The wonderful Srimati Radharani.

Srila Prabhupada - "I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa. So, if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that - "This devotee is very nice," Kṛṣṇa will immediately accept, however fool the devotee may be because it was recommended by Rādhārāṇī. 

Therefore in Vṛndāvana you'll find all the devotees are chanting more Rādhārāṇī's name than Kṛṣṇa's name. Wherever you'll go, you'll find the devotees are addressing, "Jaya Rādhe! Jaya Rādhe!" You'll find that still in Vṛndāvana, they are always glorifying Rādhārāṇī. They are more interested worshiping Rādhārāṇī than Krsna because no matter how fallen I may be, if some way I can please Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes easy to win Krsna's attention.

However, if you go by the speculative process in an attempt understand Kṛṣṇa, it will take many, many, many lives. But if you take devotional service and try to please Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa will be won over very easily. In this way Rādhārāṇī can deliver Kṛṣṇa, She is such a great devotee and the emblem of a mahā-bhāgavata. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand what are Rādhārāṇī's qualities although Kṛṣṇa says vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26), 

Kṛṣṇa knows everything, but still Kṛṣṇa fails to understand Rādhārāṇī because Rādhārāṇī is so great. Actually, Kṛṣṇa knows everything (a seemingly spiritual paradox). In order to understand Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand the potency of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa thought that "I am full, I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Rādhārāṇī." 

This propensity made Kṛṣṇa obliged to accept the propensities of Rādhārāṇī so He could understand Himself better. These are, of course, a very transcendental and great science, only one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and well conversant with the śāstras can understand. But still we can discuss from the śāstra to try and understand. When Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitam

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but He has accepted the propensities of Srimati Rādhārāṇī. As Rādhārāṇī is always in feelings of separation of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, in the position of Rādhārāṇī, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, feelings of separation. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, that is Rādhārāṇī's position, to ALWAYS feeling the separation." (Adapted from Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day, London, Aug 29, 1971)

Srila Prabhupada - "Regarding your question about our relationship with Srimati Radharani, She is ALWAYS the internal energy (Kṛṣṇa's direct expansion), we are marginal energy (individual separated expansion known as the jiva-soul). 

Marginal means SOMETIMES part of the internal energy (anti-matter), or sometimes covered by the external energy (matter). When the jiva-souls are under the internal energy (anti-matter), that is their normal life, and when we are under the external energy (matter), that is their abnormal life. 

Therefore, the individual jiva-souls are called marginal energy; the jiva-souls can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, the jiva-soul's tendency is to remain in the internal energy (where only eternal living individual anti-matter exists). Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt." (Letter to Lilavati, Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969)

Guest - "What category is Radharani in?

Srila Prabhupada - "She is śakti, Cit-śakti. Bhagavān ke pleasure potency. Visnu-"sakti"-tattva, śakti-tattva, Śaktimān. Bhagavān is Śaktimān, śakti is Rādhārāṇī or Sītā or Lakṣmī. Durgā is also śakti, another feature of Rādhārāṇī."

Guest - "Śakti in original form is Rādhā?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, Parāsya śaktih..., parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (CC Madhya 13.65, purport). Originally cit-śakti. That cit-śakti is expanding. Just like we are..., rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). 

Kalā means part and parcel. So the eternal individual jiva-souls are also part and parcel, but they are very small part and parcel. But rāmādi mūrti, they are bigger part and parcel.

Just like if you throw one brick on the floor, so there will be so many small particles, big particles, this particle, like that. 

They are all part and parcel of the brick, but one part very small atomic part, and one big part, this part, this part, then this part, then this part. 

So all, Kṛṣṇa is the origin, and everyone is part and parcel. Some of them are bigger and some of them are smaller. So Viṣṇu-tattva is almost like Kṛṣṇa."

Guest - "Like Kṛṣṇa."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Others, they are very small. So according to the size, or according to the power..."

Guest - "Power."

Srila Prabhupāda - "The part and parcel exercises his position.

1 - Some of them are Viṣṇu-tattva, 

2 - some of them are Jīva-tattva (jiva-soul), 

3 - some of them are Śakti-tattva 

4 - some of them para-tattva. Like that."

Guest - "Is Para-tattva Krsna?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, Para tattva is Bhagavān. Para-tattva means Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. These are all para-tattva. Bhagavān avatāra, rāmā, nṛsiṁha, varāha, kūrma, vāmana, daśāvatāra, all avatāra or śakti-tattva, material energy, aparā-tattva, matter. Similarly cit-tattva, spiritual world. 

The living entities (eternal individual jiva-souls), although they are in the material world, they belong to the spiritual world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam. This material energy is inferior. Itas viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Beyond this material world is another, superior energy that includes jīva-bhūta and jiva-tattva (jiva-souls)." (Room Conversation, Nov 11, 1971, New Delhi)

This is the full potential of Lord Krsna's unique qualities. This is why Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes due to being EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING is in Him.

Krsna is fully satisfied in Himself, that includes enjoying through all of His expansions that are His parts and parcels. It is not that Krsna is just in our hearts, the fact is all the variety of Visnu-tattva expansions and individual jiva-souls expansions (but separated) are part and parcel of Krsna.

In other words, Krsna is NEVER alone, just like the Sun-disc is never alone due to the presence of the surrounding sun-rays, similarly Krsna is compared to the Sun-disc and the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are compared to the individual sun-rays.

The Sun-disc and the sun-rays cannot exist without each other, similarly Krsna cannot exist without His parts and parcels (the eternal individual marginal living entities or jiva-souls) that eternally always surround Him.

In this way, Krsna IS the Supreme Lord and simultaneously one with all that there is, yet also different and independent from all of His parts and parcels.

Krsna's eternal consort Srimati Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of His pleasure potency (internal energy) who Krsna created as a direct expansion of Himself just so He could experience the loving exchanges and reciprocation with a women.

So who is Srimati Radharani?

Srila Prabhupada - "When Krsna wants to be attracted by a woman, He has to create such a woman from His own energy. That woman is Rādhārāṇī." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 31 text 38 Purport)

Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything that is internally different from Himself, therefore Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are identical. 

Caitanya Caritamrita - "Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are "one and the same", but They have assumed two bodies. Thus They enjoy each other, tasting the mellows of love. The two transcendentalists Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are a puzzle to materialists." (CC Adi 4.56)

Srila Prabhupada - "The description of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa from the diary of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī is a condensed explanation, but one needs great spiritual insight to understand the mystery of these two personalities. One is enjoying in two. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the potent factor, and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the internal potency. According to Vedānta philosophy, there is no difference between the potent and the potency; they are identical. 

We cannot differentiate between one and the other, any more than we can separate fire from heat. Everything in the Absolute is inconceivable in relative existence. Therefore in relative cognizance it is very difficult to assimilate this truth of the oneness between the potent and the potency. 

The philosophy of inconceivable oneness and difference propounded by Lord Caitanya is the only source of understanding for such intricacies of transcendence. In fact, Rādhārāṇī is the internal potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and She eternally intensifies the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Impersonalists cannot understand this without the help of a mahā-bhāgavata (great pure) devotee. 

