Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.25

Nitāi: "The threefold ahaṅkāra, the source of the gross elements, the senses and the mind, is hence identical with them because it is their cause. It is known by the name of Saṅkarṣaṅa, who is directly Lord Ananta with a thousand heads."

Prabhupāda:

sahasra-śirasaṁ sākṣād yam anantaṁ pracakṣate saṅkarṣaṅākhyaṁ puruṣaṁ bhūtendriya-manomayam [SB 3.26.25]

So this is the description of quadruple expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The advaitam acyutam anādir ananta-rūpam [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.]

how ananta-rūpam of Kṛṣṅa is expanded, now this is the beginning of such description. The first expansion is Balarāma, Baladeva. Nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. It is... In the Upaniṣad it is said, "Ātmā, the Supreme Soul, cannot be understood without being favored by Balarāma." This balarāma sometimes misunderstood as the bodily strength, that "Without physical strength, nobody can attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead." But that is not the fact. Bala-hīnena means one who is not favored by Balarāma or Nityānanda, he cannot make any progress to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the real meaning, bala-hīnena: "without the favor of Balarāma." Balarāma is guru-tattva, and Balarāma is present in this age as Nityānanda. So bala-hīnena labhyaḥ does not mean "without any physical strength." One has to get favor of Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu, katiya mohan, avadhya karuna sindhu katiya mohan, durlabha kṛṣṅa-prema kare jare tare jana.[?] There is a song like that.

So this first expansion is Balarāma. And from Balarāma, then catur-vyūha: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Aniruddha..., Pradyumna, Aniruddha. So the Saṅkarṣaṅa feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the controller of bhūtendriya-manomayam, these five elements, bhūta, indriya, and the ten senses and the mind. They are... Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṅa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha—they are different controlling Deities of the different functions of the mind, intelligence, ego. So saṅkarṣaṅākhyaṁ puruṣaṁ sahasra-śirasam anantam. Ananta. You will find the picture of Nārāyaṅa lying down on ananta-śayyā. That Ananta caturdaśī-vrata. As there is Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī... A Vaiṣṅava, they have got different functions of appearance and disappearance days of Vaiṣṅava and Viṣṅu. Āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. Just the rising sun and the setting sun. When the sun sets, it does not mean the sun is finished. Of course, some of the former theosophists and scientists, they used to think that this is..., at night the sun is dead. That is not fact. The sun is not visible to our limited eyes. Similarly, appearance and disappearance of incarnation of Godhead is like that. They are going on just like the..., a horse is running in due course, but when it comes in front of your door or window, you can see. But that does not mean the running of horse is stopped when you cannot see. Similarly, these incarnation of Godhead, ananta, unlimited, they are from this sahasra-śirasam Ananta, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu.

There are description in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It is not possible to describe all the incarnation, how they are being manifest. But they are recorded in Vedic literature, and especially in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. We have published our Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You have reference, Ananta. There are so many different types of incarnation. Manvavatāra, manu-avatāra, there are five lakhs, four hundred thousand..., four hundred. Five lakhs and four hundred manu-avatāra. So in the Bhāgavatam it is stated that the avatāras are constantly coming, just like the waves of the ocean or waves of the river. You cannot count them. Only the most important avatāras are counted, and we offer our prayers. Just like Matsya avatāra, Kūrma avatāra, Varāha avatāra, Nṛsiṁha avatāra, Vāmana avatāra, then Paraśurāma avatāra, Lord Rāmacandra avatāra, Balarāma avatāra, Buddha avatāra... Buddha is also one of the incarnation: keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī has offered his prayer to the ten avatāra, principal avatāra. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.

pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁ vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

Similarly, tortoise avatāra, Kūrma avatāra, Varāha avatāra. Nṛsiṁhadeva:

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ dalita-hiraṅyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare

Similarly, Vāmana avatāra.

So origin of all these avatāra is the Saṅkarṣaṅa, this Saṅkarṣaṅa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam [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.]

Kṛṣṅa is the ādyam. Purāṅa-puruṣam, the origin. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. All the avatāras... Kṛṣṅa is avatārī, the source of all avatāras. There are ananta, unlimited number of incarnation, constantly coming like the waves of the river or the sea, but the original person is Kṛṣṅa. So Kṛṣṅa says, confirms it, that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "All avatāras, everything, is all emanations from Me." So iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. So if we simply worship Kṛṣṅa—Kṛṣṅa also demands that, mām ekam—then all the avatāras, all the demigods, everything, is worshiped.

yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ prāṅopahārāc ca yathendriyāṅāṁ tatha sarvārhaṅam acyutejyā [SB 4.31.14]

[As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.]

