Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya
In fact How He pervades How He is immanent that will be described in next series of verses from BG7.08 to BG7.11
raso ’ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu
Word for word:
rasaḥ — taste; aham — I; apsu — in water; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; prabhā — the light; asmi — I am; śaśi–sūryayoḥ — of the moon and the sun; praṇavaḥ — the three letters a-u-m; sarva — in all; vedeṣu — the Vedas; śabdaḥ — sound vibration; khe — in the ether; pauruṣam — ability; nṛṣu — in men.
Translation:
O son of Kuntī, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable oṁ in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
We discussed previously how Sri Krishna is transcendent as well as immanent, there is no reality higher than Sri Krishna He is the highest reality a Supreme Glory, He is pervading in the world as a thread pervades the necklace, in next series of verses Sri Krishna will give example of how He pervades material existence
I am the taste of water
I am the light the effulgence of the sun and the moon, Sashi is moon Suryayo is sun
I am the pranavah the OMkar which is the beginning, invocation of many Vedic mantras
I am the sound in ether and
I am Paurusa, the ability in man, Srila Prabhupada translates.
So here Sri Krishna is identifying himself with five objects, now what actually this means? There are many different philosophy one of the philosophy is called pantheism, pan means total, everything, so Pantheism means everything is God. So is Sri Krishna saying over here that everything is God? We will see at later verse in BG 7.12 at the end of this section or description when Sri Krishna will say I exists beyond all these things when Sri Krishna says that Mamebhyah ParamVaiyam, that I am beyond these modes so He talks about this in 7.12 and 7.13 both but here Sri Krishna is not literally saying…when we talk about Sri Krishna being the taste of water it doesn’t mean that Sri Krishna has reduced to only that Sri Krishna is that but He is also much more, so here Sri Krishna is talking about how He is essence of everything, how just as thread is the essence of a necklace, as thread enables a necklace to exists as a coherent functional whole similarly it is Sri Krishna who allows everything to exist as a coherent whole function. So water, first example itself is challenging, I am taste of water, now according to perception of modern science water is considered to be a tasteless liquid so generally we put some sugar or salt then we can say that it has some taste however that is just one way of looking at water as tasteless but water does have distinctive taste so when we go to different places we feel difference in taste of water, so now we can say that water differs in taste as there are different things which are added to water that is why the natural water in India taste different than natural water in Australia in America or Africa, even water in different holy river may taste different. What does Sri Krishna means when He says I am taste of water? So Sri Krishna is taste of water in India or Africa or Australia? Actually the point which Sri Krishna is making over here is much deeper in the Sankhya when evaluation of various element is described at that time it is described that every sense object is associated with a particular element so for example śabdaḥ khe as Sri Krishna tells in in 7.8 (d), when the creation unfolds from the subtle towards the gross so at that time every element evolves from previous element
so from ether comes air from air comes fire from fire come water from water comes earth like that, when it is coming like that, that time along with each particular element particular sense object associated with it comes out, so sense object associated with ether is sound similarly sense object associated with water is taste, sense object associated with fire is form, with earth is fragrance in the next verse Sri Krishna will describe that, Punyo Gandha, Gandha is fragrance so like that each of the primary sense object they are associated with a particular element so sense object of touch is associated with wind, wind is felt through touch.
🡪 Direction of manifestation
Element (Sense Object – Senses)
Ether (Sound – Ear) -> Air (Touch – Skin) -> Fire (Form – Eye) -> Water (Taste – Tongue) -> Earth (Fragrance – Nose)
🡨——-Direction of destruction or dissolving
So when we say it is associated what does it mean? That means that particular element facilitate our experience of that particular sense object, for example it is the presence of ether that enables sound to be transmitted and thereby we can hear sound, i.e. śabdaḥ khe. There is concept of ether which was present in modern science it was proposed as one of the element which transmits sound but subsequently it has been rejected it was disapproved, the idea that such an element exists is no longer considered to be valid. So then if it is not considered to be valid by the basis of experiments which prove that ether doesn’t exist. Then what is BG statement that ether is one of the element means? Actually the modern science conception of ether and Vedic conception of ether, the word may be same but the conception is different and it is actually different ways of looking at matter, even in western intellectual history there have been two fundamental ways of looking at matter one is called elemental theory of matter and other is atomic theory of matter.