The very name “Rādhā” suggests that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is eternally the topmost mistress of the comforts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As such, She is the medium transmitting the living entities’ service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Devotees in Vṛndāvana therefore seek the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Śrī Kṛṣṇa." (CC Adi 4.56, Purport)

Caitanya Caritamrita - "Among the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the foremost. She surpasses all in beauty, in good qualities, in good fortune and, above all, in love." (CC Ādi 4.214)

Srila Prabhupada - "The beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold into a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is awakening in Vṛndāvana." (CC, Antya 1.169, Purport)

Srila Prabhupada - "The beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is described as follows: 'Her eyes defeat the attractive features of the eyes of the cakorī bird. When one sees the face of Rādhārāṇī, he immediately hates the beauty of the moon. Her bodily complexion defeats the beauty of gold. Thus, let us all look upon the transcendental beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī." (NOD, Ch 44)

Srila Prabhupada - "In the Vidagdha-mādhava, Second Act, verse 31, Kṛṣṇa tells His friend, 'My dear friend, what a wonderful thing it is that since I have seen the beautiful lotus eyes of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, I have developed a tendency to spit on the moon and the lotus flower!" (Nectar of Devotion, Ch 50)

Srila Prabhupada -"There is no comparison to Radharani's beauty and the luster of Her transcendental body. The so-called beauty of the moon has fallen on the ground in the presence of Radharani's beauty." (From Vrindavana by Srila Narottama das Thakura)

Srila Prabhupada - "Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s affection, Her exquisite beauty and good behavior, Her artistic dancing and chanting and Her poetic compositions are all so attractive that they attract the mind of Kṛṣṇa, who attracts the mind of everyone in the universe." (CC, Madhya 17.212)

Srila Prabhupada - "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Kṛṣṇa. The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Rādhārāṇī is still more attractive, for She can even attract Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohinī—the attractor of the attractor of Cupid." (NOD, Ch 1)

Guest - "Srila Prabhupāda, are we (the jiva-souls) expansions of Rādhā?"

Srila Prabhupada - "No, Rādhā is the internal potency, we are marginal potency. Of course, originally, in that sense, everything is Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But even then there are different expansions... That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches acintya bhedābheda. We are always simultaneously one and different. Always. We should remember that, we are eternal expansion of Kṛṣṇa, we are expansion of Rādhā also because Rādhā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. But still, different. This is our philosophy - "One and different simultaneously, Acintya bhedābheda."

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is "inconceivable simultaneously one and different". This is explained in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. The energies and the energetic is the same. Śakti-śaktimator abheda.

Just like sun and the sunshine, they are the same. There is no difference. But the molecules of the sunshine particles, that is not equal to the sun. 

These truths we shall always remember. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvāḥ. Therefore these are inconceivable. We are simultaneously one with Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, and at the same time different." (Lecture BG, Ch 4.5 Montreal, June 10, 1968)

All the devotees of Krsna must win the attention of Radharani to get Krsna's attention, as all service to Krsna only reaches Krsna by going through Her.

Krsna divided Himself into "two" so He could experience loving exchanges. 

For even Krsna, love can NEVER exist when there is just "one", there MUST be His expansions like Srimati Radharani and His Visnu-tattva and jiva-tattva (individual jiva-souls) expansions.

To experience loving exchanges and emotions with a women, Krsna divided Himself into two to be Srimati Radharani and Krsna in different spiritual bodies.

Krsna wanted to experience loving emotions and affection with a women, this is why He divided Himself into "two" - Radha and Krsna, just so He could experience those loving exchanges.

Madhudviṣa Swami - "Śrīla Prabhupāda, you spoke of inferior energy and superior energy. Those are two general categories. Are there other categories of energies besides that, and specifically how could we understand Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Is She?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "She is spiritual energy, internal energy personified."

Madhudviṣa Swami - "But is She jīva-bhūta or?"

Srila Prabhupada - "No, no, no. She is Kṛṣṇa. If everything is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī is not Kṛṣṇa, what is that? Kṛṣṇa. He (She) is Kṛṣṇa. She is the Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency."

Madhudviṣa Swami - "She is not jīva?"

Srila Prabhupada - "No, no, no. She is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa divided Himself into His energy and Himself. That energy, original spiritual energy, is Rādhārāṇī. That is stated by Jīva Gosvāmī. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmāt. When Kṛṣṇa wants pleasure, He cannot accept the inferior energy. The same superior energy, Kṛṣṇa, is divided into two. That is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And again, when they unite, that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Divided, they are Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and united, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. 

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Anya means another. 

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And when they are divided into two, that is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. This is the purport, Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. 

This is the conclusion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combination. Krsna is playing the part of Rādhārāṇī to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rādhārāṇī is the chief gopī and all Her young girl friends, they are also gopīs." (Lecture SB, Ch 2  text 1-5 Melb, June 26, 1974)

Caitanya Caritamrita - "Rādhikā is the transformation of Kṛṣṇa’s love. She is His internal energy called hlādinī". (CC, Adi 4.59)

Srila Prabhupada - "Srimati Radharani's mind, senses and body are steeped in love for Kṛṣṇa. She is Kṛṣṇa’s own energy, and She helps Him in His pastimes. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is as fully spiritual as Kṛṣṇa. No one should consider Her to be material. She is definitely not like the conditioned souls, who have material bodies, gross and subtle, covered by material senses. 

She is all-spiritual, and both Her body and Her mind are of the same spiritual embodiment. Because Her body is spiritual, Her senses are also spiritual. Thus Her body, mind and senses fully shine in love of Kṛṣṇa. She is the personified hlādinī-śakti (the pleasure-giving energy of the Lord’s internal potency), and therefore She is the only source of enjoyment for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything that is internally different from Him. Therefore Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are identical. The sandhinī portion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency has manifested the all-attractive form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the same internal potency, in the hlādinī feature, has presented Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. No one can match Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in the transcendental pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa." (CC, Adi 4.71 Purport)

Caitanya Caritamrta - "Just as the fountainhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all incarnations, so Śrī Rādhā is the cause of all these consorts." (CC Adi 4.76)

Caitanya Caritamrta - "Rādhā is the one who gives pleasure to Govinda, and She is also the enchantress of Govinda. She is the be-all and end-all of Govinda, and the crest jewel of all His consorts." (CC Adi 4.82)

Caitanya Caritamrta - "The transcendental goddess Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the direct counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord." (CC Adi 4.83,)

Srila Prabhupada - "When Krsna wants to be attracted by a woman, He has to create such a woman from His own energy. That woman is Rādhārāṇī. It is explained by the Gosvāmīs that Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Supreme Lord wants to derive transcendental pleasure, He has to create a woman from His internal potency and that women is Srimati Radharani." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 31 text 38, Purport)

Krsna divided Himself into "two" just so He could experience loving exchanges with a women and gave Her the name Srimati Radharani. 

The lesson here is love or service can only exist when there is a "two-sided" involvement between two,  in a loving relationship that allows unique reciprocation, cooperation and loving exchanges in a voluntary mood. 

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be "one" or love cannot be executed only one, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

Srila Prabhupāda – ''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)

Krsna is always complete in Himself and is never alone because within Krsna is everything and everything is within Him, therefore Krsna becomes two at anytime likes.

Krsna is always enjoying in Vrindavana with His consort Srimati Radharani, who He created by dividing Himself into two, just so He could experience loving exchanges with a women.

In this way Krsna is "fully complete" within Himself as Himself and enjoying simultaneously as His unlimited expansions who are all within Him. 

In other words, as said above, just like the sun-disc is only fully complete surrounded by the sun-rays (sunshine), similarly Krsna's full potential of loving expressions is only complete when surrounded by His loving devotees headed by Srimati Radharani.

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes not even a blade of grass can move without first being sanctioned by Him.

All living entities and matter are "sakti-tattva" which means they are all the energy of Kṛṣṇa however, there are different categories of sakti-tattva,  from Radharani including Her unlimited associates, to Visnu-tattvas headed by Balarama, Narayana,  Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakashayi Visnu, Paramatma, to Siva-tattva and His many expansions, to jiva-tattva or marginal living entities (jiva-souls) like us.

Although basically there are only two main types of living entities as Padma Purana explains.

Srila Prabhupada – "In the Padma Purana, wherein it is said that there are two kinds of spiritual entities; one is called the jiva (jiva-tattva or jiva-soul), and the other is called the Supreme Lord (unlimited Visnu-tattva expansions)." (87th Chapter of Krsna Book, Prayers by the Personified Vedas)

Srimati Radharani represents the category known as Visnu-"sakti"-tattva because of Her being no different than Krsna and therefore equal to all His Visnu-tattva direct expansions.  

Srimati Radharani was created by Krsna so He could experience intimate loving exchanges and unique emotions with a women equal to Himself.

Srila Prabhupada explains Srimati Radharani represents the internal energy or potency of Krsna and is Krsna's duplicate expansion.

And when Krsna and Radharani combine in the "one Body" then that is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Balarama is Krsna's first expansion, and from Balarama all other Visnu-tattvas expansions come from.

