"Dead Heads And Supreme Life" 73/06/29 Mayapura, Bhagavad-gita 9.10

Prabhupada: (breaks in in middle of lecture) ...Nobel Prize. He came to California University. So he was lecturing on his theory that life has begun by combination of certain chemicals. He has mentioned those chemicals, but in that meeting, there was a member. He's my student, my disciple. He's doctor in chemistry. He has learned something about our philosophy. So he challenged that gentleman that: "If I give you all these chemicals, whether you can produce life?" The answer was: "That I cannot say." The answer was not very distinct. Actually, that is not the fact. If the scientist says that life begins from chemicals, wherefrom the chemicals came? The next question will be. You cannot get chemicals without being supplied by somebody else. So we are presenting this theory. People are being misled. It is a great question at the present moment, that the scientists says that from matter life begins. We are challenging: "No. From life, matter comes." Just the opposite.

So we are confident because we have got our Krsna's statement in the Bhagavad-gita: mayadhyaksena [Bg. 9.10], "Under My superintendence". Mayadhyaksena prakrtih. Prakrti is matter. Jada-prakrti. We have got many confirmation from the Vedic literature. Yato va imani bhutani jayante. Imani bhutani yatah jayante. In the Vedanta-sutra the same thing is confirmed: janmady asya yatah, anvayat [SB 1.1.1]. The Bhagavata explains, begins from this Vedanta-sutra: janmady asya yatah anvayat itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah svarat [SB 1.1.1]. So we have got our sufficient background to challenge this theory that life comes from matter. No. When Krsna says... In another place, Krsna also says:

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[Bg. 10.8]

Budhah. Not the rascals and nonsense, but those who have intelligence, budhah. Bodha. Bodha means knowledge, and budha means one who possesses knowledge. So those who are devotees of Krsna, they are not rascals. They are not rascals. They are budhah. Not only budhah, but also bhava-samanvitah. Bhava-samanvita means a person who has understood Krsna or who is in Krsna consciousness, he feels the presence of Krsna everywhere. Bhava-samanvitah. Budha bhava-samanvitah. The same thing is confirmed in the Caitanya-caritamrta. The maha-bhagavata, one who is advanced in spiritual consciousness, he sees everywhere Krsna. And that is a fact. He does not see anything...

sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti
sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

A devotee is seeing a palatial building, but he does not see the palatial building. He sees Krsna. Because he knows that the ingredients of this palatial building, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh, all this earth, water, air, fire, that is Krsna's energy. From Krsna, this earth, water, air, fire, everything has come out. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Yato va imani bhutani jayante. The original source of anything, of everything, is Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8].

So this Krsna consciousness movement is not a sectarian, sentimental movement. It is a very scientific movement, to understand Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So in the western world, they cannot be misled by sentiments. That is not possible. Sentiment must be there, but that is after understanding. That is spiritual sentiment. That is bhava. That is another thing. Budha bhava-samanvitah. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... He also exhibited His spiritual sentiments: "Where is Krsna?"

yugayitam nimesena
caksusa pravrsayitam
sunyayitam jagat sarvam
govinda-virahena me

This is sentiment. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was thinking one moment as twelve years. Yugayitam nimiesena. Nimesa means twinkling of an eye, moment. But He was thinking twelve years. And before Him, the gopis also, they used to condemn the creator, Brahma, because he created the eyelid and twinkling of the eyes. Which is (has) obstructed seeing Krsna. What is that sound?

Devotee: Motorcycle.

Prabhupada: Oh. So sentiment must be there. But sentiment, ecstasy, from material point of view, sentiment, that is different. Spiritual sentiment, asta-sattvika-vikara. There are eight kinds of ecstatic sentiment. That is not possible for ordinary person. When one is advanced, they are visible. That is called budha bhava-samanvitah. So we have to understand this fact, that, as Krsna says, we have to take knowledge from Krsna.

