Transcendental Nectar of Sadhu-Sanga

This is a reply to this message in the group.

Dear Dr. Shantanu Behera:

Please accept my humble dandavat pranams.

Thank you for your appreciation for our humble attempts to serve and satisfy Srila Gurudev, Vaisnavas and Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Your question about the incarnations of Supreme Personality of Godhead is a very important subject matter. We must inquire about these topics very carefully under the guidance of an advanced spiritual master (Sri Guru) by rendering humble services.

I also felt myself quite helpless in understanding these topics when I was doing my Ph.D. at IIT-Kharagpur. By the merciful arrangements of Lord Sri Krishna I met my divine spiritual master (Gurudev) His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja (Dr. T.D. Singh) in 2005. By Srila Gurudev’s grace I could begin my education on these subjects. In 2006, Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja before entering into samadhi asked us to continue our spiritual education and scientific presentation services on Vedic teachings under the guidance of Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja, Ph.D. I am continuing my spiritual education under Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja, Ph.D. and he mercifully guided me to take the shelter of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja whom he considers as a representative of his own spiritual masters Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja.

I am new student in this science. I feel myself insignificant to talk on these very advanced subject matters. My divine masters have a profound knowledge on these topics and they can give a clear and proper understanding on these topics. Those who want to have a perfect understanding on these topics can approach my divine masters Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja, Ph.D. and Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja. I pray for the grace of my divine masters Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja (Dr. T.D. Singh), Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja, Ph.D. and Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja. By their grace only I can attempt to explain something on these topics which I have heard by taking a humble association with my divine masters.

In mathematics we know that it is not possible to produce a true infinite by adding some finite numbers. Similarly by accumulating our finite experiences and through our finite endeavors we can’t grasp the God who is the true infinite in all aspects. Hence the only way is that the true infinite has to reveal Himself to finite. Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Maharaja, Ph.D. says that the meeting point of the finite with the infinite is Sri Guru. If one tries to approach God without taking a proper shelter and discipline under an advanced spiritual master from a bona fide disciplic succession, then he will be bewildered. In the Mundaka Upanisad (1.2.12) it is mentioned that:

tad-vijnartham sa gurum evabhigacchet

samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham

“In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.”

The science of God deals with a new principle which we are not aware of in the ordinary mathematics. We know from ordinary mathematics that 1 – 1 = 0. But when we want to understand the science of God then we will come across the principles where 1 – 1 = 1. This is confirmed from the invocation of Sri Isopanishad “om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacyate purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasishyate.” In this world if we take out one kg of rice from a bag of rice then there is a reduction of the quantity of rice in the bag. On the other hand God can expand Himself into infinitely many forms, yet there is no reduction in Him. Hence to understand such a principle we need to have a different approach than what we have at present in modern science.

Our limited process of understanding God can be compared to a frog within a well trying to understand the Atlantic Ocean. By comparing the experiences of the well a frog can never understand the Atlantic Ocean. Our experiences of this world from senses, mind, intelligence and false ego have no value when we want to understand the transcendental subject matters such as God. We have to give up our limited process of knowing things and have to enter into the realm of faith to begin the education on science of God (sraddhavan labhate jnanam – Bhagavad-gita 4.39).

The scientists think that religion is based on faith and science has nothing to do with faith. However, the fact is that our life is moving on faith only. Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja (Dr. T. D. Singh) many times cited the example that, we have a faith on the pilot and that is why we are entering into the airplane. If we can’t put our faith on the pilot we can’t enter into the airplane. Similarly, when we join an institute we have a faith that the faculties in that particular institute will help me to get the desired results for which I have joined the institute. Without faith science also can’t advance. When a scientist plans an experiment he has a faith that the experiments which he wants to conduct will give him the desired results. We are using many of the theories and equations in our studies without experimentally verifying them our self. We have a faith that the persons who have conducted those experiments in past are correct and we are simply using them. We can find many such examples which will convince us that we are living on different grades of faith only.

Our reasoning can help us to come to a conclusion that there is God. But to know in details about God we need to approach His agents – Sadhus, Gurus and Vaisnavas. We must put our full faith on the agents of God. When we follow the principles properly under their strict discipline then we can also develop a vision by their grace to see God. That direction has been given by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita 4.34:

tad viddhi pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jnanam

jnaninas tattva-darsinah

“To understand transcendental knowledge, you must approach a self-realized soul, accept him as your spiritual master, and take initiation from him. Inquire submissively and render service unto him. Self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you, for they have seen the truth.”