Also, Krsna as His original Form, never leaves Vṛndāvana. When Krsna comes to Earth to perform His pastimes, His original form never leaves Vṛndāvana and a 4 armed Visnu-tattva expansion comes instead but prays the part of the original 2 armed Krsna. 

In the Goloka-Vrindavana in the spiritual world, the original Krsna never kills demons, only His Visnu-tattva expansion in the material creation kills demons because in the original Vrindavana there are no demons.

Demons only exist in the material world's facsimile of the original Vrindavana in the spiritual world.

Srila Prabhupada - "When Kṛṣṇa kills the demons outside Vṛndāvana, He is not the original Kṛṣṇa; He is Vāsudeva (Visnu-tattva). Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). When Kṛṣṇa is acting universally, that is Vāsudeva. The original Kṛṣṇa is always in Vṛndāvana and never leaves."

Jayatīrtha - "If the original Kṛṣṇa is always in Vṛndāvana, then why do the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī feel separation from Him?"

Srila Prabhupada - "That is here in this material world, in the spiritual world Kṛṣṇa does not ever leave them."

Jayatīrtha - "Oh."

Srila Prabhupāda - "And even in the material world, Kṛṣṇa superficially has gone to Mathurā, but He has captured the heart of the gopīs. So, He is not leaving. Gopīs are enjoying Kṛṣṇa by separation. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's feeling, how He is appreciating Kṛṣṇa by separation. (Morning Walk, July 17, 1975, San Francisco)

HERE HERE HERE

Child Krsna meets baby Radharani for the first time.

The Divine Appearance of Srimati Radharani who is a little younger than Krsna.

The Puranas relate a story concerning the divine appearance of Srimati Radharani as follows. 

One day, Vrishabhanu Maharaja, who was living at Ravel at that time, went to the bank of Yamuna at around noon to take a midday bath.

As he approached the bank of the Yamuna, he saw a golden lotus flower floating on the water and shining brightly like a thousand suns. 

Vrishabhanu immediately waded into the river and when he came near to the golden lotus flower, he beheld the most beautiful and radiant form of baby girl lying within the petals of the lotus.

At that same moment, Lord Brahma suddenly appeared in the sky and speaking in a grave voice, informed Vrishabhanu that in his previous life, Vrishabhanu and his wife Kirtida had performed great austerities in order to get the consort of Lord Visnu as their daughter.

Lord Brahma told Vrishabhanu that this girl was the origin of the goddess Lakshmi and that he should take great care of Her. 

Lord Brahma then placed the baby girl in the arms of Vrishabhanu who became overjoyed, and after taking permission from Lord Brahma, returned to his home.

Seeing the beautiful baby girl shining like millions of autumnal moons, mother Kirtida was overcome with joy and immediately arranged for all kinds of religious rites to be performed and donated thousands of cows to the brahmanas.

At that time baby Radhika was placed in a gem-studded cradle and gently rocked back and forth by all the little girls of the village. 

Day by day Her luster increased just like the digits of the moon.

Within a short while it was observed that the baby girl made no noise and had not yet opened Her eyes. 

Vrishabhanu and his wife feared that their baby girl was perhaps blind from birth and also dumb.

At that time, Srila Narada Muni visited the home of Vrishabhanu and informed him that regardless of the girl’s apparent blindness, they should continue with the birth celebrations.

Vrishabhanu therefore made elaborate arrangements for a lavish birth celebration and sent out invitations to all the residents of Ravala and Gokula and especially to his dear friend Nanda Maharaja and his family.

On the appointed day, the guests had assembled and the birth celebrations were going on in great jubilation. 

Nanda Maharaja and Yashoda Mayi had arrived with Rohini and also brought their small children Krsna and Balarama.

Kirtida met with Yashoda and told her that she was very happy to have such a beautiful daughter, but was feeling rather distraught because her child was both dumb and blind.

Krsna had just passed His first birthday and was happily crawling around the courtyard on His hands and knees. 

Arriving at the cot in which Radhika was lying, Krsna held on to the sides and managed to lift himself up, He then peered into the cot where His gaze fell upon the beautiful moon-like face of baby Radhika.

As soon as baby Radhika smelt the exotic fragrance of Krsna’s transcendental body, She immediately opened Her eyes for the very first time, and looked directly at Krsna, who was the first person that She had ever seen.

As Krsna gazed lovingly at baby Radhika, He began smiling ecstatically. 

Radhika then suddenly began to cry and for the very first time she made a sound. 

Vrishabhanu and Kirtida, along with all the assembled Vrajavasis, were overjoyed to find out that their beloved daughter Radhika, was not blind nor dumb after all.

In the Radha rasa sudha nidhi it says. 

“So powerful is the glancing of Her eyes, that the flute slips from Krsna’s hands, His peacock crown starts to slip, and His yellow shawl becomes displaced as He swoons and falls to the ground. 

Alas, will I ever get the chance to serve with love and devotion such a person as Radharani".

The Marriage Ceremony of Radha and Krsna.

The forest of Bhandiravana is most famous because it was at this place under the celebrated banyana tree known as Bhandira Vata, that Radha and Krsna were married.

The wonderful story of this pastime was spoken by Srila Narada Muni and has been recorded in the Garga Samita as follows. 

One day, Nanda Maharaja came to Bhandiravana from Gokula to graze his cows near the banks of the Yamuna, and was carrying his little boy Krsna in his arms.

By the will of yogamaya, a strong wind suddenly began to blow causing all the leaves on the trees to fall and ripples to appear over the surface of the Yamuna. 

The sky immediately became dark and overcast as blackish rain-clouds assembled threateningly overhead.

When the clouds loudly thundered, Krsna became frightened and started to cry, forcing Nanda Baba to cuddle Him closer to his chest. The day seemed to turn into night as darkness spread in all directions.

Just then, a shining light as brilliant as ten million suns appeared from nowhere. 

From within that shining light, Nanda Baba could see standing before him, the youthful, charming, and exquisitely beautiful form of Srimati Radharani, the daughter of his friend Vrishabhanu.

She bore the luster of a thousand moons and was wearing a deep blue sari and Her pinkish lotus feet were decorated with golden anklets that jingled sweetly.

She was adorned with a golden waistband, a necklace, armlets, and bangles, and She wore a pearl in Her nose that appeared like a small moon orbiting Her full moon-like face. 

She had a golden Sri-kanta around Her neck, glittering golden earrings, and a glittering jewel-studded diadem situated on Her head.

Nanda Maharaja was struck with wonder at Her effulgence which appeared to light up the entire world. 

He immediately bowed his head and offered his heartfelt respects to Radharani saying -

“See this child in my arms, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I know that You are His eternal consort. 

Oh Radhe! I have heard this great secret from Gargamuni, therefore take this child, Your Lord, from my arms, He has become frightened due to the thundering of the clouds.”

Radha then took Krsna in Her arms and as Nanda Baba offered his humble obeisances, She entered the Bhandiravana forest holding Krsna tightly in Her embrace.

At that very moment, the holy land of Vrindavana assumed a divine form, the dark rain-clouds scattered and the wind subsided into a gentle breeze. 

Bhumi Devi, the mother earth and consort of Lord Visnu, appeared there in her eternal form causing the earth to flourish as if it was spring-time.

The gopis headed by Vrinda Devi, also appeared there along with the cowherd boys to witness the special occasion. 

The crystal clear waters of the Yamuna glistened and became beautified by jeweled staircases and golden terraces. 

In the distance, the rocks on Govardhana Hill appeared like great jewels and its peaks shone like gold.

With its cascading waterfalls and deep caverns, its huge body appeared like the king of elephants. 

The sweet smelling lotus flowers in the lakes around Vrindavana began to bloom simultaneously, causing the bumblebees to become madly intoxicated by the delicate aroma that emanated from them.

The peacocks, cuckoos, pigeons, and other song-birds began to resound, creating a celestial chorus that permeated the entire forest of Bhandiravana. In each of the nikunjavans, multicolored banners flapped joyously in the breeze announcing a very special event.

