The Sky Beyond the Universe 43
not possible experimentally. We have to understand
by hearing Bhagavaa-gita. We cannot understand who
our father is by experimental knowledge; we have to
hear the word of our mother and believe her. If we
do not believe her, there is no way of knowing. If we
just stick to the Krsna conscious method, all infor-
mation about Krsna and His kingdom will be
revealed.

Paras tu bhavah means “‘superior nature,” and av-
yaktah refers to what we see manifested. We can see
that the material universe is manifested through the
earth, sun, stars and planets. Beyond this universe is
another nature, an eternal nature. Avyaktat sanata-
nah. This material nature has a beginning and an end,
but that spiritual nature is sanatanah—eternal. It has
neither beginning nor end. How is this possible? A
cloud may pass over the sky, and it may appear to
cover a great distance, but actually it is only a small
speck covering an insignificant part of the whole sky.
Because we are so small, if only a few hundred miles
is covered by cloud, it appears that the whole sky is
covered. Similarly, this whole material universe is
like a small insignificant cloud in the vast spiritual
sky. It is encased by the mahat-tattva, matter. As a
cloud has a beginning and an end, this material nature
also has a beginning and an end. When the clouds
disappear and the sky clears, we see everything as it
is. Similarly, the body is like a cloud passing over
the spirit soul. It stays for some time, gives some by-
products, dwindles and then vanishes. Any kind of
material phenomena that we observe is subject to
these six transformations of material nature—it comes
