God's Decisions - The Infallible Will of the Supreme Lord
In the material world, conditioned souls constantly make plans, calculate risks, and attempt to secure their future happiness. Driven by false ego, they believe they are the ultimate masters of their fate. However, the Vedic literatures reveal that human independence is minute and highly restricted. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes the timeless truth: man proposes, but God disposes. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the final arbiter of all action. His decisions are infallible, absolute, and completely irresistible. By examining how the Lord decides the fate of the conditioned souls, exercises His unstoppable will, and lovingly responds to His pure devotees, we can learn the supreme value of depending completely on His divine shelter.
The Supreme Authority and Justice
No matter how powerful or rebellious a living entity may become, they cannot bypass the supreme jurisdiction of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while we may act according to our whims, the final outcome of our lives, the result of great battles, and our next destination are decided exclusively by God.
- In all circumstances we must take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and depend completely on His decision. Man proposes, God disposes.
- The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself.
- God will decide. The God's book is there, Bhagavad-gita. Just like two lawyers fighting. Who will decide? The law book will decide.
- Krsna tells Arjuna that the battle had already been decided by the Supreme, that the people who were assembled on the battlefield were predestined never to return.
The Infallible Will (Dṛḍha-vrata)
When the Supreme Lord or His empowered incarnation makes a decision, it becomes an absolute certainty. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that the Lord's vow is dṛḍha-saṅkalpa (firm determination); whatever He decides is perfectly correct and cannot be obstructed by any force in the universe.
- The demigods prayed: O Lord, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone.
- King Prthu was very respectful to the brahmanas, and he protected them. He also protected persons advanced in age. Whatever the King would decide to do, no one would be able to stop. That is called drdha-sankalpa, or drdha-vrata.
- Lord Vamanadeva continued: O King of the demons, after Lord Visnu made this decision, He entered the body of His enemy Hiranyakasipu, who was running after Him with great force.
- When Rsabhadeva saw that He was simply being disturbed by traveling throughout the world, He decided to lie down in one place like a python. Thus He ate, drank, and He passed stool and urine and smeared His body with them so that people would not disturb Him.
Deciding to Descend and Teach
The Lord is entirely self-satisfied, yet He carefully monitors the spiritual progress of the living entities. Out of His causeless mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, the Lord decides to descend and execute specific pastimes to teach the world and elevate the devotees' loving consciousness.
- Giving too much attention to understanding the exalted glories of the Lord reduces the chance of one's entering into personal loving affairs with the Lord. To teach the principles of such loving dealings, the Lord decided to appear as Lord Caitanya.
- O Visnudatta, Pariksit Maharaja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was pleased by the great sages at that sacrifice. Consequently the Lord decided to personally exhibit the method of executing religious principles and also satisfy Maharaja Nabhi's desire.
- Because Lord Siva wanted to see Lord Visnu's form as a woman (Mohini-murti), Lord Visnu decided to impersonate a woman and show him a form that would immediately put him in an ocean of lusty desires.
Responding to the Devotees
Although the Lord's decisions are absolute and independent, they are intimately intertwined with the love of His pure devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the Lord frequently decides His course of action based on the desires, prayers, and distresses of His beloved servants.
- When the tenth son was taken away by Lord Maha-Visnu, and Arjuna was therefore ready to enter the fire because his promise was going to prove false, that serious situation made Lord Krsna decide to go with Arjuna to see Maha-Visnu.
- When Jagannatha decided to see Vrndavana, He went there, and upon hearing this, the goddess of fortune experienced restlessness and jealousy.
- The great saint Maitreya told Vidura: The Supreme Personality of Godhead amply appreciated the meaningful prayers of Maharaja Prthu. Thus, after being properly worshiped by the King, the Lord blessed him and decided to depart.
Conclusion
A true understanding of the Absolute Truth requires the living entity to completely surrender their false sense of independence. As Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently teaches, "man proposes, God disposes." We may foolishly attempt to orchestrate our lives or act according to our own whims, but the final judgment—including our next birth—depends entirely on the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord's decisions are infallible and absolute. When He makes a vow, it is dṛḍha-saṅkalpa; it is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by any force in the material or spiritual worlds. Yet, the Lord's supreme determinations are not the decrees of a cold, unfeeling judge. They are expressions of His profound love and compassion. When the world required a vivid demonstration of religious principles, the Lord decided to satisfy Mahārāja Nābhi's desire. When humanity became too absorbed in the majestic, reverential worship of God, the Lord decided to descend as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to freely distribute the intimate, personal loving affairs of Vṛndāvana. Even the Lord's extraordinary pastimes, such as deciding to appear as the enchanting Mohinī-mūrti to satisfy Lord Śiva, or deciding to travel with Arjuna to see Mahā-Viṣṇu, reflect His perfect responsiveness. By studying the decisions of the Supreme Lord, the conditioned soul learns that the highest perfection of life is to stop fighting against the supreme will, consult His law book, the Bhagavad-gītā, and take complete, joyful shelter in whatever the Lord decides.
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 Decisions. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.