Then the Lord of creation, who was being carried in the arms of Radha, suddenly assumed His eternal youthful form of Govinda, that defeated millions upon millions of Cupids, and clasping the hand of His beloved Radha, They both gracefully entered the nuptial arena that was decorated with all the paraphernalia for a wedding ceremony.

Then as the ‘divine couple’ Radha and Krsna sat down beneath the Bhandira Vata on a golden throne. 

Lord Brahma, who was to officiate as the head priest, arrived there with the host of demigods through the celestial airways. 

After offering His humble obeisance’s by bowing down, He began to speak brilliant words in glorification saying,

“Anyone who speaks about Your divine transcendental attributes and sings Your praises automatically achieves complete beauty, wealth and perfection, even in this life. Even though you are equal to each other, nevertheless, for the sake of fulfilling local customs, I am going to perform Your marriage ceremony.”

Lord Brahma then kindled the sacrificial fire and after offering oblations into it, asked Radha and Krsna to accept each other’s hands.

After chanting the sacred Vedic mantras, and seeing that the corners of Their clothing was tied together, Brahma requested the ‘divine lovers’ to circumambulate the sacrificial fire seven times according to the Vedic system.

After this, Lord Brahma had Radha place Her hand on Krsna’s chest and Krsna’s hand on Radha’s back, after which They recited their wedding vows and offered garlands to each other.

At that moment, the demigods showered flowers from the sky, and while playing on various musical instruments and beating on hundreds of celestial drums; they began dancing along with their beautiful wives in great transcendental ecstasy.

Philosophical Considerations Regarding the Marriage of Radha and Krsna. 

This incident of the marriage ceremony between Radha and Krsna was enacted for the specific pleasure of Lord Brahma and the demigods.

This pastime fulfilled their desire to see Radha and Krsna married together in a wedding ceremony in accordance with the standard social customs of Vedic culture.

This was because Lord Brahma knew in the future that the divine pastimes of parakiya-rasa revealed by Radha and Krsna on the earthly plain, would be severely criticized and misunderstood by mundane moralists and so-called religionists.

Lord Brahma therefore, to preempt all false criticism, personally performed Their marriage ceremony while Radha and Krsna were still in Their infancy. 

According to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy as propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, in Their original manifested forms are not married, but remain as eternal lovers in the mood of parakiya-bhava, which means a conjugal relationship as paramours.

This is because the super-excellent parakiya-bhava manifests the greatest transcendental pleasure for Radha and Krsna as well as Their eternal servitors the gopis.

Thus is therefore regarded as the most superior form of bhava or loving mood within the category of madhurya-rasa, which is itself considered the most superior amongst the five essential rasas.

Another point is that at the time of this ceremony at Bhandiravana, both Radha and Krsna were still only about two or three years old and enjoying Their kaumara-lilas, or pastimes as little children at Gokula and Ravala respectively.

This manifestation of the wedding ceremony at Bhandiravana was certainly a unique spiritual event similar to the secret manifestation of the Yoga-pitha, or the pastimes of aprakata-lila.

To win Krsna's favour you first must please Srimati Radharani.

Srila Prabhupada - "Rādhārāṇī is hari-priyā, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that "This devotee is very nice," then Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts, however fool I may be because it is recommended by Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepts.

Therefore in Vṛndāvana you'll find all the devotees, they're chanting more Rādhārāṇī's name than Kṛṣṇa's. Rādhārāṇī can deliver Kṛṣṇa. She is so great devotee, the emblem of mahā-bhāgavata. 

Even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand what is Rādhārāṇī's quality. Even Kṛṣṇa, although He says vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26), "I know everything," still, He fails to understand Rādhārāṇī.

In order to understand Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Rādhārāṇī. When Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but He has accepted the propensities of Rādhārāṇī.

As Rādhārāṇī is always in feelings of separation of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, in the position of Rādhārāṇī, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Kṛṣṇa.

That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. 

The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa.

That is Rādhārāṇī's position, always feeling the separation.

The Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa."

Although they were the most perfect, they never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." 

Their prayers were like this: he rādhe! vraja-devike! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ. He rādhe, Rādhārāṇī, he rādhe! vraja-devike! ca.

Rādhārāṇī does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devī, Lalitā or Viśākha and other damsels of Vṛndāvana.

So the Gosvāmīns are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vṛndāvana, they were praying in this way, he rādhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ:

"Where is Rādhārāṇī, where are You? Where are Your associates? Where are You hiding? Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa, where are you and Radharani?" They are all searching. They never said, "I have seen Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs. Last night I saw." (laughter) 

This is sahajiyā mentality. This is not a mature devotee. This is called... They are called sahajiyā.

They take everything very cheap—Kṛṣṇa very cheap, Rādhārāṇī very cheap—as if they can see every night. 

No, the Gosvāmīs do not teach us like that!

They're searching after. He rādhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ, śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vanye kutaḥ: 

"Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamunā, where are You?" 

Kālindī-vanye kutaḥ. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau.

Their business was crying like this, "Where You are? Where You are, Rādhārāṇī? Where you are, Lalitā, Viśākha, the associates of Rādhārāṇī? 

Where are You Kṛṣṇa? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamunā?" Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure.

So throughout the whole tract of Vṛndāvana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair mahā-vihvalau, as if madman. 

Khedair mahā-vihvalau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau." (Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day London, Aug 29, 1971)^

Compiled by Gauragopala Dasa Acbsp (initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10th 1972).

Krsna, as His original Form, NEVER leaves Vrindavana in the spiritual world.

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, and the original source of all Visnu and Narayana forms of God (Visnu-tattva).

Krsna, as His original Form, NEVER leaves Vrindavana in the spiritual world. 

Therefore, when Krsna comes to the material creation, He comes via His Visnu-tattva expansion, who plays the role of Krsna as His original Vrindavana form in the spiritual world. 

In other words, the Krsna who comes to the material world, is really a "four armed Visnu-tattva expansion" of the original two armed Krsna who plays the role of Krsna. 

So, when it is said only Kṛṣṇa has 64 qualities in full, it means He is the only one who has them ALL the time in full and not even His Visnu/Narayana forms can manifest all 64 qualities all the time. 

Even though it is also said that His Visnu-tattva expansions have only 60 of those 64 qualities, a Visnu-tattva expansion CAN occasionally manifest those 64 qualities temporarily, like when a four armed Visnu Form plays the role Krsna in the material world.

Remember, the original Krsna never leaves Vṛndāvana in the spiritual world but spiritually there absolutely is no difference between Krsna and Viṣṇu, only that Kṛṣṇa was first.

Srila Prabhupada explains-

Srila Prabhupada - "Although there are many expansions, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the origin, as confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā. He is like the original candle, from which many thousands and millions of candles are lit. Although any number of candles can be lit, the original candle still retains its identity as the origin. In this way Kṛṣṇa expands Himself into so many forms, and all these expansions are called viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu is a large light, and we are small lights, but all are expansions of Kṛṣṇa." (CC Introduction)

Srila Prabhupada - "The original Lord Kṛṣṇa never leaves Goloka Vṛndāvana. All the plenary expansions are one and the same Viṣṇu-tattva, and there is no difference in Their potency. (SB, Canto 3 Ch 1 Text 34 Purport)

As said above, when Krsna comes to this material world for His childhood pastimes, it is His 4 armed Visnu-tattva expansion who play's the role of two armed Krsna as the paintings below reveals.

