O esteemed, blessed seekers of the nectar of the lotus feet of Shri Krishnachandra, the moon of Vrindavan, who is the absolute essence of sat, chit and anand! As is customary, let us chant the divine name for a while, after which the discourse will begin. All glories to Shri Radha Krishna! Now, please pay close attention.
Who am I? Who is Mine? These two questions are currently being resolved. One may ask, “Why?” Every action has a reason behind it. Scriptural Verse (Yogshikha Upanishad 1.37) The Vedas state this. Yogshikha Upanishad 1.37 This mantra is also in the Tripad-vibhuti-narayana Upanishad: the first mantra of the eighth chapter. Scriptural Verse Tripad-vibhuti-narayana Upanishad 8.1 No action is performed without a reason.
Why have you come here? There is a reason. Why will you leave here to go somewhere else? There is a reason. Why did you close your eyes? For a reason. Why did you take a breath? For a reason. There is a reason behind every action that is performed. It is a valid question. Why is it necessary to find the answers to these two questions, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who is mine?’ There are two answers to this. We can summarise all the philosophical principles in the entire world in just two statements. What are they? The attainment of eternal freedom from suffering, and the attainment of eternal happiness.
We are all unhappy, and we desire the opposite, happiness. We are all distressed, and we desire the opposite, peace. We are all mortal, and we desire the opposite, immortality. We are all ignorant, but we desire to have complete knowledge. In other words, we are incomplete in every way, and we desire to be perfect in each and every area.
Therefore, it is necessary that we solve these two questions. For that, perceptual evidence, inferential evidence and so on were used to explain ‘Who am I?’ However, this entity called ‘I’ is such that it cannot be made comprehensible bit through perceptual or inferential evidence. Therefore, we sought the support of scriptural evidence. Scriptural evidence includes Shruti Prasthan, Smriti Prasthan and Nyaya Prasthan. These are three authoritative sources of scriptural knowledge. Now, one is Vinirgat Vani (revealed knowledge), i.e. the Vedas, and one is Smrit: the Shastras, Gita, etc. With evidence from all these sources, we reflected upon the entity ‘I’.
In brief, you were told that there is one entity called Brahm, and another entity called maya. That is, there are two entities other than ‘me’. Of these two, one is mine. Either Brahm is mine, or maya is mine. So, through the Vedas, it has been explained to you in great detail that the entity called ‘I’ is a power of Brahm. And the power known as maya is also a power of Brahm. For this reason, we, the individual souls, are also said to be parts of God. It has been explained in detail through the Vedant (i.e. Brahma Sutra) that we are a part of God.
Our nature is not one that is all-pervading. That philosophy is incorrect. Nor are we the same size as the body we occupy. We are infinitesimal. We are so subtle that it cannot be described in words how subtle we are. And we reside in the heart. And God also resides in the heart, and so does maya. All these three also exist in the world. We are here; maya is here in the form of earth, water, fire and so on; and God is also all-pervading here. He is also seated within our heart.
That is why I have explained to you that God Himself becomes the world. During complete dissolution, the souls and maya all merge into God: earth into water, water into fire, fire into air, air into space, space into ego, ego into mahan (the cosmic principle), mahan into prakriti (material nature) and prakriti into God. In other words, the basis of earth is water, of water is fire, of fire is air, of air is space, of space is ego, of ego is mahan, of mahan is prakriti, and the basis of prakriti is God. And what is God’s basis? Nothing. Poor God is without any support. Look! We have a father, don’t we? Yes, we have parents. Our father’s father’s father’s father’s father, i.e., our ultimate Father, is God. What about God’s father? Poor God, He has no father and no mother. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.46.39) Such is the nature of God whom we are part of. He is our source, our whole.
