Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.42

Nitāi: "Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances."

Prabhupāda:

kaṣāyo madhuras tiktaḥ kaṭv amla iti naikadhā bhautikānāṁ vikāreṅa rasa eko vibhidyate [SB 3.26.42]

Rasa, taste, is one, but it becomes varieties by different combination of bhautikānām, material elements. This is chemistry. Chemistry means mixing of different chemicals and produced another element. Just like soap. Soap is mixture of fat and soda. So fat, oil, is something else, and soda is another thing, but if you carefully mix them together, it becomes soap. So the whole world is the mixture of these five elements: kṣitir āp... Fire, water... Tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayam [SB 1.1.1]. The Sanskrit word is tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. Mṛd means this earth, and teja means fire, and vāri means water. You take earth mixed with water and put it into the fire; it becomes brick. Then you take another mixture; that becomes cement. And take the help of cement and take the help of brick; then construct a house.

So whole material world is nothing but tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, exchange of, elementary, this earth, water and fire. The same principle here also: taste. Just like we cook the same oil, ghee, and salt and turmeric, but we prepare different preparations, hundred, two hundred preparation, simply by the process of mixing earth. So that is going on. Now, by Kṛṣṅa's energy... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].

[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]

His energy is working in such subtle way, mysterious way. Therefore Kṛṣṅa is known as Yogeśvara. So the same earth, same water, but the seed different, so one tree is coming to produce chili, another tree is coming out to produce tomato, another tree is coming out to produce mango. Different taste. Mango is sweet, tomato is sour, chili is pungent. But these things are required, varieties. Although the source is one... Source is one—the earth—but the earth contains all other five elements. Kṣitir āp tejo vāri mṛd vyoma. Everything is there in the earth. Everything is there, and by the expert handling of the prakṛti, and behind the prakṛti, Kṛṣṅa, varieties of things are coming. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness: how things are coming by the handling, expert handling 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.]

The blunt scientists, they are seeing simply prakṛti is the cause of these varieties. But that is not the fact. The fact is it is the Kṛṣṅa's manipulation, mixture, mixing of the elements, and different varieties are coming out. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. Śrūyate. You cannot see how Kṛṣṅa is handling, but śrūyate, you can understand from the śruti, by the Vedic literature, as it is said here:

kaṣāyo madhuras tiktaḥ kaṭv amla iti naikadhā bhautikānāṁ vikāreṅa raso eko vibhidyate [SB 3.26.42]

[Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances.]

Bhautikānāṁ vikāreṅa. Just like earth, water, fire, air, they are bhautika. But they are not mixing together. The original, I mean to say, manipulator is Kṛṣṅa. Just like we have got experience, I have given just now experience, that oil is there. Suppose oil is acid, and soda is called alkali. The acid is there, alkali is there, but when a person comes, mix it proportionately, it becomes another product: soap. Similarly, everything is being manufactured like that, but how it is done? That is the expert handling of the Supreme Lord. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. He has got multi-energies, subtle laws, and He is working. But still, He has nothing to do Himself. That is God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate. Although He is handling... He is doing everything. Otherwise how it is possible? We have got experience: there is oil, and there is alkali, or soda, but they are not mixing together. For mixing together, you require another, living energy. Otherwise, automatically there cannot be soap. The soap factory is there, but the manufacturer is also there.

So we have to understand in that way, that so many varieties, natural varieties, are coming out not automatically. The blind scientists, they say they are coming automatically. That is not very good sense. Nothing can come automatically. Matter cannot come together automatically. There is some machine or handling. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. He is doing that, and still, He is doing nothing. That is... Just like if I have to make soap, I have to do it or I can ask my servant to do it. I can give instruction to my assistant, servant, that "Do like this." So anyway, the background is myself. The background is neither the servant nor the ingredients. There is another example: the potter's wheel. Potter's wheel is producing earthen pots. So what is the cause? Somebody will say that "The dirt, earth, is the cause of this pot because it is made of earth." Another will say, "No, the cause is the wheel. Because the wheel is going around, therefore it is coming out." But these two causes, prakṛti and pradhāna, ingredients and the instrument, they are not causes. The cause is the potter. Cause is the potter. The potter is giving force going around. You have seen it. With the rod it moves like that. When the wheel is in motion, then the earth is brought into a shape of different shape of pots. Therefore material cause, remote cause, efficient cause, they are not cause. Real cause is Kṛṣṅa, sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1].

