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BY: SUN STAFF
May 31, 2011 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial exploration of Srila Prabhupada's preaching on Srimad Bhagavatam. In our last segment, we presented Text 1 of the Second Chapter, First Canto from the original Srimad Bhagwatam, giving a side-by-side view of the sloka and translations from the Bhagwatam and the later BBT Bhagavatam edition. Today we are presenting the key points Srila Prabhupada presented in his only lecture on this sloka, given at New Vrindaban on September 1, 1972. In this lecture, which he began by reciting the sloka, Srila Prabhupada mentions the following (paraphrased) points, among others: Simply by vibration [of Sanskrit slokas] the atmosphere will be cleansed and purified. The origin of creation is sound. The grosser elements are visible, but the creation takes place from finer elements. The sound is the symptom of the sky. By sound we can understand that there is sky, ether. Then, by sound vibration, there is circulation of air. And you have got practical experience. When there is very loud sound vibration, sometimes there is very strong wind also. So by sound vibration, the wind is started, and by strong wind electricity is produced. From electricity, water is produced, perspiration. And from water, earth is produced. Sound is the original element of creation. In Sanskrit it is called sabda-brahma. Brahman, or the Absolute Truth, is first appeared. Absolute Truth becomes knowable by sound. raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh, sabdah khe (Bg 7.8). Sabda means sound. If we want to see God, let us hear first of all the sound vibration, because that is the beginning. The Bible also said, "The Lord said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." This is transcendental sound. One who says this word, "Let there be creation," He is not within the creation. God, is speaking, which means He is existing before creation. A description of God's body is given as sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Vigraha means form. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah (BS 5.1). He is not formless. He has got His form, but it is a different form. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ananda means blissful. Our body is not eternal; it is destructible. It has got a history, it is produced at a certain period, it exists for a certain period, it grows, it gives some by-product, then it becomes older and older, and then vanquished, no more. Cit means knowledge. We have also got knowledge, but not full knowledge. The Nature of God is described, janmady asya yatah (SB 1.1.1). He is the supreme source of everything. Your body has a history of janma, or birth, a date of birth. So janma adi means birth and sustenance and death. janma adi means birth is also coming from Him, maintained also by Him, and when it is destroyed, it goes unto Him. janma adi, means birth, maintenance, and annihilation. This universe also is like that, everything, even the ant's body or my body, your body, elephant's body, demigod's body. Brahma's body, it keeps for millions and millions of years. Every body is subjected to this law of nature: birth, death, disease, and old age. So God's body is not like that. It is eternal. nirakara -- nirakara means "who has no form"--it does not mean that God has no form. He has got form, but His form is different from this form upon which you have got experience. Our knowledge is very limited. We can have some experience of our present knowledge, but we do not know what was in the past and what is going to happen in the future. Present also, our knowledge is imperfect. But God's knowledge is not imperfect. janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah sva-rat (SB 1.1.1). The description of God: God is the origin of everything. Because you cannot see your great-great-great-grandfather, so you cannot say there was no such man as great-great-grandfather. Similarly, if we go on searching out what is the original father, that is God. Father must be there. In every religion, God is accepted as the supreme father. We must have original father. You cannot say there is no God. If you are existing, you are existing because of your father. Your father is existing because of his father… There must be somebody original father. That is logical conclusion, not that "I am born out of air". The modern scientists, they cannot find out the origin. They simply say, "It existed like this." Wherefrom this existence came? These answers they cannot give because they have no perfect knowledge. We have got two experiences, matter and life. A stone may be very big, but it has no life. But a small ant, although it is very small, it has got life, movement. It has got his independence of moving. That is called life. God, or whatever you say is the origin of everything, then what is the nature of that origin? Is He, is it like a stone, or having life force? Naturally we can experience that without God being living, how the living entities are coming? I am a living entity, I am coming out of my father who is also living entity. So how the origin of everything can be a stone-like chunk? No. This is logic. This is philosophy. janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah (SB 1.1.1). Abhijnah means He is full of consciousness, knowledge. Sat cit. Cit means He is living. He is not like a dead stone. Sometimes they put argument, tandula-vrscika-nyaya. … from heap of rice, one scorpion is coming out. Foolish men will think that the heap of rice is giving birth to a scorpion. No, that is not the fact. The scorpion lays eggs within the heaps of rice, and by the fermentation of rice, it comes out. Actually, rice is not producing the scorpion. It is coming out under some chemical fermentation process. There are manifestation of living entities, different types. Udbhijja. Just like trees, they are coming out of the seed. Sme of the living entities are coming out of eggs. Andaja. Anda means egg. The birds lay eggs, and by fermentation, the life comes out. Some living entities are coming out from perspiration. You have got experience, so many bugs. If you keep your beds very unclean, by your perspiration the bugs are grown. It is called svedaja, coming out of perspiration. Svedaja, andaja, udbhijja, and jarayuja, and embryo, just like we have come