Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (96 page)

Bhagavad-gītā
also confirms that when the Lord appears He appears as He is by His internal potency. He is not contaminated by the material energy because He is the Lord of material energy. In the Vedic literature we find that His whole embodiment is spiritual. He has His eternal form called
sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.
He is full of all opulence. He is the proprietor of all wealth and the owner of all energy. He is the most intelligent and is full of knowledge. These are some of the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is maintainer of all living entities and the witness of all activities. As far as we can understand from Vedic literature, the Supreme Lord is always transcendental. Although we do not see His head, face, hands, or legs, He has them, and when we are elevated to the transcendental situation then we can see the Lord's form. Due to materially contaminated senses, we cannot see His form. Therefore the impersonalists who are still materially affected cannot understand the Personality of Godhead.

Bg 13.16

TEXT 16

TEXT

bahir antaś ca bhūtānām

acaraṁ caram eva ca

sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ

dūra-sthaṁ cāntike ca tat

SYNONYMS

bahiḥ-
outside;
antaḥ-
inside;
ca-
also;
bhūtānām-
of all living entities;
acaram-
not moving;
caram-
moving;
eva-
also;
ca-
and;
sūkṣmatvāt-
on account of being subtle;
tat-
that;
avijñeyam-
unknowable;
dūrasthaṁ-
far away;
ca antike-
near also;
ca-
and;
tat-
that.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and nonmoving. He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.

PURPORT

In Vedic literature we understand that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Person, is residing both outside and inside of every living entity. He is present both in the spiritual and material world. Although He is far, far away, still He is near to us. These are the statements of Vedic literature.
Āsīno dūraṁ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvataḥ.
And, because He is always engaged in transcendental bliss, we cannot understand how He is enjoying His full opulence. We cannot see or understand with these material senses. Therefore in the Vedic language it is said that to understand Him our material mind and senses cannot act. But one who has purified his mind and senses by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service can see Him constantly. It is confirmed in
Brahmā-saṁhitā
that the devotee who has developed love for the Supreme God can see Him always, without cessation. And it is confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(11.54) that He can be seen and understood only by devotional service.
Bhaktyā tvananyayā śakyaḥ.

Bg 13.17

TEXT 17

TEXT

avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu

vibhaktam iva ca sthitam

bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ

grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca

SYNONYMS

avibhaktam-
without
division;
ca-
also;
bhūteṣu-
in every living being;
vibhaktam-
divided;
iva-
as if;
ca-
also;
sthitam-
situated;
bhūta-bhartṛ-
maintainer of all living entities;
ca-
also;
tat-
that;
jñeyam-
to be understood;
grasiṣṇu
-devours;
prabhaviṣṇu-
develops;
ca-
also.

TRANSLATION

Although the Supersoul appears to be divided, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.

PURPORT

The Lord is situated in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. Does that mean that He has become divided? No. Actually, He is one. The example is given of the sun: the sun, at the meridian, is situated in his place. But if one goes for five thousand miles in all directions and asks, "Where is the sun?" everyone will say that it is shining on his head. In the Vedic literature this example is given to show that although He is undivided, He is situated as if divided. Also it is said in Vedic literature that one Viṣṇu is present everywhere by His omnipotence, just as the sun appears in many places to many persons. And the Supreme Lord, although the maintainer of every living entity, devours everything at the time of annihilation. This was confirmed in the Eleventh Chapter when the Lord said that He has come to devour all the warriors assembled at Kurukṣetra. He also mentions that in the form of time He devours also. He is the annihilator, the killer of all. When there is creation, He develops all from their original state, and at the time of annihilation He devours them. The Vedic hymns confirm the fact that He is the origin of all living entities and the rest of al1. After creation, everything rests in His omnipotence, and after annihilation, everything again returns to rest in Him. These are the confirmations of Vedic hymns.
Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante yena jātāni jīvanti yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti tad brahma tad vijijñāsasva
. (
Taittirīya Upaniṣad
, 3.1)

Bg 13.18

TEXT 18

TEXT

jyotiṣām api taj jyotis

tamasaḥ param ucyate

jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ

hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam

SYNONYMS

jyotiṣām
-in all luminous objects;
api
-also;
tat
-that;
jyotiḥ
-source of light;
tamasaḥ
-of the darkness;
param
-beyond;
ucyate
-is said;
jñānam
-knowledge;
jñeyam
-to be known;
jñāna-gamyam
-to be approached by knowledge;
hṛdi
-in the heart;
sarvasya
-of everyone;
viṣṭhitam
-situated.

