Establishing the Eternal Path of God's Principles
Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that the entire cosmic creation is governed by the infallible laws of the Supreme Lord. By studying his instructions, we can understand the absolute nature of God's principles, why He descends to reestablish them, the foolishness of those who defy them, and the ultimate perfection attained by those who faithfully follow them.
The Supreme Ruling Principle
The Absolute Truth is not a void but the supreme energetic source governing all spiritual and material phenomena. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that true knowledge begins when one understands this central, supreme ruling principle, recognizing that all other potencies and expansions perfectly harmonize with the Supreme Lord.
- The Brahma-samhita, Chapter Five, verse 46, states that the visnu-tattva, or the principle of the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is like a lamp because the expansions equal their origin in all respects.
- There are different potencies of God, and there are different expansions of the different potencies. In this way, for different reasons there are different expansions of the same one principle, the Supreme. This understanding is real knowledge.
- When one adds a definite conception of the supreme ruling principle, the Supreme Lord, one progresses to the third stepping-stone.
- We are preaching all over the world the principle of one God, one community, one scripture, and one occupation. This principle has been accepted practically all over the world.
Reestablishing Divine Law
When human society becomes degraded by irresponsible leaders, the Lord personally intervenes to set things right. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra descend into this material universe to protect Their devotees and practically demonstrate the highest moral and spiritual principles.
- Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descends to this material universe by the agency of His internal potency and personally exhibits the principles which, if followed, can lead one to achieve the ultimate goal of life.
- Such manifestations of the transcendental forms of the Lord are accepted by Him mostly to enliven His devotees. All His incarnations are manifested whenever there is a need to deliver His devotees and maintain His own principles.
- Whenever there are anomalies in this routine work by the administrators, there is an incarnation of the Lord to reestablish the principles of a godly kingdom.
- When Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, He never married again. Or when Sita was sent to the forest for public opinion, He never married again. He remained a sticked to, stuck to only one wife because He was setting example, moral principle, to the world.
The Ignorance of the Atheists
Those who are blinded by false ego actively rebel against the authority of the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that mischievous atheists, envious leaders, and low-class men are entirely ignorant of God's principles, and due to this envious defiance, they are inevitably punished by the laws of nature.
- Alas, the time has already come when the leaders, whom ordinary men regard as beacons, are themselves mostly atheists at the bottom of their hearts and are against the principles laid down by Godhead.
- Although Ramacandra Puri was naturally very envious and although he was against the principles of Vaisnavism - or, in other words, against the principles of the Supreme PG and His devotees - common people nevertheless addressed him as Gosvami or Gosani.
- Low-class people do not know who is God, where is God, what is His principle, why does He want to give us religion. They are so ignorant, especially in this age, they do not believe in these things at all. Very awkward position.
- Under the regulative principles of the Supreme, such mischievous persons (who are envious of God) are thrown into the darkest region of material existence and are born of asuras, or atheists.
The Path of Perfection
Liberation is not achieved by mental speculation, but by strict adherence to the Lord's instructions. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that anyone who faithfully follows the principles given by the Supreme Lord, specifically through His pure devotees, will cross over material existence and attain the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Personality of Godhead has declared that anyone who knows the principles of the transcendental birth and activities of the Lord will go back to Godhead after being relieved from this material tabernacle.
- One must strictly follow the principles given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this verse. If one simply follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the Gosvamis, certainly he will achieve the ultimate goal of life, the lotus feet of Sri Krsna.
- The wrongdoer is misled by bad associates and by ill advice, which is against the established principles of the Lord's order, and thus he becomes subject to punishment.
- Sisupala continued: "Krsna does not belong to a high family. He is so independent that no one knows His principles of religious life. Indeed, it appears that He is outside the jurisdiction of all religious principles."
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda definitively clarifies that the universe is not operating on blind chance, but is meticulously directed by the eternal principles of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme ruling principle, and His authorized expansions, potencies, and instructions form the perfect standard of religion (dharma). Out of His causeless mercy, the Lord repeatedly descends into the material world as an avatāra to display these moral and spiritual principles through His own exemplary behavior, simultaneously protecting the faithful and annihilating the demonic. Conditioned souls who act mischievously, guided by envious atheistic leaders, stubbornly refuse to accept God's authority and are thus thrown into the darkest regions of material ignorance. However, for the sincere living entity who understands the transcendental nature of the Lord's activities and faithfully adheres to the principles of bhakti-yoga established by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the ācāryas, the supreme destination is guaranteed.
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 God's Principles. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.