Sunday, July 23, 2023

Krsna never leaves the original Vṛndāvana in the Spiritual Sky. Also, no demons exist there, nor do any of the inhabitants experience separation from Kṛṣṇa there like they do in the Vrindavana in the material world, simply because Krsna NEVER leaves them.

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal PERSONS, as a spiritual bodily form like Krsna's Body, whose perpetual permanent natural home is the spiritual world.

God (Krsna) is not ONLY an all-pervading consciousness who is even in the atom, no, Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, is also simultaneously an individual "PERSON" as an eternal spiritual bodily Form, who's Bodily rays ARE the Brahmajyoti.

Only Krsna has 64 qualities in full all the time because He is the original Supreme Lord.

Kṛṣṇa’s first expansion is Balarama from whom all Visnu-tattva expansions manifest however, all manifestions, including the jiva-souls, are beginningless and endless because they are eternally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. 

And for Kṛṣṇa to experience loving relations with a women, He divided Himself into two, and that is how Radharani appears, the paradox is Radharani is also eternal because Radharani is eternally part of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa as His original form NEVER leaves Vṛndāvana in the spiritual world. All of Krsna’s pastimes in the material creation, including killing demons, are carried out by Krsna's Visnu-tattva expansion, in the spiritual world no demons exist or are killed by Krsna and Balarama. 

Srila Prabhupada - "When Kṛṣṇa kills the demons outside Vṛndāvana, He is not original Kṛṣṇa; He is Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). When Kṛṣṇa is acting universally, that is Vāsudeva. The original Kṛṣṇa is always in Vṛndāvana and never leaves." (Morning Walk, July 17, 1975, San Francisco)

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)

Srila Prabhupada - "Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva (Balarama) is Kṛṣṇa's immediate expansion. Because Kṛṣṇa NEVER leaves Vṛndāvana, all the forms of Kṛṣṇa that appear elsewhere are His expansions." (BG, As It Is Ch 10 Text 37)

Also, the intense separation Radharani and the gopis felt for Kṛṣṇa only happens in the facsimile Vrindavana in the material world because only there does Kṛṣṇa often leave their association but this is not so in the spiritual world (Vaikuntha).

The word "Vaikuntha" means "without anxiety" therefore how could there be demons there? And how could the gopis ever feel separation from Kṛṣṇa there? After all Krsna NEVER leaves Goloka Vrindavana.

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 leave."

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)

Srila Prabhupada - "The human form is the full manifestation of the jiva-soul." (Melb, May 20, 1975)

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)

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 – "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 in the material world, 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 of the jiva-soul. The human form is the full manifestation of the jiva-soul."

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

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

Srila Prabhupāda - "The impersonal conception of the Supreme is so detrimental to the path of devotional service that it is very difficult to associate with the stubborn nondevotees who always think in terms of material conceptions. 

Impersonalists always think backwards. 

They think that because there is form in matter, spirit should be formless; because in matter there is sleep, in spirit there cannot be sleep; and because the sleeping of the Deity is accepted in arcanā worship, the arcanā is māyā. All these thoughts are basically material. To think either positively or negatively is still thinking materially. Knowledge accepted from the superior source of the Vedas is the standard." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 9 text 21, Purport)

Srila Prabhupada - "Each "person" (jiva-soul) is eternal. Lord Krsna says that He existed as a person before the creation (agre) and will also exist after the annihilation, the Lord is a "person" eternally." (SB, Canto, 6 Ch 4 text 47, Purport)

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal PERSONS as a spiritual bodily form like Krsnas Body, and whose eternal permanent home is the spiritual world.

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 - "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)

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, 7/9/1970)

After the annihilation of everything in the material world, the Supreme Lord remains always as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, eternity, knowledge, bliss and form (Bs. 5.1).

Maha-Visnu (Krsna) remains in His original form, but since the other living entities (jiva-souls) have material bodies, that matter merges into matter, and the subtle form of the jiva-soul remains within the body of the Lord (Maha-Visnu). 

The Lord does not sleep, but the ordinary living entities (jiva-souls) remain asleep in the Body of Maha-Visnu for 311 trillion, 40 billion years, until the next material creation and Brahmandas appear. 

The fallen jiva-souls are still "outside" of the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets, and Goloka-Vrindavana because they are not qualified to return back home back to Godhead. 

Their real home and spiritual bodily form eternally exists in the spiritual world of Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets, therefore, being "outside" the spiritual world means they are "fallen" in either the temporary material world, merged as an individual dormant unit [spark] in the impersonal Brahmajyoti and therefore in the already fallen condition known as tatastha-sakti. 

When "fall down" of the jiva-soul takes place, it means falling down from a "non-fallen" condition, and that non-fallen condition is with Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana, or with Visnu in the Vaikuntha planets. 

Anything outside the spiritual world like entering the Body of Maha-Visnu, the material creation, the impersonal brahmajyoti and tatastha-sakti are ALL already fallen conditions.

As said above, entering the brahman effulgence (impersonal brahmajyoti), is an already "fallen condition" however, the jiva-souls can never eternally remain in that "fallen condition" in the impersonal brahmajyoti. 

Eventually they are forced to leave thpoolere because the eternal nature of the jiva-souls is to be always "active," not inactive. So again they take birth in the material world.

Many of those "fallen jiva-souls in the impersonal brahmajyoti," have spent so long inactive there, they forget they originally fell from the spiritual world to the material world, then after suffering there for many life times, try and escape the material world's repeated painful cycle of birth and death, by entering that dormant (inactive) condition in the impersonal brahmajyoti.

Sadly, because they have spent so much vast time in the impersonal brahmajyoti (trillions of years being dormant), they foolishly believe it is their origin, forgetting they have NOT originated from the impersonal brahmajyoti but had previously fallen down from either the Vaikuntha planets, or Goloka-Vrindavana.

The opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead permanently remains as it is in the spiritual world; only in the material world does everything dissolved and decay and in need of constant maintenance. 

Srila Prabhupada - "When the material body is annihilated, the jiva-soul remains in a subtle form, which later assumes another material body. This is true for the conditioned souls, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains eternally in His original consciousness and spiritual bodily form." (SB, Canto, 6 Ch 4 text 47, Purport)

Devotee - "I want to know exactly what is the form of the body. If the spirit soul (jiva-soul) is nonmaterial, what is the form?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "There is form. Just like this 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 leg; therefore your pant has got leg. Therefore, it is to be assumed that the spirit soul has got form, and it has developed into hands, legs, heads, everything. It is not formless; it has got form. But with our material eyes at the present, gross eyes, we cannot find it; therefore we say it has no form." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 text 14 Mexico, Feb 14, 1975)

Devotee - "Śrīla Prabhupāda, you state that spirit soul has form."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Devotee - "Otherwise, how is the material body grown to accommodate the spirit soul? Just like a shirt has no form, but when it's put on the body, it takes the shapes of the body. Does that mean that the jiva-soul has the shape of the body that is accommodating it?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, you have got body, shape, very minute shape, that we cannot see, we cannot measure. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumeyam. You cannot measure. What is that word used? Aprameyam. Aprameyam, you cannot measure but it has a form. What is the length and breadth of that form, that is not in your power to understand, not materially. If you have got spiritual power then you can measure it. And that measurement is also given in the śāstra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Hair is a very small point. And divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is the measure, magnitude of the soul." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 16 text 24 Hawaii, Jan 20, 1974)

The jiva-souls natural home is in the spiritual energy with Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana as individual spiritual PERSONS like Krsna.

The jiva-souls are eternal PERSONS called the "marginal living entities" meaning they can be influenced by either the spiritual energy, or the material energy explained by Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada – "The jiva-souls are Krsna’s marginal energy. Marginal energy means the jiva-souls may be under the control of the spiritual energy, or they may be under the control of material energy. But when the jiva-souls are under the control of the material energy, that is their precarious condition, struggle for existence. And when they are under spiritual energy, that is their original position and life of freedom." (Los Angeles, Nov 23, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "Regarding your question about our relationship with Srimati Radharani, She is the internal energy, we are marginal energy. Marginal means sometimes internal, sometimes external. When we are under the internal energy, that is our normal life, and when we are under the external energy, that is our abnormal life. Therefore, we are called marginal energy; we can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, our tendency is to remain in the internal energy. Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt." (Letter to Lilavati, Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "We (the jiva-souls) are marginal energy (jiva-souls) Marginal means sometimes internal, sometimes external. When we are under the internal energy, that is our normal life, and when we are under the external energy, that is our abnormal life. Therefore, we are called marginal energy (jiva-souls); we can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, our tendency is to remain in the internal energy. Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt." (Letter to Lilavati, Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "The material energy, called as Maya, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we (the jiva-souls) are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities (jiva-souls) are described as superior energy than matter, when the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency (jiva-souls) are in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity." (The Happening Album, New York City, Dec 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - "You are also energy; you are marginal energy (jiva-soul). Marginal energy means you (the jiva-souls) may be under the control of the spiritual energy or you may be under the control of material energy—your marginal position. But when you are under the control of the material energy, that is your precarious condition, struggle for existence. And when you are under spiritual energy, that is your life of freedom." (Intro BG, As It Is, Los Angeles, Nov 23, 1968)

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

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.

