Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.112

Pradyumna: [chants verse, etc.] [devotees repeat]

viṣṅu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-samjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate [Cc Madhya 6.154]

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Translation: "Originally, Kṛṣṅa's energy is spiritual, and the energy known as the living entity is also spiritual. However, there is another energy, called illusion, which consists of fruitive activity. That is the Lord's third potency."

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Prabhupāda:

viṣṅu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-samjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate [Cc Madhya 6.154]

Viṣṅu-śakti, Bhagavān, the Supreme Absolute Truth, Viṣṅu, all-pervading Personality of Godhead. So His potency... His potency must be also spiritual. Just like the sun globe is reservoir of heat and light. Everyone will know. So His potency... The sun globe potency, sunshine, is also heat and light. It is not different from the sun. Śakti means potency. Śakti śaktimat abheda. The potency of a certain person is nondifferent; there is no difference in quality. The same example: the sun and the sunshine. Sunshine is the potency of the sun, but the quality of the sun and the quality of the sunshine is the same—heat and light. So viṣṅu-śakti, there are... According to the Vedic information, He has got many multifarious potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. Different types of śakti. We can see different types of agency, er, what is called, energy is working within this creation. Take for example the leaves of the tree. Some of them are green; some of them are red; some of them are yellow; some of them are mixed. Similarly fruits—different tastes; flowers—different flavor. Varieties. But wherefrom it is coming? The sunshine. The sunshine is the same, but it is acting in different way, so we see different manifestation. This is crude material example. Similarly, if we take the spiritual original, then the original is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, 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.]

It is not different from Kṛṣṅa. Ahaṁ sarvasya. All these colored manifestation, it is coming from Kṛṣṅa. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything is coming from Me." So this understanding is real Kṛṣṅa consciousness, when you understand that there is one only. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. And Kṛṣṅa is above Brahman. We have got a slight idea of Brahman, generally, but Kṛṣṅa is Paraṁbrahman. There are many millions of Brahmans, and above them, the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṅa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12]. Arjuna admitted.

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

So kṛṣṅa-śakti... Everything is Kṛṣṅa's śakti, potency. There is no doubt about it. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā [Bg 10.8]. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

Vasudeva is everything. That is Kṛṣṅa. But He's working in so many ways. So many ways. How it is working? That is stated in the Vedas: svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. He has got so unlimited potency that things are being done as if naturally, without any endeavor. But the background is Kṛṣṅa. Just like we see one flower growing, very small flower. The stem is very fine, and the flower is decorated even in their different colors. But it is not ordinary thing. If you are a painter, if you paint such a flower, it will take so many days. But it is coming. But don't think simply that it has come automatically. No. There is no such thing as automatically. Same as you, when you paint a flower you have to employ so much energy, so Kṛṣṅa has also do that, the same energy. But it is because it is so natural for Kṛṣṅa, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Simply by His willing, it is happening.

So He hasn't got to endeavor for it. That is the difference between Kṛṣṅa's activities and our activity, although we have got the tendency at least. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we have got the same quality. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā [Cc Madhya 8.153]. Kṣetrajña means living entities. They are also of the same potency. So then what is the difference? The difference is that the kṣetrajña, the living entities, are prone to become under illusion. That is the difference. We are small, very small; therefore we are prone to be extinguished. Just like the fire and the fire spark. The spark, when it is out of the fire, it is extinguished—no more fiery quality. But so long it is playing with the fire, you'll find the nice brilliant sparks coming, now dancing. The quality is the same. Fire can burn, and the small spark, it falls down, it will burn your cloth. It is very small, but it will... It has become off[?], illusion. This is avidyā. The same spark, when he's out of Kṛṣṅa's touch, it is extinguished, avidyā. Immediately he is covered by darkness, extinguished, his spiritual quality. Not finished—at least stopped for the time. Spiritual quality cannot be finished, because it is spiritual. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. The spiritual quality cannot be finished. It goes on. And on account of avidyā, ignorance, it goes through another body, another body, transmigration of the soul. And unless he is again revived to his original consciousness, he has to go through that. He has to struggle for existence. He's trying to get his original position like Kṛṣṅa's brilliant position, like the fire.

