kvāhaḿ tamo-mahad-ahaḿ-kha-carāgni-vār-bhū-
saḿveṣṭitāṇḍa-ghaṭa-sapta-vitasti-kāyaḥ
kvedṛg-vidhāvigaṇitāṇḍa-parāṇu-caryā-
vātādhva-roma-vivarasya ca te mahitvam(SB 10.14.11)
TRANSLATION
What am I, a small creature measuring seven spans of my own hand? I am enclosed in a potlike universe composed of material nature, the total material energy, false ego, ether, air, water and earth. And what is Your glory? Unlimited universes pass through the pores of Your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened window.
PURPORT
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, Chapter Five, Text 72, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives the following purport for this verse: "Then Lord Brahmā, after having stolen all Kṛṣṇa's cows and cowherd boys, returned and saw that the cows and boys were still roaming with Kṛṣṇa, he offered this prayer in his defeat. A conditioned soul — even one so great as Brahmā, who manages the affairs of the entire universe — cannot compare to the Personality of Godhead, for He can produce numberless universes simply by the spiritual rays emanating from the pores of His body. Material scientists should take lessons from the utterances of Śrī Brahmā regarding our insignificance in comparison with God. In these prayers of Brahmā there is much to learn for those who are falsely puffed up by the accumulation of power."
In Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume One, Chapter Fourteen, Śrīla Prabhupāda further comments on this verse: "Lord Brahmā realized his actual position. He is certainly the supreme teacher of this universe, in charge of the production of material nature, which consists of the complete material elements, false ego, sky, air, fire, water and earth. Such a universe may be gigantic, but it can be measured, just as we measure our body as seven spans. Generally, everyone's personal bodily measurement is calculated to be seven spans of his hand. This particular universe may appear to be a very gigantic body, but it is nothing but the measurement of seven spans for Lord Brahmā."
Aside from this universe, there are unlimited other universes outside the jurisdiction of this particular Lord Brahmā. Just as innumerable atomic infinitesimal fragments pass through the holes of a screened window, so millions and trillions of universes in their seedling form are coming out from the bodily pores of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is but a part of the plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Under these circumstances, although Lord Brahmā is the supreme creature within this universe, what is his importance in the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa?
Lord Brahma in this sloka comparing himself to a baby child in the helpless condition within the womb of a mother. Such a beautiful example because this is truly most helpless stage of ones life. When a baby child is outside the womb of the mother, very very helpless but still such a child has some little control over his life. Not very much but a little. Just like ……… the grandson of Vrishabh dev. He started the grab the things(laugh) . He started to make his own place in the world. But the child in the womb is so absolutely utterly helpless that 24 hrs a day when hw called the mother he is being nourished. He cannot go anywhere, he cannot give anything. He is completely helpless and totally under the control of the mother. When the mother eats, the child eats. When the mother drinks, the child drinks. When the mother hears, the child hears. The child in the womb is in totally controlled and helpless environment and completely 100 percent helpless.
But Lord Brhma here, he is really giving all of us the most sublime realization that the whole cosmic manifestation is within the abdomen of the universal form of the lord. Then we all like the helpless baby children within the womb of our mother. Then everything within the creation is within the womb of a Krishna. He said whether designated by the various philosophers as real and unreal, everything is within your abdomen and sometimes it is considered all over the world that the God is our father and the nature is our mother, mother nature. Actually what this means like we all are within the womb as helpless child depending upon mother nature. Just like a child is being provided through the milk cord of the mother, in the same helpless way the lord provides or mother nature provides air, rain, sunshine. And within this womb of creation whatever Krishna and Srimati Radharani provides that is all we have. Therefore we are like helpless children. And the greatest illusion the lord Brhma is here thinking is to think anything else. Therefore, Maya frankly means to think we are the Lord of the Material nature or to think that we are the controller. This is greatest greatest illusion. And this is the source of all bondage.
Lord Vrishbhdeva explains to his 100 sons that the condition soul think\s himself to be the enjoyer of his activities. And the foremost enjoyment is the enjoyment of the union between man and women. Krishna is Purusha and we are all Prikriti. That means we are all made to be enjoyed and Krishna is made to enjoy everything and everyone. Whether we are man or whether we are women, when we desire to enjoy this world that is symptom of our envy toward the Purusha. We want to take his position. Sarvaloka Maheshwara everything within this nature is made for His to enjoy and we are thinking its mine. And since time immemorial the philosophers have some with so many poetic expressions to justify that it is alright to be the enjoyer. And modern civilization with all the science, technology and all its economic advancement, he his simply misleading people on the path of bondage and hellish conditions. And people are in such illusion, they are so crazy that they are thinking that the devotees of the God are too much extraneous, they are too much phenatic . Why can I not dance in the disco? Why can I not drink some liquer? Why can I not watch the television? Why can I not smoke the cigarette? Why can I not enjoy my empire?