Elemental theory of matter means this idea that matter is made up of certain characteristic of elements and each element has distinctive characteristic so even if we use the word element in our Vedic Philosophy in our study of Krishna Conscious text the word element is used in a sense different from what is used in modern science, in modern science the word element is used to refer one particular type of existing object, so there are elements and there are compounds so bonding between two elements is called compounds this is basic chemistry that is not the kind of element that is referred to earth water fire air and ether, so these five are fundamental building blocks of material existence of course earth, water, fire, air and ether also have their own components each of them has it defining components modern scientific idea is that there are elements there are compounds but although the word element may be there. Today scientific idea is primarily called atomic theory of matter it is not so much the elemental theory so even if atomic theory of matter is also there among the philosophy one of the philosophy is called Vaisaysika and it is largely atomic or molecules theory of matter. The point here is that these particular elements are which are talked about in vedic culture they are consider to have their own fundamental characteristics unlike that in modern science we have concept that there are elements but they can be broken down to fundamental particles so earlier it was atom which was consider now we have further division of particles and it is complex and as of now incomprehensible idea of how from the sub atomic world of meson or proton or neutrinos all that things how from there most of it has no sense object associated with them they don’t have colour it is not that atom or molecule has a particular colour or fragrance or taste so they don’t have it but how when it is build up and up then from what particular time suddenly the world we see around us with its variety and its individuality every element is distinctive its distinctiveness and its variety comes up it is quite incomprehensible it is like if Taj Mahal suddenly comes out of the foam, say there is foam in Yumana river, foam basically is almost like none material of course it is material but foam comes for some time and goes it doesn’t have any characteristics basically speaking. It doesn’t have any specific shape fragrance colour it doesn’t have the artistry and delicacy, if from foam suddenly Taj Mahal emerges how it happens what is the connection between this and this? So like that the world of atomic theory of matter has gone down to today’s science and from there how the world we know about through our daily experience so the world view of science and our daily experience the connection between the two is not there actually in terms of even conception how this world emerge from that we don’t know so basically the understanding is it is not that atomic theory of matter is wrong it is just one way of looking the world it a map so science is basically the map there are many eminent scientist talk about this science is essentially like a map and maps certain feature of the tertiary from the reality, so this is political map of India and in political map political vision will be talked, so in political map there are many other features which are relevant for other characterisation will not be there for example geographical features like river, mountain etc. may not be there in political map but these are also important features which are real but they are not there so a map is a useful tool for navigating a territory but it is important to recognise that the map is not the territory it is guide to the territory and map is different to the territory similarly what science offers us is one way of looking at the world, it is like a map and it is useful in many ways it is remarkably useful but what it describes is not the ultimate reality what is describes is one representation or one map of reality and there is no connection explainable between the map, science has come up with of all the sub atomic particle and all we are experiencing it is simply pointing out that this map is incomplete it doesn’t mean it is incorrect, when something is incomplete it doesn’t necessary have to incorrect unless the incomplete is thought to be complete, when the incompletely is mistaken to be complete then incomplete becomes incorrect. So we don’t have to make that mistake, we accept science as one map. Vedic scriptures are not bound by that map they give the other ways of looking the reality also, so one of ways is this elemental theory of matter. So in elemental theory the presence of sense object, where the sense object comes from and how we see various sense objects in world around in our experience that is explained much more satisfactorily. Associate with each of this element is sense object and that element enables us to access sense object that is why it is said essence of the element is sense object and that essence is Krishna.
rasa is taste I am apsu, apsu is water, what does it mean with all these background actually taste becomes accessible to us through water, what is that mean? If our glands stops creating saliva, saliva is basically transformation of water it is primarily water with some other digestive chemical added to it, if tongue stops secreting saliva which is water then we will not able to taste anything so similarly for an eatable to be tasty it has to have some level of water presence in it for example if a chapati is dry and tasteless, chapati doesn’t have to be liquid like soup but still a chapati has to have some amount of liquidity if liquid presence goes out of chapatti then it becomes dry and tasteless that means it is the presence of water that makes taste accessible to us, in that sense the essence of water is it is having taste so water is a medium by which we are able to experience taste and that taste is Krishna, what Krishna is saying over here I am the underlying unifying essence of everything so this is specially a section which enables us to understand that it is not that Krishna is present in far away in spiritual world but He is all around us. When we understand that Sri Krishna is essence of everything then it is much easier to remember Sri Krishna because He is present everywhere and in everything. So this whole section primarily means for us so that we go deeper in remembrance of Sri Krishna.