Acyuta ijyā. Acyuta is Kṛṣṅa. By worshiping Kṛṣṅa, you can worship all the incarnations, all the demigods. The example is given: just like watering the root of the tree, you can pour water to the branches, to the twigs, to the flowers, to the fruits; or by supplying food to the stomach you can energize all the different parts and limbs of the body; similarly, Kṛṣṅa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja, by simply surrendering to Kṛṣṅa your obligation to all other incarnations, demigods, is fulfilled.

It is not possible to worship all the incarnations, all the demigods, all the parts and limbs and parts of the body of the Kṛṣṅa, but simply by surrendering to Him, the origin of Saṅkarṣaṅa, you can worship everyone. And it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṅa is so kind that He can accept the surrendering and service even of the poorest of the poorest. Ahaituky apratihatā. If you want to become devotee of God, Kṛṣṅa, no material things can check. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means without any impediment. Any condition of life... Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te, pāpa-yonayaḥ, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

Kṛṣṅa is open for everyone. Everyone can worship. Kṛṣṅa is not monopolized by any section or any religion or any nation, any country. No. Kṛṣṅa claims, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ [Bg 14.4].

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

All the species of life, as many forms of life as there are, Kṛṣṅa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the original seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṅa is open for everyone. And by worshiping Kṛṣṅa, you worship everything. If you have got a mentality to worship different demigods, different incarnation, that is not possible. Therefore you can concen... Sarvārhaṅam acyutejyā [SB 4.31.14]:

[As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.]

by worshiping Kṛṣṅa, everyone is worshiped. You have no more obligation.

Actually, you have got obligation, so many obligation. All the demigods, they are supplying different energies, and we are maintained by that energy. Every part of our body is controlled by some particular demigod. Even the eyelids, the twinkling of the eyelids, that is also being controlled. We are supremely under control. So therefore we have got certain obligation. Just like we are controlled by the government. So we have got some obligation also to pay tax to the government, the income tax. So similarly, we have got obligation to the devatās, the demigods, the ṛṣis, the saintly sages, because we are receiving knowledge from them. Just like Vyāsadeva, he has given us this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are reading. We are getting knowledge, perfect knowledge. Then we are obliged to our surrounding living entities, neighbors, countrymen and others. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta. The animals also. We are taking service from the animals. The cow is giving milk. The camel is carrying our load. The ass is carrying our load. So many animals... Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṅām, general, people in general, we are obliged. So obligations, there are so many. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṅāṁ pitṝṅām [SB 11.5.41].

[O King, one who has given up all material duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even one's forefathers who have passed away. Since all such classes of living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one who has surrendered to the Lord's service has no need to serve such persons separately.]

Pitṛs, our forefathers, the dynasty or the family in which we have taken birth.

So Vedic injunction is that we are obliged to so many living entities, and we have to satisfy them. Just like you are obliged to the government for supplying so many amenities, and you have to pay tax just to fulfill your obligation. If you don't pay tax, then you are liable to criminality. Similarly, we are receiving so many benefits from the Indra, Candra. We are getting rains from Indra, the moonshine from the Candra, or the moon-god, and the sunshine from the sun-god. These are essential things, heat and light. So we are obliged, certainly. But if you take shelter of Kṛṣṅa, then you are free from all obligation. Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg 18.66]. If you don't pay tax, then you are liable to be punished. That is pāpa. Similarly, we are obliged to so many living entities, demigods, saintly persons. Certainly we are obliged. We are receiving so much benefit from them. But if we surrender to Kṛṣṅa... Śaraṅaṁ śaraṅyaṁ gato mukundam. Śaraṅaṁ śaraṅyaṁ mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam. Giving aside all other duties, if we simply surrender to Kṛṣṅa, then we are no more obliged. Nāyaṁ kiṅkaro na ca ṛṅī ca rājan. We are indebted, and we must give service to all of them, but if you surrender to Mukunda...

devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṅāṁ pitṝṅāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṅī ca rājan sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṅaṁ śaraṅyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam [SB 11.5.41]

