Gauragopala Das ACBSP: There was no beginning to the individual jiva-soul's existence, nor will there be an end as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains, the individual jiva-souls are eternal just like Krsna.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." (BG, Ch 2 text 12)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change." (BG, Ch 2 text 13)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (BG, Ch 2 text 14)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both." (BG, Ch 2 text 16)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 19)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 20 “corrected” 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29)

Srila Prabhupada – "There are no new souls, new and old are due to this material body, but the jiva-soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth, how can there be new souls?" (Letter to Jagadisa dasa, 9 July 1970)

There is no origin to Krsna's marginal energy, an unlimited number of individual jiva-souls, who have all existed for as long as Krsna has existed, which is eternity.

The individual jiva-souls are eternal living persons as a spiritual bodily form and can never be destroyed, cut into pieces, terminated or extinguished, the individual jiva-souls are indestructible.

Genuine loving exchanges can never exist for the individual jiva-souls if their asscociation with Krsna the Supreme Lord is not voluntary.

The relationship with Kṛṣṇa only has purpose when there is a positive meaningful "two-sided" variety of voluntary exchanges based on mutual respect, reciprocation and loving service.

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is always voluntary, some devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna," he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, chair, chariot, flagpole, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4, Melb, May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling, then there is love. Not by force! Krsna does not want to become a lover like that." (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are two-persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means two. There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. Therefore love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, so there must be lover, there must be beloved. We must understand that love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No, it is not good, that is not love, that is exploitation and forced obedience. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Srila Prabhupada quotes 1966 - 1974, Vaniquotes)

Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is oneness so how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (Lecture SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Bali Mardana dasa - "An example of free will is someone can choose Kṛṣṇa or turn away? Is that an example of free will?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, because if you accept Kṛṣṇa, then you must follow what Kṛṣṇa says. If you don't follow Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of talking of Kṛṣṇa? If one accepts Kṛṣṇa, they must abide by the injunction of Kṛṣṇa." (Morning Walk, Jan 22, 1974, Hawaii)

Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly, that is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."

Hayagriva dasa - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, but that is free will but misuses his free will, just like a thief who knows he is stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will. But unless there can be misuse of free will, then there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from: Discussions with on Rene Descartes philosophy)

Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one-way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "Marginal means the individual jiva-soul is sometimes under the internal energy, or sometimes under the external energy. When the individual jiva-souls are under the internal energy, that is their normal life, and when they are under the external energy, that is their abnormal life. Therefore, the individual jiva-souls are also called the marginal energy (marginal living entities); they can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, their tendency is to remain under the internal energy. Being in the external energy is their artificial attempt to enjoy without Krsna." (Based on letter to Lilavati, Allston, Massachusetts, 25 April, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-souls are Krsna's marginal energy. Marginal energy means we can live either in this external energy (matter) or in the internal energy (anti-matter), in between. So at the present moment we are living in the external energy (matter). But this external energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, God's energy, it is not different from Him. But the external energy means we are captivated by the external energy. But the external energy (matter) is not permanent. The internal energy (anti-matter) is permanent. The spiritual world is permanent, and the individual jiva-souls are also permanent as Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 text 20 (1983 edition) reveals." (Lecture BG, Ch 9 Text 4 Melb, Australia April 23, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-souls are always called marginal energy (known as individual units of anti-matter) whether they are in the spiritual world, the material world or the impersonal brahmajyoti. There are instances where marginal energy (individual jiva-souls) have fallen from the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya. So the potency to fall under the influence of the lower energy is always there. And thus the individual jiva-soul is called as Krsna’s marginal energy." (Letter to Rayarama dasa, Dec 2, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "The "immediate" expansions of the Lord are called svāṁśa or personal direct expansions (Visnu-tattva who are Krsna playing another role in His own pastimes) The "separated" expansions of the Lord are called vibhinnāṁśa - (jiva-tattva or the independent individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) like us." (From BG, Ch 10 Text 37, Purport)

Srila Prabhupada - "Every living being (individual jiva-soul) has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally, That is called svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa siddhi perfection of one’s constitutional position." (BG As It Is, Introduction)

Srila Prabhupada - "The relationship with Krsna is never lost, it is simply forgotten by the influence of maya, so it maybe regained or revived by the process of hearing the Holy Name of Krsna and then the devotee engages himself in the service of the Lord which is his original or constitutional position. The relationship of the living entity with Krsna is eternal as both Krsna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only, nothing new." (Letter to Jagadisa dasa 27 Feb 1970)

Srila Prabhupada - "The answer to your question about the marginal energy is that the individual jiva-soul is always called marginal energy whether he is in the spiritual world or in the material world. There are instances where marginal energy (individual jiva-souls) have fallen from the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya. So the potency to fall under the influence of the lower energy is always there. And thus the individual jiva-soul is called as Krsna’s marginal energy." (Letter to Rayarama, Dec 2, 1968)

The full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities (individual jiva-souls), is a two-arm spiritual bodily form like Krsna's Body.

