Nairobi october 26, 1975
The authoritative scriptures and saints in the Vedic tradition agree that Krsna stands above all others, with no competition.
svayam bhagavan krsna ekale isvara
advitiya, nandatmaja, rasika-sekhara
"Krsna, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personaliry of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Sri Krsna, yet He appears as the son of Maharaja Nanda." – (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.7)
Whatever Kaviraja Gosvami is speaking is not out of his own whimsy. Wharever he's speaking, he's following the parampara sysrem of disciplic succession. That is the requirement of Vaisnavism, or the requirement for being an acarya, or guru. Acdryavan puruso veda: Unless we accept the acarya in the parampara system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible.
Kaviraja Gosvami is writing the Caitanya-caritamrta strictly according to the verdict of the siistras, the scriptures. His statement is that Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavan Krsna. Bhagavan is a person. Bhagavan is not impersonal. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11]: The first realization of the Absolute Truth, by speculative knowledge, is the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called the Brahmajyoti. The next realization is the Paramatma, the localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But realization of Krsna is the ultimate realization. Svayam bhagavan Krsna.
Bhagavan means "possessor of opulence," specifically one full in six opulences. Nobody is richer than Bhagavan, nobody is stronger than Bhagavan, nobody is more beautiful than Bhagavan, nobody is wiser than Bhagavan, and nobody is more renounced than Bhagavan. That is Bhagavan. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah . .. [Visnu Purana 6.5.47]. That is Bhagavan. He is fully opulent, not partially.
For example, He knows everything. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita – vedaham samatitani [7.26]that He knows past, present, and future. He says, therefore, "My dear Arjuna, it is not that you, I, and all the soldiers and kings assembled here we were not existing before. We are existing at the present moment also, and in the future also we shall continue to exist."
And how shall we exist? Individually. Otherwise Krsna would have said that in the future when we become liberated we shall become one. No. He says, "Even in the future we shall continue to exist like this. You are an individual. You are Arjuna. I am Krsna. And all other living entities are also individuals." That is the real understanding. Every one of us living entities is an individual person, and Krsna is also an individual person. That is knowledge.
nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahuniim yo vidadhati kaman
[Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)
"The Lord is the supreme eternal among innumerable eternals and the supreme living being among the innumerable living beings. He maintains all others." Krsna, or God, is eternal, and we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bhagavad-gira 2.20). We do not die. That is the preliminary spiritual understanding: "I am not this body. I am spirit- aham brahmasmi -but I am an individual."
Krsna is an individual person; I am also an individual person. Krsna says sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja : "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. [Bhagavad-gita 18.66). That does not mean that I will become one with Krsna" or merge into the existence of Krsna. I keep my individuality, and Krsna keeps His individuality, but I agree to abide by His order. Therefore Krsna says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita"I have spoken to you everything. Now what is your decision?" As an individual, Arjuna has a choice. It is not that Krsna is forcing Arjuna. Yarhecchasi catha kuru: "Now wha tever you like , you can do." [B.g.18.63). That is individuality.
MERGING INTO KRSNA'S ORDER
This is the ultimate knowledge. To "become one" or "merge into the existence" means to merge into the order of Krsna . Our individuality at the present moment is maya, illusion, We are planning so many things, and therefore your individuality and my individuality clash. But when there will be no more clashing- when we shall agree that the central point is Krsna that is oneness. Not that we lose our individuality.
As it is stated in all Vedic literaturel and as spoken by Krsna we are all individuals. But the difference is that He is the supreme ruler: svayam bhagavan ekale ivara. He is a Ruler, and we are also rulers, but we are subordinate rulers. Therefore He is ekate isvara, "the one ruler." The Brahma-samhira [5.1) says, Ivara parama Krsna: "The supreme ruler is Krsna".
Isvara-the ruler cannot be many. The Mayavada philosophy that everyone is God is not the right conclusion. It is rasca idom. Krsna says, na mam duskrtino mudhah [Bhagavad-gita 7.15]. If one does not submit to the supreme isvara, the Supreme Lord, you should know perfectly well that "Here is a mudha, a rascal." Because it is not that everyone can become Ivara. That is not possible. There is then no meaning to
Ivara. Isvara means the ruler. We are in a group, our international Society. But if everyone becomes the ruler or acarya, then how can it be managed! No. There must be some head. That is the principle in our practical life. We follow our political leaders. Unless I follow the leader, I cannot say, ''I belong to this parry." That is natural. That is the Vedic statement: nityo nityandm cetanas cetananam. There must be one leader. That leader is of the same quality as I. I am nitya, eternal, and Krsna is nitya. Krsna is a living entity; I am also a living entity. So what is the difference between Krsna and me? The difference is that there are two nityas or two cetanas. One is described as singular, and the othet is described as plural. Nityo nityanam. This nityanam is plural, and nitya is singular. So God is nitya- one,singular-and we are being ruled. We are plural. That is the difference.
THE ONE SUPPLYING EVERYTHING
And how is He ruling the plural in number! Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman: He's supplying all their necessities of life. Therefore He's Ivara, He's krsna, He's God. The one who provides all the necessities of life is Ivara. He's Krsna, He's God.
We can very well understand that we are being maintained by Krsna. And why should we not be ruled by him! Now, you can see in this country, in this village, Mayapura, that so many food grains are growing, but who is supplying! That is Krsna. It is not possible to grow these food grains in your factory. No. That is not possible. Krsna is helping us. He has stated in the Bhagavad-gita [3.14), annad bhavanri bhutani. Unless you eat sufficiently, unless you have food grains in stock, you cannot flourish . Bhavanti means flourishing. Both animals and men must eat sufficiently. There must be enough food grain. You cannot manufacture food grain in your factory. You may start a very big factory- Goodyear tyre factory-but that tyre will not move when there is no supply of petrol. This is your position. You are dependent even for tyres and petrol, and what to speak of food grains.
Who is supplying the food grains! Eko bahunam yo vidadhari kaman: that singular number individual person. He is supplying. You can say that prakrti, or nature, is supplying. No. Nature is not supplying. Nature is the agent of supply. The real supplier is Krsna. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita [9.10) : mayadhyaksena",a prakrtik suyate sacaracaram. Nature is working under the instruction or the indication of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Krsna.
In Brahma-samhita [5.44) it is stated,
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi- purusam tam aham bhajami
"The external potency Maya, who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving, and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself." Nature is dependent, although nature has got very extensive power-sesti-sthiti-pralaya-to create, maintain, and to annihilate. Nature has such power, and therefore she is called Durga, Durga Devi. In Bengal there is a great, pompous Durga-puja, Durga festival. That is nature worship. But nature is yasya ajnaya: She is working under the order of Krsna.
It is not that we Vaisnavas do not care for Durga Devi, as some people say. No. We offer her all respect because she is the agent of Krsna, but we do not accept foolishly that Durga is all in all. No. That we do not accept. Durga is the working agent of Krsna. And Krsna also confirms this: mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram. Therefore Krsna is the supreme isvara, controller. Durga is conducting the activities of the material nature. But those who are mudhas are captivated by the wonderful action of material nature. They are materialists. Tribhir guna-mayair bhavair …mohitam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [7.13]. They are bewildered. Nature's business is to keep you a fool always. And if you can surpass the bewilderment of material nature, if you agree to be controlled by the supreme controller, then your life is successful. Therefore the author of the Caitanya-caritamrta writes, "Here is the one controller, ekala." And Krsna says, mam ekam:"Me alone." Not an imitation Krsna. Then you'll be befooled.
UNDERSTANDING THE VERDICT OF SCRIPTURE
The verdict of all the sastra, scriptures, is the same. It is simply our misfortune that we do not understand the verdict of the sastra. In the sastra everything is there.Krsna is the Supreme Lord. That is the verdict of the sastra. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam [1.3.28) it is said:
ete camsa- kalah pumsah
krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulam lokam
mrdayanti yuge yuge
"All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions orportions of the plenary Portion of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists."
And in the Bhagavad-gIta [7.7) Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat: "Nothing is superior to me." Don't think that there is something superior to Krsna That is rascaldom. As long as we remain such rascals, we shall not surrender to Krsna. Therefore Krsna says [Bhagavad-gita 7.15),
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish. who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the arheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me."
Who does not surrender to Krsna? You'll say, "There are so many big, big persons, and they do not surrender to Krsna. So are they all mudhas?" Yes, they are all mudhas. That is the verdict of the sastra. We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible. We cannot go against the principle of the sastra. If you keep a competitor of Krsna, then you are mudha.
NO COMPETITOR
In today's verse it is said advitiya, "without a second." Not that there is another Krsna. No. There cannot be any competitor of krsna. Therefore krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat: "There is no bigger authority than I." And here, Kaviraja Gosvami says advitiya: no competitor.
Someone may say, "Everyone is God." But there is competition among such "Goos." But in case of krsna, there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compere with krsna, as He showed by practical example when He was present. Nobody could compete with Him in knowledge, strength, love affairs, or any field of activit y. There was no competition.
When krsna was present, He married sixteen thousand wives. Where is the competition? A person who cannot marry even sixteen wives claims that he has become God. Just see the foolishness. Even from the materialistic point of view, who is that god who can marry sixteen thousand wives? Is there any possibility? Krsna showed that He could.
From His very childhood, when krsna was three months old, Putana tried to kill Him. But He killed her. Similarly, Aghasura, Bakasura, this asura [demon), that asura. From the beginning of krsna's life, Kamsa and others from among the rogues, the asuras, were making plans to kill Krsna. Even before krsna's birth, Karmsa was planning, "As soon as Ksrna is born, I will kill Him." Kamsa wanted to kill Krsna's mother Devaki, but Vasudeva, krsna's father, argued, "Don't do this. Your sister's son has been prophesied to kill you, but your sister will not kill you. So let the son be born. Then I shall bring Him to you."
