We say, “God is great” – but we do not know how great He is

Foto submitted by Agrani Krishna Dasa (ACBSP) | Srimati Radharani’s Home and Palace at Varshana
Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita 9.1, Melbourne, April 19, 1976 — So sometimes cheap gods in the Western country, they cheat you. But God is not so cheap. This is one of the description of God, that within the breathing period of God, Maha-Vishnu, who is not directly God — He is an expansion of God, Maha-Vishnu — the total material energy is being created and annihilated. That is God. So that is aisvaryasya samagra. This is one opulence.

If we possess one house, we become very opulent. If another possesses two house or three houses… Now, here, in the breathing period of God, there are innumerable universes. You cannot calculate what is the opulence. One universe you cannot calculate.

The one universe you are daily experiencing. What is the position of the sun? What is the position of the moon? What is the position of other planets? You cannot calculate. And there are innumerable universes. And that is depending on the breathing period of God.

So we say, “God is great.” We should try to understand how great He is, not that the Dr. Frog’s greatness, no. That is not greatness, no, my calculation, “God may be like this. God may be like that.” You have to understand about God from the authorized person who knows things as they are. Then you can also know.

Therefore Krishna says here in the Ninth Chapter, sri-bhagavan uvaca, idam tu te guhyatamam pravaksyamy anasuyave: “My dear Arjuna, I shall speak to you…” He is giving him so many instruction because Arjuna has submitted to Krishna. Sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam prapannam: “I am now perplexed. I am therefore submitting myself unto You.”

Krishna was his friend. There was no submission. A friend does not submit to another friend. Then there is no meaning of friendship. But here Krishna voluntarily, er, Arjuna voluntarily said that “I am submitting. Don’t treat me as Your friend. Now You treat me as Your disciple. I am submitting.”

So therefore Krishna says, “My dear Arjuna, now I shall speak to you the most confidential part of knowledge.” Idam tu te guhyatamam. Guhya means confidential. And there is comparative, superlative degree. That is guhya, guhyatara, and guhyatama. So Krishna said, “I’ll speak to you the most confidential part of knowledge.” Full Lecture