God's Behavior - The Exemplary Dealings of the Supreme Person
When philosophers try to understand the Absolute Truth, they often expect a static, emotionless force. However, the Vedic literatures reveal that the Supreme Truth is the Supreme Person, and as a person, He possesses dynamic, unpredictable, and endlessly fascinating behavior. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that every action performed by the Lord—whether He is violently destroying a demon, gently embracing a devotee, or seemingly running away from a fight—is absolutely perfect. By studying the transcendental behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can transcend material calculations and learn how to properly conduct oneself in both material and spiritual life.
Teaching by Personal Example
The Supreme Lord is the ultimate authority in the universe. When He descends, He does not just give verbal instructions; He teaches human society how to live by setting the perfect personal example (ācāra).
- Who can be more of a leading personality than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose behavior could be more exemplary.
- One should worship the brahmanas and Vaisnavas by offering them all kinds of endowments and sweet words, and if one has no means to offer anything, he must at least use sweet words to pacify them. The Lord personally exhibited this behavior towards the Kumaras.
- Prthu Maharaja advised his citizens to follow the exemplary behavior of the Lord Himself and thus engage in the service of brahmanas and Vaisnavas.
- When the Kazi came down to see Him (Lord Caitanya), the Lord offered him proper respect and a seat because he was a respectable government officer. Thus the Lord taught us by His personal behavior.
Reconciling Softness and Hardness
The behavior of the Supreme Lord perfectly harmonizes seemingly contradictory qualities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord can be infinitely gentle with His surrendered devotees, yet ruthlessly severe with those who torment the innocent.
- The softness of a flower and the hardness of a thunderbolt are reconciled in the behavior of a great personality. The following quotation from Uttara-rama-carita explains this behavior.
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam: the Lord appears in order to protect the devotees and kill the demons. This was fully exhibited by His personal behavior.
- The Lord, being the Supersoul, is extremely dear to everyone. Why, then, should the Lord display unsympathetic behavior toward the asuras? How is this impartial?
- Pure devotees do not make any distinction between the Lord's anger and His blessings. They see both with reference to the Lord's behavior with others and themselves.
Intimate and Unpredictable Dealings
Because the Lord is the origin of all psychological traits, He possesses a full range of emotions. In His intimate pastimes, His behavior is often playful, unpredictable, and completely outside the bounds of ordinary logic.
- In a sporting attitude, Krsna wanted to engage in a mock fight with His devotee. As we have experienced from the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the propensities and instincts of a human being.
- When Sivananda Sena returned and Srila Nityananda Prabhu saw him, the Lord kicked him severely, complaining that He was very hungry, and asked why he had not arranged for His food. Such is the behavior of the Lord with His devotees.
- The Lord bestows special favor upon His devotee by taking away all his material opulences. Bali Maharaja appreciated this behavior by the Lord.
- Since he did not go to see the temple, Lord Caitanya Himself, who is nondifferent from Jagannatha, used to come and sit with Haridasa Thakura daily. Here in Srimad-Bhagavatam we also find this same behavior of the Lord.
Misunderstood by the Foolish
Only a pure devotee can appreciate the absolute nature of the Lord's actions. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that mundane moralists, atheists, and impersonalists frequently misinterpret the Lord's behavior, projecting their own material flaws onto Him.
- Not understanding the transcendental behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, these rascals slur His character and immediately fall into the category of miscreants, rascals, lowest among men, demons and those whose knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy.
- Your defeat by Jarasandha in the eighteenth engagement was nothing but an exhibition of human behavior. Unfortunately, foolish Jarasandha could not understand Your tricks, and he has since then become puffed up over his material power and prestige.
- The Mayavadi philosophy, they do not accept the form of the Lord, and they do not know how to behave with the form.
- A devotee does not find fault with the behavior of the Lord in any circumstances.
Conclusion
A deep study of the Vedic literatures reveals that the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest subject matter for spiritual contemplation. Śrīla Prabhupāda meticulously explains that because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme absolute, His behavior perfectly reconciles all dualities. He is softer than a flower toward His pure devotees, showering them with affection, respectfully offering sweet words to the brāhmaṇas, and even walking daily to visit Haridāsa Ṭhākura when the great saint could not enter the temple. Simultaneously, He is harder than a thunderbolt toward the asuras, effortlessly destroying their demonic plans. While mundane moralists and foolish kings like Jarāsandha miscalculate the Lord's playful tricks and intimate pastimes, pure devotees are constantly struck with wonder by His dealings. They understand that whatever the Lord does is absolute mercy. Whether He is bestowing immense wealth, violently stripping away material opulence (as He did with Bali Mahārāja), or playfully kicking a devoted servant like Śivānanda Sena, His actions are completely free from material contamination. Ultimately, human life is meant for studying this transcendental behavior, learning how to act properly by the Lord's personal example, and realizing that true liberation lies in appreciating the dynamic, loving personality of the Absolute Truth.
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 Behavior. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.