Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 4.5

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

śrī-bhagavān uvāca bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṅi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa [Bg 4.5]

[break] [02:58]

Translation: "The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy."

Prabhupāda: Śrī bhagavān uvāca. We have already explained the meaning of bhagavān in connection with the first verse. Still, again we are repeating, bhagavān... Bhaga means opulence, and when the Sanskrit affix is there, vat-pratyaya, one who possesses opulence, he's called bhagavān. So it is described by Parāśara Muni that,

aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva ṣaṅṅāṁ itī bhagam ganā [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47]

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Bhagavān means who possesses these six opulences in full: all riches, all strength, all influence, all wisdom, all beauty, all renunciation. So it has been analyzed how we possess all these opulences, and it has been found by the great sages that Kṛṣṅa is the possessor of all opulences—all beauty, all wisdom. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ. The supreme possessor is Kṛṣṅa. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

So Bhagavān is individual; we are also individual, part and parcel. Just like the father is individual, and the sons are also individual. We are all sons of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke... [Bg 15.7].

[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]

So we are all individual. In the Second Chapter, Kṛṣṅa said that "We all—you, Me, and all the soldiers and the kings who have assembled here—they were existing before as individual, and we are existing now as individual, and in future also we shall exist as individual." So that is being explained again. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna. As individual, we are taking birth. That Kṛṣṅa's birth will be explained in the next verse: ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Ajaḥ. Ajaḥ means "who does not take birth." We are also aja. Na janma... What is that? Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20], nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṅaḥ.

[For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.]

That is the description of the living entities. A living entity, as we are, we also do not take birth. We are eternal, part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is eternal; we are also eternal. Kṛṣṅa is individual; we are also individual. The difference is that He is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, He's the supreme controller, and we are... We are also controller, but limited, very minute controller. That is the difference. God is great, and we are a small particle. That is the difference.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa said that "I also take My birth, and you also take your birth, but the difference is..." Tāny ahaṁ veda: "I know how many times I took birth, but you... You also took, many times, but you have forgotten." That is the difference. Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṅi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa [Bg 4.5]. "You cannot remember." Actually, we do not remember. What I was in my last birth, I do not know. Death means forgetfulness. Death means to forget everything. Just like daytime and nighttime. Nighttime also, when we sleep, we forget all our business in daytime. We have got every day experience: We are different person at night. We are dreaming something, dreamland, somewhere I have gone, and forget that I have got a body which is lying on the bed; I am the father of such and such sons, I am the husband of such and such... No, you forget everything. And again, in the daytime, you forget everything what you dreamed. This is our practical experience.

Similarly, we had our last birth, but we have forgotten. But Kṛṣṅa does not forget. That is the difference between Kṛṣṅa and the living entity. I have explained already: we forget because we change body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṅa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [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.]

So when we go to Kṛṣṅa, we get the similar body. Although we are subordinate, still, the facility is almost the same, seventy-eight percent.

So about Kṛṣṅa it is, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said,

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.33]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpa. Kṛṣṅa can expand Himself—ananta-rūpam. Ananta means unlimited. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, 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.]

Now, we are individual souls. So we are also associated with Kṛṣṅa, as Paramātmā within the heart. Paramātmā is there. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

Where the Paramātmā is there, that is also stated: hṛdi, "in the heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. There is no, I mean to say, mistake. Kṛṣṅa says, "I stay within the heart of everyone." They are sitting, two birds—that is stated in the Upaniṣads—sitting on one tree. This body is tree, and Paramātmā and jīvātmā, both of them are sitting on the same tree. The jīvātmā is relishing the fruit of the tree, and Paramātmā is only observer. Paramātmā is observer. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā, simply seeing our activities. Kṛṣṅa is so kind, God is so kind, that He is living with me just to turn my face towards Him. He's so..., just looking after the opportunity when this living entity...

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-loke sanātanaḥ manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṅi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg 15.7]

He is struggling for existence in this material world with his concocted mind and senses.