Srila Prabhupada - "Because Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana, all the Forms of Kṛṣṇa that appear elsewhere are His expansions. Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa's immediate expansion, so Vāsudeva is not different from Kṛṣṇa. It is to be understood that the Vāsudeva referred to in this verse of Bhagavad-gītā is Baladeva, or Balarāma, because He is the original source of all incarnations and thus He is the sole source of Vāsudeva. The immediate expansions of the Lord are called svāṁśa (personal Visnu/Narayana expansions), and there are also expansions called vibhinnāṁśa - separated jiva-tattva (jiva-soul) expansions." (BG, Ch 7 Text 2 Purport)

Srila Prabhupada - "Because Mathurā and Vṛndāvana are intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa eternally, it is said that Lord Kṛṣṇa NEVER leaves Vṛndāvana (vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya padam ekaṁ na gacchati)." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 1 Text 34 Purport)

Srimad Bhagavatam - "Since that time, the city of Mathurā had been the capital of all the kings of the Yadu dynasty. The city and district of Mathurā are very intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa, for Lord Kṛṣṇa lives there eternally." (SB, Canto 10 Ch 1 Text 28)

Srila Prabhupada - "It is understood that Mathurā City is the transcendental abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa; it is not an ordinary material city, for it is eternally connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vṛndāvana is within the jurisdiction of Mathurā, and it still continues to exist. At present, the place known as Vṛndāvana, in the district of Mathurā, continues its position as a transcendental place, and certainly anyone who goes there becomes transcendentally purified. Navadvīpa-dhāma is also intimately connected with Vrajabhūmi." (SB, Canto 10 Ch 1 Text 28 Purport)

Srila Prabhupada - "The great authority Śukadeva Gosvāmī remarks that Kṛṣṇa almost always passed His time with Rukmiṇī, and Rukmiṇī was a bit proud to be so fortunate that Kṛṣṇa NEVER left her even for a moment." (Krsna Book 60)

When Krsna enters the material creation for His Vrindavana pastimes, He does so as His Visnu expansion who plays the role of Krsna by acting the part of Krsna appearing like His original Form.

As said above, Krsna, as His original bodily Form NEVER leaves Goloka-Vrindavana in the spiritual world, this means He NEVER enters the decaying temporary material creation or even the perpetual Vaikuntha planets either as His original two-armed Form because child Krsna NEVER leaves Goloka-Vrindavana in the spiritual world as explained above.

The amazing twist here is because Balarama is Kṛṣṇa's first expansion, all other Visnu-tattva expansions come from Balarama as Prabhupada explains above." *<

Compiled by Gauragopala Dasa Acbsp (initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10th 1972).

personalism and free will are eternally linked. Without free will personalism can never exist.

The eternal marginal living entities (individual jiva-souls) never lose their "free will" of self expression in the Kingdom of God (on the Vaikuntha planets or on Krsna's central Abode of Goloka Vrindavana) 

This is because loving exchanges and reciprocation are based on "free will" or freedom of independent expression, which is the choice by the eternal individual jiva-souls to voluntary participate in Krsna's service, and is the bases of personalism.

This further acknowledges that the individual jiva-soul's independent identity, personality and character is eternally always separate from Krsna's absolute control and Personality, even though He knows everything and is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.

Krsna allows this "illusion of freedom" to exist with all eternal individual jiva-souls so that diversity, independent contributions and mystery is always there in the spiritual world, and it is not just a so called paradise of "one person" surrounded by his mindless drones and yes men and women.

Having free will creates intrigue by giving the illusion the eternal jiva-souls have full independence (when in reality they don't) that only exists because Krsna wants to see others contribute their own personal ideas rather than always being controlled by God in an impersonal loveless atmosphere.

This is how Kṛṣṇa created "personalism" and "free will," both are eternally linked. Without "free will" personalism can never exist.

This further allows all eternal individual jīva-souls to be a unique independent person who eternally has their free will (freedom of unique self expression)

These deep secrets of Krsna's creation that can only exist when "personalism" and "free will" are combined need to be thoroughly understood.

The qualities of "free will" allows the eternal individual jiva-souls to contribute in their own unique way separate from Krsna's all-pervasive control, based on their own "personal sense of individual self," contributing or serving Krsna in their own unique way that makes them the individual persons they are for infinity.

"Free will" allows the eternal individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world to always voluntarily express themselves in their own unique special way, making them the contributing person they are eternally.

Srila Prabhupada - “The individual jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is 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 and become a flower, voluntarily, and one can change his form in the spiritual world 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, 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)

In the spiritual world all relationships with Krsna are "equally blissful to each other," just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower.

Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are son of God you have independence, you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence. If you persist that “I must enjoy independently," God says, "All right, you can go.” This is the position, if you persist, God sanctions. And you can come here and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)

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 - "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, he misuses his free will. Just like a thief, he knows that his 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, therefore  unless there can be the misuse of free will, then there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from Discussions on Rene Descartes philosophy)

The eternal individual unique jiva-souls are independent living entities in the spiritual worlds and have their own unique personality and sense of self that is separate from Krsna's Personality, yet are simultaneously dependent on Krsna as His parts and parcels.

The reason why Krsna gives the jiva-souls their independence and free will is so they can choose for themselves how to voluntarily serve Krsna in their own unique personal way without His or anyone elses domination.

This means the individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world always contribute in their own unique way, with offerings of their choice without any pressure or force from Krsna.

Real love or service can only exist when there is free will that only fully operates in a "two-sided" relationship of cooperation, reciprocation and loving exchanges with Krsna that He allows to create diversity and personalism.

This allows the individual jiva-souls to voluntarily participate as an independent person in loving devotional exchanges and providing personal contributions to their relationship with Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, otherwise if Krsna never allowing individual independence then His abode would be a useful lovless display of impersonalism.

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)

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only by one, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - ''The impersonalist philosophy is oneness, so how can there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience? Love means one? No, love means two! There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He's so lover of you 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)

Surrender to Krsna in the spiritual world does not mean giving up your "free will" and individual personality and allowing Krsna to control your every actions, deeds, words and thoughts like a puppet master controls his puppets! Such nonsense forced manipulative control is impersonalism and spiritual suicide to a real devotee of God!

No, the eternal individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world are not programmed "mindless" drones who only obey and never contribute to the relationship with Krsna in their own unique way by thinking for themselves.

If Krsna never allowed free will or even controlled it, then he is a useless God who must be rejected! 

Therefore, the eternal individual jiva-souls can never lose their "free will" on the Vaikuntha planets or in Goloka Vrindavana, meaning they always must have a choice to accept Kṛṣṇa or reject Krsna. 

And that is also why it is nonsense to foolishly claim the individual eternal jiva-souls can never fall down from the spiritual world.

The eternal jiva-souls always have the individual ability of independent self expression which allows them to make their own unique offering of personal contributions to Krsna unique to each individual jiva-soul.

Only by having "free will" can genuine loving exchanges and reciprocation (personalism) take place. 

And without "free will" personalism can never exist, the eternal individual jiva-souls devoid of free will (freedom to express themselves) are no better than dead mindless stone Prabhupada has warned us.

Furthermore, in the spiritual world Krsna never interferes with the free will of the jiva-souls because if He did and never allowed them to have their free will or the "self expression" to make their own choices in the spiritual world, then that also would mean loving exchanges of voluntarily reciprocation with Krsna would NEVER exist.

If one is forced to worship Krsna or Visnu or any name of God, then that is not love, it is tyranny, bullying and impersonalism.

The "impersonal" version of God's abode where individual jiva-souls are forced to surrender their "free will" and allow their bogus version of God to take over their individual existence, allowing Him to do all the thinking for them, as many nonsense religious cults propagate, is dangerous impersonalism.

Having genuine "free will" on the other hand, allows the individual jiva-souls to be themselves and express themselves as an independent person, who voluntarily serves Krsna the way they choose to serve Him - that is what "personalism" really means.

Voluntary service to Krsna and His devotees is the bases of real surrender in Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets which are the permanent eternal home and origin of the marginal living entities (jiva-souls).

The jiva-souls on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka-Vrindavana are forever voluntarily expanding the expression of their unique individuality with an ever increasing variety of personal devotional offerings based on free will.

As said above, it is never a "one-sided master/slave" mindless impersonal relationship with Krsna.

As said above, Krsna does not control the "surrendered" jiva-souls by force like a puppet master controls every movement of his puppets with the manipulations of strings, denying self expression, individual contributions and voluntary service.

However, Krsna does control His pure devotees with loving exchanges and reciprocation and the eternal individual jiva-souls also voluntarily allow this out of their unconditional love for beautiful Krsna (the real God) who they know will do everything for His devotees.  

Actually Kṛṣṇa is far more selfless and caring than His devotees can ever be.

Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; no, that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

If the jiva-souls had no "free will" in the spiritual world, then personalism has no meaning, they are no better than dead stone Prabhupada explains here-

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)

Srila Prabhupada - "As living spiritual jiva-souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency (the jiva-souls) are in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity." (The "Happening Record Album" recorded Dec 1966 in New York City, USA)

Always chant-

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.^^.

In the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, EVERYTHING is alive with an unlimited variety of "individual" unique life forms.

These eternal individual life forms in Krsna's creation are known as Viṣṇu-tattva who are unlimited direct expansions of Krsna like Balarāma, Narayana, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, Parramatta etc, and also includes the Viṣṇu-"sakti"-tattva personalities like Radharani and Her associated (internal energy), and then there are the eternal jiva-tattva (jiva-souls) who are separate independent eternal individual life forms.

Then there is Siva-tattva or Lord Siva who is mostly involved in the material world in a league of his own, who is neither Visnu-tattva or Jiva-tattva (jiva-soul)

Life is NOT an "all-pervasive" - "all-one" consciousness as the foolish mayavadi, impersonalist yogis and mundane nonsense scholars wrongly believe.  

There is an unlimited variety of spiritual bodily "individual life" forms in five different categories the jiva-souls can be anytime they like.

Temporary decaying material energy does NOT exist in the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, only "individual life forms" eternal exist their serving Krsna and Viṣṇu in unlimited different spiritual bodily ways.

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is 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 and become a flower, voluntarily, and one can change his form in the spiritual world 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, 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)

In the spiritual world ALL relationships with Krsna are equally blissful to each other, just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower, the blissful exchanges are equal.

The individual spiritual bodily form of the marginal living entities (the eternal individual jiva-souls), have no beginning point, nor will they ever cease to be. 

This is because there is neither birth or death for the eternal individual jiva-soul PERSONALITIES as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The 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 - “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 - "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)

The eternal original spiritual bodily form the individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) is a two armed spiritual bodily form like Krsna's Form however, the individual jiva-souls can voluntarily change their form in unlimited ways over their eternal existence.

Srila Prabhupada - "The spirit 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 jiva-souls have no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 text 14, Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

All individual jiva-souls eternally are a spiritual bodily form, only while the individual jiva-souls are fallen, do they artificially appear as a formless impersonal individual unit or bodiless spark in Krsna's effulgence (the impersonal brahmajyoti)

Revatīnandana dasa - "Srila Prabhupāda you very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the jiva-soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen, so does that mean the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen 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 jīva-souls there in the impersonal Brahman (Brahmajyoti) are also fallen souls?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, 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. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition (Goloka Vrindavana and Vaikuntha). The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness."(Letter to Revatinandana dasa, LA 13 June, 1970 and 1971 London)

The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal individual spiritual PERSONS as their perpetual spiritual bodily form as their full potential.  

The eternal individual jiva-souls can ALWAYS voluntarily choose to serve Krsna in a variety of ways, as an unlimited variety of spiritual bodily forms, or reject Krsna if they choose. 

Such "free will" must eternally exist for the individual jiva-souls to allow freedom of expression and service otherwise there can be no question of genuine voluntary loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna.

The eternal individual jiva-soul's original perpetual position and "home" is always voluntarily achieved by pleasing Krsna in a variety of ways with personal unique contributions in the Vaikuntha planets, and Goloka-Vrindavana. 

Some pure devotees in the spiritual world may even choose to voluntary serve Krsna in the material world by bringing back to the spiritual world those jiva-souls who have preciously fallen to the material world, like Srila Prabhupada has done.

On the other hand, foolishly choosing to fall down to the temporary material world under maya dictates, and then, due to the frustration of repeated birth and death in the temporary material world, fall even further to the impersonal brahmajyoti, are an un-natural conditioned state of the eternal individual jiva-souls. 

Frustration in the material world trapped within temporary material bodily vessels, causes the eternal individual jiva-souls to attempt to extinguish their eternal individual spiritual identity, personality and character (attempted spiritual suicide) 

The frustrated conditioned individual jiva-souls attempt to artificially become inactive and outwardly appearing as an almost dead dormant bodiless spark in the impersonal Brahman or Brahmajyoti.

This impersonal brahmajyoti is made up of unlimited fallen eternal individual jiva-souls (hovering as inactive bodiless sparks) who also have denied their real position and home in the spiritual world as an eternally fully active spiritual PERSON who is Krsna's dear friend and servant. 

The individual jiva-soul's spiritual bodily appearance is eternally similar to Krsna's form, but they can voluntarily change that at anytime.

They can be a flower, or a tree, or gopi, or cowherd boy, a chair Krsna sits on, or the grass Krsna walks on, or a cloud in the sky Krsna admires, the choices are unlimited.

The eternal individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world can be a flag pole on Krsna's chariot, or even Krsna's chariot, running creek water, a tree, a pathway, a star in the sky Krsna admires etc, and at any moment can change back to a two armed human form in Goloka Vrindavana, or the four armed form on a Vaikuntha planets.

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

Devotee – "Is the original body of the spirit 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 voluntary, some devotee 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, 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)

Fortunately, over 90% of individual jiva-souls choose to stay in the spiritual world's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana even though they can choose to leave if they want. However, almost 10% do choose to leave the spiritual world and enter the material world via the dreams of Maha-Visnu.

Dr. John Mize – "Did all the jiva-souls that were in the spiritual sky (the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavan) fall out of the spiritual sky at once or at different times, or are there any jiva-souls that are always good, they’re not foolish, they don’t fall down?"

Srila Prabhupada – "No, there are majority, 90%, they are always good. They never fall down."

Dr. John Mize – "So we’re among the 10%."

Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, or less than that. In the material, whole material world all the living entities they are… Just like in the prison house, there is some population, but they are not majority. The majority of the population, they are outside the prison house. Similarly, majority of living being, part and parcel of God, they are in the spiritual world. Only a few fall down." (BG, As It Is. lecture, Mayapur, June 20, 1973)

The eternal individual jiva-souls have the free will (freedom of individual self expression) to make their own choices which includes even rejecting Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of love.#×#

Compiled by Gauragopala Dasa Acbsp (initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10th 1972).

From the original infinite two armed spiritual bodily form of the eternal individual jiva-soul, who is similar to Krsna's spiritual bodily form, all other spiritual forms can be also achieved voluntarily, and are therefore possible to achieve over infinity if one chooses.

Such as the four armed spiritual bodily form on the Vaikuntha planets similar to Lord Visnu's four armed spiritual Body, or a blade of grass, a tree, a cowherd boy or girl, a stone pebble the Krsna walks on, a flag or flag pole, a chariot,  a cloud, a star, a drop of rain. 

Like this, there is an unlimited variety of spiritual bodily forms in five different categories the individual jiva-souls can be anytime they like. 

In the spiritual world everything is alive as "individual life forms." Life is NOT an all-pervasive "all-one" consciousness as the foolish mayavadi, impersonalist yogis and mundane nonsense scholars wrongly believe.

Also temporary decaying material energy does NOT exist in the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, only "individual life forms" eternal exist their serving Krsna and Viṣṇu.

Srila Prabhupada - "The individual jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is 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 and become a flower, voluntarily, and one can change his form in the spiritual world 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, 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)

In the spiritual world ALL relationships with Krsna are equally blissful to each other, just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower, the blissful exchanges are equal.

The individual spiritual bodily form of the marginal living entities (the eternal individual jiva-souls), have no beginning point, nor will they ever cease to be. 

This is because there is neither birth or death for the eternal individual jiva-soul PERSONALITIES as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The 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 - “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 - "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)

The eternal original spiritual bodily form the individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) is a two armed spiritual bodily form like Krsna's Form however, the individual jiva-souls can voluntarily change their form in unlimited ways over their eternal existence.

Srila Prabhupada - "The spirit 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 jiva-souls have no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 text 14, Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

From the original infinite 2 armed spiritual bodily form of the eternal individual jiva-soul, who is similar to Krsna's spiritual bodily form, all other spiritual forms can be also achieved voluntarily, and are therefore possible to achieve over infinity if one chooses.

