Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.30

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ tiryaṅ-nṝṣiṣu yādaḥsu tat atyanta-viḍambanam [SB 1.8.30]

[break] [01:03]

"Of course, it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst the animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda:

janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ tiryaṅ-nṝṣiṣu yādaḥsu tat atyanta-viḍambanam [SB 1.8.30]

This viḍambanam word, the English translation is almost similar—"bewildering." Viḍambanam, "bewildering."

So this is to be understood, what is Kṛṣṅa, because He descends out of His causeless mercy as human being for reestablishing the principles of religious system: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]. [aside:] That's all right. So this is to be understood. Superficially understanding Kṛṣṅa... Of course, even not understanding, simply by uttering the word "Kṛṣṅa" in love and affection, one becomes delivered. It is said, eka kṛṣṅa nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nare[?]. Kṛṣṅa-nāma is so powerful, it is said, if you chant thousand times Lord Viṣṅu's name, then the result is equal to once chanting Lord Rāma's name. I forget that..., to recite that verse. But the purpose is this: that viṣṅu-sahasra-nāma is recommended to be chanted by common man. But śāstra says that after chanting one thousand of Lord Viṣṅu's name—there are hundreds and thousands of names—it is equal to if you chant once Lord Rāma's name. Similarly, if you chant three times Lord Rāma's name, then it is equal to once chanting Kṛṣṅa's name. So we understand or not understand, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, the result is there. Without any offense, if we chant, then the result is... Once chanting of Kṛṣṅa's name is so powerful that immediately the chanting makes you free from all kinds of reaction of sinful activities. Eka kṛṣṅa-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nare[?]. The pāpīs, they are very much expert in committing sinful activities, but Kṛṣṅa, this holy name once chanted is so powerful that this expert sinful man cannot commit so many criminal..., I mean, sinful activities. This is there. So some way or other, if we offenselessly chant Hare Kṛṣṅa name, it is so powerful.

So here Kuntī says, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya. Aja means who never takes birth. Ajasya. Aja, the living entities, they are also aja, but sometimes the living entity, being attracted by the material energy, they come to this material world. Then their quality of aja, or not to take birth, becomes vanquished. Because in the material world one has to take birth. But actually spirit soul, or the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṅa, they are aja. Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam [Bg 2.20]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said clearly that living entity is aja, nitya, śāśvata, ayam. "Then how he is dying?" one may question. That is also replied: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. Don't think... That dying means he's changing body, not dying. Therefore... Because Kṛṣṅa says the living entity is aja, everyone can question that "If he's aja, he does not take birth, then why he's taking birth? Why he's dying?" The answer is immediately there: na hanyate, "Don't think that he's dying." Na hanyate. "No, I see his body's being burned." No, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. That body is being burned. That...

Suppose if your cloth is burned... In my childhood, when I was three, four years old, I was saved. My all cloth burned, and there is a scar. You have seen. I would have died that day, but fortunately I was saved. The cloth was burning. That, what is that called, matches color? So I was trying to burn, and it caught my cloth. So the cloth burned, but I did not burn. Similarly, this body also burns, but the soul... Nainaṁ śastrāṅi chindanti na dahati pāvakaḥ: the soul is never cut into pieces by any weapon, neither it is burned by the fire, soul. That is eternity. Anything material, it will burn, it will be cut into pieces, it can be dried up, it can be moistened. Because we cannot see the soul, so Kṛṣṅa has explained in a negative definition what is the characteristic of the soul: nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṅi nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ, na śoṣayati mārutaḥ [Bg 2.23]. Like that.

So aja... We are also aja, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. And nitya. Nityaḥ śāśva... Ajo nityaḥ. Nitya... The Māyāvāda philosophy is that we are aja, and Supreme Brahman is aja. So when we are uncovered by this material body, we mix with the aja. That is their theory, monist. We merge into the existence of aja. But that is not fact. You merge. That is like merging a green bird into a green tree. When a green bird enters a green tree it appears that the green bird is now merged, and he..., it has no more existence. No. That is not... One can understand: the bird enters into the green tree does not mean the bird has not lost his existence. His individuality is still there. Similarly, when we merge, even in Brahman effulgence, we do not lose our individuality. Although it appears that we have lost our identity, individuality, but actually that is not the fact. And because it is not fact, therefore our another quality is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]: we want ānanda.

