Bhagavad-gītā 7.9

Pradyumna: "I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics." [Bg 7.9]

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṅa is describing how He is spread everywhere, in details. In the beginning, before this verse, He has mentioned in so many ways. So we can see Kṛṣṅa in every step and every moment. If we practice to see Kṛṣṅa, it is not difficult. Whenever there is fragrance... Just like rose flower, beauty and fragrance, you can immediately remember Kṛṣṅa, "Here is Kṛṣṅa." Simply we have to practice it.

So as soon as you remember Kṛṣṅa or you say or utter the word "Kṛṣṅa," immediately Kṛṣṅa contacts you. You are in contact with Kṛṣṅa immediately. And if you remain constantly in contact with Kṛṣṅa by studying all these detail, then where is the lack of Kṛṣṅa consciousness? And if you remain always in that way, Kṛṣṅa conscious, then you are the topmost yogī. Yoginām api sarveṣām [Bg 6.47].

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

Very easy. It is not at all difficult. Simply you have to practice. As soon as there is nice fragrance, nice flower... In another place it is said that the nice flower, or any flower that is fructified, there is blooming, that is smiling, smiling of Kṛṣṅa. So you can see Kṛṣṅa smiling as soon as you see a flower.

So I do not know why they say, "Can you show me Kṛṣṅa?" Kṛṣṅa is showing Himself in so many ways; they will not take it. It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṅa every moment, in every step, if we study what Kṛṣṅa says: "I am," "This is." Puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

Everything is there. Now, within the earth, the every stock is there. The flavor of rose flower is there, and the flavor of some other flower is also there, but you cannot take out by your so-called scientific chemical process. You take some lump of earth and extract from it the flavor of rose. It is there. That is a fact. Because you sow the seed of a rose flower, it will exact the rose flavor from the earth. That's a fact. Who can deny it? Otherwise, wherefrom the flavor is coming? Kṛṣṅa also, He, it is said, jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. He's the life, seed. Bījo 'ham... Next, next verse He'll say, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10].

[O son of Pṛthā, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.]

Bīja, the seed. The seed is so nicely made by Kṛṣṅa's brain that as soon as you put on the seed within the earth and put some water, it will come out, fructify, and gradually grow and exact the flavor, the color, everything. This is a fact. No, everybody knows. Not only that: a small seed of banyan tree—bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām—there is also Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise how this wonderful thing can happen, a small seed just like a mustard seed, and it...? Not only one tree, but many millions of fruits, and in each fruit, many millions of trees. This is Kṛṣṅa's brain. You cannot do that. The so-called manufacturer, they can manufacture one watch, very complicated, but not that from that watch many watches will come. No, that is not possible.

But Kṛṣṅa is so powerful, omnipotent, that He has manufactured... Because He is there. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10]. Whenever He is there, He can play wonderful things. This is the study of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Where is the difficulty? Bīja... Puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca tejaś ca, tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

Now, this electric lamp, it is brilliant, or it has got some heat, temperature. Wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from Kṛṣṅa. That's a fact. Cause of all causes.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1]

[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.]

This is a fact. These are explained here. Everything, that is there. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1].

But we should not, like Māyāvādī, we should not make mistake: because the electric bulb, or electric light, is being caused by Kṛṣṅa, therefore the electric lamp is Kṛṣṅa. No, not that. Kṛṣṅa—always separate from the electric light. The Māyāvādī says that "Because Kṛṣṅa is there in the electric lamp, or in the tree, or in the seed, or in the color, or in the flavor, therefore Kṛṣṅa is finished. There is no more Kṛṣṅa. Because Kṛṣṅa has spread Himself in so many ways, therefore Kṛṣṅa is finished." This is material consideration. Just like you take a piece of paper and make it small fragments and throw it, then the original paper is lost. This is material.

But Kṛṣṅa is not like that. Kṛṣṅa is the person, and from His energies so many varieties of productions are coming out; but still, He is existing. Pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation].

[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]

He's pūrṅa. Not that because so many things have been taken from Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa is finished. This is material life. They cannot conceive of the omnipotency. They accept God is omnipotent, but they cannot understand what is that omnipotency. The omnipotency is that so many things are being manifested by the Kṛṣṅa's energies, but Kṛṣṅa is not lost; Kṛṣṅa is there. We haven't got to worship so many things, pantheism. No. That is not our... Pantheism, the same idea, that "Kṛṣṅa, or the Absolute Truth, has become divided into so many ways; therefore everything combined together is the Absolute Truth." This is the theory of pantheism. But our is Vedic proposition, that Kṛṣṅa is the cause of everything. Varieties of material and spiritual things are there, but Kṛṣṅa's identity is there in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya padam ekaṁ na gacchati. Kṛṣṅa is there. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.]

