Srila Prabhupada - Vedic Teachings

  "God has got many names according to different religious system. But the real name is Kristo (pronounced "Kreesto"). And you will be glad to understand that this Kristo, it is a Greek word, and it is a perverted pronunciation of Kṛṣṇa, this Greek word. The meaning of Kristo in Sanskrit dictionary and the Greek dictionary always the same, about this word. And from this Kristo the word has got Christo or Christ. So even in Christian world the God's name is there. Jesus the Christ or Jesus the son of Kristo, or Kṛṣṇa. So Lord Jesus Christ said, "My Lord, hallowed be Thy name." He wants to glorify the name of the Lord. And some people says that there is no name of God. How? If Lord Jesus Christ says "Hallowed by Thy name," there must be name. The name is there, but he did not pronounce it because the people at that time will not be able to understand or maybe some reason, but he says there is name." (From Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, Ju...

  „ Now, you should understand Kṛṣṇa as God. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa... Last week I explained that if there can be any name of God... There are many thousands of names of God. Somebody says, "God has no name." Yes, God has no particular name because, as I explained, God's name is ascertained according to His activity. Just the other day I explained. God appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, so He is called son of Nanda. That is another name, Nanda-nandana. Nanda-nandana means one who gives pleasure to Nanda. So everyone's son, child, gives pleasure to his parents. So Kṛṣṇa, by His activities, childhood activities, He gave pleasure to His father and mother, Yaśodā and Nanda. Therefore He is known as Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana. He was lover of Rādhārāṇī; therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. In this way, Kṛṣṇa has got different names, or God has got different names, according to His activities. But His real name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. He attracts everyo...

  Prabhupāda: And His being Absolute, His name is not different from Him. The name and the form and the quality of God, they are all Absolute. Therefore chanting His name means associating with God. So when one associates with God, gradually He becomes godly. And when he is fully purified, then he becomes associate of God. (German) Pater Emmanuel: (German) German devotee: (translating for Pater Emmanuel) But we can understand the name of God only in a negative way. Prabhupāda: No. God has unlimited potencies, and therefore He has got unlimited names. Pater Emmanuel: Yes, but we are limited. Prabhupāda: We are limited, but God is not limited. Unlimited. And because He is unlimited, therefore He has got unlimited names, not one or two but unlimited names. There is a Sanskrit book, Aṣṭottara-sahasra. There are 1,008 names of God. So 1,008 is also limited, but because we are limited, the God's names are given to us as far as we can understand. Otherwise He has got unlim...

  „For logicians who want to accept only that which is proven through logic and argument, it is a fact that without logic and reason there can be no question of accepting the Absolute Truth. Unfortunately, when such logicians take to this path without the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they remain on the platform of logic and argument and do not advance in spiritual life. However, if one is intelligent enough to apply his arguments and logic to the subtle understanding of the fundamental spiritual substance, he will be able to know that a poor fund of knowledge established on the basis of material logic cannot help one understand the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of imperfect senses. The Mahābhārata therefore says, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 5.22) How can that which is beyond the imagination or sensory speculation of mundane creatures be approached simply by logic? Logic and argument are very poor in spiritual strength...

„So without a thing being existing in the Absolute Truth, how that can be manifested in this relative truth? This world is relative truth. So there is everything, but only one has to understand what is that everything. That everything is spiritual, and this is material. When it is said that He's sarvendriya-vivarjitam, that means He has no material senses. He has got senses. He has got eyes, He has got hands, legs, everything, but they are not material. But a man with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand that without material body, how there can be possible of possessing a body. Because we are accustomed to see the material things, we have no eyes to see spiritual, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Therefore Kṛṣṇa, to benefit us, to become merciful upon us, He appears in this form, arcā-vigraha, so that we can see Him. Because we have learned to see wood, stone, earth, some solid materials. We cannot see subtle things. Just like every...