All Over the Creation - The All-Pervading Energies of Kṛṣṇa
It is a common philosophical mistake to assume that if God is a person with a specific form, He must be limited to one specific location. The Vedic literature thoroughly defeats this material limitation. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the sublime mechanism of the Lord's omnipresence: through His multifarious potencies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains comfortably situated in His transcendental abode while simultaneously expanding Himself all over the creation.
The Distribution of Divine Energy
To understand how a localized person can be everywhere at once, Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently uses the analogy of the sun or a fire. The sun globe is situated in one specific place in the sky, yet its heat and light expand to fill the entire solar system. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme energetic source, and His blazing spiritual and material energies are distributed all over the creation.
- As fire distributes its light and heat from one place, the Supreme Personality of Godhead distributes His different energies all over His creation.
- By the two energies, the spiritual energy and the material energy, para and apara-prakrti. That is expanded all over the universe, creation.
- The impersonal feature of the Absolute, the Brahman effulgence, is but the rays of the personal body of Krsna. These rays of the personal body of Krsna are cast all over the creation of the Lord.
- These rays of the personal body of Krsna are cast all over the creation of the Lord, and the portion of the effulgence which is covered by the material cloud is called the created cosmos of the three material qualities - sattva, rajas and tamas.
The Supersoul in Every Atom
God's presence is not merely an impersonal energy field. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the Lord also expands Himself personally as the Supersoul (Paramātmā). Through His plenary expansion as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord intimately enters into the heart of every single living entity, and even into the core of every atom, making Him physically and consciously present all over the creation.
- Stated in Brahma-samhita: "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who, by one of His plenary portions, enters into the existence of every universe and every particle of the atoms and thus unlimitedly manifests His infinite energy all over the material creation."
- That Ksirodakasayi Visnu is entering in the heart of every living entity. In this way, the Visnu manifestation is all over the creation.
- The soul is existing, spreading its influence all over the body, just like the sun is existing, spreading the sunshine all over the universe. Similarly, God is existing, spreading His consciousness all over the universe, all over the creation.
- We are called ksetrajna. But the difference is, Krsna knows everything all over the creation; I even do not know what is going on in my body. That is the difference.
The Supreme Plan and the Wandering Soul
Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme, we are always connected to Him. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a living entity becomes envious and tries to act as an independent lord (prabhu), they become covered by ignorance. Consequently, the soul is forced to wander all over the creation, taking birth in various species, unaware that everything is still operating strictly under Kṛṣṇa's supreme plan.
- When the living entity abandons the shelter of God, Krsna, and tries to become a prabhu independently, he travels all over the creation.
- We are small particles, part and parcel of the Supreme, and they are distributed all over His creation, brahma-jyotir. That is nirakara. But this brahma-jyotir is not the ultimate truth.
- We are direct in touch with Krsna, but it is covered by some cloud of ignorance. Otherwise, nothing can exist without Krsna's touch. That is not possible. Maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina (Bhagavad-Gita 9.4). One Krsna is expanded all over the creation.
- We have to engage our consciousness . . . there is a supreme plan, supreme plan, all over the creation of the world, supreme plan. Everything is going on under some plan.
The Paradox of Goloka Vṛndāvana
The ultimate proof of Kṛṣṇa's absolute nature is His ability to perform contradictory actions simultaneously. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes the beautiful Vedic conclusion (goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ): Kṛṣṇa never leaves His eternal abode of Goloka Vṛndāvana. He remains there perpetually enjoying pastimes with His devotees, yet He is actively and mercifully managing everything all over the creation.
- Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah: He (God) is living in Goloka, but still He is present all over the creation. He is the Supersoul of everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He has innumerable transcendental qualities.
- While He (krsna) is present in Goloka enjoying transcendental pleasure in the company of His eternal associates - the gopis, the cowherd boys - all over the creation His potencies are acting under His direction, without disturbing His eternal pastimes.
- This is spiritual position, that even though He (the Supreme Lord) is in His abode permanently, He can remain in everyone's heart, all over the creation. Not only in the heart, but within every atom also.
- Although the Supreme Lord has unlimited kindness for His devotees, He is not attached to anyone. He is equally kind to His innumerable devotees all over the creation.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches us that we can never run away from Kṛṣṇa, for His energies and His localized manifestations are spread all over the creation. By understanding this divine omnipresence, a sincere devotee no longer feels alone or abandoned in the material world. Instead, they realize that the Supreme Lord is always intimately present, actively maintaining the cosmos, and waiting patiently in the heart for our return to Him.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category All Over the Creation. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.