So Kṛṣṅa is looking for the opportunity when the living entity will come back to Him, because we are all sons. So father, if the son is bewildered, gone out of the home and loitering in the street, the father is very anxious to get him back, although the son has forgotten. This is the position. Therefore, as Paramātmā, He's guiding us. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15]:

from Him, we get the remembrance. I wanted to enjoy something. Kṛṣṅa gives us full opportunity: "Now here is the opportunity. You can do it." Anumantā. He's so kind. But that is not our actual business. Our actual business is to go back to home, back to Godhead, not to enjoy in this material world. But still, because we want it, Kṛṣṅa gives us all facilities. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15]. If we want to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṅa will give us all the opportunities. You can become the topmost living entity like Lord Brahmā, and you can become an insignificant ant, according to your karma. Anumantā upadraṣṭā.

So this is going on. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṅḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc Madhya 19.151].

[According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṅa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṅa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.]

In this way, we are wandering all over the universe as some body—sometimes human being, sometimes demigods, sometimes cats, sometimes dogs, sometimes tree, sometimes plant, sometimes insect, sometimes Brahmā, sometimes ant, sometimes pig. Anything. There are 8,400,000 species of life. So this is our circulation. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says that tava cārjuna. "As Paramātmā, I am with you always. And you are changing so many bodies." Of course, Arjuna did not change, because he's devotee. He is accompanying Kṛṣṅa always. Sakhā ceti. Bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. So he's friend. He takes his birth as human being whenever Kṛṣṅa wants. Kṛṣṅa has His associates. When He comes on this planet in this universe, He comes with His associates. So the Pāṅḍavas, they are Kṛṣṅa's eternal associates. Although associate, still, Arjuna forgets about his previous birth because he's human being, whereas Kṛṣṅa remembers.

So Kṛṣṅa also takes birth, very many incarnation.

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.39]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

This is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Kṛṣṅa is appearing in so many incarnations. Just try to understand what is the position of Kṛṣṅa. He is situated as Paramātmā in everyone's 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.]

and He's giving direction to everyone. And there are unlimited, innumerable living entities. So He has to give instruction in different ways to so many living entities. How much busy He is, just try to imagine. Still, His position is the same: goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

Goloka eva nivasati. Kṛṣṅa is still in His own original place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and He's enjoying in the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī. That business is... It is not the Māyāvādī philosophy. Because He has expanded Himself in so many hearts of the living entities, that does not mean that He is finished in His own abode. No. Still He's there. That is Kṛṣṅa. Pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

This is the Vedic information.

Even the... Here we have got material experience. If you have got one rupee, if you take one anna, then it is fifteen annas. Or if you take two annas, it is fourteen annas. If you take sixteen annas, it becomes zero. But Kṛṣṅa is not like that. He can expand Himself unlimited forms; still, the original Kṛṣṅa is there. That is Kṛṣṅa. We have got experience: one minus one equal to zero. But there, in the spiritual world... That is called Absolute. One minus..., millions times one minus, still, the original one is one. That is Kṛṣṅa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33].

So that Kṛṣṅa you cannot understand vedeṣu, simply by studying Vedic literature, although the Vedas means, Vedānta means, to understand Kṛṣṅa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg 15.15].

But unfortunately, because we do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṅa or His devotee, we cannot understand what is the purpose of Vedas. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha... Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu [Bg 7.1]. If you want to understand Kṛṣṅa asaṁśayam, without any doubt, and samagram, and in full, then you have to practice this yoga system.

What is that yoga? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Mad-āśrayaḥ yogaṁ yuñj... Yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ, this word is very significant. Mat means... "Either you take directly...," that is not very easy thing, "...shelter of Me, or one who has taken shelter of Me, you take shelter of him." Just like there is electric powerhouse, and there is a plug. That plug is connected with the electric powerhouse, and if you push your wire in the plug, you also get electricity. Similarly, as it is stated in the beginning of this chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg 4.2].

