THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GÉT Ä Lesson 11: The Lord’s Opulence THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GÉT Ä Lesson 11: The Lord’s Opulence (SB Canto 11, Chapter 16) 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 1

Chapter summary  In response to Uddhava’s request, Krsna describes His opulence in terms of His specific potencies of knowledge, prowess, influence, etc. as exhibited or observable in this universe.  First, there is glorification of the Lord by Uddhava through offering his prayers (1-5)  After describing His opulences in detail, Krsna concluded by saying that all prowess, beauty, fame, opulence, modesty, charity, wonder, good fortune, heroism, forgiveness, and wisdom that are manifest in the material world are simply portions of His splendor. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 2

 It therefore cannot be truthfully said that material objects possess these opulence.  Material objects are not essentially real, and so one should not focus his mind on them.  By regulating their speech, mind, and vital life air, with the help of intelligence, devotees perfect their existence in KC.  For the conditioned souls, the opulence of the Lord is incomprehensible.  Understanding of Krsna’s opulence is most confidential. He Himself must reveal this knowledge. Only by His grace, we can know that. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 3

 Krsna begins by saying that Arjuna made the same request on the battlefield of Kuruksetra when confused about his duties as a warrior having to kill his own kinsmen (6-9).  The essential nature of all material and spiritual objects is that they are manifestations of the Lord’s opulence.  He is understood as time by those who delight in controlling others, and among the qualities, He is the special quality that is exhibited by those who possess some particular talents. (10) 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 4

Verse  After giving a detailed summary of His opulence within this world, the Lord now describes the opulence that are expansions of His effulgence.  These are all opulence of the Lord.  Everything that we experience within this world is combination of the living entity and the material energy. Krsna is their origin. Nothing can exist without the mercy of Krsna. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 5

Krsna is unlimited to the extent even He cannot fathom its depth! (39-40)  He gives a hint of the extent of His opulence. When there is no estimate of the innumerable universes that He has created, how can the opulence that it present within those innumerable universes can be estimated!  Tejas means influence and sri means opulence. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 6

Verse 41  Opulence refers to the visible objects as perceived according to the transformations of the mind.  Such mundane perception of opulence cannot give a clear understanding of the supremacy of the Lord’s actual position.  One should not wrongly assume that such insignificant material opulence occupy the same status as the Lord’s plenary features in His position as the Personality of Godhead, which are qualitatively and quantitatively equal to the Lord. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 7

Verse 44  In this verse, it is stressed that one’s intelligence should not be saturated with feelings of loving devotion for the Lord.  This can be developed by regularly chanting the Gayatri mantra, which is awarded by the spiritual master.  By means of clear intelligence, one naturally becomes disinclined to perform fruitive activities, or engage in mental speculation, and one naturally becomes inclined to take shelter of the Lord. 12/3/2011Carucandra Dasa 8