So, we are extremely minute. This extremely minute soul in our heart continuously imparts consciousness to the entire body. It is conscious itself, and it imparts consciousness to whatever it resides in. When it leaves, only maya remains, in the form of the body. The soul leaves and takes a body with it, known as the subtle body, which always remains with the soul. And God, whom we refer to as Brahm, also accompanies the soul. In other words, all three accompany each other. None of these three are separated from each other even for a second. Wherever we go, God, who is our source, will accompany us. I have told you this quoting evidence from the Vedas. Do not forget! Scriptural Verse (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.35)
We may become dogs, donkeys, cats or mosquitoes. We may even become an insect in a filthy gutter. God will be with us even there. He will not leave us. And the body will also be with us. And just as we love our body now – pay attention – so does everyone else. You may laugh when you see a pig, “Hey, look at that pig passing by. It’s so ugly.” However, if you smother a pig to kill it, it will scream, “Hey! What are you doing? This is my body and it is very dear to me. I won’t leave this body.” Try to crush a fly or a mosquito. It will protest, “What are you doing? This is my body!” Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 3.30.4
The soul does not want to leave any body it enters into, no matter which form of life it may receive. It has the same attachment for each and every body. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 3.30.5) The soul does not wish to leave even the infernal body it acquires in hell, where it is made to suffer so terribly. This is the attachment to one’s body. It is from here that ignorance began. That is why even a hellish body is dear to the individual soul. Bhagavatam 3.30.5
Therefore, God gave an answer to Uddhav’s question, “Who is the biggest fool?” He said: Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 11.19.42) There can be no greater fool than he who considers himself to be the body because all suffering depends on this one ignorance. We forgot our true identity. We are a part of God; we are His power. We are His servants. Having forgotten this fundamental knowledge, we think we are the body. Then we say, “This is my father. This is my world.” This changes everything.
Those of you who have studied mathematics would know that if there is a mistake in the first calculation – if we write 3 x 7 = 22 instead of 3 x 7 = 21, then every subsequent calculation will be wrong. This is the main mistake: considering ourselves to be the body. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 11.2.37) 11.2.37 This is the first mistake. It is not that this mistake happened one day. We have been mistaking our body to be our real self since time immemorial.
So, we are part of God. We are His power. We have a relationship of difference and non-difference with Him. I have explained the answer to this question in great detail that in some respects there is no difference between God and us. He is conscious; we are also conscious. He is eternal; we are also eternal. And in many respects, there is a vast difference. Some naive people say that God is only the embodiment of knowledge, and the soul is also only the embodiment of knowledge. Yes, He is also the embodiment of knowledge. Not only! Vigyanam anandam brahma (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.28) The Vedas say this. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad This mantra is also in the Maha Upanishad at 2.9. He is the embodiment of knowledge. Scriptural Verse Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1 He is the embodiment of knowledge, and so are we. However, we are also knowers. Scriptural Verse Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.5.15 Scriptural Verse (Brahma Sutra 2.3.19) The Vedant also says this: 2.3.19 Scriptural Verse Chhandogya Upanishad 8.12.4 Scriptural Verse Chhandogya Upanishad 8.12.5 Scriptural Verse Prashna Upanishad 4.9 He is not merely the embodiment of knowledge. Scriptural Verse Padma Purana Scriptural Verse Padma Purana The Vedant states: Scriptural Verse Brahma Sutra 2.3.33
We are part of that Brahm, and He alone is our everything. Scriptural Verse Subala Upanishad 6.4 Scriptural Verse (Bhagavad Gita 9.18) He is our everything. Bhagavad Gita 9.18 Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 3.25.38 Kapil said this to his mother. He is our everything. And what else is there to know about Brahm, whom we are a part of? When we have such a significant relationship with Him, then we should at least understand more about Him because understanding will lead to love. Then there will be a desire to meet Him. The very meaning of the word Brahm is: Scriptural Verse (Vishnu Purana 3.3.22) The Vedas and the Puranas both say one thing: He who is big; and secondly, He who makes others big.
