But that jyoti which is directly emanating from Krsna's body, that is the real jyoti.

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731012BG.BOM LecturesPrabhupada:

 

jyotisam api taj jyotis tamasah param

ucyate jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam hrdi

sarvasya visthitam

 

Jyoti. Jyoti means light. There are different types of light. There is lamp.

There is candle. There is electric bulb. The power also, they are different

powers: one hundred powers, fifty powers, twenty-five... There are different

grades of jyoti. But there is supreme jyoti. Just like this moon. The moon.

This night is full moon. This moon has got its illumination, but wherefrom this

illumination comes? It comes from the sunshine. The sunshine is reflected on the

moon, and the moon has become illuminating source. Just like in a mirror when

there is reflection of the sunshine, the mirror can also reflect another dark

place, not independently. Everyone... In childhood everyone has played with a

mirror. Just put a mirror in front of the sunshine, and the reflection is

there, and you can pass on the reflection in the darkest place and it will be

illuminated. Have you got experience? Yes. Similarly, neither the mirror has

got reflection, neither the dark place can be illuminated by the mirror. But

when the sunshine is there on the mirror, the mirror acts as illuminating

agent, and it dissipates the darkness of a corner. So sunshine is the source of

all light. In the material world we have got experience that sunshine, jyoti,

prakasa... But wherefrom the sunshine comes? Sunshine is also a reflection of

another jyoti, or illumination. That illumination is called brahmajyoti. And

wherefrom that brahmajyoti emanates? That emanates from Krsna. Just like the

sunshine is emanation from the sun globe, and the sun globe is fiery,

illuminated, on account of the persons within the sun globe. They have got some

bodily rays. That rays is emanating from their body. Therefore the whole sun

planet looks like fiery planet. And from there the illumination comes, and it

is reflecting on the moon, and the moon is illuminating the whole dark night.

This is called purnima. So one is borrowing the illumination from the other.

But there is the supreme source of illumination. That is Krsna. That is

confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. Yasya

prabha, the bodily rays of Krsna, being illuminated... In that illumination,

which is called brahmajyoti, there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets. The

Vaikuntha are self-illuminated. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no

darkness. Tamasah param. Therefore is said here that taj jyotis tamasah param

ucyate: "That spiritual world is beyond this material world." This material

world is called tamah. Tamah means darkness. Just like this night, it is

darkness. Why it is darkness? By nature it is dark. Simply by the sunshine,

moonshine, electricity, we keep it brightened for some time. Otherwise, by

nature it is darkness. Similarly, there is another world, paras tasmat tu

bhavah anyah, another cosmic manifestation, spiritual manifestation, where

there is no need of sunshine. Na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah.

There is no need of sunshine. There is no need of moonshine as here in this

darkness, material world. There is arrangement by God to illuminate the

darkness of this world. There is sun; there is moon; there is electricity;

there is fire. But in the spiritual world, which is tamasah param, which is

beyond this darkness of this material world, there is jyoti. Therefore here

it is said, jyotisam api taj jyotih, param.There are different kinds of

illumination, sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire. But that jyoti which is

directly emanating from Krsna's body, that is the real jyoti. So on account of

Krsna's bodily rays, the whole creation is coming out. That is Krsna's

inconceivable power, brahmajyoti. Janmady asya yatah. Athato brahma-jijnasa. In

the Vedanta-sutra, you have to inquire about that param jyoti, brahmajyoti. And

from that param jyoti, everything is coming out. Just like from the sunshine.

What is this material world? This material world is resting on the sunshine.

Because the sunshine is there, therefore all the planets are rotating. There is

a small machine. You'll find it. As soon as it is heated, within that machine

the balls begin to rotate. Similarly, the certain temperature of the sunshine,

the whole planetary system is rotating on the orbit, on account of the

sunshine. This is scientifically true. And because there is sunshine, there is

vegetation, there is water, there is rainfall, and from the rainfall, there is

agricultural products. So as the sunshine is the cause of all material

variegatedness, similarly, the sunshine is also due to the brahmajyoti. The

sunshine, yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. The sun is described in the

Brahma-samhita as the eyes of all the planets. Yac caksur esa, esa

sakala-grahanam caksuh. The sun is the actual eyes for all the planets because

unless there is sunshine you cannot see. We are very much proud of our eyes.

Sometimes we challenge, "Can you show me God?" But he does not think that what

power his eyes have got. It is simply completely dependant on the sunshine. If

there is no sunshine his so called eyes are useless. Still, with that useless

eyes he wants to see God. Just see. "Can you show me God? I am not seeing God,

Therefore God cannot be seen. Therefore I don't believe in God." But he does

not think that what power he has got to see. It is only dependant on sunshine.

Not only this planet, all the planets, unless there is sunshine... Because it

is darkness. This material world is simply darkness. Tamaso ma jyotir gama.

