understand this fact, that everyone is eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṅa. That is botheration. You cannot be happy. Artificially if one wants to become something else which he is not, then it is simply botheration. There is no happiness. An artificial life is not happiness. Natural life is happiness. So naturally we are servant of Kṛṣṅa. If we don't serve Kṛṣṅa then we have to serve māyā. Actually, people are engaged. Those who are not Kṛṣṅa conscious, they have given up the servitude of Kṛṣṅa, but they have accepted the servitude of so many other things. Somebody is thinking, "I am the servant of my country," somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my family," somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my wife," or somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my office boss," or somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my dog." That is also going on. Servant he must remain, but if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṅa, he has to become servant of so many things. He cannot give up his position as a servant. That is not possible. He may change the name in different way, but he remains a servant. That's a fact.

So therefore one who is intelligent, one who is actually intelligent, he thinks that "If my position is to become a servant, why not become the servant of the Supreme?" This is intelligence. Kāmādināṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ mayi na karuṅā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. We are servant of our senses, kāmādināṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās [Cc Madhya 22.16].

[O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of lusty desires. Although I have rendered them so much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence, I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires, and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and save me.]

And our senses are dictating so many nonsense things, and we are serving. So therefore one who is not servant of the senses, but one who becomes servant of Kṛṣṅa, then he becomes master of the senses. That is called svāmī or gosvāmī. One side you have to become servant of Kṛṣṅa; then you become master of the senses. If you do not become servant of Kṛṣṅa, then you become servant of the senses. Kāmādināṁ kati na... The whole world is going on, everyone is servant of the senses, godāsa. So one has to become gosvāmī. Go means senses.

So Kṛṣṅa is advising that "I am in everyone's heart." You can take advice from Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is ready. Kṛṣṅa's another name is caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means the guru who is situated within your heart. Kṛṣṅa comes out as instructor guru or initiator guru outside, and He is sitting within the heart as caitya-guru. Kṛṣṅa is ready to help you, help us, every one of us, in two ways: by the external guru and internal guru. Internal guru, He is Kṛṣṅa Himself, and external guru, His manifestation, the spiritual master. So we should take advantage of two gurus and make our life successful. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]