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

As Kṛṣṅa is ānandamaya... We see Kṛṣṅa is always engaged in pastimes, either with the cowherd boys or with the gopīs or with His father, mother, or in the fight of battlefield, Kurukṣetra, or in killing some demon. But His pastimes are always there. He's never inactive. He's never inactive. There it is said, viśvātmann aja akartuḥ. He has nothing to do, but still He is acting. Akartuḥ. Akartuḥ means He has nothing to do. Here, so far we are concerned, we have to do something in the material world. We are destined. Śarīra-yātrāpi na te prasiddhyed akarmaṅaḥ [Bg 3.8].

[Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "If you do not work, you cannot maintain even your body. You have to work." You see therefore all living entities... At night, millions and trillions of living entities, they come, fly and work. The work has no meaning. The work is death. Still, they are working. So what to speak of others? The birds, the sparrows, they are working, from here to there, here... And we are also working. So that is the nature of material existence.

But Kṛṣṅa has nothing to do. Akartuḥ. He has nothing to do. Na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā [Bg 4.14].

[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]

He has not... But He comes as a human being just to teach us how to work. How to work. That He explains in the Bhagavad-gītā, how to work and be happy. But not to work, Kṛṣṅa has never... And neither this place is like that, that you will not work, and everything will come automatically. Things are coming automatically, but you have to pick up the things by working. That is the nature. Just like you have got gold mine under your feet. So you have to take it by working, by digging. You cannot say, "Now I have got the gold mine. Now sit down tightly." No. That is not material nature. But Kṛṣṅa has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate. That is the Vedic instruction. That is akartuḥ. He has nothing to do. Why He has nothing to do? Now, because He has got many energies. Just like nowadays, by electronic, one man is sitting... We have seen the pilot: he's sitting in his place; he's simply pushing on the button, and the whole, big gigantic 747 is flying in the sky. We see the pilot is sitting there. He's doing nothing, but he's doing everything. But the electronic arrangement is so perfect. But sitting in one place he is working the big, gigantic machine. As it is possible for a small material man, how much it is possible for Kṛṣṅa. Although He does not do anything, still, He's viśvātman: He is controlling the whole universe, viśvātman. He's the vital force, viśvāt... This is Kṛṣṅa.

So we have to understand Kṛṣṅa. Kuntī is helping us. Every devotee, Vaiṣṅava, they voluntarily takes this business just to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, to explain Kṛṣṅa, just like Kuntī is explaining. Because if we understand Kṛṣṅa thoroughly, then we are liberated. Therefore Kṛṣṅa..., Kuntī's trying that "Kṛṣṅa has nothing to do. Don't think that Kṛṣṅa is helping Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it is His duty." No, it is not His duty. He's doing it voluntarily, but He has nothing to do with it. That is Kṛṣṅa. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. He has nothing to do. We are forced to do. According to our karma-phala, we are forced to do. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Here we have to..., we are forced to accept happiness or distress according to destiny. You cannot deny, that "I'll not take this distressed condition of life. I'll simply take the happiness portion." That you cannot do. You must. Kṛṣṅa is not like that. That is understanding of Kṛṣṅa. [aside:] Why you are standing? You can sit down. Kṛṣṅa is not like that. Kṛṣṅa is akartuḥ, ātmanaḥ..., although He is the vital force of everything.

So if we simply understand Kṛṣṅa, as explained in the śāstras, sādhu-śāstra, or saintly person, devotees, if we try to understand, then we become liberated. Janma karma me divyam [Bg 4.9].

[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]

As it is said, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya akartur ātmanaḥ, viḍambanam. Viḍambanam. They are all bewildering. Bewildering. Therefore, if one understands properly, then the result is that he becomes liberated. That means he gets full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [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.]