So this is called struggle for existence. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. They are trying to be happy. You'll find in the New York City, they are simply struggling. What is the aim? The aim is how to become happy. Somebody is drinking, somebody is gambling, somebody is going to the restaurant, somebody is going to the Times Square, and somebody is going here, there. Their real aim is how to become happy. But because in avidyā, ignorance, they are unable to become happy. That is the position. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir [Cc Madhya 6.154].

[The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṅu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.]

This avidyā is illusion, illusion. Just like we are now enwrapped, covered with this body, and I am thinking I am this body. This is avidyā. I am not this body. So again he has to brought to this knowledge, that "You are not this body. Because you wanted to dominate over the material nature, therefore you have got this material body. Because you wanted to eat stool, you have got this hog's body. Because you wanted this, jump over unnecessarily, creating trouble, you have become monkey. Because you wanted to drink fresh blood, you have got the body of a tiger." This is called avidyā. He's not either tiger nor pig nor monkey nor this so-called human being, nor American, nor Indian. He's spirit soul. That knowledge one has to come. From that avidyā, from ignorance, one has to come to the knowledge. Then his life will be successful.

So our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to bring back the human society, because it is not possible to bring back the monkeys and cats and dogs to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is not possible. So those who are of the dog's mentality, cat's mentality, monkey mentality, it is difficult for them. They have to change their mentality by sat-saṅga. This is called sat-saṅga. Just like you are hearing from the śāstra, and we are speaking from the śāstra. This is called sat-saṅga. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṅa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25].

[In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.]

By sat-saṅga, by real spiritual association, by talking with them, by mixing with them—satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido—then we can learn about the unlimited potencies of Kṛṣṅa. Mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṅa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Then it becomes very pleasing to the heart and to the ear, by satāṁ-prasaṅgān. Otherwise it is not possible. If you go to a professional reciter, it will enter in this ear and go out this ear, that's all. Because there is no life; it is business. So you cannot do business with Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is not agreeable to this proposal. He's master. You cannot utilize Him for your service. You must engage yourself to His service. That is wanted. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. Then if we be in that attitude, that "Kṛṣṅa is my master; I must serve Kṛṣṅa. I shall not take Kṛṣṅa an instrument to become my servant..." That is not possible, although it is said that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Four kinds of men," sukṛtina, "whose background is pious, they come to Kṛṣṅa." One who is impious, he cannot come.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam... [Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Why a few selected persons come here? Because it requires background of pious activities. Otherwise it is not possible. We do not expect that cent per cent of people will become Kṛṣṅa conscious. That is not possible. But if there is one ideal Kṛṣṅa conscious person, he can do benefit to many thousands. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārāḥ sahasraśaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, he can illuminate the whole universe, na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ, not these twinkling stars. It is not possible.

So people are suffering. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. Being enwrapped by avidyā, illusion, they are struggling for existence. So Kṛṣṅa personally comes Himself to deliver them. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

That is His two businesses. So the Kṛṣṅa conscious, Kṛṣṅa's devotee, also take up the business of Kṛṣṅa by this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, and it will do good to him and as well as to the persons amongst whom he will preach. But preach. Don't manufacture preaching. Preach as it is in the śāstra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction: 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.]

You do not become a rascal guru yourself by manufacturing some imagination, "You do this. Give me some money and you become God, you become this, you become..." This rascaldom don't do. One thing do. What is that? What is said by Kṛṣṅa, you say. That's all. What is the difficulty? What Kṛṣṅa has said, you say. 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.]

These four things, that you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṅa... How can I become devotee? Come to the temple, offer little obeisances, take prasādam. So what is the difficulty? If you say there is no difficulty... And if one comes, there is no difficulty. But they are so rascals, they will not come. We are giving so much facilities that "Come here, live in this nice building and hear about Kṛṣṅa. Take prasādam, chant and dance, very happy life." But they'll become hog. They'll be preparing their life for that purpose. They'll become a dog next life. They prepare like that.

So therefore the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is the topmost welfare activities in the world. People should try to understand it and join it and take advantage of it.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]