We have got so many obligations, but if we surrender to Kṛṣṅa... Kṛṣṅa's another name is Mukunda. Gato mukundam, śaraṅam, parihṛtya kartam, gataḥ śaraṅaṁ śaraṅyaṁ mukundam. Mukunda... Muk means mukti, liberation, ānanda. After liberation, you become... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

That original ānanda, your feature of jubilation, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. We are, by nature, ānandamaya. Not only Kṛṣṅa, God, but we, being part and parcel... The ānanda is not self-centered. Kṛṣṅa, when He takes ānanda, hlādinī-śakti, when He dances with the gopīs, when He plays with the cowherd boys, when He plays as a child of Yaśodāmāyi, and in every way Kṛṣṅa is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. So to take this ānanda, to enjoy this ānanda, He has expanded Himself in so many forms. The svāṁśa, or the incarnation; and the vibhinnāṁśa we are—jīvas. So to become really ānandamaya, Kṛṣṅa has—ekaṁ bahu syām—He has become many. So don't try to close up this business, "One." That is not very good intelligence. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to become one. "One" means you agree to the Supreme. That is oneness. Just like we are conducting this international society. We have got many workers, many disciples, but we are one. "One" means they are carrying their spiritual master's order. Therefore they are one. "One" means one in agreement, not that they have become amalgamated, no more individuality. Individuality is there always, but they are one, Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa's devotees. The devotees are simply trying to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa is trying to maintain His devotees. This is oneness, not that we lose our individuality.

Individual... Without individuality, there is no ānanda. If we are sitting together, the oneness is the process of service, that's all. But there are joking. They are cutting jokes. There are some varieties of food. That is ānanda. Varieties are there. That is ānanda. But they are for one purpose: satisfaction of Kṛṣṅa. That is oneness, not that we have become amalgamated. Amalgamation... We are amalgamated in one purpose, but not that the... It cannot be, because we are separated energy eternally. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ [Bg 15.7], sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. It is not that by chance we have become separated individuals. No. This word is used, sanātana. Sanātana means eternal. Eternally we are separated energy, and that is the beginning of Saṅkarṣaṅa. Saṅkarṣaṅaḥ kāraṅa-toya-śāyī [Cc Ādi 1.7]. That Saṅkarṣaṅa, before this material creation, He lies down in the Kāraṅa Ocean, kāraṅa-toya-śāyī. Then... Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya [Bs 5.48].

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

He is lying in the Kāraṅa Ocean in the sleeping mood, and then, from His breathing, innumerable universes are coming out. That is the origin of material creation. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya.

So from spiritual existence, how material existence come into being, that is being explained in the Sāṅkhya philosophy of Kapiladeva. So saṅkarṣaṅa-rūpaṁ puruṣam. Everywhere the puruṣa, person; puruṣa, or the enjoyer. Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ puruṣam. Lord is puruṣa, a personality. He is not impersonal. His energies are prakṛtis. So prakṛti-puruṣa is there. That is the spiritual world. That is also parā-prakṛti, and this material world is aparā-prakṛti. But the puruṣa is always there. Puruṣa is always puruṣa. And we are marginal prakṛti. We are also prakṛti. So ekale īśvara kṛṣṅa. So only one puruṣa, īśvara, enjoyer, controller, is Kṛṣṅa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṅa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc Ādi 5.142].

[Lord Kṛṣṅa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.]

All others, even incarnations, even demigods, even we are—we are all servant of Kṛṣṅa. And what to speak of ourself, even the expansion of Kṛṣṅa, viṣṅu-tattva, They are also serving Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa is so exalted. Therefore, Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

Even the incarnation Viṣṅu, Lord Śiva, demigods and others—nobody is greater than Kṛṣṅa. Asamordhva. Asama, nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is lower than Him. Therefore He is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

ekale īśvara kṛṣṅa āra saba bhṛtya yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya [Cc Ādi 5.142]

By the desire of Kṛṣṅa we are doing different parts, but Kṛṣṅa is the original master, and He is also origin of the Saṅkarṣaṅa. And Saṅkarṣaṅa origin is of the puruṣa-avatāra, Mahā-Viṣṅu. And Mahā-Viṣṅu is the avatāra, is the origin, of these universes. In this way, if you try to find out the original cause, the cause of all causes, then you come to Kṛṣṅa: sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1], cause of all causes.

[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.]

That's all right if you want to read next verse. Time?

Nitāi: Twenty-five to nine.

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right, finished.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]