You said: [I think there is a great degree of parallelism between the sequence of the avatars of Sri Vishnu and the theory of evolution.]

According to Vedic science human beings can be classified as karmis, jnanis, yogis, and bhaktas. karmis are those class of men who have no interest in God realization and they are simply engaged in their duties to satisfying their bodily needs. According to Vedic science they are as good as animals. On the other hand, one can become one of these three transcendentalists jnani, yogi or bhakta by receiving a realization of one of three aspects of God – Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan respectively. A jnani has a realization of Brahman, a yogi has a realization of Paramatma and a bhakta has a realization of Bhagavan. We should understand why Vedic science explains that bhakti is the highest.

There are three aspects of God. In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11 it is explained that, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. The three absolute conceptions of the Supreme Lord Krishna are given as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Brahman is the all comprehensive aspect of the supreme absolute. Paramatma is the all permeating aspect of the supreme absolute and Bhagavan is the personal manifestation of the supreme absolute. In all true religions in the world one of these three aspects of God are explained. However, in Vedic science not only these three aspects of God are explained but also why Bhagavan realization is the highest realization that is also elaborately mentioned. Hence we must develop a good knowledge of these aspects of God to understand the science of religion properly.

Brahman: In Brahma-samhita 5.40 Lord Brahma says that:

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotishv

asesha-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam

tad brahma nishkalam anantam asesha-bhutam

govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes.”

It is clearly mentioned in this verse in Brahma-samhita that the Brahman aspect of God is the glowing effulgence of the transcendental form of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Those transcendentalists who are meditating on impersonal Brahman and deny the personal aspect of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna are known as mayavadis. Sripada Sankaracarya (who is an incarnation of Lord Siva, the greatest among vaisnavas: vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh) preached this mayavad philosophy to defeat atheistic philosophy – Buddhism. Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says, “Lord Siva is one of the twelve great personalities (mahajanas), as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.3.20):

svayambhur naradah sambhuh

kumarah kapilo manuh

prahlado janako bhishmo

balir vaiyasakir vayam

These are (Lord Brahma, Narada Rishi, Lord Siva, Four Sons of Lord Brahma – Chatus Kumaras, Lord Kapila Dev, Manuh, Prahlad Maharaja, Janak Maharaja, Bhishmo Dev, Bali Maharaja, Sukadev Goswami and Yamaraj) twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness. The name Sambhu means Lord Siva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Vishnusvami-sampradaya, and the current Vishnusvami-sampradaya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradaya. The current Brahma-sampradaya is known as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya. Even though Lord Siva appeared to preach Mayavada philosophy, at the end of his pastime in the form of Sankaracarya, he preached the Vaishnava philosophy: bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam mudha-mate. He stressed worshiping Lord Krishna, or Govinda, three times in this verse and especially warned his followers that they could not possibly achieve deliverance, or mukti, simply by word jugglery and grammatical puzzles. If one is actually serious to attain mukti, he must worship Lord Krishna. That is Sripada Sankaracarya’s last instruction.”

The present so called followers of Sripada Sankaracarya don’t follow his instruction of worshiping Lord Krishna and also they don’t accept the transcendental form of Lord Krishna. There are also many deviant sects especially originated from Bengal who worship mother kali and also claim that they are brahmavadis in the line of Sripada Sankaracarya. They are even not following the true disciplic succession of Sripada Sankaracarya.

When one meditates on the glowing effulgence coming from the transcendental form of Krishna – the impersonal Brahman, then after leaving the body the soul merges into the impersonal Brahman. That is a spiritual suicide, because by nature the soul is always active. Thus the souls who have achieved the impersonal Brahman realization have a tendency to either come down to the plane of exploitation (material world) or going up towards the plane of dedication (spiritual world). There are examples in Srimad Bhagavatam about this. Srila Sukadev Goswami was a Brahmavadi (impersonalist) but by the association of his father Srila Vyasadev, Srila Sukadev Goswami got attracted to the personal features of the God (Bhagavan) and become a great devotee of Krishna. Hence if a Brahmavadi (impersonalist) is fortunate enough to get a proper association of a devotee of Krishna then he can get attracted to the Bhagavan aspect of God and can achieve the perfection in Krishna consciousness.