We, we are all born fools and rascals. That is the statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. Parabhavas abodha-jatah. Jatah. We are all born fools and rascals. That is a fact. You (We) know. Therefore, we are sent to schools for education. Because we are fools and rascals. Unfortunately, after so-called education also, we remain fools and rascals. Because we do not know... There is no educational system to understand atma-tattvam. Atma-tattva... The human life is meant for understanding atma-tattvam. Athato brahma jijnasa. Brahman, atma, the same thing, absolute. The human life is meant for inquiring about atma, what I am. And when he comes to the understanding aham brahmasmi, that is his perfected education... Otherwise he remains a fool, rascal. So there is no educational system to teach people that he's not this body. He is atma, spirit soul. That is the beginning of spiritual education. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna first teaches this principle that

dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

Asmin dehe. Dehi. There is soul. Not that, that "I am this body." So the soul is moving the body, not the body is moving the soul. Similarly, Krsna is the Supersoul. Krsna is the Supersoul. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: vistabhya aham idam krtsnam ekamsena sthito jagat. Vistabhya, entering."Because I have entered within this material world, vistabhya aham idam krtsnam..." One partial representation, Paramatma, atma and Paramatma. Just like we, we are atmas. We have entered this body. Therefore, it is moving. Similarly the Paramatma, the Supersoul, He has entered within this material world. Therefore, it is moving. Just like immediately we heard some sound of the motorcycle. How it is sounding? Because the driver is there. He is pushing some button. Immediately there is sound: but but but but but (sound imitation). Otherwise the motorcycle may remain there for thousands of years. There will be no more sound.

Therefore Krsna says: mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. It is Krsna who has entered this material world and He is supervising all the actions and reactions of this material world. Therefore it is moving. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih. Prakrti has no power. These rascals, foolish persons, they are thinking that the prakrti is working automatically. No, that is not possible. Prakrti is jada. Jada-prakrti. Jada-prakrti. Without any sense. The motor car has got the wheels, the machine, everything, but it has no sense. So unless there is a sensible driver there, it cannot move. Very plain truth. Anyone can understand. But we are so foolishly educated that we do not accept this fact. We say that: "Matter is the cause of life. We do not accept this theory that life is the cause of matter." Because they are atheistic persons. As soon as they accept that life is the cause of matter, they have to accept God. Immediately. Immediately they have to accept God.

So these atheistic persons, in order to avoid Krsna consciousness, in order to avoid Krsna, the Supreme Person, they push forward this theory that life is caused by matter. But that is not the fact. There are many instances. We can give many instances that life produces matter. Life... I can give you one small example. Just take, for example, one lemon tree. Lemon tree, it is also a living entity. Because there are eight million four hundred thousand species of living entities. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. Sthavarah means these trees, plants, creepers. They are two millions of varieties. So this ordinary lemon tree is producing so many lemons. And the lemon means citric acid. So if you take all these lemons, and take their juice, so one ordinary lemon tree produces tons of citric acid. It is a small living entity.

So similarly we are also producing, with our perspiration, water. And the water is salty also. We have got, everyone, experience. Now it is the question of limited and unlimited. We are limited. We are producing a little quantity of water by perspiration which contains salt, salty water. If I am able to produce unlimited quantity of water, salty, that is sea and ocean. That is sea and ocean. What is the (this) sea and ocean? That is perspiration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He has got such potency, unlimited. Unlimited potency. So where is the difficulty to understand that when Krsna says: aham sarvasya prabhavah, "I produce everything..." The chemists, the scientists, they're beginning from chemical, but wherefrom the chemical came? That came from Krsna. If some chemicals come, come from an insignificant lemon tree, how much chemicals can come from Krsna?

Yato va imani bhutani jayante. It is a simple common sense affair to understand that matter comes from life. And the Supreme Life is Krsna. The Supreme Life is Krsna. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. These are the versions of the Upanisads. Krsna, or God... What is God? God means the Supreme Person. That's all. Just like I am person. You are also person. You may be bigger in quality, in opulence, than me. And somebody else may bigger, may be bigger than you. Somebody else bigger than him. So similarly you go on, searching after who is the biggest? Then you come to Krsna. Krsna is person. Simply go on searching. As we search. Here is a big man, and here is a bigger man. Here is another biggest man. So go on, go on, You go up to Brahma. Then after Brahma, Brahma is also not the ultimate. Because from Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand: tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. Adi-kavaye. Adi-kavi (means) is Brahma. Brahma is also educated by superior person. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah. Brahma is also educated. He's not self-sufficient. He gets education from Krsna. Krsna haite catur-mukha. So in this way, if we try to find out, if we'll find out, if we are actually sincere to find out the ultimate source of everything, then you will come to Krsna. Which is confirmed by Krsna: aham sarvasya prabhavah. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Krsna says this. And we have to take it. With intelligence, with good brain. Otherwise, we cannot understand. Therefore those who are less intelligent, foolish rascals, they cannot understand Krsna. Because they cannot understand Krsna, they do not take to Krsna. They do not surrender to Krsna. Krsna says:

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
[Bg. 7.15]

As soon as we see one has not surrendered to Krsna, immediately we can accept he's either a duskrtinah, a mudhah, a naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnanah. Immediately. So this Krsna consciousness movement is especially interested to broadcast the news that: "You are searching after God. Here is God. You do not know what is the name of God. Here is the name, Krsna. You do not know what is the address of God." We say: "Here is, Vaikuntha, Goloka." We can give Krsna's father's name. Everything we can give. Just like if you want to know somebody, you want to know his name, his address, his father's name, everything. So we can supply. Why you are searching? Here is God. Not only I am speaking, but all the great acaryas, they also speak. India is guided. Now we have lost our culture, but our Vedic culture is maintained and guided by big, big acaryas like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya. But we have given acarya pat. We are inventing our own ways. Now it is. We are inventing our own ways of understanding God. Yato mata tato patha. That is foolishness. No scientific knowledge can be attained by whimsical ways. No. You must accept the prescribed method. Two plus two equal to four always. You cannot make it five or three. That is not science. Similarly, if you want to know Krsna, then as Krsna says, you have to understand.

Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is, without any interpretation. Krsna says: "I am the Supreme Person," we say: "Krsna is the Supreme Person." Krsna says that He's the background of this cosmic manifestation. We present: "Yes, Krsna is the cause of all material cosmic manifestation." This is our program. So our only request is those who are intelligent persons, let them understand this Krsna consciousness movement. It is not meant for the foolish person. Because foolish person cannot understand. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. The foolish person, after endeavoring many thousands of births, bahunam janmanam ante, if he's actually inquisitive, jnani,... Catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna arto artharthi jnani jijnasuh ca bharatarsabha. Four classes of men, they become inquisitive to understand Krsna or God. Arto artharthi jnani jijnasuh. So arto artharthi, ordinary men, when one is in need of money, when one is in distress, they go to God for relief. But although they go to God for, with some motive, still they have been described as sukrtinah. Sukrtinah, pious. Background is piety. Otherwise, nobody can go. And those who are duskrtinah, always engaged in sinful activities, they cannot go to Krsna. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15].

Therefore, we first of all try to make people sukrtinah. Hare Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna. He'll become sukrti. He'll get some pious assets. Then he'll be able to understand Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has introduced this method, and actually this method has been successful now all over the world. We began: "Simply chant Hare Krsna. Simply Chant." So all these foreign students who have taken to Krsna consciousness very seriously, they began simply with chanting Hare Krsna. It is not difficult. Everyone can chant. What is the difficulty? Everyone can chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare... Where is the difficulty? But they'll not chant. They'll not chant. They'll talk so many rubbish things, but as soon as you ask him to chant Hare Krsna, he'll be silent. That we have experienced. But still our thankless task is to induce everyone: "Chant Hare Krsna."

There is a cartoon picture in New York. One old man and his wife, sitting together. The wife is requesting the husband, old husband, "Chant, chant, chant," and the husband is replying: "Can't, can't, can't." This cartoon we have seen. So this is the... He will say three times: "Can't, can't, can't." But not "Krsna, Krsna, Krsna." That is not possible. A similar story is there in the Bengal. One old mother was dying, and the sons requested the mother: "Mother, now you say ‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna' ". So after requesting two, three times, mother became disgusted: atha katha nivalta nare.(?) So atha katha vibol ta parane(?) she could say. Not Hare Krsna. Not Hare Krsna. This is the position.

We are going door to door: "Please chant Hare Krsna." This is our only propaganda. But it is a very difficult. We are experiencing. Although innocent children, they take part. Just now we went to some gentleman's, kaviraja's house. We began kirtana. And small children immediately began... Yes. Naturally. Because those who are sukrtinah, because he's not, the child is not yet polluted. Therefore, immediately he could join Hare Krsna. This is the position. So our only request is, the Krsna consciousness movement, is that it doesn't require much education or intelligence or opulence. In whatever condition you are, chant Hare Krsna. Then gradually everything will be clear and you'll be able to understand how Krsna is conducting.

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 9.10 -- Mayapura, June 29, 1973