Srila Prabhupada - "God is also human form. "Man is made after the shape of God." So Kṛṣṇa is also like human form, two hands, two legs." The human form is also the full manifestation of the individual jiva-soul." (Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-soul is not formless; it has got form, the spirit soul always has form and is expressed as hands, legs, heads, everything. But with our material eyes at the present, our gross eyes, we cannot see these facts; therefore we foolishly believe the individual jiva-souls have no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 14 Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

Devotee - "What is the form of the spiritual body. If the spirit soul is non-material, what is the form?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "There is form, just like this material body is compared with the dress. Now, just like in your present material form you have got hand; therefore your coat has got hand. You have got legs; therefore your pant has got legs. Therefore it is to be assumed that the individual jiva-soul always has got form, and is expressed as hands, legs, heads, everything. The individual jiva-soul is not formless; it has got form. But with our material eyes at the present, gross eyes, we cannot find it; therefore we say and foolishly believe it has no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 14, Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

As said above, the full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities (individual jiva-souls) is a two-arm, two leg spiritual bodily form like Krsna's Body, and do not originate from the impersonal Brahmajyoti as impersonalists foolishly believe.

Devotee – "Is the original spiritual body of the individual jiva-soul a human form?"

Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, human form, God is also human form. "Man is made after the shape of God." I think there is in the Bible. Is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."

Hari-sauri dasa – "How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"

Srila Prabhupada – [describing material form first]: "Yes, they are more covered, just like if you cover your body with blanket, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."

Hari-sauri dasa - "They are covered in the spiritual world?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Not in the spiritual world, there that is always voluntary, some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, as chair, as chariot, as flagpole or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 1-4 Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)

The individual jiva-souls are eternal spiritual living persons as an eternal spiritual bodily form who can never be destroyed, terminated, cut into pieces or extinguished, the individual jiva-souls are indestructible.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17)

Marginal also means the individual jiva-souls have the choice to stay in the spiritual world, which is their natural home and position, or enter the temporary material world, which is the unnatural conditioned state of the individual jiva-souls.

As said above, there is no origin to Krsna's marginal living entities (an unlimited number of individual jiva-souls), who have existed for as long as Krsna has existed which is eternity.

The individual jiva-souls can fall down further to being a bodiless inactive (dormant) so-called spiritual spark in the impersonal Brahmajyoti, this condition is already a fallen unnatural artifical possition of the individual jiva-soul.

The fact is, the individual jiva-soul's full potential is a spiritual bodily form (person) who are fully active like Krsna in the spiritual world, voluntarily serving Him as explained above, which is the individual jiva-soul's natural eternal home and original eternal position.

Krsna's effulgence is known as the dormant (inactive) [impersonal] Brahmajyoti made up of a collective of bodiless individual jiva-souls whose nature original eternal spiritual bodily form is suppressed.

Those individual eternal jiva-souls who foolishly seek out the inactivity in the impersonal brahmajyoti are compared to those attempting spiritual suicide.

They feel this way after becoming frustrated with the material world's temporary bodily vessels and the painful cycle of birth and death in the material world.

Becoming inactive or dormant in the impersonal brahmajyoti means the individual jiva-souls have artificially appear there as a bodiless spiritual spark which is a further fallen conditioned state of the individual jiva-souls outside of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.

As said above, appearing in that "fallen condition" as a spiritual spark is an unnatural artificial condition of the individual jiva-soul, who in their full potential, is a spiritual bodily form (person) that is their natural state and original position in the spiritual world serving Krsna the Supreme Lord.

Srila Prabhupada - "Existence in the impersonal Brahmajyoti is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness and a fallen condition therefore, those who are in the brahman effulgence are also in a fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. We do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated, the living entities first falling down to this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition and that non-fallen condition is Krsna cconsciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. Those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent. So, we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated. In other words, they are actually not liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world." (Letter to Revatinandana dasa, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

As said above, appearing in that fallen condition as a "spiritual spark" is the unnatural artificial condition of the individual jiva-soul, who in their full potential is a person as a spiritual bodily individual form associating with Krsna as His voluntary servant in His eternal pastimes.

The full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities (individual jiva-souls), is a "two-arm form" like Krsna's spiritual Body.

As said above, appearing in that fallen condition as a bodiless artificial form (spiritual spark) is the unnatural fallen appearance and condition of the individual jiva-soul, who in their full potential, is a spiritual bodily form (person) originally like Krsna's form.

Therefore, the full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls), is a two-arm form like Krsna's Body.

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual spirit soul's form is expressed as hands, legs, heads, everything, we cannot see these facts; therefore we foolishly believe the jiva-souls have no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 14 Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

Srila Prabhupāda - "The individual jiva-soul has got form but with our material eyes we foolishly believe it has no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 14, Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada – "Man is made after the shape of God, so God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs." (SB Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4, Melb, May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "In the spiritual world service and one’s spiritual bodily position there is voluntary, if some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything because it is voluntary." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4, Melb, May 20, 1975)

The original eternal home and position of the individual jiva-souls, is not some nonsense inactive impersonal formless bodiless artifical "spark" in the brahmajyoti or brahman (a temporary condition or appearance the individual jiva-souls can fall down too) as the impersonalists and mayavadis believe, nor do the individual jiva-souls originate from tatastha-sakti (a fallen condition) or the Body of Maha-Visnu, who is the creator of the temporary material world.