This includes being the original cause of all Narayana/Visnu expansions from Goloka Vrindavana, who set up the perpetual unlimited Vaikuntha planets that surround Goloka-Vrindavana, collectively with Goloka-Vrindavana, taking up 75% of the Spiritual Sky. 

And Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu (Paramatma) build and maintain the material creation that takes up 25% of the Spiritual Sky, which is the temporary (decomposing) material world.

Krsna is therefore the original source of Maha-Visnu who creates the material universes called Brahmandas that originate from His breathing and the pores of His skin as seen in photo below.

Furthermore, deep inside each Brahmanda material universe, there is a "secondary inner" enclosed universe where Maha-Visnu expands as Garbhodakashayi Visnu, from whom Lord Brahma appears and builds the many planetary systems in his material universe. 

There are unlimited Brahmanda universes, each having a secondary universe inside of them meaning each has their own Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Lord Brahma.

In these "secondary material universes" created by Garbhodakashayi Visnu within each Brahmanda universe, Lord Brahma builds the planetary systems, in our universe there are 14 planetary systems.

In other material universes deep inside their Brahmanda universe, they have many more planetary systems than just fourteen.

Our secondary material universe inside our massive Brahmanda universe is one of the smallest.

The size of each Brahmanda and inner universe depends on how many heads Lord Brahma has, in our material universe he has four heads, while in other material universes Brahma may have 10, 20, 50, 100, 100,000, one million or 10 million. The workings of this material universe is beyond our comprehension.

There is only one Maha-Visnu but there are a unlimited number of Garbhodakashayi Visnus, Lord Brahmas and demigods (administrators within each material universe who are in charge of a particular field like ministers portfolios in the Government)..^^^..



















Saturday, July 22, 2023

We are always attracted by beautiful things, so Kṛṣṇa is the most beautiful. So if you meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, then your meditation becomes perfect.

Srila Prabhupāda - "So this Deity description of Kṛṣṇa is there in the temple. So, if you always simply think of this beautiful Deity form of Kṛṣṇa, that is called perfect meditation. That is very easy, we are always attracted by beautiful things, so Kṛṣṇa is the most beautiful. So if you meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, then your meditation becomes very easy and perfect." (Lecture BG, Ch 7 Text 1 Upsala Uni Stockholm, Sept 8, 1973)

Srila Prabhupāda - "So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriya, beauty. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, nobody can surpass Him. Kandarpa koṭi kamanīya viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Although He is blackish, but He is so beautiful, He enchants the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śrī means beauty. He is so beautiful." (Lecture BG, Ch 7 text 1 Nairobi, Oct 27, 1975)

Srila Prabhupāda  - "On account of His beauty, He attracts everyone. Beauty attracts. So nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, and jñāna. Not only He is beautiful... Just like a flower, very beautiful to see, but if no good smell, no good aroma, then useless. So Kṛṣṇa is not only beautiful, but He is the most wise shown when He spoke Bhagavad-gītā." (Lecture BG, Ch 7 Text 1 Nairobi, Oct 27, 1975)

Srila Prabhupāda - "You can glorify Lord Kṛṣṇa, simply always glorify Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so great, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, Kṛṣṇa is so opulent, Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. Why you make Kṛṣṇa as imperson? He has got so many qualities, transcendental qualities as a person. What would you gain simply by saying that Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra, so finish all your business and try and understand Kṛṣṇa, how much powerful He is, how much strong He is, how beautiful He is, how learned and wise He is, and hear from Him." (Lecture BG, Ch 7 Text 3 Bombay, March 29, 1971)

Srila Prabhupāda - "For the matter of sense gratification you have to practice vairāgya. Indriya. All the indriyas—eyes, tongue, nose—they are very much affected or attracted. The eyes are always attracted by beauty. "I want to see very beautiful things." But you can control the eyes when you practice to see the beautiful feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. Therefore the Deity should be very nicely decorated so layman like us may be attracted by the beauty of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." (Lecture BG, Ch 13 Text 8-12 Bombay, Oct 5, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "We don't worship nirākāra. We worship the most Beautiful, the most beautiful and Kṛṣṇa is the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī is the most beautiful. They are young couple, so our object of worship is seeing how nice Rādhārāṇī is, how nice Kṛṣṇa is, so beautiful, yes."(Lecture BG, Ch 13 Text 19 Bombay, Oct 13, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "Just like everyone, it may be you belong to some religion, I belong to, but everyone knows that God is great. That is reputation. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ, and śrī, śrī means beauty. God is the most beautiful. Just like, see Kṛṣṇa here, you have got Kṛṣṇa's figure here, how beautiful He is. God must be, He is young, always. An old man cannot become beautiful. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). That is the description of Ādyaṁ Purāṇa, He is the original person, the oldest of all but he is nava-yauvanam, just like a beautiful boy, say sixteen or twenty years old. So that is beautiful, the most beautiful." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 7 New Vrindaban, Sept 5, 1972) 

Srila Prabhupada - "In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that when Kṛṣṇa comes before Rādhārāṇī, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Kṛṣṇa that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Rādhārāṇī becomes beautiful, Kṛṣṇa becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful, duhe lage hurai (?). That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 8 New Vrindaban, Sept 6, 1972) 

Srila Prabhupada- "So some way or other, we should come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other. Then we'll be purified. Kāmād bhayād dveṣyāt. Just like the gopīs... The gopīs came to Kṛṣṇa being captivated by His beautiful features. They were young girls, and Kṛṣṇa was so beautiful. So actually, they came to Kṛṣṇa being lusty, but Kṛṣṇa is so pure that they became first-class devotees. There is no comparison of their devotion. Because they loved Kṛṣṇa with heart and soul. That is the qualification." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 Text 12 Los Angeles, Aug 15, 1972) 

Srila Prabhupada - "Kṛṣṇa's another incarnation is female, Mohinī, charming—so much charming that even Lord Śiva was after the girl. Lord Śiva, he is supposed to be dhīra, but he became charmed, and he was after that girl. So when Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is already beautiful, but when He takes the shape of a woman, how beautiful He became, we can just imagine." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 3 Text 17 Los Angeles, Sept 22, 1972) 

Srila Prabhupada - "God means the wisest, the richest, the most powerful, the most beautiful. So He was so beautiful that 16,108 very, very beautiful women... And this is married. And unmarried, many millions, they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful. Śyāmasundara. His name is sundara, very beautiful. Although śyāma, blackish, still He's so attractive. Kandarpa koṭi kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa-koṭi, He's so beautiful that He can surpass in His beauty the Cupids, millions and millions of Cupids. His name is Madana-mohana." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 5 Text 35 Vrndavana, Aug 16, 1974) 

Srila Prabhupada - "So therefore to understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly, Kuntī is pointing out that Kṛṣṇa who is the son of Vasudeva, that beautiful Kṛṣṇa, that Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya (SB 1.8.21). Then Vāsudeva may be... There may be Vāsudevas. Then mother's name also. Devakī-nandanāya: "That Kṛṣṇa is born of Devakī and Vasudeva, not others." Then there cannot be any mistake." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 Text 21 Mayapura, Oct 1, 1974) 

Srila Prabhupada - "So if you simply think only one verse, as it is explained here, and the paṅkaja, lotus, in reference with Kṛṣṇa's body, you can meditate the whole life how Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, how Kṛṣṇa is wise, how Kṛṣṇa's creation, how... This is meditation." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 Text 22 Los Angeles, April 14, 1973) 

Srila Prabhupāda - "Just like Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone. Cupid. And Kṛṣṇa enchants Cupid. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. He's so beautiful that even Cupid is enchanted by Him. But again on the other side, Kṛṣṇa, although He's so beautiful that He enchants the Cupid, still He is enchanted by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's name is Madana-mohana-mohinī. Kṛṣṇa is the enchanter of the Cupid, and Rādhārāṇī is the enchanter of that enchanter." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 Text 31 Los Angeles, April 23, 1973) 

Srila Prabhupāda - "At that time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I know Kṛṣṇa's two names: Śyāmasundara and Yaśodānandana." Śyāmasundara, "beautiful Śyāma, Kṛṣṇa." Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpam. He's not śyāma-śyāma means blackish—but at the same time, the most beautiful. Here in this material world, if somebody is blackish, he cannot be called beautiful. But Kṛṣṇa, although He is blackish, He is sundaram, very, very beautiful. How much sundaram? Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa-koṭi. If you keep one side millions of Cupids, still, Kṛṣṇa will appear more beautiful." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 8 Text 31 Mayapura, Oct 11, 1974) 

Srila Prabhupāda - "So why we should waste our time thinking so many nonsense things? Why not think of Kṛṣṇa, how beautiful He is, standing here with Rādhārāṇī? If we come here and take this impression, and simply think of Him, our life is perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 15 Text 49 Los Angeles, Dec 26, 1973) 

