Why do we need to understand God?

!! One

cant have complete understanding of the self without knowing about the Supreme Lord !! Without defining Supreme Lord, one cant define what is duty and what is not duty: convenience becomes the rule.
!! Ex: In the absence of sunlight, one cant see oneself in darkness.

Can God be defined ?

!! God

can be defined only by a qualified person. !! Srila Vyasa Deva, most qualified person, compiled attributes of God in the Vedic scriptures in the following ways

Definitions of God

Definition of God in the Ved!nta S"tra

janm!dy asya yatah
(Ved!nta S"tra; #r$mad Bh!gavatam 1.1.1)

!! God

is one from whom everything emanates.

Definition of God: #r$

%&opani'ad
om" p#r$am adah% p#r$am idam" p#r$!t p#r$am udacyate p#r$asya p#r$am !d!ya p#r$am ev!va&i'yate
(#r$ %&opani'ads invocation)
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.

Another Definition of God

na tasya k!ryam" kara$am" ca vidyate na tat-sama& c!bhyadhika& ca d(&yate par!sya &aktir vividhaiva &r#yate sv!bh!vik) j!na-bala-kriy! ca
(#vet!&vatara Upani'ad 6.8)
The Supreme Lord does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence

Yet another Definition of God

nityo nity!n!* cetana& cetan!n!m eko bah#n!* yo vidadh!ti k!m!n (Ka(ha Upani'ad 2.2.13) !! He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life. !! God is the maintainer of everyone

Further Definition of God

tam )&var!$!m" paramam" mahe&varam" ta* devat!n!m" paramam" ca daivatam patim" pat)n!m" paramam" parast!d vid!ma devam" bhuvane&am )+yam (#vet!&vatara Upani'ad 6.7)
The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves.

Definition of God by Par!&ara Muni, a Great Vedic Authority

ai&varyasya samagrasya v)ryasya ya&asa, &riya, j!na-vair!gyayo& caiva 'a$$!- bhaga it).gan! (Vi')u Pur!)a 6.5.47)
Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is thus defined by Parasara Muni as one who is full in six opulenceswho has full strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation.

Wealth

Fame

Beauty

Knowledge

Renunciation

Strength

Lord K(')a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Traits of Bhagav!n
!! Krishna

: The all attractive !! Rama : The all pleasure !! Allah : The almighty !! Parameshvara : The almighty

Analogy: Sun is known by different names in different languages

Lines of evidence of K(')as Supremacy

!! Krsna

Himself declares so in Bhagavad-

Gita !! All demigods acknowledge e.g. Prayers of Lord Brahma, Prayers of Lord Siva, Prayers of Lord Indra !! Krsnas extraordinary pastimes in different incarnations. e.g., Lifting of Govardhana hill; killing of Putana; making bridge over Indian ocean

Lines of evidence of K(')as Supremacy

!! Exhibits

all opulences in full Bhagavn !! Acknowledged by all scriptures. E.g. Bhagavad-gta, !rmad Bhgavatam, Brahma Samhita, Padma Purana, Upani!ads !! All previous acharyas declare so - Sripad Ramanujacarya, Madhavacarya, Narada, Asita

Scriptural evidence that K(')a is God

k('$as tu bhagav!n svayam
(#r$mad Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

K*')a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Scriptural evidence that K(')a is God

$&varah+ paramah+ k*')ah+ sac-cid-!nanda-vigrahah+ an!dir !dir govindah+ sarva-k!ra)a-k!ra)am K*')a, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.
(Brahma Samhita 5.1)

Scriptural evidence that K(')a is God

cint!ma$i-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-v(k'alak'!v(te'u surabhir abhip!layantam lak'm)-sahasra-&ata-sambhrama-sevyam!nam" govindam !di-puru'am" tam aham" bhaj!mi I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending cows yielding all desires in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. (Prayers by Lord Brahma, Brahma Samhita (5.29))

Scriptural evidence that K(')a is God

ve)u, kva)antam aravinda-dal!yat!k'ambarh!vata,sam asit!mbuda-sundar!-gam kandarpa-ko(i-kaman$ya-vi&e'a-&obha, govindam !di-puru'a, tam aha, bhaj!mi I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids. (Prayers by Lord Brahma, Brahma Samhita (5.30))

Scriptural evidence that K(')a is God

&r$-bhagav!n uv!ca su-durdar&am ida, r"pa, d*'(av!n asi yan mama dev! apy asya r"pasya nitya, dar&ana-k!-k'i)a. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear. (Bhagavad-gita 11.52)