The Vedic instruction is that "Don't keep yourself in this darkness of material

world. Come out to the spiritual world." Jyotir gama. So people do not think of

their imperfectness of the senses, how the senses working, dependent on the

laws of material nature. Still, one is very proud of his senses, especially of

the eyes. Adhyaksina--everything dependent on his eyes, although his eyes are

completely useless without being helped by the light of the sun. So actually

these eyes are useless. The eyes of the eyes is the sun. Yac caksur esa savita

sakala-grahanam. Every planetary system there are many millions and trillions

of living entities. They can see only when there is sunrise. This

gayatri-mantra is, therefore, offering prayer to the savita. Om bhur bhuvah

svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. Sunshine. So sunshine is...

But there are many suns, not only one sun. As there are many universes, yasya

prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. Koti means innumerable. Numberless

universes. And in each and every universe there is sunshine. So this sunshine

is reflection of the brahmajyoti. Yasya prabha prabhavatah. When the bodily

rays, shining rays, of Krsna is there, then all these universes are generated.

The universes are also generated. In another place, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam

athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah. Jagad-anda-nathah means...

Jagad-anda means universe. Each universe has a principle living being. That is

Lord Brahma. So there are many innumerable Brahmas also, innumerable Sivas,

innumerable suns, innumerable moons, because there are innumerable universes.

And each and every universe, there are innumerable planets. Yasya prabha

prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi. Vasudha means this planet.

Vibhuti-bhinnam. Each planet has got different atmosphere. Therefore these

people, they cannot understand what is the atmosphere. They understand. Some

scientists, they say the atmosphere in the moon planet is two hundred degrees

below zero. So there are difference of scientists' opinion, but according to

Vedic literature we understand that there are innumerable planets, and one of

the planets is the moon planet. Naksatranam aham sasi. Naksatranam: "Among the

stars and planets," Krsna says, "I am the moon." So jyotisam api jyotis

tamasah param. So this jyoti, this illumination, is beyond this material world.

And because there is illumination, that illumination is reflected in the

material world. You will find the reflection, bluish reflection, in the sky. It

means that brahmajyoti is bluish because it is coming out from the blue body of

Krsna. Therefore it is bluish. We see the sky bluish, and in darkness we see,

although it is darkness, there is some brightness in the sky. Always the sky

is... The sky is everywhere, but the covering is seven times covered by

different types of material elements, and that brahmajyoti is penetrating

through the covers, and little reflection we can see in the sky. So therefore,

here it is said,

 

jyotisam api taj jyotis tamasah param

ucyate jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam hrdi

sarvasya visthitam

 

Visthitam. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart. Actually He is knowledge, and

He is the object of knowledge, jneyam, and one should try to understand Krsna.

Jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam. And He is in everyone's heart. Isvarah

sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati. Simply we have to know the process how

to know Him. That is explained already, We have discussed. Amanitvam adambhitvam

ahimsa ksantir arjavam, acaryopasanam, indriya, vinigrahah, bhakti-yoga... Mam

ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena... These things are already discussed. So

human life is meant for understanding this. Athato brahma-jijna... These are

all Brahman subject. They are not material subject matter. Tattva-vastu.

Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam. So this Vedic

civilization is meant for Brahman realization. Therefore we have got so many

Vedic literatures. Bhagavad-gita is only a part, ABCD, the first book of

spiritual knowledge. Still, people are so degraded that they cannot understand

even Bhagavad-gita, the ABCD. What they will understand, other things? Their

education is so poor and they are so unfortunate that even Bhagavad-gita which

Krsna left behind Him... Krsna was present five thousand years ago on this

planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna

did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. He was already enlightened,

but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on

Bhagavad-gita, and it is noted by Vyasadeva, Vedavyasa, in the Mahabharata, so

that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahmajyoti, what is this material

world, what is that spiritual world, what is our object of life, what we should

know.

=========================================================

For further research on this subject please refer particularly to Srimad

Bhagavatam and other books by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedata Swami

Prabhupada:

 

 

Srila Prabhupada's Books Bg Bhagavad-gita As It Is SB Srimad-Bhagavatam

Adi Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila Madhya Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

Madhya-lila Antya Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila TLC Teachings of

Lord Caitanya NoD Nectar of Devotion NoI The Nectar of Instruction

EJ Easy Journey to Other Planets TYS Krsna Consciousness The Topmost Yoga

System KB Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead PQPA Perfect

Questions, Perfect Answers TLK Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of

Devahuti TQK Teachings of Queen Kunti SSR The Science of Self

Realization PoP The Path of Perfection LCFL Life Comes from Life

PoY The Perfection of Yoga BBD Beyond Birth and Death OWK On the Way to

Krsna RV Raja-Vidya: The King of Knowledge EK Elevation to Krsna

Consciousness MG Krsna Consciousness, The Matchless Gift MoG Message

of Godhead LoB Light of the Bhagavata Bs Sri Brahma-samhita (Verses

generally chanted only) Iso Sri Isopanisad JSD The Journey of

Self-Discovery LON The Laws of Nature: An Infallible Justice SC A

Second Chance: The Story of a Near-Death Experience MM Mukunda-mala-stotra

NBS Narada-bhakti-sutra