God's Benedictions - The Supreme Bestower of All Desires
In the material world, everyone is seeking a benediction. We pray for health, wealth, a good spouse, and success in our endeavors. While many people approach powerful individuals or even demigods to fulfill these desires, the Vedic literatures explain that this is a roundabout and ultimately unfulfilling process. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of all benedictions. By understanding how the Lord distributes His grace—from fulfilling the basic material desires of the neophytes to granting the supreme gift of pure devotion—a sincere soul can learn what to actually ask for, and how to receive the ultimate benediction of the Lord.
The Source of All Boons
People often worship demigods like Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā to achieve quick material success. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that these demigods are simply administrators. The Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is the ultimate authority who sanctions and empowers all benedictions.
- Lord Krsna is also addressed as asisam isa. The great saintly personalities, sages and demigods are able to offer benedictions to ordinary living entities, but they in turn are benedicted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- My dear Lord, You are the best of the demigods who can offer benedictions. Why, therefore, should any learned person ask You for benedictions meant for living entities bewildered by the modes of nature?
- Because a particular living entity wants to enjoy a particular material facility, the Lord inspires him with a strong desire to achieve that benediction from that particular demigod, and so he successfully receives the benediction.
- The benedictions offered by the demigods cannot compare to even one ten-thousandth of the Lord's benedictions. One should not, therefore, try to obtain benedictions from the demigods or false gurus.
Fulfilling the Desires of the Neophyte
The Supreme Lord acts as a desire tree. If someone approaches Him with material motives, the Lord is kind enough to fulfill them. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the true benefit of approaching God for material boons is that the association of the Lord eventually extinguishes those very desires.
- The Lord confirms this benediction in Bhagavad-gita: Whatever a person aspires to receive from Me, I offer him as he desires.
- Although a pure devotee does not seek benedictions from the Supreme Lord for material advancement, it is stated in Bhagavad-gita that pious persons go to the Lord even for material benedictions.
- Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for a material benediction, but when he actually achieved the favor of the Supreme Lord and saw Him, he was so satisfied that he refused to accept any material benediction.
- Even though one may be poverty-stricken or in distress, if he goes to God with the same determination as Dhruva, intent on seeing God and taking His benediction, and if he happens to see God, he will no longer want anything material.
Rejecting the Mercantile Mentality
As a devotee matures in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they stop viewing God as an order supplier. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the exemplary standard set by pure devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja, who actively rejected the Lord's offer of material benedictions.
- When Prahlada Maharaja was offered a benediction by Lord Nrsimhadeva, he refused to accept it and instead declared that a devotee should not be like a vanik, a mercantile man who gives something in exchange for some profit.
- Nrsimha-deva wanted to give him benediction, blessings, "Whatever you like." He refused, he said "I'm not a mercantile devotee that I'll get some benefit from You, but first benediction I want that let me engage in service of Your servant, Narada Muni."
- The saint Narada Muni continued: Although Prahlada Maharaja was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord Nrsimhadeva he considered them impediments on the path of devotional service.
- There was no need for the Pracetas to ask any benediction from the Supreme Lord because the devotees are simply satisfied by the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Calamity as a Benediction
One of the most profound aspects of pure devotional service is the devotee's ability to see the Lord's mercy in all circumstances. When faced with severe hardship, a pure devotee does not complain; instead, they recognize the difficulty as a purifying benediction.
- Devotees endure hindrances, accepting them to be caused by Supreme Personality of Godhead and regarding them as benedictions. Demons, being unable to understand the supreme controller, regard such hindrances as accidental.
- Confidential devotees of the Lord see in every step a benedictory direction of the Lord. What is considered to be an odd or difficult moment in the mundane sense is accepted as special mercy of the Lord.
- When a devotee is in a calamitous condition he takes it as a benediction of the Supreme Lord and takes responsibility himself for his past misdeeds. In such a condition, he offers still more devotional service and is not disturbed.
- The Nagapatnis said, "This apparent punishment of Kaliya is actually some benediction. We consider that Your great mercy is upon us because when You punish someone it is to be understood that the reactions of his sinful activities are eradicated."
Taking Away Material Opulence
Sometimes, the Lord's greatest benediction is forcibly removing a devotee's material attachments. While this appears cruel to the mundane eye, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it is a special favor meant to draw the devotee entirely back to the spiritual path.
- If one worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord will never offer him such condemned benedictions. On the contrary, it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih.
- The conclusion is that even though we do not wish to be separated from our possessions, sometimes the Lord forcibly takes them from us; and sometimes He showers such benedictions upon us that we are unable to receive them all.
- The Lord does not award a pure devotee material opulence, even though he may desire it. But Dhruva Maharaja's case was different.
- The benedictions of Lord Visnu are different. By the mercy of the Lord Visnu, one can be completely freed from material contamination and go back home, back to Godhead.
The Ultimate Benediction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu
While the Lord rarely awards pure love of Godhead, in the current Age of Kali, He has appeared in His most magnanimous form as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to distribute this highest benediction freely to everyone.
- He is very sympathetic with the fallen souls of this age. He understands, these conditioned souls, cannot execute the regular process of perfection. Therefore He has bestowed His benediction that you simply chant Hare Krsna and be perfect.
- This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Krsna mantra he'll be ecstatic. Krsna-prema-pradaya te.
- Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us how to pray for benedictions from the Lord. He said: na dhanam na janam na sundarim.
- Anyone can prepare himself for returning home, back to Godhead, by the simple method recognized by authorities such as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who specifically advented Himself to deliver the fallen souls of this age.
Conclusion
A comprehensive understanding of the Absolute Truth reveals that the Supreme Personality of Godhead perfectly reciprocates with every living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda meticulously explains that because the Lord is the ultimate source of all opulences, He is the supreme bestower of all benedictions. For those blinded by the material energy, He sanctions the temporary boons awarded by the demigods. For those who approach Him with material desires, like the young Dhruva Mahārāja, the Lord grants their wishes, but simultaneously purifies their hearts until they realize that material wealth is insignificant compared to His divine association. However, the highest standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is demonstrated by pure devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja, who refuse to engage in a mercantile exchange with the Lord, rejecting all material benedictions in favor of unalloyed service. A pure devotee is so detached from material calculations that they accept even severe calamities, punishments, and the forceful removal of their wealth as the Lord's special, purifying benediction (tat te 'nukampām). Ultimately, the Supreme Lord rarely awards the highest benediction—pure love of Godhead. Yet, in His most merciful incarnation as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has made this supreme benediction available to everyone without qualification. By simply adopting the authorized process of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, any conditioned soul can receive the ultimate benediction of returning home, back to Godhead.
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 Benedictions. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.