Lines of evidence of K(')as Supremacy

!! Arjuna, the

first student of Bhagavad-Gita accepts (Bhagavad-Gita 10.12-13)

Krishna: From Whom Everything Emanates

aha* sarvasya prabhavo matta, sarva* pravartate iti matv! bhajante m!* budh! bh!va-samanvit!, I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. (Bhagavad-gita 10.8)

O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
Bhagavad-g$t! 7.7

K(')a - Supreme Controller, Supreme Enjoyer, Best Friend

bhokt!ra* yaja-tapas!* sarva-loka-mahe&varam suh(da* sarva-bh#t!n!* j!tv! m!* &!ntim (cchati
A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries. (Bhagavad-gt 5.29)

K(')a is Supreme Personality of Godhead: *c!ryas confirm

narayana parovyakta !! Narayana, or Krishna, is beyond this material creation - Sripada Sankaracarya !! Accepted by all great acaryas like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka Svami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead: Arjuna delcares

arjuna uv!ca param" brahma param" dh!ma pavitram" paramam" bhav!n puru'am" &!&vatam" divyam !di-devam ajam" vibhum !hus tv!m ('ayah% sarve devar'ir n!radas tath! asito devalo vy!sah% svayam" caiva brav)'i me (Bhagavad-gita 10.12-13)

Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. !! One should accept Krishna as Arjuna, the first student of Bhagavad-gita, has accepted

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead: Arjuna declares

Appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: Reasons and Significance

God descends due to His own will and mercy

!! na

tasya k!ryam k!ranam ca vidyate. Lord is not bound to do anything but still why did Lord appear in this world? !! Root of all problems: lack of feeling of security in relationship with the Supreme Lord !! This relationship cant reestablished by ones own endeavor. Only Supreme Lord can revive it, on the desire of living entity

Divinity of Lords Descent

!! Lord

appearance is divine. !! When He appears in this world, He is equally divine, as in spiritual world !! When Krishna appeared in Mathura, 5000 years ago,
!! He didnt appear through womb of Devaki like an ordinary child !! He appeared with four hands and with transcendental body bedecked with ornaments

Lords descends in His transcendental form

ajo 'pi sann avyay!tm! bh#t!n!m )&varo 'pi san prak(ti* sv!m adhi'/h!ya sambhav!my !tma-m!yay! Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
(Bhagavad-g$t! 4.6)

Lords Descent, Birth and Activities are Transcendental

janma karma ca me divyam eva* yo vetti tattvata, tyaktv! deha* punar janma naiti m!m eti so 'rjuna One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (Bhagavad-gt 4.9)

Krishna and Living Entity

Krsna
a)! b)! c)! d)!

Living Entity
a)! b)! c)!

Eternal and remembers past, present and future Appears by own will Body is identical with self. Body doesnt change or deteriorate.

d)!

Eternal but forgetful Forced to appear by karma Body is material and temporary Body changes and deteriorates.

Lords Descent - Purpose

yad! yad! hi dharmasya gl!nir bhavati bh!rata abhyutth!nam adharmasya tad!tm!na* s(j!my aham Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligionat that time I descend Myself.
(Bhagavad-g$t! 4.7)

Lords Descent - Purpose

paritr!$!ya s!dh#n!* vin!&!ya ca du'k(t!m dharma-sa*sth!pan!rth!ya sambhav!mi yuge yuge To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium. (Bhagavad-gt 4.8)

Lords Descent - Purpose

!!

To protect sadhus (devotees)

!! Protecting a sadhu means to protect sadhus relationship with Krishna !! Krishna appears and performs activities to give faith to sadhus. Faith or trust is the primary ingredient of relationship

!!

To destroy demoniac people

!! To destroy demoniac mentality within the hearts of demoniac people

!!

To help us reestablish our relationship with Krishna, not sentimental but by giving teachings of Bhagavad-gita

Three Levels of God Realization

Three Aspects of Absolute Truth

!! The

same Absolute Truth (Krishna) is realized in three ways according to ones disposition
!! Impersonal Brahman aspect (partial) !! Localised Paramatma aspect (partial) !! Bhagavan (complete)

Three Aspects of Absolute Truth

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattva* yaj j!nam advayam brahmeti param!tmeti bhagav!n iti &abdyate The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. (Srmad Bhgavatam 1.2.11)

Analogies for illustrating the three aspects

!!