Srila Prabhupada - "When fall down takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition. The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness, existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition." (Letter to, Revatinandana dasa, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Srila Prabhupāda - "We are only a (dormant bodiless) spark (while fallen in the impersonal Brahmajyoti). But because we are spirit, a natural bodily form, we cannot remain in that fallen impersonal bodiless stage. The jiva-soul wants to enjoy, so for as long as one has forgotten (their spiritual bodily origin while outside of the spiritual atmosphere), one develops a body which is called matter."

Śyāmasundara dasa - "Does the individual jiva-soul develop a spiritual body?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "No, he is spirit, spiritual bodily identity already. But as we are developing material body, similarly we can revive the spiritual body."

Revatīnandana dasa - "You very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the individual jiva-soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen. Does that means the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen individual jiva-souls? You see my question? If I go there, I'm an individual jīva-soul, and if I go to the brahmajyoti am I still fallen?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Revatīnandana dasa - "That means all individual jīva-souls there are also fallen souls."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes." (Aug 17, 1971, London UK)

As said above, the original form of the individual jiva-souls is a "two-arms, two-leg" form like Krsna, and their original (eternal) home is either in the Vaikuntha planets or with Krsna and Caitanya Mahāprabhu on Goloka Vrindavana.

Only when the individual jiva-souls voluntarily choose to leave Goloka-Vrindavana and enter the Vaikuntha planets, do they manifest a four armed form like Lord Visnus or Lord Narayana but also can appear in unlimited other forms their too.

There are unlimited different perpetual personal Vaikuntha planets that take up 3/4 of the spiritual sky, along with Krsna's central Abode of Goloka-Vrindavana, each Vaikuntha planet have their own Visnu form, each with a unique name that describes the pastimes on their particular Vaikuntha planet.

Visnu/Narayana Forms are all expansion of Krsna via Krsna's first expansion, Krsna's older brother Balarama.

Also, surrender to Krsna does not mean you "surrender" your intelligence, your free will and the ability to express yourself as the independent PERSON you are eternally.

These special qualities gives meaning to the jiva-souls existence that allows the individual jiva-souls to express themselves independently from Krsna, yet simultaneously be always fully dependent on Krsna unconditionally.

Such personal voluntary service deepens one's loving reciprocation with Krsna with variegatedness and personal exchanges that enhances, enriches and forever continues to add flavour to one's unique relationship with Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is not love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)

Loving exchanges, cooperation, reciprocation and voluntary expressions, expressed as a variety of services that come through the individual jiva-soul's unique independent personality.

Voluntary expressions must be there so voluntary contributions happen within one's relationship with Krsna, by serving Him in a "two-way" exchange that makes the relationship personal, caring and genuine.

Loving feelings, emotions and personal unique expressions of voluntary service towards Krsna can only exist in a "two-sided" exchange, where the individual jiva-souls are able to voluntarily add to their relationship and friendship with Krsna.

In other words, loving devotional service, individual unique contributions and reciprocation only exist when they are "voluntary" and expressed under a "two-way" banner where the individual jiva-soul's unique contributions adds to one's personal relationship of loving exchanges with Krsna.

These qualities can only be expressed, grow and expand by having "free will," in this way the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana are eternally expanding.

Love can only exist by having the "free will" to voluntarily contribute to one's relationship with Krsna with unique creative personal offerings, allows the individual jiva-souls to participate selflessly serving Krsna by contributing to the relationship in their own unique way, and not allow any so called "God" to impersonally control their every thought, actions and deeds (offerings) like a puppet master controls and manipulates his mindless puppets.

In the spiritual world, one can never be influenced by maya or material energy because maya and the material energy do not exist there.

This Includes material desires that also can not exist there. However, free will always exists on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka-Vrindavana.

Devotee - "Is our desires that are not centred around Krsna, the cause of our fall down, which is the misuse of our free will?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will." (Discussions on Rene Descartes philosophy)

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 18 text 63 explains free will.

"Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do." (BG, Ch 18 text 63)

Purport by Srila Prabhupada:

"The Lord has already explained to Arjuna the knowledge of brahma-bhūta. One who is in the brahma-bhūta condition is joyful; he never laments, nor does he desire anything. That is due to confidential knowledge.

Kṛṣṇa also discloses knowledge of the Supersoul. This is also Brahman knowledge, knowledge of Brahman, but it is superior.

Here the words yathecchasi tathā kuru –

“As you like, you may act”

This indicates that God does not interfere with the little independence (free will) of the living entity (individual jiva-soul)

In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord has explained in all respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his heart. By right discrimination, one should agree to act according to the order of the Supersoul. That will help one become situated constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest perfectional stage of human life.

Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight. Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme.

Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such instruction comes also through the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa." (BG, Ch 18 text 63 Purport)***.