Srila Prabhupāda - "So if one is strong, powerful, if one is beautiful, if one is wise, reputed, these things are attraction. Therefore the very word is used "Bhagavān," because God is all-attractive, Kṛṣṇa is all attractive. So he recommends that Bhagavān, that beautiful Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive, all-powerful, He should always be remembered. Smartavyaḥ śrotavyaḥ. And He should always be heard about His activities." (Lecture SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 Text 5 Los Angeles, Aug 13, 1972) 

Srila Prabhupāda - "So similarly, Kṛṣṇa also becomes very beautiful, Kṛṣṇa and Kapiladeva, no difference. So Kṛṣṇa also becomes very beautiful. He's already beautiful. But when a devotee serves Him, a devotee comes to Him, He also becomes very beautiful. A devotee, when with his heart and soul, serves Kṛṣṇa in dressing Him, in feeding Him, in giving Him flower, He becomes smiling. And if you can get Kṛṣṇa, once smiling upon you, your life is fulfilled." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 25 Text 12 Bombay, Nov 12, 1974) 

Srila Prabhupada - "So here it is said, paśyanti te me rucirāṇi. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, rucirāṇi. Rucira means very attractive. Now, fortunately, people in Bombay say that our Deity here is more beautiful. They say there is no such Deity in Bombay city. So this is our duty, to dress Kṛṣṇa in such an attractive way that people at least see that it is very beautiful." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 25 Text 35 Bombay, Dec 4, 1974)

Srila Prabhupada - "Instead of going to the cinema and standing there for three hours for a ticket, if you engage your legs to come to this temple, it is yoga system, so simple thing. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. Instead of thinking some beautiful woman or beautiful man, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful person, then it is yoga system, so simple." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 26 Text 31 Bombay, Jan 8, 1975)

Guest - "Can one say om instead of "Kṛṣṇa" and gain the same benefit?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, but why instead of Kṛṣṇa? If one Kṛṣṇa is the same, why not Kṛṣṇa? Why stick to om? Om. Om is formless but Kṛṣṇa has got beautiful form, enjoying. And we are addicted to beautiful form. Why something (chuckling) which is not beautiful? Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, akṣarāṇām akāro 'smi: "Amongst the alphabets I am oṁkāra." So Kṛṣṇa says that "I am oṁkāra." So in one sense oṁkāra and Kṛṣṇa the same. But I can see Kṛṣṇa very beautiful and so many things, but I do not see in oṁkāra that thing. Therefore my preference should be to Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I stick to om? Yes." (Lecture SB, Canto 5 Ch 5 Text 3 Boston, May 4, 1968)

Srila Prabhupāda - "God means śyāmasundaram. This is also..., appears to be contradictory. Śyāmasundaram. We have got idea: what is black is not beautiful. But here Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundaram. Although He is black, He is sundaram Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda sundarāṅgam. Asitāmbuda, black cloud. Black cloud, like that, color, but He is very sundaram. Kandarpa koṭi kamanīya viśeṣa śobham (Bs. 5.30). He's so beautiful that if you compare with millions of Kandarpa, Cupid Cupid is supposed to be very beautiful. So if you bring together millions of Cupids, still, their combined beauty cannot be compared with Kṛṣṇa's beauty." (Lecture SB, Canto 5 Ch 5 Text 26 Vrndavana, Nov 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "So apart from we are not seeing personally, but we have heard it, but personally, at least, we can see one thing: how Kṛṣṇa is great. Because aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, jñāna. Śrīya, beautiful. No more Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Śrīya, śriya means beauty. You see here Kṛṣṇa, how He is beautiful. So He does not become old. 


Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). 


He is the oldest person because He has created everything, but He will never look old. You will never see Kṛṣṇa's picture as old man. These are the definition of God." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 13-14 Los Angeles, June 26, 1975)


Srila Prabhupada - "Just like the gopīs, they used to go to Kṛṣṇa. These gopīs, they were married, because in India twelve years, thirteen years girls are married still. I've told many incidences. So from childhood they are friends, small children, but the girls are married early, so they go to their husband's place, thirteen, fourteen years. But because they had, they prayed to Kātyāyanī when they're not married, they prayed to Kātyāyanī that "Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Please give me Kṛṣṇa as my husband." Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, so Kṛṣṇa fulfilled their desire, and that is vastrāṇām."(Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 26 Honolulu, May 26, 1976)


Srila Prabhupada - "Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa danced with the gopīs, it has got a deep meaning. Because they are all devotees, they did not know except Kṛṣṇa, and they prayed to the Kātyāyanī, although they are married, they prayed to Kātyāyanī before they were married, that "Let Kṛṣṇa become our husband." Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Naturally there is attraction. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So... And they were not ordinary women. They are eternal consorts or associates of Kṛṣṇa." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 text 45 Los Angeles, June 11, 1976)


Srila Prabhupada - "The people are becoming against Kṛṣṇa: "Why Kṛṣṇa should be God? I have got another God, manufactured. Here is God." Kṛṣṇa was so beautiful, and I am God, so ugly God? No. There are so many ugly Gods nowadays that ferocious face and he is God." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 2 Text 4 Vrndavana, Sept 8, 1975)


Srila Prabhupada - "So all these universes—this is one of the universes—they are in that brahma-jyotir, and that brahma-jyotir is being reflected in the sky, and sky is so beautiful. So how much beautiful is Kṛṣṇa, just we can imagine. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the sun planet, and in the sun planet there is sun-god."

(Lecture SB, Canto 7 Ch 9 Text 9 Montreal, July 4, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "The materialistic person, they think that Kṛṣṇa was so much fond of beautiful woman. No, no. That is not the fact. The beautiful women were after Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful... Kandarpa koṭi-kamanīya viśeṣa śobhaṁ (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa. Kandarpa means Cupid. We have heard the name of Cupid, very beautiful, attractive. But He is kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi." (Lecture SB, Canto 7 Ch 9 Text 9 Mayapur, Feb 16, 1976)


Srila Prabhupāda - "But Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful and so nice that if you increase your love for Kṛṣṇa, then you have no more any attachment for anything, any beautiful thing of this world. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Just like Kṛṣṇa and these gopīs." (Lecture SB, Canto 7 Ch 9 Text 10 Montreal, July 10, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "The love for Kṛṣṇa is so strong that whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is beautiful. And the spiritual world, what is condemnable in this material world, that is very worshipable in the spiritual world."

(Lecture SB, Canto 7 Ch 9 Text 15 Mayapur, Feb 22, 1976)


Srila Prabhupada - "Supreme beloved, Kṛṣṇa. Supreme Person, supreme beautiful, supreme rich, supreme famous, supreme wise. Everything supreme. We love somebody, or, out of these six opulences, if one opulence is there... Suppose one man is very rich and charitable, we love him."

(The 'Nectar of Devotion' Bombay, Jan 4, 1973)


Srila Prabhupada - "Our only asset should be the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa along with Rādhārāṇī. Madana-mohana. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful that He is more attractive than the Cupid. Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid is supposed to be the most beautiful person within the universe, but Kṛṣṇa is still more beautiful. Kandarpa koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). That is described in the śāstra." (Lecture CC Adi-lila 1 Text 15 Dallas, March 4, 1975)


Srila Prabhupada - "And when Kṛṣṇa was present, we know from the śāstra or from the evidences that Kṛṣṇa was attractive to so many gopīs. The gopīs were the most beautiful women, and Kṛṣṇa was attractive to them. So just imagine how much beautiful was Kṛṣṇa. Not only to the gopīs; there were 16,108 queens of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. He is attractive to everyone. Jayatam suratau paṅgor mama. So why He should not be attractive to fallen souls like us? So that is the position of Kṛṣṇa." (Lecture CC Adi-lila 1 Text 15 Dallas, March 4, 1975)


Bhaktijana - "When you're typing, should you think of Kṛṣṇa first and your typing second?"


Srila Prabhupāda - "Well, when you type, at least in our Society, whenever we type, we type something which is describing Kṛṣṇa's form, quality, beauty. We are typing this. We are not typing any business letter or any political propaganda. We are typing, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Kṛṣṇa says like this. Kṛṣṇa told Prahlāda like that. Prahlāda told Kṛṣṇa like that." Everything Kṛṣṇa. As you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, that (makes typewriter sound:) "cut, cut, cut" is also "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." (Lecture CC Adi-lila 7 Text 109-114 - San Francisco, Feb 20, 1967)


Srila Prabhupada - "So if we scrutinizingly study the life of Kṛṣṇa, you will find in the history of the world than Kṛṣṇa there was no richer person, no powerful person than Kṛṣṇa, no beautiful person than Kṛṣṇa, more learned and person of knowledge, philosophy than Kṛṣṇa. If you study you'll find everything." (Lecture CC Madhya-lila 8 Text 128 Bhuvanesvara, Jan 24, 1977)


Srila Prabhupada - "Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. And jñāna, knowledge. Nobody can be more knower and full of knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And renunciation." (Lecture CC Madhya-lila 20 Text 154-157 New York City, Dec 7, 1966)


Srila Prabhupada - "You have heard the name of Cupid. He is a very enchanting person, loving person, but here it is descibed,


kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. 