Approaching Sun:

!! Experiencing all pervasive, glaring sun light ! Brahman realization !! Knowing sun planet ! Paramatma realization !! Knowing sun god ! Bhagavan realization !! Experiencing mountain as a huge mass from distance like a cloud ! Brahman realization !! Experiencing that mountain has trees, some roads, some waterfalls etc. from closer distance! Paramatma realization !! Actually entering the mountain and interacting with people there ! Bhagavan realization

!!

Approaching Mountain:

!! Few

Analogies for illustrating the three aspects

villagers going to see the train
!! A few saw it as light and returned back to inform rest of the village that train is a light !! A few stayed and noticed the engine and bogies and shared their realization with rest of the village that train is just a chain of boxes being pulled by another strange looking box. !! A few were further inquisitive and patient and thus got the full understanding of the train, its purpose etc.

Brahman Aspect
brahma$o hi prati'/h!ham am(tasy!vyayasya ca &!&vatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaik!ntikasya ca And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness. (Bhagavad-gt 14.27)

Brahman Aspect
Realizing Brahman means realizing the sat (eternity) feature of the Lord !! Brahman is the effulgence from the transcendental body of Supreme Lord !! It is impersonal, all pervading, and eternal
!!

Brahman - Effulgence in spiritual sky

Param!tm! Aspect
Localized aspect of Supreme Lord who accompanies jiva in material world to help in fulfilling its independent desires !! Although Paramatma is present in every living being, yet He is the same person !! He is situated in the heart !! Realizing sat and cit features of the Lord i.e. eternality and knowledge aspects of the Lord.
!!

Jiva vs. Param!tm!

sam!ne v(k'e puru'o nimagno 'n)&ay! &ocati muhyam!nah% ju'/am" yad! pa&yaty anyam )&am asya mahim!nam iti v)ta-&okah% "Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His gloriesat once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties."(Katha Upanishad 1.2.20) (As cited in purport to verse 2.22 of BG As It Is)

Param!tm! is the localized aspect of the Absolute Truth

Param!tm!: Our Ever Well Wishing Best Friend

gatir bhart! prabhu, s!k') niv!sa, &ara$a* suh(t prabhava, pralaya, sth!na* nidh!na* b)jam avyayam I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. (Bhagavad-gt 9.18)

Param!tm! accompanies each one of us

sarvasya c!ham" h(di sannivi'/o mattah% sm(tir j!nam apohanam" ca vedai& ca sarvair aham eva vedyo ved!nta-k(d veda-vid eva c!ham I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. (Bhagavad-gita 15.15)

Param!tm! resides in the heart of living entities

Param!tm!: Our Ever Well Wishing Best Friend

)&vara, sarva-bh#t!n!* h(d-de&e 'rjuna ti'/hati bhr!mayan sarva-bh#t!ni yantr!r#+h!ni m!yay! The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. (Bhagavad-gita 18.61)

Param!tm! accompanies the living entity

!! Jiva

by nature is incapable of fulfilling its desires on its own !! Paramatma makes note of jivas desires and arranges situations to fulfill them !! He witnesses all the activities (thoughts, desires, feelings) of the soul. Accordingly awards bodies to facilitate them !! He is the most intimate friend living closest to us. He patiently waits for the jiva to turn towards Him

Bhagav!n aspect of God Realization is most complete

!! Supreme

Personality of Godhead (Bhagavn) is the complete aspect of Absolute Truth !! One revives ones eternal relationship with Supreme Lord, Krishna
!! Realizing this aspect gives full satisfaction to soul
!! Bhagavad-gita

gradually guides its student to this topmost level of realization

Bhagav!n is the Supreme Person

!! Absolute Truth

is not just impersonal Brahman and Localized Paramatma BUT HE IS A PERSON having HIS OWN
Rupa (Form) Lila (Pastimes) Sambandha (Relationships) Likes and Dislikes Individuality

Nama (Names) Guna (Qualities) Dhama (Abode) Iccha (Desires) Feelings

Bhagav!n: References from the Bhagavad-g$t!

!! Bhagavad-Gita

15.6 !! Bhagavad-Gita 10.8 13 !! Bhagavad-Gita 4.6 10 !! Bhagavad-Gita 8.5 !! Bhagavad-Gita 12.13-20 !! Bhagavad-Gita 9.14 !! Bhagavad-Gita 10.25 !! Bhagavad-Gita 9.22 34