The Nectar Emanating from God's Mouth
Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the deep philosophical and transcendental significance of the Supreme Lord's mouth. By studying his instructions, we can understand how the Lord's mouth generated the intellectual class of society, how it flows with the nectar of Vedic wisdom, and the inconceivable pastimes it uniquely displays.
The Generating Center of the Universal Form
When contemplating the virāṭ-rūpa, or the universal form of the Lord, one can trace the origins of all material elements. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord's mouth is the supreme generating center for the element of fire, the sense of speech, and the vibrations of the Vedic hymns.
- Brahma said: The mouth of the virat-purusa (the universal form of the Lord) is the generating center of the voice, and the controlling deity is fire. His skin and six other layers are the generating centers of the Vedic hymns.
- Agni, or heat, separated from His (the universal form's) mouth, and all the directors of material affairs entered into it in their respective positions. By that energy the living entity expresses himself in words.
- When the Supreme desired to speak, speeches were vibrated from the mouth. Then the controlling deity Fire was generated from the mouth. But when He was lying in the water, all these functions remained suspended.
The Origin of the Brāhmaṇas
The natural divisions of human society are not artificial concoctions but divine manifestations of the Lord's body. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the brāhmaṇas are produced from the mouth of the Supreme Person, giving them the specific duty of propagating Vedic knowledge for the benefit of all.
- The brahmanas are born from the mouth of the universal form of the Lord, the ksatriyas are born out of the arms, the vaisyas out of the waist, and the sudras out of the legs. As such, they are qualified in the different modes of material nature.
- The brahmanas were created from the mouth of the Supreme Person, and therefore they are meant to spread the knowledge of the Vedas in order to spread the glories of the Lord.
- According to the Vedic injunctions, a brahmana is the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; in all rituals a brahmana is offered food (brahmana-bhojana) because when a brahmana eats, it is considered that the Supreme Lord Himself eats.
The Supreme Nectar of Vedic Knowledge
The absolute words spoken by the Lord are fully potent and non-different from Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda states that the Bhagavad-gītā is a river of nectar emanating directly from the lotus mouth of Kṛṣṇa, possessing even more direct spiritual importance than the sacred Ganges River.
- Bhagavad-gita is as good as the water of the Ganges because it is spoken from the mouth of the Supreme Lord. So it is with any topic on the pastimes of the Lord or the characteristics of His transcendental activities.
- I offer my respectful obeisances unto Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of Vasudeva who compiled the Vedic scriptures. The pure devotees drink up the nectarean transcendental knowledge dropping from the lotuslike mouth of the Lord.
- When Krsna speaks on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, to the materialistic person it appears that this is simply talk between two friends, but actually it is a river of nectar flowing down from the mouth of Sri Krsna.
The Unlimited Glories Described by Ananta
The pastimes and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are absolutely limitless. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even Lord Anantadeva, who possesses unlimited mouths and has been constantly vibrating the glories of the Lord since time immemorial, cannot reach their end.
- Ananta, a direct incarnation of the Lord, has unlimited mouths, and with each mouth He has been trying to describe the glories of the Lord for an unlimited span of time, yet the glories of the Lord remain unlimited, and He therefore never finishes.
- Although Lord Anantadeva is always describing the pastimes of the Lord with His thousands of mouths, He cannot reach the end of even one of the Lord's pastimes.
- It is stated that Ananta, an incarnation of God who has unlimited mouths, cannot reach the end of His glorification of the Lord, although Ananta has been describing the Lord since time immemorial. So what to speak of demigods like Brahma, Siva and others.
The Fearful and Wondrous Forms
The Lord's mouth is not only the source of sweet philosophy but can also manifest devastating power and cosmic wonders. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the terrifying mouth of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, which destroyed the demonic Hiraṇyakaśipu, as well as the wondrous moment Kṛṣṇa revealed the entire universe within His mouth to mother Yaśodā.
- He (Nrsimhadeva) killed the king of the demons (Hiranyakasipu), who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.
- Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrsimha-deva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiranyakasipu's abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.
- Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura cites the example of mother Yasoda's seeing the whole cosmic manifestation within the mouth of Lord Krsna. By the grace of Lord Krsna, mother Yasoda saw all the universes and planets within the mouth of Krsna.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings reveal that God's mouth is the absolute source of both cosmic creation and transcendental salvation. In His virāṭ-rūpa, the Lord's mouth generated the element of fire and the brāhmaṇas, whose sacred duty is to voice the Vedic hymns and maintain the spiritual equilibrium of human society. Beyond the material mechanics, the Lord's lotus mouth is the eternal reservoir of spiritual nectar, directly speaking perfect texts like the Bhagavad-gītā to deliver the conditioned souls. Whether manifesting the terrifying, blood-sprinkled teeth of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to annihilate the demons, showing the vast cosmic manifestation to mother Yaśodā, or playfully accepting the offerings of His devotees, the Lord's mouth is an object of endless meditation. Indeed, as demonstrated by Lord Anantadeva, one could use thousands of mouths for eternity and still never finish glorifying the nectar that emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God's Mouth. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.