If you assemble millions of Cupids in one place, still it can not be compared with the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam, always playing on flute. (singing)" (Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 - San Francisco, Sept 13, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "Ramyaka dāsa. Ramyaka means very beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Although He is blackish, but nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. You are all white. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa." (Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation - San Francisco, July 21, 1975)


Srila Prabhupāda - "That Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is Śyāmasundara. Śyāmasundara. Śyāma means blackish but very, very beautiful. That beautiful person, Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, is being observed and seen by saintly persons always. Premāñjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Why they are seeing? Because their eyes have been cleared by the ointment of love of God." (Lecture, Seattle, Oct 2, 1968)


Srila Prabhupāda - "We engage our mind to Kṛṣṇa, the beautiful Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only simply engaging the mind, but engaging the mind in action with the senses. Because mind is acting with our senses." (Lecture, Seattle, Oct 2, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." He is attractive to the lover, He's attractive to the wise, He's attractive to the politician, He's attractive to the scientist, He is attractive to the rogues. Rogues also. When Kṛṣṇa entered the arena of Kaṁsa, different kinds of people saw Him differently. Those who were invited from Vṛndāvana, they were young girls. They saw Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, the most beautiful person." Those who were wrestlers, they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt." (Lecture, Seattle, Oct 4, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "Similarly, if you constantly engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa, that is also not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa is beautiful. Kṛṣṇa has so many activities. The whole Vedic literature is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. This Bhagavad-gītā is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Simply by understanding that God is great, that is neutral state of understanding."

(Lecture - Seattle, Oct 18, 1968)


Srila Prabhupāda - "There is no use thinking of something void. That you cannot concentrate. That is not practical. You can simply struggle for it and waste your time. But if you have got something tangible to meditate, that is very easy. So why not Kṛṣṇa? So nice, beautiful, and He's accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead by great sages, saintly persons, scholars and Vedic literature. And they have achieved success." (Lecture, 'Nobody Wants to Die,' Boston, May 7, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "One friend was telling me that in Russia the word kṛṣṇa is there, and kṛṣṇa means beautiful. Somebody told me? You told me? Yes." (Pandal Lecture, Bombay, April 11, 1971)


Srila Prabhupāda - "Because we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, we are finding more customers. So, this is the fame. And, yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriyaḥ, beauty. Kṛṣṇa is Himself very beautiful, and all His associates are very beautiful. That is also opulence." (Lecture, Los Angeles, May 18, 1972) 


Srila Prabhupāda - "Well, what is his definition of art?"


Śyāmasundara - "Art is the expression of the spirit in sensuous form."


Srila Prabhupāda - "That is there, we are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, there is love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but that is sensuous, sensual. The gopīs are coming to Kṛṣṇa, lusty. Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, they are attracted. So these are there: sensuous, beautiful, art." (Philosophy Discussion on Hegel)


Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, therefore our Kṛṣṇa is the most beautiful. That beauty. Because Kṛṣṇa is most beautiful. Just like I said the other day that the nice bird was chirping, I say Kṛṣṇa is speaking. So reservoir of all pleasure, all beauty. So beauty is appreciable because it is one of the qualifications of Kṛṣṇa." (Philosophy Discussion on Hegel)


Śyāmasundara - "Aren't these desires given outlet in other ways? Do we channel the desires to some other field? Instead of seeing a beautiful woman, we see the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa, like that?"


Srila Prabhupāda - "That is our process. From this (indistinct) if you have got better engagement, you give up inferior engagement. When you are captivated by seeing the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you have no more desire to see the beautiful form of a young woman." (Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud)


Srila Prabhupāda - "One who is purified, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa always within himself. That is confirmed in the Brahmā-samhita, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). A saintly person, advanced, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ śyāmasundaram. The very word used, Kṛṣṇa is śyāmasundaram, very beautiful blackish, the Personality of Godhead, Śyāmasundaram. Śyāma means blackish, but extraordinarily beautiful. That is called śyāma." (Philosophy Discussion on Socrates)


Srila Prabhupāda - "You eat, but don't eat meat, you eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. So if we agree to this process, then gradually we become purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our aim, objective, is attained. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't stop eating. No sensual activities are stopped. The eyes, in the material way, the eyes want to see very beautiful objective. We say, "Yes, you see the beautiful Kṛṣṇa. You taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam." Everything is there; simply we purify. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If this process is accepted, then when he sees real beauty, real food, real, then he becomes satisfied. That is wanted." (Philosophy Discussion on Plato)


Srila Prabhupāda - "The incarnation is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that whenever there is discrepancies in the prosecution of religiosities and there is prominence of impious activities, at that time the Lord incarnates, or He descends on this material world, for protecting the pious and annihilating the impious. That is the mission of incarnation. Every incarnation you'll find two things. Lord Kṛṣṇa, He's so beautiful, so kind, but He is very dangerous to the demons." (Los Angeles, Jan 16, 1969)


Srila Prabhupāda - "Śyāmasundaram means He is blackish, still, He is so beautiful that thousands of Cupids cannot be compared with Him. Kandarpa koṭi kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa-koṭi. Cupid is supposed to be the most beautiful, but about Kṛṣṇa it is stated that:


veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.30)


Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam - He is playing on flute. 


Aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ - His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower. 


Barhāvataṁsam - He has got a peacock feather on His head. 


Asitāmbuda - His color is just like black cloud. 


Sundarāṅgam - His beauty, total beauty is kandarpa koṭi kamanīya viśeṣa śobhaṁ (Bs. 5.30). 


Still, the beauty... As soon as we say blackish, we think that he... If somebody is blackish, he is not beautiful." (Room Conversation, Jan 17, 1971, Allahabad)


Srila Prabhupada - "When Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared before Mucukunda, the King saw Him dressed in a yellow garment, His chest marked with the symbol of Śrīvatsa, and the Kaustubha jewel hanging around His neck. Kṛṣṇa appeared before him with four hands, as viṣṇu-mūrti, with a garland called Vaijayantī hanging from His neck down to His knees. He looked lustrous, His face was beautifully smiling, and He wore nice jeweled earrings on His ears. Kṛṣṇa appeared more beautiful than a human can conceive. Not only did He appear in this feature, but He glanced over Mucukunda with great affection, attracting the King's mind. Although He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the oldest of all, He looked like a fresh young boy, and His movements were just like those of a free deer. Still, He appeared extremely powerful; His influence and vast power are so great that every human being should be afraid of Him." (Krsna Book 51)


Srila Prabhupada - "The Kaustubha jewel hanging on His chest glittered with great luster, and the Lord wore a beautiful flower garland. After so much distress, when the kings and princes saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, with His beautiful transcendental features, they looked upon Him to their hearts' content, as if drinking nectar through their eyes, licking His body with their tongues, smelling the aroma of His body with their noses and embracing Him with their arms." (Krsna Book 73)


Srila Prabhupada - "The Lord is self-sufficient, the husband of the goddess of fortune, and thus He is always full with six opulences. He can understand the mind of His devotee, and He sumptuously fulfills the devotee's desires. All these are acts of my friend Lord Kṛṣṇa. My beautiful dark friend Kṛṣṇa is far more liberal than the cloud, which can fill the great ocean with water. Without disturbing the cultivator with rain during the day, the cloud brings liberal rain at night just to satisfy him." (Krsna Book 81)


Srila Prabhupada - "My dear Lord, You are the ocean of unlimited mercy, love and affection. Your transcendental form is full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. You can attract everyone's heart by Your beautiful form as Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa. Your knowledge is unlimited, and to teach all people how to execute devotional service You have sent Your incarnation Nara-Nārāyaṇa, who is engaged in severe austerities and penances at Badarīnārāyaṇa." (Krsna Book 86)


Srila Prabhupada - "Women such as the gopīs were attached to Kṛṣṇa, being captivated by His beauty, and their mental concentration on Kṛṣṇa was provoked by lust. They wanted to be embraced by the arms of Kṛṣṇa, which resemble the beautiful round shape of a snake. Similarly, we, the Vedic hymns, simply concentrate our minds on the lotus feet of Your Lordship. Women like the gopīs concentrate upon You under the dictation of lust, and we concentrate upon Your lotus feet to go back home, back to Godhead." (Krsna Book 87)


Srila Prabhupada - "When a person fixes his mind on the eternal, exquisite form of Śyāmasundara, the blackish, beautiful Lord Kṛṣṇa, all distress and anguish are vanquished. In the initial stages, the attempt to fix the mind on Kṛṣṇa may be unsuccessful, but with regulated practice (abhyāsa-yoga) it becomes possible. Abhyāsa-yoga means sincere engagement in the ninefold process of bhakti, beginning with hearing and chanting the holy name, pastimes, and so on, of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Proper execution of abhyāsa-yoga culminates in the awakening of divine consciousness, or superconsciousness. This is true success." (Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1)


Srila Prabhupada - "There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā. So He's so reputed. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And beautiful. The most beautiful. Kṛṣṇa, most attractive. Yaśasaḥ śri..., jñāna, knowledge, the book of knowledge which He has given, this Bhagavad-gītā, there is no comparison." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 1  Ahmedabad, Dec 7, 1972)


