Controlled God

sa evedam sasarjagre

bhagavan atma-mayaya

sad-asad-rupaya casau

gunamayaguno vibhuh

Vibhu. He's vibhu, we are anu. That is the difference. Krsna is vibhu, unlimited. We are limited. So we, we cannot be equal to Krsna.  There is sufficient difference. He is vibhu; we are anu. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan. He's the greatest of the great, and He's the smallest also. So Krsna cannot be equal..., or nobody can be equal to Krsna, or greater than Krsna. Krsna is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Krsna. Everyone is below Krsna.

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta: ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. Only Krsna is the supreme master. Ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. So we are also controller of something. A business man is controller of his business; I am controller of my disciples. There are so many controllers. So in that sense, everyone is isvara, in the sense of controller. But Lord Brahma says, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]: "The supreme controller, the supreme controller is Krsna." What is the difference between supreme controller and ordinary controller? Ordinary controller means that he controls and he is controlled, both. We are controller, but nobody can say that "I am not controlled." We are controlled. But Krsna, He's controller, but not controlled. That is the difference between Krsna and ourself. So we cannot be equal with Krsna. We are controlled. 

I think in Glasgow, one boy, he was presenting himself as God. So I asked him, "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" He admitted, "Yes, I am controlled." "Then how you can be God?" God is never controlled. God is controller, but He's not controlled. So if we take ourself as so many samples of God, that is all right, but we are controlled God, not controller God. 

So that statement of Caitanya-caritamrta,

ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya
yare yaiche nacaya, sei taiche kare nrtya

We are controlled in every moment.

So Krsna is vibhu; we are anu. Never consider that we are equal to Krsna. That is a great offense. That is called maya. That is the last snare of maya. Actually, we have come to this material world to become one with Krsna. We thought that we shall become like Krsna.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

Because we wanted to become one with Krsna, to compete with Krsna, therefore we are put into this material world. Maya tare japatiya dhare. And here, in this material world, it is going on. Everyone is trying to become Krsna. That is maya. Everyone. "First of all, let me become a big, big man; then let me become the minister, let me become the president." In this way, when everything fails, then "Let me merge into the existence of God." That means, "Let me become God." This is going on. This is material struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become Krsna.

But we do not want to become Krsna. We are trying to become Krsna's servant. That is the difference between Mayavada philosophy and Vaisnava philosophy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna. Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah. The one, a person who is the lowest of the servant of Krsna, he's first-class Vaisnava. He's first-class Vaisnava. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore teaches us:

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
 [Cc. adi 17.31]

This is the Vaisnava philosophy. We are trying to be servant. We don't identify with anything material. As soon as we identify with anything material, we become under the clutches of maya. Krsna-bhuliya. Because, as soon as I forget my relationship with Krsna... I am eternal servant of Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is the eternal identification of the living entity, to remain servant of Krsna. As soon as we forget this, that is maya. As soon as I think that "I am Krsna," that is maya. That maya means this maya, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge.

Therefore Krsna says that when one actually becomes knowledgeable, cognizant, he surrenders unto Me. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is real knowledge. 

So after acquiring this knowledge, the life of devotional service begins.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
 [Bg. 18.54]

That is required. And in that stage of devotional life, one can understand what is Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. That is tattvatah understanding. In another place it is said, in the Bhagavad-gita, uh, Srimad-Bhagavatam: evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. Unless one becomes jubilant, joyful, by executing devotional service, he cannot understand what is Krsna. It is not possible. To understand superficially Krsna, that "He..., He appeared in Mathura in His uncle's prison house...," that is also nice. But one should try to understand Krsna in fact. That fact can be revealed by devotional service. You cannot challenge Krsna. Krsna will reveal. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. 

If we become sevonmukha, if we try to serve Krsna as eternal servant of Krsna, then Krsna will reveal Himself, what He is. You cannot understand Krsna by speculation, by mental speculation. That is not possible. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. By sense perception, you cannot understand Krsna. That is not possible.

So Krsna is transcendental, His position is always transcendental. Even though He appears before us, still, He's transcendental. This is the understanding of Krsna. 

 Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.30 --  Vrndavana, November 9, 1972 

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