What is the meaning of big? Everything is big. For example, take this towel. Now take a bigger towel. Then people would say, “Bring the big towel”. What does big mean? Big is … Look! This is the little finger, and this is the big finger. This is also called big. So, what does it mean when we say Brahm is big? The Vedas say, “I will tell you.” Scriptural Verse (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1) Infinite Brahm means infinitely big. Infinite means? Unlimited, immeasurable! Nothing is bigger than Him! The Vedas explain this in a different way. Scriptural Verse Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.8 Nothing is equal to Him, nor is anything bigger.
When nothing is equal to Him, there is no question of anything being bigger. Because there are only three entities. The poor soul is extremely minute and is a part of God, while poor maya is insentient. There is no third thing apart from the soul and maya. There is no other entity. So, who would be equal? And there is no question of any entity being bigger. Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 3.2.21 Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 2.4.14 Scriptural Verse Bhagavad Gita 11.43 Meaning, there is no one equal to Him. He is so big.
Should I tell you something else? anor aniyan Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.20 What is the smallest thing? The soul. God is even smaller! How is this contradiction possible? Yes, this is exactly how it is. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.3.19) God naturally has contradictory attributes. He becomes the smallest as well as the biggest. Why? Because it is necessary. Why is it necessary? If He doesn’t become the smallest, then how can He pervade the tiniest thing? How can an elephant fit into an ant? We are individual souls. He resides within us. Scriptural Verse (Katha Upanishad 2.1.12) Scriptural Verse (Subala Upanishad 7.1) He always resides within us. How will He reside within us if He does not become the smallest? And if He does not become the biggest, then when the dissolution of innumerable brahmands (vast cosmic worlds) occurs, how will all the brahmands fit into Him? This is why … Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.20)
What else is Brahm like? Brahm has infinite attributes. Countless Kripalus for countless ages with countless tongues may talk about them. Oh, you can keep talking; you are crazy. There would be no end. Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 1.18.14 Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.14.7) No one can say how many attributes God has, how many there are and how extensive they all are! 10.14.7 Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 11.4.2) The one who says, “I will tell you” is like a naive child. “It is mentioned somewhere that Shri Krishna has 64 qualities. Yes, great Rasik Saints like Roop Goswami have written about this.” It is for your devotional practice that they have written about 64 qualities.
Everything of His is infinite. For example, the brahmands – they are also infinite. Look, you see the moon? The sun is four hundred times bigger than this. And just one galaxy has countless suns thousands of times bigger than this sun! And there are countless galaxies in one brahmand. And there are infinite brahmands under the control of God. Your intellect will fail. Don’t attempt to go there. Just use one word: infinite. Each and everything of His is infinite. And God descends from time to time, doesn’t He? Yes, His descensions are also infinite. Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 10.51.37 “My births, My actions, My qualities are all infinite. Even I cannot enumerate them, because how can the limitless be bound within a limit? Even if I wanted to tell you, I would be speaking forever.”
A king once said, “Tell me a story that has no end.” Now, people were very distressed as he had warned that if the story ended, the storyteller would be hanged. “And if there is such a story which never ends, then I will accept the storyteller as my guru.” Now great pundits were perplexed, as everything is limited. “If we narrate the Bhagavatam, it will end one day. If we narrate the Gita, it will end. If we narrate the Vedas, they will also end one day.” So, there was one shrewd man who disguised himself as a scholar. He said, “I will tell a story.” The king reminded him that he could be hanged. He replied, “O King! Please listen and keep listening. Keep making this sound after each sentence.” The King replied, “Alright, proceed.”
He began, “There was once a huge peepal (sacred fig) tree. There was a bird sitting on each and every leaf. Suddenly, the clouds thundered. So, one bird flew away. Then the second bird flew away. Then the third flew away.” – “Well, go on!” “I am narrating it, Your Highness. How can the story proceed further until all the birds have flown away?” So, how can God describe His endless qualities when there is no end to them? Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.87.41) The Vedas are praising God and they are saying to Him: 10.87.41 “My Lord! Who else can enumerate Your glories? Who can reach Your limits? Even You cannot describe Your own limits, because You are infinite.” So, everything about Him is infinite. Nothing about Him is limited. This is how God is.