Srila Prabhupada - "Everyone becomes expert not in one day but by cultivation. Similarly, if you try to remember, then your memory will help you to remember. It is not difficult. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to try to remember Kṛṣṇa. He's so beautiful, His instructions are so nice. If we simply remember Kṛṣṇa... That was the perfection approved by Lord Caitanya. I think I have narrated the story." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 1-10 Los Angeles, Nov 25, 1968)


Srila Prabhupada - "Control. It is very difficult. To control. But if you put it under the control of the Supreme, it will be controlled. You want to see very beautiful thing. But if you engage your seeing power on the most beautiful, Kṛṣṇa, then you forget, other things. This is sense control. You are going to restaurant to enjoy your tongue, but if you take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, then you'll forget going to restaurant. This is sense control." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text  22 Hyderabad, Nov 26, 1972)


Srila Prabhupada - "There is no peace, there is no happiness. Therefore we have to divert our attention back to Godhead. Don't run after this mirage. Just turn back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Don't divert your... Don't engage your senses in the illusory material beauty. Just apply your senses to Kṛṣṇa, the real beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." (Lecture BG, Ch 2 Text 62-72 Los Angeles, Dec 19, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "Similarly, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was very beautiful. So gopīs became attracted with Kṛṣṇa. As it is natural, a young boy is attracted with young woman or young girl is attracted... That is natural. Yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūnaḥ.(?) It is natural." (Lecture BG, Ch 4 Text 14 Vrndavana, Aug 6, 1974)

Srila Prabhupada - "So there is evidence of authority. And practically, if we believe the śāstras, the scriptures, authorities, then see who can be more powerful than Kṛṣṇa, who can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa, who can be more famous than Kṛṣṇa?" (Lecture BG, Ch 7 Text 1 San Francisco, March 26, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "So in reply to that mode of yoga, Kṛṣṇa is directly speaking here: mayy āsakta-manāḥ. If you try to concentrate your mind on the form of Kṛṣṇa, so beautiful... He's enjoying with Rādhārāṇī and His associates. Then, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam, if you practice this yoga, mad-āśrayaḥ, yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ... You have to practice this yoga, at the same time, you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Āśrayaḥ means "under My protection." This is called surrender." (Lecture BG, Ch 7 Text 1 Los Angeles, Dec 2, 1968)*××*




Wednesday, July 19, 2023

When "fall down" of the jiva-soul takes place, it means falling down from a "non-fallen" condition, and that non-fallen condition is with Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana, or with Visnu in the Vaikuntha planets.

Anything that happens outside the spiritual world, like entering the Body of Maha-Visnu, the material creation, the impersonal brahmajyoti the tatastha-sakti conditional state, are ALL already fallen conditions.

As said above, entering the brahman effulgence (impersonal brahmajyoti), is an already "fallen condition" however, the jiva-souls can never eternally remain in that "fallen condition" in the impersonal brahmajyoti. 

Eventually they are forced to leave there because the eternal nature of the jiva-souls is to be always "active," not inactive. So again they take birth in the material world.

Many of those "fallen jiva-souls in the impersonal brahmajyoti," have speinnt so long inactive there, they forget they originally fell from the spiritual world to the material world, then after suffering there for many life times, try and escape the material world's repeated painful cycle of birth and death, by entering that dormant (inactive) condition in the impersonal brahmajyoti.

Sadly, because they have spent so much vast time in the impersonal brahmajyoti (trillions of years being dormant or inactive), they foolishly believe it is their origin, forgetting they have NOT originated from the impersonal brahmajyoti but had previously fallen down from either the Vaikuntha planets, or Goloka-Vrindavana.

When the temporary Brahmanda material universes come to their end, and are eventually annihilated, the fallen jiva-souls stay dormant (inactive) in the Body of the sleeping Maha-Visnu for 311 trillion 40 billion human years after Brahma dies (who also lives for 311 trillion and 40 billion human years - [his 100 years life expectancy]).

Then eventually another Brahma is born from Garbhodakasayi Visnu deep within the new Brahmanda coming from the breathing and skin pores of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

The individual jiva-souls can stay for an almost eternity in the temporary decaying material universes in a cycle of repeated birth and death, and repeated cosmic annihilation and creation - if they choose.

When Lord Brahma dies after 100 of his years, which is 311 trillion and 40 billion human years, there is an equal period of his life span of 311 trillion, 40 billion years where nothing living exists in this material universe, all life (the jiva-souls) in the material universe remain dormant withdrawn for that time into the Body of Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) until the next Brahmanda creation.

All jiva-souls merge temporarily as "individual dormant units (sparks)" into the Body of Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) and remain that way until the next creation of Brahmandas manifest from Maha-Visnu's spiritual Body.

All material bodily vessels the visiting jiva-souls receive while in the material world, are "loaned" from Maha-Visnu from His unlimited variety of dreams which includes unlimited Brahmanda universes.

All material bodily vessels are created via His dreams whom the visiting jiva-souls from Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana "borrow" from Him. Therefore, in the next new "Brahmanda creation" coming from Maha-Visnu, all the dormant jiva-souls awaken and continue on where they left off in the previous material creation inside the Brahmanda that ended 311 trillion 40 billion human years previously.

It is important to understand that Garbhodakashayi Visnu within His "secondary universe" inside the Brahmanda where Brahma had constructed the planetary systems, temporarily merges back as being one with Maha-Visnu when Brahma dies, until the next Brahmanda universes again manifests from the breathing and pores of Maha-Visnu.

The sleeping Maha-Visnu expands Himself as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is in each "secondary universe" with a Brahma who build the many planetary systems in his material universe. 

In this way, Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha Visnu) expands Himself as Garbhodakasayi Visnu who is deep inside each Brahmanda universe. As said above, from Garbhodakasayi Visnu comes Lord Brahma, and he builds the many planetary systems, mainly 14 gradations in our material universe inside our Brahmanda.

From Garbhodakasayi Visnu's navel a lotus flower appears where Brahma is found, inside the lotus stem Brahma creates the different planetary systems. Then the dormant jiva-souls, who have been suspended in ''inactivity'' within the Body of Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) for 311 trillion 40 billion human years, re-emerge and continue on (under the laws of karma) deep within the new Brahmanda creation from where they left off in the previous material creation.

Srila Prabhupada - "The entire material creation is the dream of Maha-Visnu." (SB, Canto 4 Ch 29 text 83)

The jiva-souls who have fallen to the material creation due to some offense, or who have "chosen" to enter the material creation due to free will, must then "borrow" their material bodily vessels from Maha-Visnu's dreams to fulfil their desires. The "dreams" of Maha-Visnu ARE the unlimited number of material universes called Brahmandas, that come from Maha-Visnu's breathing and from the pores on His skin.

Srila Prabhupada - "We are not the owner of this body, not the owner of the senses. The senses are borrowed (hired) from the Supreme Lord. This is very subtle understanding, one should know the proprietor of the senses is God." (March 1966 New York City)

The rebellious jiva-souls that fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, enter the impermanent material creation, known as the "mahat-tattva" via the dreams of Maha-Visnu. They do this because they have chosen to reject Visnu on the Vaikuntha planets (in an awe and reverence relationship), or Krsna in Goloka-Vrndavana (in a intimate personal relationship of lover, friend, family member etc).

It is important to understand the jiva-souls left the Kingdom of God not because of any material cause, (that cannot exist in Vaikuntha anyway) but because of misuse of "free will," or wanting to be a God instead of serving God, and therefore gave up their association with Visnu or Krsna.

Srimad Bhagavatam explains the fall down of the jiva-soul from the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana to the material creation in the 4th Canto Chapter 28 text 53.

There it is explained Lord Krsna is disguised as a brahmana.

The brāhmaṇa said - "My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can't you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world." (SB, 4th Canto Ch 28 text 53)

The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) sometimes fall down (but less than 10%) into the material creation from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana which are their permanent homes. The jiva-souls do NOT originate from the impersonal brahman (brahmajyoti), tatastha-sakti or the Body of Maha-Visnu. All these are fallen conditions the jiva-souls fall too once they leave Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

Srila Prabhupada - "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. The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness - Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana." (Letter to: Revatinandana, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

One cannot stay in the Lord's eternal abode if they have chosen not to serve Him, therefore they enter the material creation, also run by Krsna via His Maha-Visnu expansion and His demigod servants, who builds the material worlds. This is how we entered the material creation in an attempt to seek out our own dreams within the "dreams of Maha-Visnu. The temporary decaying material creation takes up 1/4 of the Spiritual Sky.

The Spiritual Sky is all that there is, without beginning or end, and that also includes the smaller temporary material creation that is 1/4 of the Spiritual Sky as said above that is always in a state of decay and constant maintenance. 

The other 3/4s of the Spiritual Sky is the permanent spiritual worlds of Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka Vrindavana that never decays and is forever fresh (The Kingdom of God).

This temporary material creation we are in, is created from the dreams of Maha-Visnu, we have entered His material creation by choosing to enjoy separately from Krsna. We are then given material bodily vessels borrowed from Maha-Visnu's stockpile of dreams that always belong to Him and are always available for our use.

