# Knowing God *On understanding Krishna through authorized knowledge* --- ### God Cannot Be Imagined > The other day I was reading Gandhi's discourses on *Bhagavad-gītā.* He said that "I can imagine any way Kṛṣṇa. I do not accept the historical Kṛṣṇa." In this way, so many things. He was a big man. He can say like that. But we cannot imagine or manufacture Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not Kṛṣṇa. God is never imagined or speculated or manufactured by my limited knowledge and limited senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everything. But if we want to know *tattvataḥ* Kṛṣṇa, in truth, how Kṛṣṇa has created the *pañca-bhūta* and how each *bhūta* or each material element is working, that is being discussed. This is perfect knowledge, *tattvataḥ.* — [[spoken/1975/750115sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.40, Bombay, January 15, 1975]] --- ### You Cannot Create Krishna > So if we study in this way, analytically, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy... *Śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ.* Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the illumination of the sun and the moon." So you can create by... Scientists, they say the sun is combination of so many chemicals. Now you create one sun and illuminate the whole universe. That you cannot do, because that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create Kṛṣṇa. You cannot imagine Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Foolish persons, they may say, "Kṛṣṇa is my imagination." No, He's not imagination. He's fact. Simply one has to know how Kṛṣṇa is present in everything. — [[spoken/1975/750115sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.40, Bombay, January 15, 1975]] --- ### To Know God Is to Know Everything > So people may be astonished that "They are reading *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* Why they are discussing the action and reaction of fire?" Generally, they think *Bhāgavata* reading means *rāsa-pañcādhyāya, bās,* immediately jump over to the *rāsa-līlā* of Kṛṣṇa. Actually, to know God means to know everything in detail. *Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati*. That is the Vedic injunction. If we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must understand also how Kṛṣṇa's different energies are working. That is called *tattvataḥ.* — [[spoken/1975/750115sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.40, Bombay, January 15, 1975]] --- ### Not Imagination But Fact > Foolish persons, they may say, "Kṛṣṇa is my imagination." No, He's not imagination. He's fact. Simply one has to know how Kṛṣṇa is present in everything. — [[spoken/1975/750115sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.40, Bombay, January 15, 1975]] --- ### Vaisnava Unhappy Seeing Others Suffer > So to understand Kṛṣṇa, *kṛṣṇa-upadeśa,* to know about Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is like that. *Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa*. Vaiṣṇava's real qualification is *para-duḥkha-duḥkhī:* he is unhappy by seeing others unhappy. Personally he has no unhappiness. Why he should be unhappy? He has got Kṛṣṇa. But as he has become happy by getting Kṛṣṇa, so he wants others also to become happy, and therefore he tries to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. — [[spoken/1975/750115sb.bom|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.40, Bombay, January 15, 1975]] --- ### Human Civilization Means to Know Kṛṣṇa > But they do not know, and because they do not know, asses, *mūḍhas,* Kṛṣṇa says, *na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ,* they will not accept the existence of God, although God is inside and outside. This is the description of the *mūḍhāḥ.* Here it is said, *ajñā. Ajñā* means ignorant. And what is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is *adhokṣajam.* And perfection of life is when you become attached to that Adhokṣaja. Human civilization means that he must be interested to know Kṛṣṇa and God. That is human civilization. — [[spoken/1974/740705sb.chi|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.19, Chicago, July 5, 1974]] --- ### Knowing Kṛṣṇa Not So Easy > So knowing Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.* First of all you become *siddha,* perfect. Perfect means perfect knowledge. That is called *siddha.* And another *siddha* means very powerful, master of all yogic perfection. That is also *siddha.* — [[spoken/1973/730801bg.lon|Bhagavad-gītā 1.45–46, London, August 1, 1973]] --- *7 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on knowing God*