Sripad Sankaracarya (Lord Siva) following the order of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna spread the Mayavada philosophy to fulfill the purpose of defeating the atheistic philosophy – Buddhisim. However, those who are not perfected in Krishna consciousness or the students in the path of devotion must avoid the association of Brahmavadis (impersonalists). They must remember the warning given by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 7.114

tanra dosha nahi, tenho ajna-kari dasa

ara yei sune tara haya sarva-nasa

Translation: Sankaracarya, who is an incarnation of Lord Siva, is faultless because he is a servant carrying out the orders of the Lord. But those who listen to his Mayavadi philosophy are doomed. They will lose all their advancement in spiritual knowledge.

Paramatma: The second aspect of God is Paramatma and is the all permeating aspect of the supreme absolute. The jiva-atma (soul) and the Paramatma (Supersoul) are similar in the quality. However, they are not equal in quantity. The individual soul is present only in a particular body where he is living at present. On the other hand, the Paramatma is present in each and every body and also in each and every atom. Paramatma allows the jiva-atma (soul) to fulfill its desires in the material world.

Those souls who are meditating on the Paramatma feature of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna can attain partial realization of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. The Paramatma realization is not a complete realization in Krishna consciousness because in Paramatma realization one cannot get a service connection with Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. To get a service connection with Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna one need to approach through the shakti (pleasure potency, which is fully potent and capable to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna).

As Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna is infinite, thus a finite jiva (soul) with finite capacity cannot satisfy Him directly. Only by rendering the service as a servant of servant of shakti the jiva can enter into the service plane. Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna in His Paramatma manifestation is not present with His shakti. Hence to have a real entrance into the spiritual world (plane of service and dedication) one needs to have a realization of Bhagavan. This is because only in His Bhagavan feature Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna is associated with His shakti (Srimati Radha Rani). Those who worship God without His shakti (sages meditating on Paramatma or followers of those religions where worship of God is prescribed without His shakti) will remain as yogis and thus cannot attain a real entrance into the spiritual world.

Bhagavan: Bhagavan aspect of God is the source of both Paramatma and Brahman. In the Bhagavan feature God is associated with His shakti. Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna expands Himself along with His shakti into infinitely many forms. In different Bhagavan features Lord Sri Krishna receives the loving devotional services from His devotees according to their dedication to Him. It is described in the Satvata-tantra that:

visnos tu trini rupani purusakhyany atho viduh

ekam tu mahatah srastr dvitiyam tv anda-samsthitam

trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stham tani jnatva vimucyate

Translation: For material creation, Lord Krsna's plenary expansion assumes three Visnus. The first one, Maha-Visnu, creates the total material energy, known as mahat-tattva. The second, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The third, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramatma, who is present even within the atoms. Anyone who knows these three Visnus can be liberated from material entanglement.

Hence we must know that there is not only one Visnu, but there are infinitely many Visnus who are expansions and expansions of expansion of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also quoted a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28 to explain this.

ete camsa-kalah pumsah

krishnas tu bhagavan svayam

indrari-vyakulam lokam

mridayanti yuge yuge

Translation: All incarnations are either direct expansions of Krishna or, indirectly, expansions of the expansions of Krishna. However, the name of Krishna indicates the original Personality of Godhead. It is He who appears on this earth, in this universe or in any other universe, when there is a disturbance created by the demons, who are always trying to disrupt the administration of the demigods.

The demigods such as Indra, Chandra, Surya, Vayu, Ganesha, Durga, Kali, etc are actually the administrators of Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna clearly says in Bhagavad-gita 7.23 that those who worship the demigods are to be considered as men of small intelligence:

antavat tu phalam tesam

tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam

devan deva-yajo yanti

mad-bhakta yanti mam api

Translation: Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

The avataras that descend to this material world are expansions of Lord Krishna and Krishna is avatari – means from Whom avatars comes. Krishna has infinitely many avataras. The ten avatars (Matysa, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Ramacandra, Balarama, Buddha and Kalki) Who descend to various material universes at various times are one of the infinite expansions of Lord Krishna. Srila Jayadev-Goswami has written dasa-avatra stotra where he explains that Lord Kesava (Krishna) incarnated as these ten incarnations. The main purpose of avataras is also explained in Bhagavad-gita 4.7: yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham, “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself.” Hence time to time Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna and His incarnations descend to this material world to establish the religion and to protect His dear devotees from the onslaught of atheistic demons.