This is nothing but the envy of God. If we accept the Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, then we must aceept that we are his servants made to enjoyed by Him the way He wants to enjoy us, not the we way wants to enjoyed. That is divine consciousness.
But today on the name of religion, all over the world people don’t want to surrender to the God. They do not want to be enjoyed by God. But they simply want Bhagavan by whatever name they call Him to facilitate their enjoyment, to facilitate greater and greater opportunites for them to control Lord over material nature. And offcourse in the Vedas, there is a division called Karmakand. And it is explained Yes, if you want something, better to ask to God or one of the Devatas than to think independently and you get it yourself. Its little higher. At least on the path of acceptin the higher authority above you. But Bhagavatam declares to be the Kaitav Dharma kicks it out.
dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāḿ satāḿ
(SB 1.1.2)
It is sub-religious principle, it is the, materialistic religion
a vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja
ahaḿ tvāḿ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
(BG 18.66)
Krishna says abandon all these verities of of religion. Surrender to My will. Do not fear. If you just surrender to Me, I will protect you. People do not surrender to Krishna because they do not have faith that He will protect them. Out of illusion we will still think that I must protect myself. And therefore we are working so hard like asses, like mudhas, trying to make some arrangement to protect ourselves. But in 11th chapter of Gita, in the virat Rupa Krishna has showed all of us, how He will ultimetly able to protect ourselves. Through the flaming mouths of time Kalarupa Krishna is devouring everything and everyone. Who can protect themselves? Even the greatest conquerors of the world (16.29) Aurangjeb conquers so many parts of India, Nepolian conquers so many parts of the yurope, Hitler conquers so many parts of the world. What to speak about Hiranyakashipu he was a great conquerer too. That because of his disease Lord Nrisihmadeva as Panditji Maharaj was explaining yesterday that he performed surgery upon Hiranyakashipu(laughing). That he was very diseased man. SO all of these great conquerors, where are they today? In America about 60 years ago there was very very famous ethiest. He was just very influential and he converted so many 10s and 100s and 1000s people to ethiesm. And he had an argument against God. He would go to various towns and villages to chant the name of the ethism. And would just gather so many people around him and he would say God if you exist I challenge you strike me by lightening now and kill me and if you cannot do it that means you do not exist. He said I will give you 10 mins to do it. I challenge that you are coward or else you do not exist unless you strike me dead. And no lightening came. So he said, you see there is no God. And foolish people think that there is no God. But where is that man today? He is eaten by worms in his grave. You see God is great. God does not have to respond to the challenge of the little, insignificant, tiny creature. In His own time when He so desires He will kill you. Not according to your schedule. When God will destroy according to His demands, then it means God is taking his nonsense seriously. But he has to surrender to the Gods schedule. Its not that the God has to surrender to His schedule. This is Krishna.
The force of time is consuming everyone, everywhere. Our guru maharaj used give one example, that the cat when the mother cat carries to kitten, in her mouth, the kitten feels very safe and protected that is the love of her mother. But that same mother cat when carrying a rat in her mouth, that rat sees that cat as a death personified with great fear and anxiety. What is the difference? The cat is the same. Her mouth is the same. According to how you approach her she appears. Because the cats baby is utterly surrendered with the faith in the protection of the cat, the kitten sees that cat as the most loving and protective mother. But because the rat is always hiding from the cat, always trying to do something without the conscent of the cat, therefore that same rat in the same mouth of the same person sees that cat as the most fearful form of the death.
Krishna says in gita.