God has one power which is the greatest of all. It presides over all others. You can call it the empress. An empress is above all other queens, isn’t she? She is known as svarup shakti. What does she do? She is the one who does everything. Sanskrit Verse She may do or not do as she pleases. Even we all can do this. However, God can do contrary things! This we cannot do – hearing with the eyes, seeing with the ears. Really? God can see even without eyes. (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.19) He walks without feet, He hears without ears, and performs various actions without hands. This is how He is.
So, with the power of svarup shakti, God becomes formless and also assumes a form. He becomes devoid of qualities and also possesses qualities. He assumes countless forms. He is not visible, and He is all-pervading. He also has a body. He has the body of a human being. He created 8.4 million types of bodies, and the one He liked was the human form. Scriptural Verse (Padma Purana 71.249) And even in the human form, He is omnipresent. Look at this wonder! It is understandable that something formless could be omnipresent, like clarified butter in milk or oil in a sesame seed. (Vasudeva Upanishad 1.1) There is oil in a sesame seed, right? It is not visible, but it is in every particle. Scriptural Verse (Vasudeva Upanishad 1.1) The fire in wood is present in every particle of it. Scriptural Verse (Vasudeva Upanishad 1.1) There is clarified butter in milk. Scriptural Verse (Vasudeva Upanishad 1.1) Fragrance pervades every particle of a flower. Vasudeva Upanishad 1.1 “Likewise, I pervade the individual soul within!”
Alright, granted that in this world of ours, there are many things which are pervading. However, to be all-pervading in a personified form, like a man, tall and broad? He is omnipresent in this way as well. Scriptural Verse Gopalatapini Upanishad 19 Even Shankaracharya accepted this. How incredible! Sanskrit Verse (Shankaracharya) “O mankind! Although Shri Krishna does have a humanlike form and is visible in one place and not in other places just like a human …” A person is seated in front of you. Now look back. He will not be visible. He is not above you or anywhere else. Is Shri Krishna like this? No, no! Scriptural Verse (Shankaracharya) He is everywhere. Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.11) Omnipresent. He is all-pervading. Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.11 Scriptural Verse Gopalatapini Upanishad 18 This mantra is also in the Brahma Upanishad. Such is that Brahm.
That Brahm has three main forms; primary forms! Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 1.2.11 God has three forms; there are not three Gods. All of you have two forms as well: you have a soul which is formless, and a body which has a form. Isn’t that right? When you are a baby in your mother’s womb, no one can see you. Her stomach has grown. So, one gets an idea that there is a baby inside. What is it like? What is the baby’s nose like? Neither the mother nor father knows this, and nor does anyone else. Now the baby is born. “Oh! That’s what he looks like!” You yourself are like this; both with and without a form.
So, among the three forms of God, only two are primary. Scriptural Verse Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.1 However, the Bhagavat refers to three forms according to their respective functions. One is called Brahm: Brahm who is devoid of attributes, distinctions and form. The Vedas also say this. And the other is Bhagavan – God with qualities, distinctions and form, Shri Krishna. The Vedas also mention these two. Scriptural Verse Gopalatapini Upanishad 3 However, Veda Vyas speaks of one more manifestation, Paramatma. Both Paramatma and Bhagavan have a form and attributes. The difference is that in Paramatma, not all of the powers are manifested. Only 99% percent are revealed, while in Bhagavan Shri Krishna, all the powers are manifested. And in Brahm? Only one percent. Just one percent, in order to protect His own existence; to protect His nature of sat-chit-anand. That’s all.
Brahm does nothing. He does not have any form, nor any attributes or pastimes. Nothing at all. That is Brahm. And the one who has a form, with hands, feet and eyes; who sees, hears, speaks, does everything; that is Paramatma who is worshipped by the yogis, and Brahm is worshipped by the gyanis, while the devotees worship Shri Krishna. So, Shri Krishna Himself has all these three forms. However, the difference is in their functions.