In His incarnations as Matysa, Kurma, Varaha, Nrsimha Lord Sri Krishna appears without parents. In these incarnations the Lord served His devotees. Intimate exchanges with His devotees can be found in His incarnations as Vamana, Parasurama, Ramacandra, and Balarama. In these incarnations Lord accepted services from His devotees as servitude (dasya), friendship (sakhya) and parental affection (vatsalya). Ramchandra and Balarama incarnations are very powerful incarnations. In these two incarnations devotees have a more intimate relation with the Lord. During the period when Lord Buddha appeared the unqualified Brahmins were killing the animas on the name of sacrifice by citing the Vedic literatures. Thus feeling compassion for the souls who are in the animal body, Lord Buddha appeared to spread the atheistic philosophy to stop the animal killing. Kalki avatar will appear in the end of Kali to kill the atheistic demons who don’t surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these expansions of Lord are eternally present in spiritual sky – Vaikhunta. When suitable time comes They appear in a particular universe to execute their pastimes.

In Vedic literatures it is mentioned that, the world situation will gradually degrade from piety and righteousness when we pass though the four ages: Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali. In Satya yuga people were following the four virtues penance, sanctity, compassion and truth. In Treta yuga people followed the principles of sanctity, compassion and truth. In Dvapara yuga they only followed compassion and truth. In Kaliyuga they are devoid of three virtues and only truth exists insignificantly. Due to deteriorated state in Kaliyuga, the misguided population seems to have lost their adoration and respect for Vedic instructions. So, ordinary people have got tendency to debate and altercate. According to the eligibility of the people in the four ages, the Vedas prescribed different process of worship. In Satya yuga, mode of worship was meditation, in Treta yuga mode of worship was oblation, in Dvapara yuga it was Sree vigraha Archan (worship of Deities) and in Kaliyuga it is Harinam Sankirtan.

However in Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.52 it is explained that, krite yad dhyayato vishnum tretayam yajato makhaih dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad hari-kirtanat, “Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”

Especially in this special age of Kali, Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Chaitnaya Mahaprabhu appeared to inaugurate the congregational chanting of the holy names. In other ages the devotion of Lord Vishnu is available. In Vishnu bhakti the devotee cannot develop the intimacy with Lord in the way as a Krishna’s devotee does in Golaka vrindavana. The devotees of Lord Visnu have the knowledge that Vishnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Golaka Vrindavana the devotee is so absorbed in the intimate loving exchange with Lord Krishna that he forgets that Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hence we can see that there is subjective evolution in degree of dedication.

Srila Sridhar Maharaja says, “Vaikuntha is the land of calculative dedication in terms of constitution and bound by law. But Goloka is the layer of spontaneity. It is desperate, careless of its own self - so intense. That is the highest, and by the work of dedication of all it becomes a very heavenly area. All dedicating, none extorting, so happiness of the highest degree is to be found there. Everyone is enjoying there. If all are idle men and they meet together that will be like hell. But if all the working men co-operate together there will be immense opulence. Because everyone is dedicating to the highest degree, opulence or bliss is flowing everywhere. There is no want. All Krishna consciousness, pure beauty and love reigns there. The king is that of beauty and love, where there is no force of labor, but all is a labor of love. Beauty and love are controlling, not power. That is Goloka. This is Gaudiya vaisnavism. And Mahaprabhu and His followers carry the banner of such creed.”

In Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 19.53 Srila Rupa Goswami prays that: namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te krishnaya krishna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvishe namah, “O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.” We must aspire for the pure love of Krishna from Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu descending through the line of Srila Rupa Goswami.

I also ask my sincere forgiveness to all the authorities and divine masters for any mistakes in my explanations due to my deep ignorance and immaturity. I also thank you all for spending your valuable time in reading this rather detailed letter on God.

Thanking you.

Sincerely,

Sushen Krishna das