Such as the four armed spiritual bodily form on the Vaikuntha planets similar to Lord Visnu's 4 armed spiritual Body, or a blade of grass, a tree, a cowherd boy or girl, a pebble the Krsna walks on, a flag or flag pole, a chariot,  a cloud, a star, a drop of rain. 

Like this, there is an unlimited variety of spiritual bodily froms in 5 different categories the individual jiva-soul can be anytime they like. In the spiritual everything is alive as individual life forms. 

The temporary decaying material energy does NOT exist there in the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.

Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is 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 and become a flower, voluntarily, and one can change his form in the spiritual world 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, 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)

In the spiritual world ALL relationships with Krsna are equally blissful to each other, just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower, the blissful exchanges are equal.

Also, being an "inactive" bodiless spark conditioned in the impersonal Brahmajyoti, is an already fallen condition of the eternal individual jiva-souls. The jiva-soul's original feature and full potential is a eternal bodily spiritual form like Krsna's two armed Form, because man is made in the image of God.

All individual jiva-souls eternally are a spiritual bodily form, only while the individual jiva-souls are fallen, do they artificially appear as a formless impersonal individual unit or bodiless spark in Krsna's effulgence (the impersonal brahmajyoti)

Revatīnandana dasa - "Srila Prabhupāda you very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the jiva-soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen, so does that mean the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen 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 jīva-souls there in the impersonal Brahman (Brahmajyoti) are also fallen souls?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, 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. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition (Goloka Vrindavana and Vaikuntha). The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness."(Letter to Revatinandana dasa, LA 13 June, 1970 and 1971 London)

Krsna is behind everything, both the individual jiva-soul in there unnatural bodiless impersonal conditioned state, and the individual jiva-souls as their nature personal position as an eternal active contributing person serving Krsna. 

Ultimately, the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal individual spiritual PERSONS in their perpetual full potential.  

This means the eternal individual jiva-souls can ALWAYS voluntarily choose to serve Krsna in a variety of ways, as an unlimited variety of spiritual bodily forms, or reject Krsna if they choose. 

Such "free will" MUST eternally be exist for the individual jiva-souls, otherwise there can be no question of genuine voluntary loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna.

The many comments from past Sages, Acharyas, devotees and scholars who claim the individual jiva-souls can never fall down from the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, may have made those comments for many reasons, to give faith among aspiring devotees and neophytes, or to encourage them to understand that their natural constitutional position IS never fall down and NEVER ''choose'' to leave the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, and NEVER desire to be independent from Krsna or Visnu.

The eternal individual jiva-soul's original perpetual position and "home" is always voluntarily achieved by pleasing Krsna in a variety of ways with personal unique contributions in the Vaikuntha planets, and Goloka-Vrindavana. 

Some pure devotees in the spiritual world may even choose to serve Krsna in the material world by bringing back to the spiritual world those jiva-souls who have preciously fallen to the material world, like Srila Prabhupada has done.

Choosing to fall to the temporary material world, and then, due to the frustration of repeated birth and death in the temporary material world, fall even further to the impersonal brahmajyoti, are an un-natural conditioned state of the eternal individual jiva-souls. 

Frustration in the material world trapped within temporary material bodily vessels, causes the eternal individual jiva-souls to attempt to extinguish their eternal individual spiritual identity, personality and character (attempted spiritual suicide) 

The frustrated conditioned individual jiva-souls attempt to artificially become inactive and outwardly appearing as an almost dead dormant bodiless spark in the impersonal Brahman or Brahmajyoti.

This impersonal brahmajyoti is made up of unlimited other eternal individual jiva-souls (hovering as inactive bodiless sparks) who also have attempted spiritual suicide by denying the eternal individual jiva-soul's real position as an eternally fully active spiritual PERSON and Krsna's dear friend and servant in their natural eternal home of Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planet.

The individual jiva-soul's spiritual bodily appearance is eternally similar to Krsna's form, but they can voluntarily change that at anytime.

They can be a flower, or a tree, or gopi, or cowherd boy, a chair Krsna sits on, or the grass Krsna walks on, or a cloud in the sky Krsna admires, the choices are unlimited.

The eternal individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world can be a flag pole on Krsna's chariot, or even Krsna's chariot, running creek water, a tree, a pathway, a star in the sky Krsna admires etc, and at any moment can change back to a two armed human form in Goloka Vrindavana, or the four armed form on a Vaikuntha planets.

No individual spiritual bodily form the jiva-souls appear as, is fixed in the spiritual world, at anytime they want to voluntarily please Krsna in a certain way, they can change their appearance.

The eternal individual jiva-soul's rasa (pastime) can constantly change over eternity. It is all voluntary, you can be what ever you want to be if it is you genuine desire to please or amuse Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada - "In the spiritual world our relationship with Krsna or Visnu is 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 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, 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)

In the spiritual world the choice of the individual jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna is ALWAYS voluntary, from a blade of grass to a tree, a cow or gopi.

Their individual contributions are eternally expressed in both the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana in a "two-way' reciprocal exchange with Krsna in an unlimited variety of different pastimes and bodily forms over eternity.

In the spiritual world only the "eternal presence" of Krsna exists, where as in the temporary  mundane "material world" time is divided into "past, present and future" that causes a progressive state of material bodily decay, decline, impermanence resulting in repeated birth and death.

In the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, the eternal individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are NEVER forced to surrender to Krsna or do anything they choose not to voluntarily do, everything there done out of selfless love for Radha and Krsna.

Also, there are no superior spiritual bodily forms one can permanently appear as in the spiritual world, this is because all spiritual bodily forms in the spiritual world (everything their is alive) are equally blissful and equal to each other.

As said above, from a blade of grass, to a flower, a tree, a bench Krsna sits on, a cloud in the sky, rain drops, a cow, a human form, many varieties of spiritual bodily froms, like cow herd boys and girls to shop owners etc. From the two armed bodily form in Vrindavana to the four armed bodily form in Vaikuntha, to being a dog, an ant, a bee, the wind in the sky, a Peacock, a monkey, etc, every thing in the spiritual world is alive with unlimited individuals in unlimited spiritual forms, nothing material (dead) or Maya can ever exist there.

The fact is all the eternal individual jiva-souls can be what ever form they desire to be or choose to be pleasing Krsna, or Visnu that are both equally blissful as being as their human spiritual bodily form. The human form is not higher or better than any other form one may choice to be in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.

Just like in this world some like carnation flowers while others prefer roses, it's an individual choice which is best for you.

Although, even though everything is equally blissful in the spiritual world, there are five different relationships with Krsna, with each one gradually becoming more intimate than the previous one.

One's original two armed spiritual body is always there as the basis, there is just a transformation of your spiritual body into a form you voluntarily choose.

From human form to a blade of grass, a cow, a horse, a chair, a cloud in the sky, a Peacock, a different type of human, a four armed form like Narayanas on a Vaikuntha planet, billions of different choices.

This is like a "shape-shifter." Just like once you appeared as a baby but now have the material body of an adult, same person, different material body, a similar type of "shape-shifting" from childhood, to youth, to middle age, to old age - same person, different body.

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 spirit soul always has got form, and is expressed as hands, legs, heads, everything. The spirit 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 2.14, Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

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

Devotee – "Is the original body of the spirit 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 voluntary, some devotee 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, 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)

Fortunately, over 90% of individual jiva-souls choose to stay in the spiritual world's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana even though they can choose to leave if they want. However, almost 10% do choose to leave the spiritual world and enter the material world via the dreams of Maha-Visnu.

Dr. John Mize – "Did all the jiva-souls that were in the spiritual sky (the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavan) fall out of the spiritual sky at once or at different times, or are there any jiva-souls that are always good, they’re not foolish, they don’t fall down?"

Srila Prabhupada – "No, there are majority, 90%, they are always good. They never fall down."

Dr. John Mize – "So we’re among the 10%."

Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, or less than that. In the material, whole material world all the living entities they are… Just like in the prison house, there is some population, but they are not majority. The majority of the population, they are outside the prison house. Similarly, majority of living being, part and parcel of God, they are in the spiritual world. Only a few fall down." (BG, As It Is. lecture, Mayapur, June 20, 1973)

The eternal individual jiva-souls have the free will (freedom of individual self expression) to make their own choices which includes even rejecting Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of love. 

For free will to truly exist, the choice to even reject Krsna must always be an option, otherwise free will has no meaning or place in such a dictatorial impersonal society.

In the spiritual world the eternal individual jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna is always voluntary and is NEVER forced, such voluntary service or non-service is only possible when there is free will. 

The jiva-soul's individual contributions are eternally expressed in both the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana in a "two-way" reciprocal exchange of feelings with Krsna. 

As said above, the eternal individual jiva-souls are never forced to surrender to Krsna or do anything they choose not to do, they are not Kṛṣṇa's mindless puppets He manipulates when ever He pleases, they are His friends who voluntarily contribute to the relationship that He reciprocates with loving exchanges. 

For loving voluntary service and exchanges to truly exist, the individual jiva-souls must be able to act on their free will and make their own choices, decisions and offerings, even if it also means rejecting Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of voluntary loving exchanges.

Each individual jiva-soul can voluntarily express themselves as an independent individual to experience unique loving exchanges and personal service.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

This quality of free will is part and parcel of the eternal individual jiva-soul's marginal constitution that allows them to express themselves as an independent free thinking expansion of the Krsna. 

Therefore, being marginal (separated) also means the eternal individual jiva-souls ALWAYS have free will when the unique qualities of the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are described. 

As said above, Krsna allows this freedom that the individual jiva-souls have because without free will, loving exchanges, personal offerings and a two-way reciprocal relationship could never exist.

Srila Prabhupada – "You have got little independence therefore you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God you have got independence, proportionately, therefore if he likes he can return to the material atmosphere. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that." (Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)

The eternal individual jiva-souls have the free will to make their own choices which includes even rejecting Krsna, therefore in the spiritual world the jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna is always voluntary.

Their individual contributions are eternally expressed in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana in "two-way" reciprocal exchanges with Krsna.

In the spiritual world the individual jiva-souls are never forced to surrender to Krsna or do anything they choose not to do. 

For loving service and exchanges to truly exist, the individual jiva-souls must be able to act on their free will and make their own choices, decisions and offerings, even if it means rejecting Krsna, otherwise there can be no question of genuine voluntary loving exchanges.

Each individual jiva-soul can voluntarily express themselves as an independent individual to experience unique loving exchanges and personal service.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

As said above, this quality of free will is part and parcel of the eternal individual jiva-soul's marginal constitution that allows them to be an independent (separated) contributing free thinking expansion of the Krsna, yet simultaneously fully dependent on Krsna and His energies. 

Being "independent" (separated) and "dependent" (always under Krsna's control) simultaneously, is a paradox. 

Therefore, being marginal (separated) means the eternal individual jiva-souls always have free. 

This must be understood when describing the qualities of the eternal individual jiva-souls. 

As said above, Krsna allows this freedom the individual jiva-souls have because without free will, loving exchanges, personal unique contributions and offerings in a two-way reciprocal relationship, could never exist.

Srila Prabhupada – "You have got little independence therefore you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God you have got independence, proportionately, therefore if he likes he can return to the material atmosphere. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that." (Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976) 

Having "free will" is the constitutional make up of all eternal individual marginal living entities (jiva-souls) that is eternally part and parcel of their individual character and personality in the spiritual world.

This means the individual jiva-souls can choose to leave the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana if they choose, at anytime, it is incorrect to claim the eternal individual jiva-souls can never again fall down once on the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana, that is their choose, not Kṛṣṇa's, otherwise free will has no memeaning.

"Free will" ALWAYS allows the eternal individual jiva-souls to have a choice and voluntarily contribute to their relationship with Krsna, and without that ability to voluntarily choose, there is no question of free will or loving exchanges either. 

Those Gurus, Swamis, yogis, scholars, academics and devotees who wrongly believe that once they enter the spiritual world, they never again can fall down, are often very sentimental and immature. 

And yes, even Krsna's promise in Bhagavad Gita claiming the jiva-souls who return to the spiritual world, never fall down again can be rejected by those jiva-souls who AGAIN choose to enter the material world.

So, the choice to even leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana is possible because Krsna allows a "two-way" relationship where one can also accept or reject Krsna if they choose, otherwise how can genuine love exist if there is no freedom?

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 He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing 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. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Talk on the philosophy of Rene Descartes)

There is only one classification of eternal individual jiva-souls, not two as some believe. Therefore each individual jiva-soul has "two-sides" to their personality, they can either be "nitya-baddha" (eternally conditioned), or "nitya-siddha"(eternally liberated)

The term "eternally liberated or nitya-siddha" means only eternal while being nitya-siddha. The position eternally exist but the individual jiva-souls may not voluntarily remain in the spiritual world due to free will. 

Although, the "nitya-siddhas" can fall from the position of eternally liberated (nitya-siddha) to enter eternally conditioned (nitya-baddhal)

It means the position is eternally liberated (nitya-siddha) and eternally conditioned (nitya-baddha) are an eternal "post" and not the jiva-souls holding those positions. 

In this way, the individual jiva-souls can choose for themselves to be with Krsna, or reject Krsna. This is because each individual eternal jiva-soul, as part of their spiritual constitutional make-up eternally have free will.

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 9th July 1970)

The individual jiva-souls therefore are eternal spiritual living PERSONS and can never be destroyed, terminated, divided into pieces or extinguished because the individual jiva-souls are indestructible and were never created, they are ageless like Krsna. 

The individual jiva-soul's being “generated” from the "marginal plane or energy" does NOT mean the eternal individual jiva-souls “originated” from a beginning source because the jiva-souls were NEVER created and have no origin.

Being "generated" means the individual jiva-souls are eternally part and parcel of a category of living beings called the marginal living entities or marginal plane or energy (individual jiva-souls).

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)

Some wrongly claim there are two types of eternal individual jiva-souls- 

1 - One who stays in the Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka-Vṛndāvana and never has a choice to go to the material creation (nitya-siddha)

2 - And the other in the material creation (nitya-baddha) who can also be dormant (inactive) in the impersonal Brahmajyoti. But can also enter the spiritual worlds too, but once there can never fall down, so they claim. There is only one category of individual jiva-souls who have "two-sides" to their individual personality. 

The eternal individual jiva-souls can be either nitya-siddha (eternally liberated) or nitya-baddha (eternally conditioned) 

Note: - eternally conditioned or eternally liberated only applies while one is in that position in the spiritual world (eternally liberated) or in the material world (eternally conditioned). 

The individual jiva-soul's infinite position is nitya-siddha (eternally liberated) in the spiritual world. This means the eternal individual jiva-soul's original perpetual home is the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.

Srila Prabhupada - "In the broader sense everyone comes from Krsnaloka (Goloka-Vrindavana). When one forgets Krsna he is conditioned (nitya-baddha), when one remembers Krsna he is liberated (nitya-siddha)." (Letter to Mukunda, June 10, 1969)

As said above, there is only one category of the eternal individual jiva-soul who can be either nitya-baddha (conditioned), or nitya-siddha (eternally). 

To make it clear, only one kind of eternal individual jiva-soul exists, and due to free will, they can choose to be either nitya-siddha (Krsna conscious) or nitya-baddha (conditioned).

The actual constitutional position of EVERY eternal individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul) is nitya-siddha.

Srila Prabhupada - "There are "two-kinds" of marginal living entities, one being nitya-siddha and the other is nitya-baddha. The actual constitutional position of every marginal living entity is nitya-siddha." (CC lecture, July 13, 1976) 

Srila Prabhupada - "By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can become again nitya-siddha. 

So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas (conditioned souls) AGAIN nitya-siddha (Krsna conscious)." (New York City Lecture CC, July 13, 1976).***.

Compiled by Gauragopala Dasa Acbsp (initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10th 1972).