Some start out as a Brahma and many do not, this is based on their desires to live without Krsna. All facilities in the material creation are provided by Krsna (God) through His Maha-Visnu expansion.

However, there is an easy way out of this temporary material creation in this present age called Kali-yuga, and that is by becoming a devotee in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's great Sankirtan Movement and always chanting Hare Krsna. 

By properly using one's free will when possible in the human species, one can find the bonafide spiritual master who can lead one out of this mundane material dream creation and return to the only permanent reality of Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana outside this decaying material creation. Choosing to come to the material creation of mundane selfish dreams was our mistake.

Srila Prabhupada – "This material creation is the spirit soul’s dream. Actually all existence in the material world is a dream of Maha-Visnu, as the Brahma-Samhita describes-

"This material world is created by the dreaming of Maha-Visnu. The real, factual platform is the spiritual world, but when the spirit soul wants to imitate the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is put into this dreamland of material creation." (SB, Canto 4 Ch 29 text 83)

Srila Prabhupada - "Everything happening within time, which consists of past, present and future, is merely a dream. This is the secret in understanding in all the Vedic literature." (SB, Canto 4 Ch 29 text 2b)

Srila Prabhupada - "Our contact with matter is just like dream. Actually we are not fallen. Therefore, because we are not fallen, at any moment we can revive our Krsna consciousness, we break the dream." (Tokyo Japan 1972, SB, Canto 2 Ch 9 text 1)

Srila Prabhupada - "Factually all of material existence is only a dream. Thus there is no question of past, present or future. Persons who are addicted to karma-kanda-vicara, which means working for future happiness through fruitive activities, are also dreaming. Similarly, past happiness and present happiness are merely dreams." (SB, Canto 4 Ch 29 text 2b)

Srila Prabhupada - "The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are NOT from the impersonal brahman. We do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated. Existence in the impersonal Brahmajyoti is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness and a fallen condition therefore, those who are in the brahman effulgence are also in 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 and that non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. To remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition." 

Those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent. In other words, they are actually NOT liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world. So, we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated." (Letter to Revatinandana dasa, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

All jiva-souls originally came from either the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana Prabhupada teaches and NOT the impersonal brahmajyoti.

The visiting jiva-souls who enter the material creation MUST obtain (hire) a material bodily vessel first from Maha-Visnu's dreams. Every material bodily vessel in the material creation is first "hired" to the jiva-souls from Maha-Visnu who owns them all.

Each individual jiva-soul in the spiritual world ALWAYS have a choice to be with Krsna or reject Krsna, otherwise free will has no meaning. It is silly immature sentimental nonsense from those gurus, sannyasis, devotees and Vedic scholars who claim the jiva-souls can never fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.

The jiva-souls can "choose" to "voluntarily" serve Krsna in an unlimited variety of ways as an unlimited varieties of spiritual bodily forms. Or they can reject Krsna and enter the impermanent material world and experience their independent desires. And this has nothing to do with Maya or material energy because Maya does not exist in the spiritual world, nothing material can exist there but free will ALWAYS exists in the spiritual world.

Srila Prabhupada – "Regarding your questions about how and from where did the conditioned souls fall, your first question if someone has a relationship with Lord Krsna on Krsnaloka, does he ever fall down? The souls are endowed with minute independence as part of their nature and this minute independence may be utilized rightly or wrongly at anytime, so there is always a chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence." (Letter to Jagadisa dasa, 4/25/1970)

Being “generated” from the marginal plane does NOT mean the jiva-souls “originated” from some "so called place" in the Brahmajyoti/Spiritual Sky including tatastha-sakti and the Body of Maha-Visnu as some foolishly claim.

There are NO new jiva-souls Bhagavad Gita teaches, we are all eternal with no beginning or ending meaning the jiva-souls did not originate from from anywhere because they have ALWAYS existed.

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, 7/9/1970)

Srila Prabhupada - "We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago." (Lecture on BG, Aug 6, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - ''These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha." (Letter to Jagadisa das, 1970)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is confirms the jiva-souls were NEVER created because they have no origin and have existed for infinity like Krsna has-

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 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 19 1983 edition)

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

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament."  (BG, Ch 2 text 27, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29, 1983 edition)

There is no origin to the individual jiva-souls, they are eternally parts and parcel of Krsna and just as old as Krsna. 

First of all, being "marginal" means having the choice to be influenced by either the spiritual energy (the jiva-souls nature position and full potential in the spiritual world) or by the material energy (unnatural conditioned state)

As said above, the real meaning of "marginal" means the jiva-souls can choose to be influenced by either the spiritual energy, or the material energy based on their free will.

There is no origin to the individual jiva-souls, they are eternally parts and parcel of Krsna and just as old as Krsna.

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)

Srila Prabhupada - "Your question about one's relationship with Lord Krsna on Krsnaloka, does he ever fall down? The jiva-souls are endowed with minute independence as part of their nature and this minute independence may be utilized rightly or wrongly at anytime, so there is always a chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence." (Letter to Jagadisa dasa, 4/25/1970)

Srila Prabhupada - "Nanda and mother Yasoda are the eternal father & mother of Krsna. This means that whenever Krsna descends, Nanda and Yasoda, as well as Vasudeva and Devaki, also descend as the Lord's father and mother. Their personalities are expansions of Krsna's personal body." (SB, Canto 10 Ch 4 Text 48).

The "marginal potency" or "marginal living entities" ARE the collective of individual jiva-souls who were never created, have no origin, nor will they ever cease to be as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains. 

Many have misunderstood these facts about what "marginal" really means, it is NOT some "imaginary" place in outer space where jiva-souls are generated or originate from because they have NO origin.

Srila Prabhupada – “The jiva-souls are Krsna’s marginal energy. Marginal energy means the jiva-souls may be under the control of the spiritual energy, or they may be under the control of material energy. But when the jiva-souls are under the control of the material energy, that is their precarious condition, struggle for existence. And when they are under spiritual energy, that is their original position and life of freedom.” (Los Angeles, Nov 23, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "Regarding your question about our relationship with Srimati Radharani, She is the internal energy, we are marginal energy. Marginal means sometimes internal, sometimes external. When we are under the internal energy, that is our normal life, and when we are under the external energy, that is our abnormal life. Therefore, we are called marginal energy; we can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, our tendency is to remain in the internal energy. Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt." (Letter to Lilavati, Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "We (the jiva-souls) are marginal energy (jiva-souls) Marginal means sometimes internal, sometimes external. When we are under the internal energy, that is our normal life, and when we are under the external energy, that is our abnormal life. Therefore, we are called marginal energy (jiva-souls); we can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, our tendency is to remain in the internal energy. Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt." (Letter to Lilavati, Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "The material energy, called as Maya, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we (the jiva-souls) are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities (jiva-souls) are described as superior energy than matter, when the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency (jiva-souls) are in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity." (The Happening Album, New York City, Dec 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - "You are also energy; you are marginal energy (jiva-soul). Marginal energy means you (the jiva-souls) may be under the control of the spiritual energy or you may be under the control of material energy—your marginal position. But when you are under the control of the material energy, that is your precarious condition, struggle for existence. And when you are under spiritual energy, that is your life of freedom." (Intro BG, As It Is, Los Angeles, Nov 23, 1968)

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











Tuesday, July 18, 2023

The eternal form of the spirit soul (jiva-soul)

Srila Prabhupāda - "The impersonal conception of the Supreme is so detrimental to the path of devotional service that it is very difficult to associate with the stubborn non-devotees, who always think in terms of material conceptions. 

Impersonalists always think backwards. 

They think that because there is form in matter, spirit should be formless; because in matter there is sleep, in spirit there cannot be sleep; and because the sleeping of the Deity is accepted in arcanā worship, the arcanā is māyā. All these thoughts are basically material. To think either positively or negatively is still thinking materially. Knowledge accepted from the superior source of the Vedas is standard." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 9 Text 21, Purport)

Srila Prabhupāda - "Each person is eternal. Because the Lord says that He existed as a person before the creation (agre) and will also exist after the annihilation, the Lord is a person eternally." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 4 Text 47, Purport)

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities), like Krsna, have existed for "infinity," both are beginningless and endless and were NEVER created, although the jiva-soul's existence fully depends on Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.

The jiva-soul's original home is the perpetual Vaikuntha planets, or Goloka-Vrindavana, and NOT the decaying material world of repeated birth and death restricted to a material bodily vessel, or a dormant (inactive) "bodiless spark" in the impersonal brahmajyoti, both these are "fallen conditional" states of the jiva-souls.

The jiva-souls are eternal spiritual living PERSONS as a spiritual body, they are NOT the temporary material bodily vessel they possess in the material world that is subjected to the cycle of repeated birth and death. 

The jiva-souls can never be destroyed, terminated in any way or extinguished. The jiva-souls are indestructible.