Taste of water
Makes all other tastes accessible to us
Gives tastes to all the objects that we consider tasty.
So through saliva it makes all other tastes accessible to us. And it gives taste to all other object which we consider tasty.
We understand the essence of moon and sun to be their light, if there is no light coming from them then we don’t consider sun to be sun and moon to be moon. So they are essence and Sri Krishna is saying I am that, what Sri Krishna means when He says I am the light of sun and the moon, essentially it is Sri Krishna’s energy which manifest through them. It is by Sri Krishna’s arrangement that Sun and moon gives light, now science may give certain mechanism how Sun and Moon gives light, that is fine there may be some mechanism we don’t have to deny those mechanism but those mechanism are not complete explanation, Sri Krishna’s action are manifested trough those mechanism we have discussed this earlier also e.g. billiard game balls hit each other as per arrangement and ball goes to hole but beyond that there is someone present who hits the ball at particular angle, so both explanations are . So there may be mechanism by which things are happening but overseeing that mechanism is Sri Krishna, He has setup that system and He is seeing that mechanism Updrishna anumantaca (13.23) Sri Krishna says I am the overseer and permitter or granter so prabhāsmi śaśi–sūryayoḥ
The word Pranava refers to sound OM, among all sound I am the Pranava, what this mean is the Pranav is considered most important among all sound and this sound OM is related to many of the invocation or words connected with God, if we look at the word root, study of word root is called entomology, so in Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) the word Ameen is used, so the root of that and Om is the same, similarly the word Omni are used to refer to God, example God is omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent that means He is present everywhere, He knows everything, He can do everything, so the word Omni is also coming from the same entomological root as OM. So the sound OM is holy and is connected to the absolute truth and all important Vedic mantra generally all begins with the word OM, so OM Namo Bhagvate Vadudevaya example of one mantra, which associates with Krishna Consciousness process as given by our Acharya we chant this mantra before Srimad Bhagavatam class, Sri Krishna is saying actually Vedas contains a lot of instruction they contain mostly instructions related to Karma- Kanda, they talk about how one should engage in sense gratification or pursue senses gratification with in Dharma, so Dharma-Artha-Kama but in Veda the transcendental aspect are also there in the reference to Lord Vishnu, glorification of Lord Vishnu, and in the reference to OM so in that sense praṇavaḥ sarva–vedeṣu means, Vedas tell many things but the Vedas also talk ultimately about transcendence and that transcendence I am, so praṇavaḥ sarva–vedeṣu, so now sound OM is so powerful. So can devotees also chant Om Om Om? Actually there is no ban against chanting Om. Om is a powerful sound and can definitely be chanted when we get Gayatri Diksha, Brahman Diksha devotees also chant Om so in general we prefer Hare Krishna Maha Mantra because that is Yuga Dharma for this age, and along with that Hare Krishna Mahamantra invokes the absolute truth in a personal way, Omkar is often used while referring to the absolute truth in a formal or none personal way e.g. if there is a PM of India he is having a particular name referring to him by his personal name is personal but referring to him be designation is formal, so someone may use not use word Prime Minister word but can use as Head of State, as Head of State of India has come that is a designation but that is not as personal as calling him by direct name and even more personal would be calling him by his nick name which is known by family member that is more intimate so same person can be addressed by different degrees of intimacy so addressing Supreme Lord as Krishna, Govinda, Gopala, Yashoda Nandana, as Shyam Sundar these are all very intimate form of address, and Om is a very formal non-personal form of address means what to calling Krishna as child of Yasodha Mai when we are calling Him as Om we not even referring to Him as person, it is generic reference it could be used by personalist, impersonalist, Vaishnava’s or by Shaivites also so it is in that sense non-descript form of address to the absolute truth non-descript means it doesn’t contain any description of absolute truth it is not distinctive in anyway and that is why devotees generally don’t use this form of address, but when we are chanting some mantras and word Om is there we can definitely chant Om and if we are doing some yogasana for health and if that time it is considered that one should chant Om at that time that time also one can chant Om, certainly there is nothing wrong in chanting Om. But generally it is non-personal non-descript form of addressing absolute truth so devotees prefer to address Lord in more distinctive and personal ways.