If we pray to Brahm, “Please redeem us with your grace”, there will be no answer. You can cry yourself to death; Brahm can do absolutely nothing. How will He bestow grace? Even Shankaracharya accepted this. Scriptural Verse (Shankaracharya) Addressing Brahm, Shankaracharya says, “You do not do anything at all. You are indifferent. You do not even have ears to hear, then what to say of actually doing anything? So, to ask you for anything would be the act of a madman, like pleading to a statue made of stone. However, at least do one thing.”
Everyone take note of this. Shankaracharya … If anyone other than Shankaracharya were to speak like this, you would say he is mad. On one hand, he says, “You do not do anything. So what can I ask of you?” And on the other hand, he says, “At least come and reside in my heart.” How can He do this when He does not hear or do anything? How will He come into your heart? And tell me one more thing. Thousands of mantras, along with the Gita and the Bhagavatam proclaim in thousands of places that God is seated in everyone’s heart. Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.11) Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.6) Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.7) Scriptural Verse (Bhagavad Gita 18.61) Then why are you asking Him to please come? Please come? He already lives there! Even in demons. And you are God Himself. You are a Saint. Strange are the ways and words of Saints. It is impossible to understand them.
The conclusion is that Brahm does nothing. Therefore, those who worship Brahm and achieve self-realisation will have to practise devotion to Shri Krishna and ask for His grace. Then two things happen – maya leaves and they attain the knowledge of Brahm. Then they are liberated. So, Shri Krishna has three forms, and I have already told you that He also has countless forms. Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 8.3.9 Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 10.40.7 What happened in the Maharaas? There were millions of gopis, and Shri Krishna was with each one of them. What happened at His wedding in Dwarika? Every woman was married to Him at the same time. He married all of them simultaneously. He created that many forms. Oh, what was there to create? His body is transcendental, omnipresent.
And Shri Krishna has an abode too. Just as you all have houses and people say, “I live in England. I live in America in that city, in that neighbourhood with that house number.” So, does God also have a home? The Vedas say, The abode of God is such … Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.14) Mayic, material matter such as this sun and moon cannot enter God’s abode, Golok. God Himself becomes the sun. God Himself becomes everything. Everything is God. The earth there is also God. Just as a paramhans becomes ecstatic upon seeing Shri Krishna, likewise he becomes ecstatic upon seeing the earth there. Everything is sat-chit-anand. Scriptural Verse Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.6 Scriptural Verse Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.7 Scriptural Verse Kena Upanishad 4.9 Scriptural Verse Aitareya Upanishad 3.1.4 Scriptural Verse Gopalatapini Upanishad 27 This mantra is also in the Skanda Upanishad, 14. The Tripuratapini Upanishad has this mantra too. 4.1 This mantra is in the Subala Upanishad as well, 6.7. The Nrisinghatapini Upanishad also has this mantra, 8.3. And it is also in the Bhagavatam. Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 3.15.14 Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 2.9.10) Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 2.2.17 Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 4.12.36 All the Vedas and other scriptures say that God has an abode. And surely you are familiar with the Gita: Scriptural Verse (Bhagavad Gita 15.6)
“Arjun! The sun, moon and so on do not enter My abode. And one need not return after reaching My abode.” Golok is above all abodes. Below that are the other divine abodes and the abodes of other descensions of God. And below that is Brahmadrav of the gyanis; of the paramhansas, of those who have attained the bliss of the impersonal, attributeless Brahm. And below that are the innumerable brahmands where maya prevails. Within the area of maya, the very topmost abode is Satyalok or Brahmalok. Even after going there, one has to return to this world. Scriptural Verse Bhagavad Gita 8.16 Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 11.19.18) Even after reaching Brahmalok, he has to return. This is the area of maya.
So, God also has an abode, and there are many other extraordinary things about God, which I will tell you about later. All glories to Shri Radha Krishna!