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, 1983 edition)

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, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17, 1983 edition)

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

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the material body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament."  (BG, Ch 2 text 27, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29, 1983 edition)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the material body can never be slain. Therefore, you need not grieve for any living being." (BG, Ch 2 text 30, 1983 edition)

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, 7/9/1970)

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are indestructible PERSONS who are on an endless journey, they can never be destroyed, terminated or extinguished.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura therefore quotes these verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.13-14)-

na cāntar na bahir yasya

na pūrvaṁ nāpi cāparam

pūrvāparaṁ bahiś cāntar

jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ

taṁ matvātmajam avyaktaṁ

martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam

gopikolūkhale dāmnā

babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā

The Personality of Godhead appeared in Vṛndāvana as the son of mother Yaśodā, who bound the Lord with rope just as an ordinary mother binds a material child. 

There are actually no divisions of external and internal for the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sac cid ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1), but when He appears in His own form the unintelligent think Him an ordinary person. 

Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) although He comes in His own body, which never changes. mūḍhas, the unintelligent, think that the impersonal Brahman has assumed a material body to come in the form of a person. Ordinary living beings assume material bodies, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not. 

Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme consciousness, it is stated herein that saṁjñāna-mātram, the original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, was unmanifested before the creation, although the consciousness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything. 

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (2.12), "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." Thus the Lord's person is the Absolute Truth in the past, present and future. In this regard, Madhvācārya quotes two verses from the Matsya Purāṇa-

nānā-varṇo haris tv eko

bahu-śīrṣa-bhujo rūpāt

āsīl laye tad-anyat tu

sūkṣma-rūpaṁ śriyaṁ vinā

asuptaḥ supta iva ca

mīlitākṣo 'bhavad dhariḥ

anyatrānādarād viṣṇau

śrīś ca līneva kathyate

sūkṣmatvena harau sthānāl

līnam anyad apīṣyate

After the annihilation of everything, the Supreme Lord, because of His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), remains in His original form, but since the other living entities have material bodies, the matter merges into matter, and the subtle form of the spirit soul remains within the body of the Lord. The Lord does not sleep, but the ordinary living entities remain asleep until the next creation. An unintelligent person thinks that the opulence of the Supreme Lord is nonexistent after the annihilation, but that is not a fact. The opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains as it is in the spiritual world; only in the material world is everything dissolved. 

Brahma-līna, merging into the Supreme Brahman, is not actual līna, or annihilation, for the subtle form remaining in the Brahman effulgence will return to the material world after the material creation and again assume a material form. This is described as bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). When the material body is annihilated, the spirit soul remains in a subtle form, which later assumes another material body. This is true for the conditioned souls, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains eternally in His original consciousness and spiritual body." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 4 Text 47, Purport)

Devotee - "If jiva-soul is non-material, what is the form?

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

Srila Prabhupāda - "Every living entity has got an independence, minute, because he is also spiritual atom. We are all spiritual atoms. That atomic, spiritual atomic force. Just like a material atomic force is so strong, so you can just imagine how strong is spiritual atom. In the modern age, the atomic age, the scientists have discovered the force, the power of material atoms. But they have not yet known what is the force of spiritual atom. There is spiritual atom, we are spiritual atom. 

The atom is described in the Vedic literature, the form of the spirit which we are actually. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Keśāgra means the hair, the upper portion of your hair. When it is divided into ten thousand parts. And just imagine. That one part is the spiritual atom. It is so small, it is so minute, that it is not possible to see with our material eyes. 

Even the material atom also we cannot see. When the material atoms are combined into six, then you can see floating in the air through the sunshine which is entering your room through the holes of a window. You can see some particles. That small particle, they are combination of six atoms. That particle, when it is divided into six, that becomes the atom. So you cannot see even the material atom, and what to speak of the spiritual atom." (Lecture BG, Ch 4 Text 11 - New York City, July 27, 1968)

Devotee - "Śrīla Prabhupāda you state that spirit soul has form."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Devotee - "Otherwise, how is the material body grown to accommodate the spirit soul? Just like a shirt has no form, but when it's put on the body, it takes the shapes of the body. Does that mean that the spirit soul has the shape of the body that is accommodating it?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, you have got body, shape, very minute shape. That we cannot see, we cannot measure. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumeyam, what is that? You cannot measure. What is that word used? Aprameyam. Aprameyam. You cannot measure. But it has a form. 

How? What is the length and breadth of that form? THAT’S is not in your power. In your power, but not materially. That is... If you have got spiritual power, then you can measure it. And that measurement is also given in the śāstra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Hair is a very small point. And divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is the measure, magnitude of the soul.

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya

śatadhā kalpitasya ca

jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ

sa cānantyāya kalpate

(CC Madhya 19.140)

Everything is there. But you have no eyes to see, how to see one ten-thousandth portion of the top of the hair. You cannot see even the original top of the hair. Everything is there. We must have eyes." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 16 Text 24, Hawaii, Jan 20, 1974)

Srila Prabhupāda - "This material world is existing on the spiritual prakṛti. You can calculate what is your body. This body is existing on the spiritual body. Just like your shirt. The shirt is existing on your actual hand. The shirt has got a hand because you have got hand. So matter is impersonal. But because the superior prakṛti, jīva, he is person, therefore the matter appears like a person. 

Because I have got hands and legs, therefore this cloth has got hands and legs. Otherwise the cloth has no hands and legs; it is impersonal. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni. This body is just like dress. Just like your coat has got hand, your pant has got leg, but either the pant or coat has no leg, no hand. 

Because you have got leg and hand, therefore the coat has got leg and hand. Everyone can understand, it is very easy. So, the original eternal the spirit soul has got form. Therefore the cloth has been cut into form. It is very easy to understand, otherwise how you get the form? And in this form the spirit soul is trying to enjoy this material world. But it is not puruṣa. It cannot enjoy. That is false. That is illusion." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 26 Text 3, Bombay, Dec 15, 1974)

Srila Prabhupāda - "We are not studying what kind of dress you have got. Now, you are also not studying what kind of dress I have got. We are concerned with philosophy, with knowledge, similarly, we are not concerned whether you are American or Englishman or African or this or that, a cat or dog. We want to give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because everyone is conscious. So that consciousness has to be changed. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. 

Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become clear, very clear! First that clearing. So sarva-upādhi-vinirmuktam, upādhi. We have got these designations, 

I am Indian, 

I am American, 

I am brāhmaṇa, 

I am Muslim,

I am Christian,

I am Hindu. 

These are all designations. So, we have to become free from these designations, come to the spiritual platform. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means without any... Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). 

When you come to that purest form of spirit soul, you don't think that your indriyas, or senses, are lost. No. Senses are there. At that time, if you enjoy your senses in cooperation with the Supreme, that is called bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness." (Lecture SB, Canto 5 Ch 5 Text 1, London, Aug 30, 1971)

Devotee - "Would the jiva-soul that is within, say, a cow's body, is in a different shape?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, it has got also legs, but the shape has taken a form according to his desire. Just like a bird, it has two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs, and man has got two hands, two legs. So the same parts of the body, they are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there." 

Devotee - "Is the original body of the spirit soul a human form?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "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 Kṛṣṇa, two hands, two legs."

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

Srila Prabhupada - [explaining also the material covering] "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 jiva-soul."

Hari-śauri - "They are covered in the spiritual world as well?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Not in the spiritual world, there that is voluntary, some devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and become 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 Kṛṣṇa as cow, he serves Kṛṣṇa as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). That is Kṛṣṇa's all-powerfulness, spiritual life." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 1, Melb, Australia May 21, 1975)

Srila Prabhupāda - "In Vaikuṇṭha, people, they also dress with yellow cloth, pīta-kauśeya, or this saffron color. This is Vaikuṇṭha dress. Kauśeya, pīta, the dress, garments. Kirīṭinaḥ: "with helmets." Kuṇḍalinaḥ: "with nice earring." Kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalino lasat-puṣkara-mālinaḥ, "and very nice flower garland." 

This is Vaikuṇṭha dress - Lasat puṣkara mālinaḥ, sarve ca nūtna-vayasaḥ: all young men. In Vaikuṇṭha there is no old age, although they are eternal. That is the real form of the spirit. The old age is due to this body, material body. Material thing is born and stays for some time, and then it is annihilated. So up to the time of annihilation, it becomes so old, nasty, bad-looking. But in the Vaikuṇṭha there is no such thing. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. The Vaikuṇṭha planet, because that is spiritual body, that is nityaḥ śāśvataḥ." (Lecture SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 33 - San Francisco, July 18, 1975)

Srila Prabhupāda - "The living entity is not nirākāra. Living entity has got hands, legs, everything, spiritual. Just like my, I have got my body, and this body's covered by this shirt, and because I have got this hand, the shirt has got hand. Otherwise wherefrom this hand comes? Unless the spirit soul has got hands and legs, how we have got these material hands and legs? Therefore it is, the conclusion is that spirit soul has form. As Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac cid ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1), similarly spirit soul, jīvātmā, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it has got form. That form is also described in the śāstra. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca, jīva bhāgo sa vijñeyaḥ (CC Madhya 19.140). A rough idea of the form of the living entity has been given in the Padma Purāṇa that one ten thousandth part of the tip of the hair.