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.]

So that is confirmed in the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. His energy is working—the same earth, the same seed, ingredient of the seed. There is variety of the seed also. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bījo 'haṁ 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.]

"I am the seed, seedling." The same process: There is a seed of rose tree. You put into the earth and pour water—a rose tree will come out. And similarly, looking another, chili seed, but it will come chili. The earth is the same; water is the same. Just like on the riverside there are many trees. Their eatable is the same water, standing in the same earth, but different trees are coming out. Different taste fruit, different flower, difference..., all difference. So therefore, the difference is there in the seed. So you cannot understand. You cannot chemically analyze the seed, small seed, but the potency is so strong. So you cannot study by your so-called physical or chemical science.

So we have to understand, as Kṛṣṅa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am the seed." Such subtle things, how it is coming out? In the small seed what is the chemical composition? You put the seed, sow the seed, anywhere and put little water, that tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, but the things are coming out differently. How the variety is possible? Therefore we cannot mix up. There is rose scent within the earth. Otherwise wherefrom the rose is getting its scent? There 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.]

Pṛthivyām, on this earth, there are potency of different flavor, different taste. Now let the chemist come and take the earth and make different taste. That is not possible. That is not... Therefore you cannot simply say that prakṛti is the cause of everything. No. Prakṛti is there, the same water. Prakṛti means earth, water, air, fire. The same water is there, the same fire is there, same water is there, and same earth is there. So why varieties are coming? You take from the water, from the earth, varieties of smell, varieties of taste. So that you cannot do. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. We have to accept the statement of Kṛṣṅa, as He says, bījo 'haṁ 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.]

"I am the cause." And the śāstra confirms it, sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1]: "He is the original cause of everything."

[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.]

So in this way we have to study everything, and ultimately, if we come to the point of Kṛṣṅa, then our knowledge is perfect. Otherwise it is imperfect. Kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam.

idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca buddhi-dattayoḥ avicyuto 'rthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam [SB 1.5.22]

You are scientist—very good. You are botanist, you are physist, and so many, mathematist, and so on, so on. Because these things, laws, are going on. People are studying the laws of mathematics, laws of physics, laws of chemistry, laws of botany, biology. Divide into different departmental scientific knowledge. So that, do that—very good. Become learned..., very big scientist, very big botanist. Similarly, from other point of view, pious activities, you become very noble, a man of charity or tapasya or austerities, penance, so many things in the spiritual line—jñāna, yoga, karma. That's all right. As you deal with material science, you become big mathematician, chemist, physician or lawyer, or so many, naturalist. Similarly, spiritually, you become karmī, jñānī, yogī. Do that. That is not discouraged. But what for you are trying? Why you are trying to become a chemist or physist or a man of charitable disposition, educationist? Why? If I ask... If anybody asks, "Why you try to become a scientist? What is the aim of your life?" what will be the answer, possible answer? Huh? The materialist will say, "For developing civilization." Developing civilization means to, in their view, developing the process of sense gratification. That's all. But śāstra says, "No, not that. That is not the aim. You become a great scientist. There is no harm. But why you should become a scientist?"