We have discussed about śabdaḥ khe also that how ether is the way by which sound is propagated, so therefore śabdaḥ khe. And
When Sri Krishna says I am ability in man what does this refers to?
Actually it refers to multiple levels at one level it refers to the distinctive ability in different human beings so if a person is excellent speaker the ability to speak comes from Sri Krishna the person is an excellent corporate leader that ability comes from Sri Krishna, whatever ability a person has it comes from Sri Krishna, now however paurusam nrsu, nrsu refers to general human being paurusa, paurusa is the ability, actually it is human beings who is having the ability to get things done in terms of improving themselves internally, all living being have their bodily urges, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But it is human being who is having capacity to go beyond this bodily urges, and to rise to something higher, so that something higher the ability to control one’s pulses with one’s intelligence is a distinctive ability of human being, and that opens the doorway to transcendental realisation. And in that sense pauruṣaḿ nṛṣu the distinctive ability of human beings which opens the door to spiritual path which opens the spiritual advancement that spiritual ability is Sri Krishna.
We discussed the purport in BG7.7 mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat, just one purport earlier Srila Prabhupada said that there are some common controversies between personalist and impersonalist and in BG it is very clear that absolute truth is a person, and that is said again and again and in that verse Sri Krishna says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat, there is nothing higher than Me, it is not that some other impersonal Brahman is higher than Me.
But here Srila Prabhupada is saying: Practically speaking, there is no conflict between personalism and impersonalism. One who knows God knows that the impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneously present in everything and that there is no contradiction.
Therefore Lord Caitanya established His sublime doctrine: acintya bheda– and abheda-tattva – simultaneous oneness and difference.
So now when we say impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneous present what does it mean? Just like sun is present as specific entity and sun is present as all-pervading similarly Sri Krishna is having both these manifestations and both these manifestation exists eternally so focus is different for different transcendentalist so what is the controversy the controversy is that whether the two feature exists or not the controversy comes up which feature is the highest the impersonalist not only consider that personal aspect is lower and impersonal is higher one but mayavadi’s go far and says that the personal aspect is just fiction it doesn’t really exists it is just convenient fiction that we use O there is a particular form of the Lord there is particular God who is above other gods and He is this form, this feature, this pastimes, all this is a convenient fiction that we ultimately must transcendent so that we can attain the real realization that conception is what which creates the real controversies. But BG understanding and Vaishanava are very clear that both the aspects are there so when we understand that both are there, there is no need for controversies.
Srila Prabhupada Purport: The jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness extends everywhere, and one who knows Kṛṣṇa consciousness is blessed. Those who do not know Kṛṣṇa are in illusion, and so knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is liberation, and ignorance of Him is bondage.
So Jurisdiction of Krishna Consciousness exists everywhere. Now this is significant usages normally we use word jurisdiction for example Jurisdiction of a police station. So question of Jurisdiction comes up in practically so many areas, but Jurisdiction of Krishna Consciousness extends everywhere, this means that we can be Krishna Consciousness everywhere, it is Sri Krishna’s energy which pervades everything and if we want we can remember Sri Krishna anywhere and everywhere in that sense actually Krishna Consciousness is ultimate perfection of life, and in that sense Jurisdiction of Krishna Consciousness extends everywhere, So knowledge of Krishna is liberation and the more we know Sri Krishna the more we are advance, and we don’t know about Sri Krishna we stay in bondage we stay in illusion, so essentially the whole BG reveals to us how we can see connection of everything with Krishna. Inability to see things with Krishna is cause of bondage. And our ability to see connection with Krishna is cause of our liberation.
End of transcription.
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