[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]

If you take shelter of the paramparā system... The same example: If you take the shelter of the plug which is connected with the powerhouse, you get immediately electricity. Similarly, if you take shelter of a person who is coming in the paramparā system...

There is a paramparā system. Kṛṣṅa, He instructed Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed Madhvācārya. Madhvācārya instructed in so many ways. Then Mādhavendra Purī. The Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī. From Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya. In this way, there is a paramparā system. There are four Vaiṣṅava sampradāyas: the Rudra-sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya, and Lakṣmī-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya. So sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. If you do not receive instruction of Kṛṣṅa from the sampradāya, then niṣphalā matāḥ, then whatever you have learned, it is useless. It is useless. That is the defect. So many people are studying Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not understand what is Kṛṣṅa, because they do not receive through the evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg 4.2]. The paramparā, unless you go to the paramparā... The same example: if you do not take electricity from the plug which is connected with the powerhouse, what is the use of your bulb and wire? It has no use.

Therefore how Kṛṣṅa is expanding, it is vedeṣu durlabha. If you simply have got academic knowledge, then it will not be possible. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs 5.33].

This is the statement of Brahma-saṁhitā. Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. One who is Kṛṣṅa's devotee, pure devotee...,

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

Pure devotee means he has no other desire, no material desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, zero. So what is that? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

Jñāna and karma and bhakti. Bhakti is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, but jñāna is abhilāṣi..., there is desire for liberation: to become one with the Supreme. So that also should be given up. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Not by covered by the speculative process or fruitive activities. Jñāna-karma..., ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānuśīlanam: simply favorably cultivating Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Ānukūlyena... That is bhaktir uttamā. That is first-class bhakti. And if it is mixed up, anyābhi..., with material desire or spiritual emancipation or fruitive activities, then it is not pure devotee.

So if you can approach such pure devotee... As it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. This is ātma-bhaktau, a pure devotee. He can deliver you Kṛṣṅa: "Take Kṛṣṅa. Here is Kṛṣṅa." Kṛṣṅa-prema... That is... The symbolic representation is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He's described by Rūpa Gosvāmī:

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ [Cc Madhya 19.53]

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

When Rūpa Gosvāmī... He was minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. At that time, very exalted personality. He could understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Therefore when he first met Him at Allahabad, Prayāga, he offered his respect with these words: namo mahā-vadānyāya, the most munificent incarnation. Why? Kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te: "You are distributing kṛṣṅa-prema. It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṅa, but You are so kind that You are immediately delivering love of Kṛṣṅa."

You can know one person. But to develop love for him, that is another transaction. So people cannot understand even Kṛṣṅa, and what is the saying of Kṛṣṅa's love? But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that He's immediately giving kṛṣṅa-prema, love of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore He is described as the most munificent incarnation. Kṛṣṅa Himself could not deliver Himself. He wanted, "First of all you surrender." 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.]

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind. Simply through this chanting and dancing, He is distributing love of Kṛṣṅa. You can see practically. These boys from European and American countries, means all over the world, why they are chanting and dancing in this way? Do you think they have become mad? And one says, "Yes, they have become mad." Why? For love of Kṛṣṅa. Now they have began, they have become lover of Kṛṣṅa. So kṛṣṅa-prema is like that. That is through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the symbolic representation of devotee. Bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam. Namāmi bhakta-śaktikam. He can give the strength to the devotee so that he can develop his dormant love of Kṛṣṅa. Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. If one is pure devotee, for him, Kṛṣṅa is available very easily. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]:

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

"One can understand Me in truth," yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ, "which is very, very difficult."

manuṣyāṅāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ [Bg 7.3]

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

To understand Kṛṣṅa as He is, it is difficult. But if you take to this process of devotional service:

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

Either of these process—all the process or either of these—you become successful to develop your dormant Kṛṣṅa consciousness, and then your life becomes successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya... [break] [end]