That is stated.

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.43]

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau... [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.]

So these features of Kṛṣṅa, how He is simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedābheda...

[It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṅa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṅa and a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord.]

Kṛṣṅa is this electric lamp, and still, He's not the electric lamp. Kṛṣṅa is this pillow, but He's not the pillow. If, when we say that Kṛṣṅa is everything, therefore... Just like some big mission, they say, "Anything we accept as God, it is all right." No. We do not say like that. Neither Kṛṣṅa says. When Kṛṣṅa speaks of worshiping, He does not say that you worship the electric light or something else. Mām ekam, that is the instruction. Not that "Kṛṣṅa has become everything; therefore everything has to be worshiped." No. This is wrong. This is acintya-bhedābheda. We have to take shelter of Kṛṣṅa personally—mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja—not the varieties. You have to understand that varieties are dependent on Kṛṣṅa, but not that "Because there are varieties, therefore Kṛṣṅa is finished." No, that is not the philosophy.

Jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

Especially tapasvī... Tapasvī means those who are seeking after eternal happiness. Karmīs, yogīs, there are many tapasvīs. But real tapasvī... Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

That is... Divyam means transcendental. Just perform tapasya for realizing Kṛṣṅa. Tapo divyam. Otherwise, Hiraṅyakaśipu, he also performed tapasya. What was that tapasya? He performed severe tapasya, so much so that the whole universe become perturbed and Brahmājī came to see, "What do you want?" "No, I am performing tapasya for becoming immortal. So if you make me immortal, it will be very kind of you." He said, "I am myself not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." So the idea is he also performed tapasya, but that tapasya was for material gain. But that is not tapasya.

Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body. Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, and tapasya means voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya. Tapasya. Just like Ekādaśī. Ekādaśī, one day fasting, fortnight, that is also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good, even for health, and what to speak of advancing Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So we should accept this tapasya. The upavāsa. There are many prescribed days for fasting. We should observe. And the preliminary tapasya: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no..., no meat-eating... There may be some inconvenience, those who are accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. If we want to purify our existence... At the present moment our existence is not purified; impure. Therefore we are suffering. Just like when one's physiological condition becomes infected, he suffers from fever and other symptoms of disease, similarly, we are suffering in this material world on account of this material body. If we want really happiness, then we must accept tapasya. Tapasya is required. Without tapasya, if you think that very easily..., or "Without tapasya, I can get it simply by imagination," then you become sahajiyā. To take things very easily—no. Tapasya.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says that tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

That acceptance of tapasya means that tapasya is itself Kṛṣṅa. You associate with Kṛṣṅa. When you voluntarily give up meat-eating or intoxication, this giving up, this process, is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says, tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. This is tapasya. Tapasya means to accept voluntarily something as enjoined in the śāstras. Śāstra says... Kṛṣṅa says. Whatever Kṛṣṅa says, that is śāstra. What is Veda? Veda means what Kṛṣṅa says; that is Veda. There is no other Veda. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā [SB 1.1.1]. Brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Veda. Brahma, śabda-brahma. So Kṛṣṅa tene, imparted, injected brahma, Vedic, Vedic śabda, śabda-brahma, Vedas, tene brahma hṛdā, through the heart. Kṛṣṅa is situated in everyone's heart. So Brahmā had no other spiritual master, but Kṛṣṅa is there within the heart. Therefore Kṛṣṅa's name is Caitya-guru. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. The caitya-guru, the guru... Kṛṣṅa is so kind. He is guru within, and when we are serious, He manifests Himself as a spiritual master. This is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

So guru is helping from inside and from outside. Antar-bahiḥ. So Kṛṣṅa is so kind. Therefore Kṛṣṅa manifests Himself as spiritual master. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, sākṣād-dhari, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Manifestation of; empowered. One who is pure devotee, he's empowered by Kṛṣṅa to act as spiritual master. Therefore spiritual master should be accepted: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. It is described there. Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Those who are learned scholar, actual devotee, they accept. But that does not mean guru is Kṛṣṅa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Now, that, if you accept, you... Accept means you honor spiritual master as good as Kṛṣṅa, because he's representative. But not that Māyāvāda philosophy that guru and Kṛṣṅa is the same. This is simultaneously one and different. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He is as good as Kṛṣṅa because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṅa. Why dear? Because he's preaching on behalf of Kṛṣṅa. What Kṛṣṅa wants, he's doing that. Therefore he's very dear.

