Godder than the Hindus (Room conversation with Srila Prabhupada)

"I am not this body. Therefore we have to understand first that: I am not this body. Therefore I am not Hindu, not Muslim, not Christian, not black, not white. I am pure spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi. This is the first basic knowledge. This is not sectarian. This is a basic knowledge, you believe or not believe."

 — Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Melbourne, April 22, 1976

Room Conversation, 

Vrindavana, November 11, 1976

Gopala Krsna das: They are saying we are not Hindus.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Gopala Krsna das: They are saying this is not Hinduism.

Prabhupada: Hindus? We are Krsnian. It they, if...

Hansaduta das: Krsnans.

Prabhupada: Krsna, in the dictionary it is said that it is a Hindu God, but we are claiming that we are Krsnian. Krsna. Krsna conscious. Krsna conscious means “Godder than the Hindus.” When you say we are not Hindu that means we are not restricted with the Hindi community. That is the meaning. Because Krsna says, “I am for everyone.” So why should we be restricted to the Hindi community. Krsna says,

sarva yonisu

“In all forms of life, I am the seed giving father.” Why he should be simply Hindu? This point should be stressed. Sarva yoni means eight million four hundred thousand species, all forms. Krsna is for all of them. We therefore say, why Krsna should be restricted to the Hindu community? Hindus are included but Krsna is not restricted to Hindus. Krsna’s picture, that Bal Gopal — He’s embracing the calves. Krsna does not embrace only the gopis, He’s embracing the calves also. That is Krsna. He’s equal to everyone.

mah hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah

Papa-yonayah, so many low-grade forms of life, they’re also His... Devotees are part and parcel. Mamaivamso ji... Quote this: Krsna is not restricted to the Hindu. We say, “We are not Hindu,” this means we embrace everyone. We are not restricted to the Hindus. The so-called Christians, so-called Mohammedans, we embrace everyone, and actually we are doing that. Why should we simply be compact within the limitation of Hindus. That is not our purpose. Then we would not have come to western countries. We are actually spreading universal brotherhood. Krsna is the father and everyone our brother. We are claiming all our fallen brothers to become Krsna conscious. This is our movement. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
[In every town and village around the world, Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya 4.126]

  

This is our movement. Why you should be restricted, to India, and amongst the Hindus?