Then he understands that Kṛṣṅa is everything; He's the origin of everything. Viśvātman. This is to be understood. He's the vital force of the whole universe. The whole universe is moving not automatically, but under the guidance and superintendence of Kṛṣṅa. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "Under My superintendence." So Kṛṣṅa is active, but He has nothing to do. This is acintya, inconceivable. He is very active because He is supervising the whole activities of the universe, but still, He has nothing to do. That is Kṛṣṅa. We have to understand that. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He is seeing, but acakṣuḥ. Acakṣuḥ means... You may say, "Not seeing." Acakṣuḥ. He does not place His eyesight, but still, He's seeing. How it is? Now, He can see from any part of His body. Just like I close my eyes, I cannot see you. My seeing activities stop. But because, although I am..., I have closed my eyes, but my hands are there. So Kṛṣṅa can see by hands, by nails. That is Kṛṣṅa. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti... [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 very word is used, paśyanti. The limbs of the body of Kṛṣṅa, any part, He can see. Although He may close His eyes, but because other parts of the body are open, therefore He can see. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.

In this way, Kṛṣṅa is explained in so many śāstras, and He explains Himself. If we simply try to understand the constitution of Kṛṣṅa, then we become liberated. And if we try to understand, Kṛṣṅa will help. Kṛṣṅa says, śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ puṅya-śravaṅa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

The more we hear about Kṛṣṅa, we become purified. We cannot understand Kṛṣṅa because we are not purified. But the..., simply if you hear the Kṛṣṅa name, Hare Kṛṣṅa—Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare—if you chant and hear, you become purified. So why should we not this, take this simple method, and as it is recommended in the śāstra, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc Ādi 17.21],

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

simply chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, twenty-four hours? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31].

[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.]

You become perfect. Why we are losing this opportunity? That is our misfortune. That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi [Śikṣāṣṭaka 2]: "My Lord, You have shown Your mercy so liberally that name, chanting of Your name, is sufficient." Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. This chanting of the name, abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ... [Cc Madhya 17.133], there is all potency of Him.

[The holy name of Kṛṣṅa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṅa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṅa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṅa Himself. Since Kṛṣṅa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṅa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṅa and Kṛṣṅa Himself are identical.]

Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. There is all potencies. Nāmnām akāri... And there are many names, not only one name. If you don't like to chant Kṛṣṅa's name, then there are other names also, any name. Must be name of harer nāma, nāma, the name of Hari, not others. Harer nāma. Then you get all the potencies. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. And niyamitaḥ smaraṅe na kālaḥ. And there is no, I mean to say, consideration whether you shall chant in the morning or in the evening or while you are, mean, purified or not purified. Any circumstances, you can chant. Niyamitaḥ smaraṅe na kālaḥ. There is no such consideration.

So Kṛṣṅa is available so cheaply for the people, especially kalau, in this Age of Kali. Still, we are reluctant to chant the holy name. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu regrets, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "Although You are so liberal and kind upon this fallen soul, still, unfortunate as I am, I am not inclined to chant this holy name." This is our position—obstinacy, dog's obstinacy. But if we do it, then we become purified. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18].

[By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.]

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation is to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam either yourself, being purified, or without being purified you can read, chant. This is our Vaiṣṅava regulation, duty. As much as possible, we should read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And any such literature—Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Brahma-saṁhitā—any one of them or all of them, it doesn't matter. And chant twenty-four hours Hare Kṛṣṅa. This is our business.

So we are giving this chance to everyone. We have constructed this big building, or constructing more and more—why? To give this chance to everyone: "Please come here. Chant, join Hare Kṛṣṅa kīrtana, take prasādam and do your best, whatever talent you have got, easily, not very overburdened. If you know something to do, do it for Kṛṣṅa." Everyone knows. Everyone has got some talent. So that talent should be utilized for Kṛṣṅa. And if you think that "No, I shall chant simply," all right, you chant. But don't sleep in the name of chanting. That... Don't cheat. That cheating is not good. If you think that you can chant like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, then you simply chant. We shall supply you food. There is no anxiety. But don't try to cheat. You must be engaged. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṅam [Bg 9.27]. Of course, if we can chant twenty-four hours, that is very good. But that is not possible. We are not so highly elevated. We must do something for Kṛṣṅa.

So this is... This institution, Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, is giving chance to everyone. And we are opening centers all over the world for this purpose, that "You come, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, hear about Kṛṣṅa, Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and whatever you can do, just do it for Kṛṣṅa." Then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya... [end]