Absolute Truth Fully Known Only as Krishna

Transcript Preview

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.6–10 — January 8, 1967, New York 670108CC-NEW YORK [23:39 Minutes] Prabhupāda: śrutir mātā pṛṣṭā diśati bhavad-ārādhana-vidhiṁ yathā mātur vāṇī smṛtir api tathā vakti bhaginī purāṇādyā ye vā sahaja nivahās te tad anugā ataḥ satyaṁ jñātaṁ murahara bhavān eva śaraṇam [Cc. Madhya 22.6] [When the mother Vedas [śruti] is questioned as to whom to worship, she says that You are the only Lord and worshipable object. Similarly, the corollaries of the śruti-śāstras, the smṛti-śāstras, give the same instructions, just like sisters. The Purāṇas, which are like brothers, follow in the footsteps of their mother. O enemy of the demon Mura, the conclusion is that You are the only shelter. Now I have understood this in truth.] So this learned sage, by his experience he is saying that after studying all Vedic literature and all Upaniṣads, Vedānta, Purāṇam, four Vedas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, volumes of literature, so the conclusion is that "O my dear Lord," bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the only ultimate shelter." This is the last stage of knowledge, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, 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.] "After struggling for many, many births to acquire knowledge..." So when one comes to this point—bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the ultimate shelter"—that is the perfection of knowledge. Our editor has written very nice article, "Kṛṣṇa, the End of Knowledge." Yes. When you come to Kṛṣṇa point, then everything is knowledge, knowable.

Of course, so far our knowledge is concerned. But so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He is unlimited. Nobody can know Him. But at least to that point, if we can reach...

That is also very difficult. Simply to reach to that point, there are the struggle. So many scholars, so many, still, coming to the nearest point, still, they say, "Oh, not Kṛṣṇa, not Kṛṣṇa. It is impersonal.

It is impersonal." So this knowledge is acquired by the grace of the Supreme Lord, by the association of pure devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ [SB 3.25.25], one can attain this qualification. [In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.] And if some way or other, either by faith or by knowledge or by association or by accidents, if one comes to this point, that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, is the ultimate goal," then his life is perfect. advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa-svayaṁ bhagavān 'svarūpa-śakti' rūpe tāṭra haya avasthāna [Cc. Madhya 22.7] [Kṛṣṇa is the nondual Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He is one, He maintains different personal expansions and energies for His pastimes.] Now, Lord Caitanya says that Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, advaya-jñāna-tattva, who is Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, svayaṁ bhagavān, the Supreme Personality... The Absolute Truth in the ultimate is a person. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will see in the Eleventh Chapter that Kṛṣṇa was requested by Arjuna to show His universal form, because for ordinary persons, that universal form is..., the gigantic universal form is supposed to be that is God.

But they do not know. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto [Bg. 9.11]. [Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.] They do not know that this universal form is only an offshoot of Kṛṣṇa. They do not know.

Less intelligent class of men, they think impersonal form or the universal form or even the four-handed Viṣṇu form... They consider that they are greater. But in the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā you will find that Kṛṣṇa, by the request of Arjuna, assumed His universal form, viśvarūpa. Now, after seeing the viśvarūpa Arjuna was afraid. He was in friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and when he saw His viśvarūpa, he became too much perturbed in his mind: "Oh, what mistake I have done?

I took Kṛṣṇa as my friend, and I do not know how much offenses I have committed. Friendly relation, there are sometimes very slackened languages and used sometimes calling, 'You, Kṛṣṇa,' sometimes..., so many things." Friendly relations are very, I mean to say, relaxation relation. So he thought that "I have committed so much offenses to Kṛṣṇa," and he begged pardon. "Out of my impudence, out of my ignorance, I have done so many things.

Continue reading full transcript in the app →