ye yathā māḿ prapadyante
tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
(BG 4.11)
As you approach me I will reward you accordingly. So lord Brahma is here explaining this most wonderful universal truth. That I am like a child in your womb completely dependant on You. You are the supreme controller of all controllers. I am Your eternal servant. Nothing happens without your will. He explained that all of these universes which we think that so big and so great are actually nothing more than the little particles of the dust coming from the pours of Your body.(22.11 mins). It is explained that in Vrindavan mother Yashoda; what is her position? Here we are reading that Krishna is that supreme absolute hope
oḿ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaḿ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
From whom all of the creation, all of the billions and trillions of universes within His womb, that same Krishna in His fullness and wholeness appeared within the womb of Devaki and Yashoda mai(laughing). So you can imagine the exalted position of these great personalities. Srila Vishwanath Cacrawarthy Thakur explains a wonderful example in his commentary of Bhagavatam of Krishnas birth. He explains that the Narayan or Vasudev feature of Krishna appeared within the womb of Devaki in Mathura. Because after all the original Adi-Purusha Govinda never steps one foot out of Brij Bhumi, Vrindavan. In Mathura, He is Vasudev. In Vrindavan, He is Govinda. So simultaneous at the exact same time that Lord Sri Krishna appeared in the womb of Devaki. He also appeared within the womb of Yashoda in Gokul. Vishwanath Cacrawarthy thakur, a great acharya explains that Mother Yashoda hds twins, she had two childrens. One was Yogamaya and one was Krishna; Gopal. And when Vasudev came across Jamuna with Vasudev Krishna; as soon as He was in Jamuna, the child …………. (25.50 mins) His hands and upon touching the Jamuna He transformed from Vasudev Krishna to Govinda Krishna. Because there are different Rasas in Mathura than Vrindavan. In Mathura He was a King and in Vrindavan He is Gopal(Laughing).
Similarly, when Akrura is taking Krishna out of Vrindavan, that Govinda Krishna entered into the Jamuna, He became again the Vasudev Krishna. SO the Krishna transformed Himself into the Gopala bhava. And then Vasudev went to the house of Yshoda mai and he saw the two little children. One was Krishna, one was Yogamaya devi. So what happened is that child Krishna that he was carrying merged into the body of child of the mother Yashoda. And then he took Yogamaya back to Mathura. So in this way mother Yashoda, she actually carried the child Krishna within her womb. So this is the supreme glory of Bhakti(Laughing). The mayavadis they want to be that supreme whole in whom everyone is within the universe, within His abdomen. They want to become God.I want to be that supreme controller who is maintaining everyone. But just see the Bhaktas, the Bhaktas defeat the Mayavadis in every way. Not only in argument, logic and Philosophy but also the Bhaktas if they take the vatslya rasa like mother Yashoda even the supreme complete whole, the absolute truth is completely dependant on them to live in their abdomen. That is power of Bhakti(Laughing). Nand Maharaj, when he would come home from the pastures of the Brij Bhumi in Mahavan, Krishna was just a very small child and mother Yashoda, she would say oh Gopal.. Nand baba has returned Bring him his shoes. And with great trouble He would lift his wooden sandle and put them on His head and would be walking with great difficulty almost falling because of their weight and somehow or other with great effort He would bring them and place in the fete of His father. So here the supreme Lord, the cause of all causes from Govinda, even Mahavishnu is only a fragment or expansion, He is the maintainer, the creator and the destroyer of everything that exist and He is putting the wooden sandle of His father on the top of His head. In another words He is worshipping the feet of His devotees.
And one day Krishna paying with Balaram ji and His friends. They came home and Balaram ji told mother Yashoda that today Gopal has done very bad thing. Mother Yashoda said what did He done. He has eaten dirt. In Bhagavad gita, in His virat rupa, He was eating Bhishma, He was eating Duryodhana and He was eating Drona, He was eating everything, He was eating the entire universe. But mother Yashoda, she was thinking He is my child and if He eats dirt He would get sick and it made him die(laughing). Why did you eat dirt? You should not eat dirt. Krishna said, No… I have not eaten dirt. Balaram said He did eat dirt. And you see in Gokula there are two sides. The Balaram side and Krishna side. The balaram asked his friends, did He eat dirt? And everybody said Yes.. He eat dirt.. Krishna asked His friends that tell to Mother Yashoda that did I eat dirt? Then they said No he didn’t eat dirt.(30.11 mins) But Balaram Ji was elder brother, Mother Yashoda was taking His words seriously. Why have you eaten dirt? No No, I have not eaten dirt.
So I want to take a vote. Who believes that the Krishna ate dirt? Raise your hands. Who believes that He did not ate dirt? SO there are not much people at Balaram side (laughing). But actually we do not know Sukhadev Goswami did not know whether He ate dirt or not. He only said that they said He ate it. This is an eternal mistery. One time someone asked the Gurudev, “Did Krishna ate dirt or not?” Then Guru Maharaj said “You have to ask Him. (laughing). But even you ask Him, He may not tell you the truth.(laughing).” So this is the mistery that even the greatest philosophers will never know (laughing). You can count all the universes and all the grains of sand within all the universe but you will never know whether Krishna ate dirt or not(laughing). So mother Yashoda was very much worried. Krishna why you have eaten dirt? No, No I have not eaten dirt. Then let me see in your mouth to see whether it is dirty. So He opened His mouth and when He opened His mouth, mother Yashoda she saw the entire cosmic manifestation, she saw all the universes and all the planets, and all the demigods, all the mountains and all the oceans and all the rivers and all the living beings. She even saw herself looking in Krishna’s mouth. And she became struck with wonder, she became astonished and with folded palms, in great reverence she began to offer prayers that my dear child You are the absolute truth, You are the supreme brahmanda. Everything is within You and everything is coming from You. And I am so foolish that I was thinking that I was Your mother. And sometime I would chastise You. Sometime I would hit You with stick and sometimes I would punish You because of my ignorance. Please I beg, forgive me. And she began to offer great prayers with reverence to Krishna. Such a high realization. But Krishna did not like this high realization. It was no fun (laughing).