Kamsa believed the honorable words of Vasudeva because he knew, "Vasudeva is a very respectable, honorable man, and he has promised that the child will be brought to me."So Kamsa refrained from killing Devaki, his sister. Still, he was such a cruel person that he was ready to kill his own sister. The rogues and cruel persons do not care even for their mother or sister. They can kill anyone. That is the rogueism. Kamsa was that type of rogue. But Vasudeva, by his intelligence, saved the situation. And as an honorable person, he brought all the children to Kamsa. You know this history.
GOD IS NOT DEAD
So the plan of Kamsa and the asuras is how to kill Krsna, or God. That is going on. Everyone says, "God is dead. God is dead." When I first went to America, the philosophy was "God is dead." But in a newspaper report they admitted, "No, God is living. Svamiji has brought him in sankirtana [the chanting of God's names] ."
God cannot be dead. If we are not ever dead-na hanya te hanyamane sarire [Bhagavad-gita 2.20] how can God be dead? That is another foolishness. God cannot be dead. He is nitya, eternal.
This is the position of Krsna: He is the Supreme Person, the supreme ruler without any competitor. Advitiya: no competition. Here we have got competition, but for Krsna there is no competition. There cannot be any competition. You cannot say that Lord Siva or Lord Brahma or any other demigods are as good as Krsna, equally. No. That is not possible. Then Kaviraja Gosvami would not have used the word advitiya. There cannot be any competition. If somebody puts any competitor before Krsna he's a pasandi
yas tu narayasam devam
brahma- rudradi-daivataih
samatvenaiva vlkseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
"A pasandi, or atheist, is one who considers the great demigods such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva equal to the Supreme Perso nality of Godhead, Narayana." [Hari-bhakti-vitasa 1.17]
What to speak of gods such as Indra and Candra, even Lord Siva and Brahma, the creator of the universe, cannot be compared to Krsna. Advitiya. Cannot be compared. So those who say, "All the demigods and Krsna are on the same level; you can worship anyone" they are all rascals. Because here it is said advitiya: krsna cannot be compared to anyone else. That is Krsna. Isvarah paramah Krsnah. Others may be isvara, rulers. Lord Siva may be isvara, Lord Brahma may be isvara, but they cannot be parama isvara, the supreme ruler. That is not possible. Paramesvara is Krsna. Isvarah paramah Krsnah. Responding to His Devotees' Love But, at the same time, Krsna is Nandatmaja, the son of Nanda, and Vasudevatmaja, the son of Vasudeva. That is Krsna's mercy, His dealings between Himself and His devotees. Nobody can become Krsna's father, because He is the original father-aham adir hi devanam [Bhagavad-glta 10.2]. But He agrees to become the son of His devotee. That is called devotional dealings. Nobody can become the father of Krsna. That is not possible. He is the original father. Aham bija-pradah pita [Bhagavad-gita 14.4]. Then how can he be Nandatmaja? How can Nanda Maharaja become the father of Kr~I,la? That means Nanda wanted to become the best servant of Krsna. When I become the father of my child, I am actually the best servant of the child. You see that the child is moving and the mother is taking care of the child. So the mother is the best servant of the child. This is Vaisnava philosophy. Others want to become one with the God, but we keep ourselves always as servants of God. And to become the best servam of God includes becoming His father or mother. Therefore a devotee prayed,
srutim apare smrtim itare
bharatam anye bhajantu bhava-bhiWh
aham iha nandam vande
yasyatinde param brahma
"Let others, fearing material existence, worship the Vedas, the Vedic supplementary Puranas, and the Mahabharata, but I shall worship Nanda Maharaja, in whose courryard the Supreme Brahman is crawling." That is the superior position of Nanda Maharaja. This is philosophy. Ordinary men cannot understand it. But Vaisnava philosophy is so nice that instead of becoming one with the Supreme, the Vaisnava want to become the father of the Supreme. That is Vaisnava philosophy. Such relarionships are pleasurable for Krsna. As a son, Krsna wants to be subordinate to His devotee so that He may be punished. He is punishing everyone, but He wants to be punished also. That is His pleasure. And who will punish Him? His father and mother, superiors. Or His superior lover, Radharani, can punish Him.
This Krsna consciousness movement is very scientific and sublime. Try to understand. Always read the books. Don't try to understand Krsna in an ordinary way. In the Bhagavad-gita [7.3] Krsna says,
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
"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 Krsna is not so easy, but if you follow the mahajanas, the great souls, if you try to understand the philosophy through the parampara system, then you'll realize Krsna, and your life will be successful.
Thank you very much.