TRANSLATION

He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's heart.

PURPORT

The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of light in all luminous objects like the sun, moon, stars, etc. In the Vedic literature we find that in the spiritual kingdom there is no need of sun or moon because the effulgence of the Supreme Lord is there. In the material world that
brahmajyoti
the Lord's spiritual effulgence, is covered by the
mahat-tattva
, the material elements; therefore in this material world we require the assistance of sun, moon, electricity, etc., for light. But in the spiritual world there is no need of such things. It is clearly stated in the Vedic literature that because of His luminous effulgence, everything is illuminated. It is clear, therefore, that His situation is not in the material world. He is situated in the spiritual world which is far, far away in the spiritual sky. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature.
Āditya-varṇam tamasaḥ parastāt
. He is just like the sun, eternally luminous, but He is far, far beyond the darkness of this material world. His knowledge is transcendental. The Vedic literature confirms that Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge. To one who is anxious to be transferred to that spiritual world, knowledge is given by the Supreme Lord who is situated in everyone's heart.

One Vedic
mantra
says:
taṁ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam aham prapadye.
One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation. As far as the goal of ultimate knowledge is concerned, it is also confirmed in Vedic literature:
tam eva viditvātimṛtyum eti.
"Only by knowing You can one surpass the boundary of birth and death." He is situated in everyone's heart as the supreme controller. The Supreme has legs and hands distributed everywhere, and this cannot be said of the individual soul. Therefore that there are two knowers of the field of activity, the individual soul and the Supersoul, must be admitted. One's hands and legs are distributed locally, but Kṛṣṇa's hands and legs are distributed everywhere. This is confirmed in the
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad: sarvasya prabhum īśānaṁ sarvasya śaraṇaṁ bṛhat.
That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul, is the
prabhu
or master of all living entities; therefore He is the ultimate center of all living entities. So there is no denying the fact that the Supreme Supersoul and the individual soul are always different.

Bg 13.19

TEXT 19

TEXT

iti kṣetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ

jñeyaṁ coktaṁ samāsataḥ

mad-bhakta etad vijñāya

mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

SYNONYMS

iti-
thus;
kṣetram-
field of activities (the body);
tathā-
also;
jñānam-
knowledge;
jñeyam-
knowable;
ca-
also;
uktam-
describe;
samāsataḥ-
in summary;
mat-bhaktaḥ-
My devotee;
etat-
all this;
vijñāya-
after understanding;
mat-bhāvāya-
My nature;
upapadyate-
attains.

TRANSLATION

Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature.

PURPORT

The Lord has described in summary the body, knowledge and the knowable. This knowledge is of three things: the knower, the knowable and the process of knowing. Combined, these are called
vijñānam,
or the science of knowledge. Perfect knowledge can be understood by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord directly. Others are unable to understand. The monists say that at the ultimate stage these three items become one, but the devotees do not accept this. Knowledge and development of knowledge mean understanding oneself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are being led by material consciousness, but as soon as we transfer all consciousness to Kṛṣṇa's activities and realize that Kṛṣṇa is everything, then we attain real knowledge. In other words, knowledge is nothing but the preliminary stage of understanding devotional service perfectly.

Bg 13.20

TEXT 20

TEXT

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva

viddhy anādī ubhāv api

vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva

viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān

SYNONYMS

prakṛtim-
material nature;
puruṣam
-living entities;
ca-
also;
eva
-certainly;
viddhi-
must know;
anādī
-without beginning;
ubhau-
both;
api-
also;
vikārān
-transformation;
ca
-also;
guṇān
-three modes of nature;
ca-
also;
eva
-certainly;
viddhi-
know;
prakṛti-
material nature;
sambhavān-
produced of.

TRANSLATION

Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.

PURPORT

By this knowledge, the body, the field of activities and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul) can be known. The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature. It is the individual soul which is embodied. Enjoying the activities of the body is the
puruṣa,
or the living entity. He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul. Of course, it is to be understood that both the Supersoul and the individual entity are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entity is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion.

Both material nature and the living entity are eternal. That is to say that they existed before the creation. The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord and so also are the living entities, but they are of the superior energy. Both of them existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahā-Visṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of
mahat-tattva.
Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are adverse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky. After the winding up of material nature, these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation. Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature. It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place. In the scriptures the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence. But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all the transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature. All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.