Prabhupada 0277 - Krsna Consciousness Means to Have all Kinds of Knowledge
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968
Prabhupāda:
- jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam
- idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
- yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj
- jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
- (BG 7.2)
We have been discussing this verse, what is knowledge. Knowledge means how this universe is working, what is the working force, what is the energy. Just like scientists, they are searching out different energies. Just like this earth is floating on weightlessness. Such a huge mass of material body with so many mountains, so many seas, oceans, skyscraper houses, cities, towns, countries, it is floating just like a swab, cotton swab, in the air. So if one understands how it is floating, that is knowledge.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to have all kinds of knowledge. Not that we Kṛṣṇa conscious people are being carried away by some sentiment. No. We have got philosophy, science, theology, ethics, morality, everything—everything that is required to be known in human form of life. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll speak to you all about knowledge." So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be fool. If he is required to explain how these universal planets are floating, how this human body is rotating, how many species of life, how they are being evolved... These are all scientific knowledge. Physics, botanics, chemistry, astronomy, everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yaj jñātvā, if you understand this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have nothing to know. That means you'll have complete knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge, but if we are in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we know Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge is included.
So tac-chakti viṣaya vivikta-svarūpa viṣayakaṁ jñānam. You'll have full knowledge about the constitutional position of yourself, this material world, the spiritual world, God, our interrelationship, time, space, everything. There are many things to be known. But the principal thing is that the God, the living entities, time, work, and this material energy. These five things are to be known. You cannot deny that "There is no God." God is controller, supreme controller. You cannot say that you are not controlled. There is controller. Just like in the state, you cannot say there is no controller. There is controller. In every street, in every house, there is control, government control. Suppose this store, here is also government control. You have to build store like this, you cannot live. If it is residential house, "The fire arrangement should be like this." There is control. Even you walk in the street, you drive your car, there is control: "Keep to the right." You cannot cross where there is written "Stop." You have to stop.
So in every way, you are under control. So there is a controller. And the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. There is one controller over another controller. If you go on searching out who is the ultimate controller, then you'll find Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). The Brahma-saṁhitā affirms, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ means controller. So we have to get knowledge of this controller, how He is controlling. (child making noises) (aside:) It is disturbing. So jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te sahitam. Not only to know the controller, but to know how He is controlling, how many energies the controller has got and how He is one controlling—that is vijñānam. So jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ te nate tubhyāṁ prapannāya aśeṣataḥ.