Now, perhaps we have no instrument how to measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. But this is given there. So anyway, because we get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, that this body, material body is, is like a dress. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāny yathā vihāya. As we give up old dress, garment, similarly, when this body becomes useless, we give up this body and accept another new body. Navāni ghṛṇāti." (The Nectar of Devotion - Vrndavana, Oct 26, 1972)

Srila Prabhupāda - "We have fallen down in this material condition. But Kṛṣṇa never falls down in material condition. When He appears before us, don't think that "He is also fallen soul like me." The fools consider like that. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG, Ch 9 Text 11). Mūḍhā means fools. 

The fools consider Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. Mānuṣīṁ paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. The fools do not know what is immense potency, background, of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they think Kṛṣṇa as like one of us. So here it is said, sarva-ādi. Sarva-ādi means the primal. Primal. And sarva-aṁśī. Sarva-aṁśī means He is the original thing, and everything is part. We are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśa, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Aṁśī. Aṁśī and aṁśa. 

Just like this hand, It is called part, and I am, as whole body, I am the whole. So we can understand part and whole. So therefore He is whole, and everything is His part. He is the aṁśī; He is the whole. Sarva-aṁśī. Kiśora-śekhara. This very word, kiśora-śekhara, "the supreme boy." The supreme boy. His feature is just like a fresh boy, but the supreme. Kiśora-śekhara cid-ānanda-deha, spiritual body. Just mark this description of Kṛṣṇa: cid-ānanda-deha. Cid-ānanda-deha means transcendental, spiritual body, not this body. 

Because the less intelligent persons, they cannot think of personal God... Because they think that whenever there is question of personality, it is material body. They cannot find out the shape of the spirit soul. It is so small that from material eyes, by material instrument, you cannot find out the shape of the soul. Therefore, they conclude that there is no shape. 

The same example: just geometrically, the definition of point is given, "point has no length, no breadth," because a point cannot be measured by any human instrument. But nothing can be without. Even the atom has got its measure. But because we have no power to measure, we set aside, dismiss: "Oh, there is no, nothing." So similarly, "Because we do not know what is spirit, and we think spirit is something just opposite to this matter, and matter we find manifestation, form, therefore spirit should be formless." That is their conclusion. But actually it is not so." (Lecture CC Madhya-lila 20.152-154 - New York City, Dec 5, 1966)

Hayagrīva dasa - "Aquinas believed that God is the only single essence that consists of pure form. He felt that matter is only a potential and, in order to be real, must assume a certain shape or form. Being in the universe have to acquire an individual form in order to actualize themselves. When matter unites with form, the form gives an object its individuality and personality. A form gives an object its individuality and personality."

Srila Prabhupāda - Yes, matter has no form but the jiva-soul has got form. Though matter is covering the actual form of the jiva-soul, the matter then appears to have form. Just like the original cloth has no form, but when the tailor cuts the cloth according to the body of the person, then the shirt and coat takes a form. The matter itself has no form. When you take clay, it has no form, but if you make it like a doll, like a man or woman, then it has a form. When you change the clay, and you manufacture a fort, then the fort has form. So form and formlessness is of the matter, but in the spiritual world everything has got form. The spirit soul has got form. God has got form. This is the truth."

Hayagrīva dasa - "Aquinas believed that only God and the angels have form that is not material. There is no difference between God's form and His spiritual self."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, as in the material world any form-man or beast or anyone—in the outward, external covering is matter, but within the matter there is the soul. The soul has form and God has form. That is real form. And the material form is simply shirting and coating over the spiritual body." (Philosophy Discussion with Prabhupāda on Thomas Aquinas) 

Hayagrīva dasa - "He considered that matter was necessary to give the jiva-soul form."

Srila Prabhupāda - "No, he has got his original form."

Hayagrīva dasa - "Original form?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Hayagrīva dasa - "Which is the form of the body."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Original form, that is the form of the spirit."

Hayagrīva dasa - "Of the spirit."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, and the form of the body takes place on account of the form of the spirit. This is very nice example. The cloth has no form, but when it is cut according to the form of the gentleman, it takes a form. Similarly, matter has no form. When it is coated on the spiritual form of the soul, it takes the form. This is very easy to understand." (Philosophy Discussion with Srila Prabhupāda on Thomas Aquinas)

Guest - "And it is eternal bondage there.

Srila Prabhupada - "No. Bondage for so long you are in this material bondage."

Guest - "In some form..."

Srila Prabhupada - "No, first of all you have to understand in the spiritual form, not material covering"

Guest - "Yes, even there is spiritual form, one has to live in certain form, without which..."

Srila Prabhupada - "That is natural form, that is not a conventional form. Just like you have dressed yourself with black coat, it is not your natural form. So material..."

Guest - "Has spirit no want?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, no want."

Guest " Without it, you see..."

Srila Prabhupada - "Everything you desire, it is present immediately."

Guest - "So, the spirit (jiva-soul) has got subtle form, though it may be exact form?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, yes, yes."

Guest - "Though mind has got no form outside but mind has a form."

Srila Prabhupada - "The spirit has a form."

Guest - "Intelligence is also accepting..."

Srila Prabhupada - "These are different coating. Just like you have got your form, therefore your coat has got a form."

Guest - "No, I was thinking in this form."

Srila Prabhupada - "Don't think like that way. First of all you try to understand. Because you have got a form, your coat has got a form. You try to understand this."

Guest - "Yes, water, though may not have form, but it has got form."

Srila Prabhupada - "Why may not? You try to understand practically. You have got a form, therefore your shirt has got a form, your coat has got a form."

Guest - "That spirit has this form, no?"

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, because originally you have got hand, your coat has got hand. Because originally you have got hand, your shirt has got hand. Therefore this form, the material form which you are seeing, it is coating only."

Guest - "Material form of what?"

Srila Prabhupada - "You, me, everything."

Guest - "No, 

Guest - "That is what I say, any spiritual being will have certain form."

Srila Prabhupada - "Not certain form. He has got his original form."

Guest - "Original means all the... We are living from the eternal..."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, eternally you have got a form."

Guest - "From the eternal we have got certain form."

Srila Prabhupada - "That is material. Past certain form, that is material. But you have got an original spiritual form."

Guest - "Spiritual form is there but due to the bond man has taken this form."

Srila Prabhupada - "This form is being developed according to your mental condition." (Room Conversation - Jan 17, 1971, Allahabad)

Srila Prabhupada - "This form is being developed according to your mental condition."

Guest - "Mental conditions are due to want."

Srila Prabhupada - "Subtle form, subtle form."

Guest - "Those are again due to want."

Srila Prabhupada - "Due to want, yes?"

Guest - "All these forms are due to want."

Srila Prabhupada - "Want. That want because you are in the material condition."

Guest - "Every person in a material... Spirit in matter remains because both are there."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, yes."

Guest - "Now, as we have got a material form..."

Srila Prabhupada - "Spirit has got no material form. Spirit has got spiritual form."

Guest - "Spiritual form but yet also it has got a material form."

 Srila Prabhupada - "Because he has come, just like you have accepted this kind of coat. I have got a different kind of coat. She has got a different kind of coat."

Guest - "Yes, according to that there is..."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes. So as I liked, so I have got shirt and coat. This is material. But originally, spiritual form is the same as you have got, I have got, she has got a form, everyone. That is original form."

Guest - "Now, our question... (indistinct) We try. Now, question of earning also, the definition is not here, being..."

Srila Prabhupada - "The question of earning comes so long you have got this material form. But from the spiritual form there is no question of earning."

Guest - "In what way we will live in that spiritual form?"

Srila Prabhupada - "That you have to know. That you have to know. Ānanda cinmaya rasa pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That spiritual form means complete blissfulness, complete knowledge, and eternity." (Room Conversation - Jan 17, 1971, Allahabad)

Srila Prabhupada - "In further reference to your question about the form of the spirit soul of the conditioned living entity, there is a spiritual form always but covered while in the material world. However, it will develop fully ONLY when the living entity goes back to Vaikuntha.  This form is again uncovered according to the desire of the living entity. Until this perfectional stage is reached, the form is lying dormant like the form of the tree is lying dormant in the seed." (Letter to Rupanuga - Los Angeles 8 Aug, 1969) 

Srila Prabhupada - "Regarding your questions: The dormant spark (jiva-soul) fallen to the impersonal brahmajyoti certainly does have form which means hands, feet, etc. This we learn from Bhagavad-gita. The body is described there as Vasamsi, which means dress. So unless one has got originally hands and legs, how the dress, coat and pants and shirt, takes such form? Therefore the spirit soul has original form. When he is in the material energy the dress is evolved materially and when he is in the spiritual energy, the dress is evolved spiritually. This is also not very difficult to understand, as our students before coming to my contact, he was supposed to be materially dressed, attached to sense gratification, and after devoting himself in Krishna Consciousness, he is gradually developing a spiritual dress. That means attached to satisfying the senses of the Supreme." (Letter to Rupanuga - Hawaii 14 March, 1969).*×*.