Kṛṣṅa wants everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

A guru's business is that. Guru does not mean that he takes the position of Kṛṣṅa. He simply teaches people that "You accept Kṛṣṅa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender unto Him. You always think of Him. You always offer your obeisances. You become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa." This is guru's business. It is not very difficult. Anyone who is sincerely following Kṛṣṅa's instruction and instructing others also to do that, that is ācārya. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. This is ācārya. You behave yourself exactly as it is stated in the śāstra, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as it is ordered by Kṛṣṅa... Āpani ācari jīvere śikhāya. And you teach all your disciples, who comes to you as your disciples, teach them. This is ācārya.

So ācārya, guru, representative, it is not difficult. Simply one has to become very, very sincere. One must undergo the simple tapasyas as prescribed in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahā... Yes. Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. He was preaching also the glorification of chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa by personal example; therefore he is accepted as guru. All the Vaiṣṅavas, all the ācāryas, Gosvāmīs, they acted accordingly and preached. Therefore they are ācāryas. And Kṛṣṅa says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāva-manyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27].

[One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.]

These are the instructions.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is there. It is very simple. There is no difficulty. We have to always... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ [Bg 9.34]. Now, for us, those who are materially attached, we cannot think twenty-four hours of Kṛṣṅa. It is very pleasing, but because we are materially attached, we cannot do that. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is prescribing that "You see the varieties of this material world and try to remember Me." These are the varieties: puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau. "You study, nature study." Just like we study nature study, similarly, "You study nature and see these important points. And there I am." It is very scientific. You study nature and pick up some point, and Kṛṣṅa says that "This is I am." Where is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. You drink water—you remember Kṛṣṅa. You see the light—remember Kṛṣṅa. You see the flavor, aroma of very nice flower, puṅya gandhaḥ—immediately remember Kṛṣṅa. Practice this. It is not difficult.

Actually, we have to think of Kṛṣṅa... Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Here is Kṛṣṅa's form. Therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Kṛṣṅa's form is always impressed—I can see Kṛṣṅa any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Kṛṣṅa, how Kṛṣṅa is nicely dressed. I see Kṛṣṅa is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktyā. Real thing is bhaktyā, not official. Not official. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

He does not accept anything even it is not offered with bhakti and by the bhakta. He does not accept. Why He shall accept? Is He hungry, like me? No. He simply wants to see how you have learned to love Kṛṣṅa, bhakti, how you are eager to serve Kṛṣṅa. That is... Kṛṣṅa wants to see. Otherwise, He does not require your service. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs 5.29]. He's always being served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. They are so much afraid. They are goddess of... We are praying here goddess of fortune, "My mother, goddess of fortune, give me some fortune." They are... The goddess of fortune is afraid if Kṛṣṅa may reject. Just like Rukmiṅī. When Kṛṣṅa was joking with her, she thought, "Maybe Kṛṣṅa is going to leave me." Immediately fainted. Immediately fainted. That is the goddess of fortune. So humbly, so fearfully, they are engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service.

What Kṛṣṅa's service we can give? What we are? We are nothing. Insignificant. So why Kṛṣṅa accepts our service? Why He comes in His arcā-mūrti to accept our service? Just to induce you how to serve Him, bhakti. That is wanted. Therefore He says, "So you give Me even patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg 9.26]. It doesn't matter. But give Me with bhakti." Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is real business. If you have no bhakti, if you officially make, Kṛṣṅa does not touch it. Kṛṣṅa is not so poor. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam... [Bs 5.29]. So whatever you do, you should always be humble: "Kṛṣṅa, I am quite unfit. So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṅunā [Cc Ādi 17.31, Śikṣāṣṭaka 3].

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

This is wanted.

So it is very easy, very sublime, but we have to learn it. And learning is also not very difficult. Here is everything, variety. You always think of Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

Teṣāṁ nityābhi... One who is always thinking of Kṛṣṅa, "Here is Kṛṣṅa, here is Kṛṣṅa, here is Kṛṣṅa, here..." Nitya abhiyukta. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Kṛṣṅa... You cannot cheat Kṛṣṅa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṅa is within your heart. He is seeing everything—your intention, your purpose, your activities, everything. Upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is... Upadraṣṭā-anumantā. He is witness. You cannot cheat Kṛṣṅa. Be sincere, and try to serve Him. He'll accept your service, and He will give you intelligence. Your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol... [end]