Now, śāstra says that avicyutaḥ arthaḥ. Arthaḥ means purpose. If somebody asks, "What is the purpose of becoming scientist? What is the purpose of becoming physicist?" so different men will give different answers: "It is meant for this purpose," "It is meant for this purpose." But kavibhiḥ, those who are actually learned, advanced learning, they have said that avicyuta. Avicyuta means without any failure, without any contradiction. You say that chemistry is required for this purpose. I say chemistry is required for this purpose. Another man says chemistry is required for this purpose. But difference of opinion. That is not accepted. Avicyuta, infallible purpose. What is that infallible purpose? Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is already settled. You haven't got to make research anymore. Nirūpita means it is already concluded. What is that? Yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam [SB 1.5.22]. If you can explain the activities of Kṛṣṅa, Uttamaśloka, how He is acting, how is the chemical process is going on under His direction, if you can write a thesis on this subject matter, that ultimately Kṛṣṅa is behind that, then your this study of chemistry is perfect. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpitaḥ. Nirūpita means it is concluded—no more argument. That is the purpose. That means if you are intelligent enough actually, then through any source of knowledge you come ultimately to Kṛṣṅa, that 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.]

The Kṛṣṅa says. But if by your education, if you come to the same point, that "Here is Kṛṣṅa. He is in the background, sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1], cause of all causes," then that education is perfect.

[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.]

Otherwise it is śrama eva hi kevalam. Otherwise it is simply laboring for nothing, waste of time. This is the purpose. Avicyutaḥ arthaḥ kavibhir nirūpito yad-uttamaśloka-guṅānuvarṅanam.

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. Very, very big chemistry, physical laws, mathematics—everything is required to understand the potency of God, how He is working. Actually, everything is being done by His potency. Here the different tastes, the material is the same, but the method of mixing the material and different tastes are coming out in existence—so how that expertly management of mixing is going on, if we can explain by our chemistry, by our mathematics, then our studying of chemistry is perfect. Then we are perfect. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā [SB 1.5.22].

Another place,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Hari-toṣaṅam is the ultimate goal. Sva-karmaṅā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sva-karmaṅā tam abhyarcya [Bg 18.46]. You become a chemist; it doesn't matter. You become physist, mathematician; it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, due to the Kali-yuga, as soon as one become a big chemist, doctor of chemistry, he says, "I am God. There is no need of God." As soon as the little... Svapari jala-matrena phala phariyate.[?] You'll see the small fishes. They are practically on the edge of the water and making, "fut, fut, fut." The big fishes, they are down the water. So these so-called material chemists, they are nothing, a small fish. Those who are big chemist, big scientist... Just like Professor Einstein. He used to accept how God's brain is working. He appreciated. He was a great scientist. And the ordinary scientist also, they think that "Now we are able to do everything without God. Therefore we are bigger than God." That is not fact. You are greater scientist when by your scientific knowledge you prove the existence of God and how He is working so finely that varieties of things are coming out of material nature. That is the perfection of knowledge. Otherwise, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]. Hari-toṣaṅam. Unless Kṛṣṅa sees that you are trying to glorify Him by your knowledge... Then He becomes satisfied, that "I have given him some knowledge, and he is utilizing this knowledge for My glorification. He is My devotee."

Devotee's business is to glorify. He doesn't take any credit for himself. Actually, there is nothing to be taken credit. The all credit goes to Kṛṣṅa. A devotee neither claims; neither it is possible. Even he may be very, very big devotee, he will never claim any credit for his glorious activities. His glorious activities means to make Kṛṣṅa glorious. That is his glorious activities. Not that like the so-called materialist, he takes..., wants to take the credit. No. Sva-karmaṅā tam abhyarcya samsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ [Bg 18.46]. Sva-karmaṅā. You may be engaged in any pattern of work, any department of work. But by dint of your work you establish the existence of God, Kṛṣṅa; and whatever is being done, it is being done by the expert management of Kṛṣṅa. The sun is rising exactly in the time, and it is setting exactly in the time. And the temperature, according to the different season, the movement, uttarāyaṅa, dakṣiṅāyana—everything is managed so expertly under the order of the Supreme. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ [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.]

Don't think the sun is working so nicely automatically. No automatically. The master is there: Kṛṣṅa. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ [Bs 5.52].

[The sun who is the king of all the planets, full of infinite effulgence, the image of the good soul, is as the eye of this world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey mounting the wheel of time.]