He is the god of all the Gods for so many. But He didn’t want to become God of Gods. Vrindavan is His home. He simply wants to enjoy the love of His devotees. And this understanding of His supremacy was interfering with the sweetness of the love of mother Yashoda. In fact, the nature of the love of the Brij vasis was so much above and beyond the love of the self realized souls who knows the nature of Krishna as God. Therefore Krishna closed His mouth. And He smiled. And the beauty of His smile was so powerful and so attractive that everything mother Yashoda has seen, she completely forgot. All she could do is to see the beautiful smile of the child. And that invokes such parental affection, her breast would filled with so much milk that she just start, Oh my dear child please drink my milk.
So god is all powerful. We read in many religions, in the Bible, in the Quaran about how God, He is such a powerful father that if you are a sinner, He strikes it down with the strokes of lightening (35.40 mins) and cast it into the flames of hell. Or if you ae a good person He rewards you with great benediction. But this is just a very insignificant part of the power of the God. Above and beyond all the various energies of the Lord is the power of His beauty, the power of His sweetness, the power of His lila. Because simply by remembering the Lord, the beauty of the Lord, the pastimes of the Lord; all of the bondage of the entire material creation is destroyed. This is the supreme power of Lord Hari. In all of that power He contains within His holy name.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Therefore this is the devotees aspiration. By chanting the holy name of the Lord, by surrendering to the will of the Lord to simply allow ourselves to be utterly attracted to the Krishna and nothing and no one else.
tvayi me 'nanya-viṣayā
matir madhu-pate 'sakṛt
ratim udvahatād addhā
gańgevaugham udanvati
(SB 1.8.42)
Queen Kunti prayed, My dear Lord as the Ganges would begin in Gangotri in Himalayas, as she is constantly flows to the ocean without being diverted by anything; let my hearts love only flow for You without being diverted to anything or any one else. You know a women is natuarally very much inclined to her children, toward(38.10 mins) the place where she lives, toward her in-laws, toward her parents. But queen Kunti she is praying “severe my attachment to children, severe my attachment to in-laws, my family and to everyone. As the river Ganges wherever flows to the ocean, let my attraction only flows to You without being diverted to anyone and anything else. That is my prayer. Let my heart be attracted only to You.
Srila Jamunacharya, he was a great king and he enjoyed all the luxuries and oppulences (39.02 mins) of life. But after he became a great devotee of the Lord he prayed, that when I think of the pleasure of this world which will so meaningful and so enjoyable throughout my life even the ultimate pleasure of sex pleasure. When I think of these things now I have been engaged in Your loving service my Lord and tasted the sweetness devotion to You. The thoughts of these things; I spit at the thoughts and my lips crowling in distaste. This is devotion. To simply make our aim in life Krshna. To simply make our goal to please the Lord by hearing His glories, by chanting His glories, by serving His devotees. Because after all Maya is very strong. In some times it is very difficult to overcome the temptations of Maya; especially within our own mind. Lust, envy, pride, anger, greed, illusion; they are like insurmountable mountains trying to cross over. But the beauty and the mercy of Krishna is all powerful.
Srila Rupa Goswami explains in Bhakti RasamritaSindhu, he gives actually warnings. He says my dear friend if you are attached to your wife, to your children, to your wealth, to your friends, to your society then do not go to Kesi Ghat. Because standing on the bank of Jamuna, is the beautiful form of Govinda, Shyamsundar. He is standing Tribhanga with three fold bends in His form. His head is adorned with beautiful peacock feather, His eyes like blooming lotus petals, and He is playing the fifth note of His flute. When you see that form you will never be able to return home to enjoy any of the attractions that you are so much attached to now. This is the power and beauty of Krishna. And a devotee does so much aspiring to enjoy the beauty of Krishna. But the higher principle than that is to simply surrender our lives utterly to be enjoyed by the beauty of Krishna. To completely be exploited by that sweetness, by that love and by that beaut. And with this mood and this aspiration we chant the holy name
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare