God has No Name

When the impersonalist says, or there are many philosophers, that “God has no name,” actually that is a fact. God has no name. But He has name according to His activities. Just like when He acts as the chariot driver of Arjuna, His name is Partha-sarathi. When He plays as the child of Mother Yasoda, He is called Yasoda-nandana. When people say that He is born of Nanda Maharaja, He is called Nanda-nandana. When people say that He came to protect Vasudeva and Devaki, He is called Vasudeva, or Devaki-nandana. Or when He is in the Yadu dynasty, He’s said as Yadava. In this way, Krsna has unlimited pastimes and unlimited names. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs 5.33].

Ananta. Ananta means unlimited. He has got unlimited because so many devotees, not one devotees, and He has to satisfy everyone — as
Nanda-kumara, as Yasoda-nandana, as Vasudeva, as Yadava, as Partha-sarathi. So in this way, when one becomes bewildered that how many names He has got, so one should understand He has unlimited names or no name, but because He has to act unlimitedly, therefore He has got unlimited names.

So whole thing is summarized in one word: “Krsna,” means all-attractive. He draws the attraction of Vasudeva. He draws the attraction of Yadu-kula. He draws the attraction of Arjuna. He draws attraction everyone, all devotees.

He agreed to become son of Devaki, and there may be hundreds and thousands of Devaki, devotees. He is unlimited. His devotees are unlimited. Their demands are unlimited. So everything is Krsna’s unlimited. So therefore all-unlimited means Krsna, all-attractive. That is the real name of God, if God can be given one name. Because God has no name, but His names are given according to His activities. Then how to concentrate in one name? That one name is Krsna, all-attractive. That is the real name of Krsna.
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From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.33 – October 13, 1974, Mayapur