out. There are different processes of giving birth to a living entity. But God is origin, janmady asya yatah (SB 1.1.1). He must be cognizant, He must know everything, otherwise how He can be creator, and He can be origin? But His knowledge is perfect. I am claiming, "It is my body," but when the body has some disarrangement, then I do not know how it has happened. I do not know how, internally, my bodily functions are going on. Therefore my knowledge is imperfect. God's knowledge is not like that. janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah (SB 1.1.1). He knows everything. That I do not know how many hairs are on my head, and still, the rascals claim, "I am God." How much rascaldom it is. God knows everything. anvayad itaratas ca (SB 1.1.1). Indirectly and directly. God has got both direct and indirect perception. If we study Srimad-Bhagavatam we can understand what is the nature of God, if we simply scrutinizingly study what sort of body God has got, it is given -- Sac-cid-ananda. Ananda means always blissful. You have seen our Krsna, how blissful He is. He is playing on His flute, and His eternal consort, Radharani, is there. Because you are part and parcel of God, you also like that blissful life. Young girl wants young boy, and young boy wants a young girl, to live together blissfully. That is not possible, because it is material world. But the idea comes from God, janmady asya yatah (SB 1.1.1). Where from this idea came, unless if God the same propensity is there? Whatever you see within your experience, that is in God. We are practically a sample of God. Whatever propensities there are in God we have got, because we are part and parcel of God. If you analyze the whole ocean you will find it is salty. The Atlantic Ocean contains millions and trillions of tons of salt, but the drop of water contains a grain of salt. Similarly, whatever propensities you have, that is result of God. If you can study yourself, meditation, you will find that you are sample of God. He is vibhu, God is great, and we are small. That is difference. Therefore our knowledge is imperfect. vedaham samatitani vartmanani bhavisyatah (Bg 7.26). Because He knows past and present, future of everything, He reminds you. Because God is the Supreme Father, He likes that all His sons, we go back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead. That is natural affection of God. Not that because some of His sons are gone astray God has become poorer. No. He can produce millions and trillions of sons by His desire. And why He's hankering after one son? That is His affection. That is His kindness. God is more anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. Why? Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Ananda, ananda means blissfulness, pleasure. You cannot enjoy pleasure alone. There must be many. Botheration means when I cannot maintain my wife, I cannot maintain children, then it is bother. Otherwise everyone wants that I live in a nice family home with my children, wife and good income, "I shall be very happy". For this reason one takes the risk marrying. There is pleasure there. Therefore God is never alone. He wants to enjoy pleasure with His sons, family members. There are millions and trillions of planets, and on each planet there are millions and trillions of living entities. All of them combined together is only a portion of God's children. The other children, they're living in the Kingdom of God. Their number is far, far greater than us. This Krsna Consciousness movement is preaching bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and bhakta or bhagavata, our relationship with Him. So it is a very great science of understanding God. We are very small, in combination to God's existence, but we have got all the qualities, namely eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. But now it is covered by our material existence, therefore, instead of eternity, we have to accept death. The death is not mine. I am a spirit soul. The death is of the body. Changing the dress does not mean the man who is putting on the dress, he is killed. No. na hanyate hanyamane sarire (Bg 2.20). The living entity is not destroyed or annihilated after the destruction of this body. He changes, another body. That change takes place because we want it. Future. Our future life is also there. Therefore this human form of life is the opportunity that you may accept next life a sac-cid-ananda body. We should utilize our energy in such a way that after giving up this body, we get our original sac-cid-ananda-vigraha body just like God has got, and again enter the Kingdom of God and be happy eternally there. That is bhagavata culture. [Beginning of Q&A] God is our father, and material nature is our mother. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Just like the father gives the seed of the child within the womb of the mother, similarly God impregnates this material nature with the living entities. There are different stages of love. Love in silence, love in servitorship, love in friendship, love in paternal relationship, love in conjugal relationship. So to accept God as son is a process of loving God. God is so kind, He becomes child of a devotee. Just like Krsna appeared as the son of Mother Yasoda, because they underwent severe penance in their previous life, both the husband and wife. Krsna appeared before them, "What do you want?" They said, "My dear Lord, we want a child like You." So God said, "Where shall I find a child like Me? I shall become your child". (laughter) That's it. God cannot be lonely. God is never alone. God is always with many paraphernalia. So God is not lonely. Never. Without God's grace, you cannot live. Our relationship with God is not broken, or it cannot be separated. It is there always, but at the present moment, we are covered. We are thinking there is no God. That is our ignorance. Therefore you are suffering. Evolution means changing of different bodies. The spirit soul is changing from one body to another, and finally he's coming in the human form of body. This is a chance to know the actual position. If he takes this chance, he can go back to Godhead. Otherwise, he is again put into the cycle of birth and death in different species of life. [Devotee asked: "Why is maya so strong if our purpose is to be with God?" 
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