Prabhupada 1016 - Bhagavatam Says that the Original Source of Everything is Sentient. Conscious



720200 - Lecture SB 01.01.01 - Los Angeles

According to my desire, I have produced this body. But although I am claiming my body, I do no know how the body is working. That is unknown to me. I cut my hair, but I do not know how the hair grows again. I cut my nails. But I do not know how the, what is the function going on inside so that even after cutting the nails and hair, again it grows. Neither I do know I'm eating, I know because I'm eating something substantial, it is transforming into different types of secretions within my abdomen and the secretion is distributed. I have known it from some medical practitioner or medical science, but so far I am concerned, I do not know how my foodstuff is transforming into blood. How the blood is transmitted in different parts of my body, and then again I get energy. Actually I do not know.

But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He knows, indirectly and directly, both, how this material cosmic manifestation is working. He knows everything. How the sun is rising. How the moon is rising. How the oceans are steady. It is not trespassing on the land. Such a big ocean - it can over-flood immediately any city or any land within a second. But it is not doing that. So the direction is there. Therefore Bhāgavatam says that the original source of everything is sentient. Conscious. And consciously is controlling everything. "Anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ" 'Abhijñaḥ' means completely cognizant.

The next question may be raised that, wherefrom He got the knowledge? He's the origin. Because we have got this idea that any living being, he gets knowledge from others. Just like we have got our knowledge from our spiritual master. My disciples are getting knowledge from me, so then knowledge is also given by somebody. It has got a source. But, if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin, How He got this knowledge of creation, maintenance? The answer is 'sva-rāṭ.' He did not get knowledge from anyone. He is self-sufficient Himself in knowledge. That is the nature of God. He does not require to get knowledge from anyone superior because nobody can be superior than God. Neither equal to God."Asamordhva". Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him.

Now we have got experience that the first creature, living creature within this universe is Lord Brahma. So, he also got knowledge without any help from others, because he is the first living creature. So there was no other living creature, so how he got knowledge? So does it mean this original source is Lord Brahma? People may question, but Bhāgavatam says no. He's the original teacher of this universe, that's all right, but he's also a created being. Because the cosmic manifestation was created by God, The Supreme. And after this creation Brahma was created. Therefore he's a created being. After the cosmic manifestation. And because God, or the Supreme Lord, He's the creator, so He's not one of the created beings. He creates but He is not created. But Brahma is created. Therefore he gets knowledge from the Supreme Creator, who is independent.