The sun is so powerful substance within this universe—there are many millions of suns; this is one sun only—but it is carrying out the order of Kṛṣṅa. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṅāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ: unlimited light, unlimited fire, unlimited heat. Aśeṣa. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. There is no comparison with the sunlight, sun's heat. There is no comparison within this universe. Unlimited. For millions and millions of years it is, from the sun, the light and heat is coming out, but there is no diminution. It is the same as it was millions of years ago, and after giving you light and heat for millions of years, the same quantity of light and heat is still there.

So if it is possible for a material thing that after giving unlimited heat and light it remains the same, similarly, the Supreme Lord, by expanding His potencies, by His energy, He remains the same. He does not diminish. 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.]

So if we can see in the material object that the heat being emanated for many millions and millions..., it remains the same heat, it maintains the same heat, same light, why it is not possible for the Supreme? Therefore Īśopaniṣad informs us that pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam eva avaśiṣyate. If you take the whole energy of Kṛṣṅa from Kṛṣṅa, then still, the whole energy is there. But you will be surprised nowadays, modern Gods... There are so many modern Gods; I do not wish to name. But one modern God, he gave his power to his disciple, and the..., when he came into consciousness, then he was crying. The disciples inquired from the guru, "Why you are crying, sir?" "Now I have finished everything. I have given you everything. I have given you everything; therefore I am now finished." [laughs] That is not spiritual. That is material. I have got hundred rupees. If I pay you hundred rupees, then my pocket is empty. But Kṛṣṅa is not like that. Kṛṣṅa can make hundreds of thousands and millions of Kṛṣṅa; still, He is Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa. The potency is never exhausted. That is called pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam eva avaśiṣyate.

So this imitation God will not help us. The real God. Real God,

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.]

Sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam, He never exhausts. He is never exhausted. It is said that,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṅur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.48]

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

The millions of universes are coming out within His breathing period, and again they are annihilated when the breathing is taken inside. In this way the universes are coming out. Jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṅḍa means the universe, and nātha, the Lord of the universe, means Lord Brahmā. So he has got a duration of life. And what is that duration of life? The breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṅu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṅur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ... [Bs 5.48]

That is God, that by breathing, unlimited number of universes are coming out and going in. And the duration of existence of each and every universe is the duration of life of Brahmā. That we cannot calculate. Even we cannot calculate his twelve hours.

So that is God. We accept such kind of God, not a little magician. No. That is not possible. We cannot accept such cheap gods. We accept Kṛṣṅa, the sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1], and we want to be eternal servant.

[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.]

That is our actual position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṅa-dāsa [Cc Madhya 20.108-109]. By His unlimited potency, energy, unlimited universes are coming out with unlimited number of varieties of planet, and each planet is differently situated, different atmosphere, different temperature. So in this way varieties. That is ānanda. Kṛṣṅa has created these varieties because He is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

Ānandamaya. Unless there is variety... So we are part and parcel of that variety-maker. We are also one of the varieties, jīva-śakti. We are also one of the varieties. So how we can become variety-less, nirviśeṣa? That is not possible. Even artificially we try to become nirviśeṣa, variety-less, our constitutional position is that we want variety. How it can be stopped?

Therefore in the śāstra it is said, the so-called Māyāvādī, impersonalist, monist, āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32].

[[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmā and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.]

Although they get up to the position of oneness, monist, but from that position they fall down. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ Because they have no information of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa, where to enjoy ānanda, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12],

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

and they are by nature seeking after ānanda, this so-called oneness, monism, that will not please them. They will require again ānanda. But because anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, they have not worshiped Kṛṣṅa's lotus feet, they come down again in this material world and worship the feet of māyā. That is their position. Āruhya kṛcchreṅa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. And as soon as you are engaged in the service of māyā, that is your adhaḥ patan. Adhaḥ patan. As we, all these materialistic person who are within this material..., you are serving māyā. Everyone is serving. Nobody is without serving. But they are serving māyā. So you have to transfer, transfer your service from māyā to Kṛṣṅa. Then your life will be successful, and you will taste different varieties of prasādam perpetually and enjoy life eternally and blissfully.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]