Back to Godhead Moto

Back to Godhead

"As it is our motto on the head of Back to Godhead, 'Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no darkness.' The whole world is full of darkness. The so-called yogis, swamis, mayavadis, scientists, philosophers, political leaders, all are different types of glowworms, so in the darkness of cloudy night during the rainy season, the croaking of the frogs and glitterings of the glowworms are supposed to be very prominent. But as soon as there is clear sunlight or moonlight, all these insignificant glowing and croaking disappear. So our movement is Krishna. The Krishna Consciousness Movement is nondifferent from Krishna. If we therefore present the Krishna Consciousness in right earnestness, then certainly all these insignificant glowworms and frogs will have no more importance. Please therefore take it very seriously and do it on the right path which is not very difficult, then certainly we will come out victorious all over the world."

(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 7, 1972)

The BTG moto was quoted from:

CC Madhya 22.31

kṛṣṇa — sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Synonyms

kṛṣṇa — Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sūrya-sama — like the sun planet; māyā — the illusory energy; haya — is; andhakāra — darkness; yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa — wherever there is Kṛṣṇa; tāhāṅ — there; nāhi — not; māyāra — of māyā, or the darkness of illusion; adhikāra — the jurisdiction.

Translation

“Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish.

Purport

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.34) it is stated:

ṛte ’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta
 na pratīyeta cātmani

tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ
 yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ

“What appears to be truth without Me is certainly My illusory energy, for nothing can exist without Me. It is like a reflection of a real light in the shadows, for in the light there are neither shadows nor reflections.”

Wherever there is light, there cannot be darkness. When a living entity becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is immediately relieved of all material lusty desires. Lusty desires and greed are associated with rajas and tamas, passion and darkness. When one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the modes of passion and darkness immediately vanish, and then the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) remains. When one is situated in the mode of goodness, he can make spiritual advancement and understand things clearly. This position is not possible for everyone. When a person is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he continuously hears about Kṛṣṇa, thinks about Him, worships Him and serves Him as a devotee. If he remains in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this way, the darkness of māyā certainly will not be able to touch him.