God's Looking Initiates Creation and Sustains the Devotees
In the material world, a mere glance or look is often considered a passive or insignificant action. However, when we speak of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His vision is imbued with absolute power and dynamic energy. The Vedic literatures reveal that the Lord's simple act of looking is responsible for creating the cosmos, sustaining all living entities, and capturing the hearts of His devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the profound philosophical and personal aspects of God's looking. Whether He is casting His creative glance over the material energy, acting as the silent onlooker within the core of our hearts, or exchanging affectionate glances with His pure devotees in the spiritual realm, the Supreme Lord's vision is the active force driving both the material and spiritual worlds. By understanding how the Lord looks, we can better position ourselves to receive His merciful gaze.
The Glance of Creation and the Inner Witness
Mundane scientists struggle to explain the initial catalyst for the universe's creation. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the cosmos is not the result of a random explosion, but the direct result of the Supreme Lord looking over His dormant material energy. Furthermore, the Lord continues to look over His creation by expanding into the heart of every being as the Paramātmā.
- We find the creation begins from the person. In the Vedas it is said, sa aiksata. Sa asrjata. Aiksata, "By the glance, He looked over, God looked over, and He created." The reference is to the person.
- This Karanodakasayi Visnu causes the manifestation of material creation by looking over His material energy (sa aiksata). In the first volume of this book we have already discussed to some extent the explanation of the verse jagrhe paurusam rupam.
- Two birds are sitting in one tree. So one bird is witnessing. The witnessing bird is the Paramatma, antaryami. He is looking after all your activities, witness.
- This one tree is this whole body, and the two birds - one the individual soul and the other is the Supersoul - both of them are sitting as friends. One bird is eating the fruits of the tree, and the other bird is simply onlooker.
Looking After the Conditioned Souls
Even though the conditioned souls have turned their backs on the Supreme Lord, He never abandons them. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes the immense compassion of God, explaining how He kindly looks after the general maintenance of all living beings, while reserving a special, intimate level of care for those who fully surrender unto Him.
- We should always know that God is ever kind to us. Despite our gross disobedience to the laws of God's nature, the Lord is kind enough to look after our maintenance.
- A common master looks to the necessities of his servant, so how much more would the all-powerful, all-opulent Supreme Lord look after the necessities of life for a fully surrendered soul.
- Our activities must be so transcendentally saturated that the Lord will be kind enough to look upon us favorably and engage us in His transcendental service; then only can the senses be satisfied completely and be no longer troubled by material attraction.
- We have fallen into this river and are repeatedly suffering the pains of birth and death and eating horrible things. Now kindly look upon us - not only upon me but also upon all others who are suffering.
The Transcendental Appearance and Gaze
The physical appearance of the Supreme Lord and the nature of His gaze are entirely transcendental. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Lord's eternal body always looks perfectly youthful, and how His gaze can adapt to the exact needs of His pastimes—appearing impossibly fierce to the demons, yet overflowing with sweet affection for His devotees.
- Arjuna and Krsna was of the same age, but Arjuna looks older; Krsna looks younger. And Krsna at that time had great-grandchildren. His grandchildren and His grandchildren's children were present at that time. The whole family extended to about ten millions.
- Lord Nrsimhadeva's mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at.
- A devotee should be very cautious of committing offenses at the feet of another devotee. The Lord, being equal to all, and being especially inclined to His devotee, looked as mercifully at the offenders as at the offended.
- Sincerely extolled in these words, Lord Visnu, shining very beautifully on the shoulders of Garuda, replied with words as sweet as nectar. His eyebrows moved gracefully as He looked at the sage (Kardama Muni) with a smile full of affection.
The Playful Looking in Spiritual Pastimes
In the highest realms of devotional service, the Lord's physical act of looking becomes a central feature of His enchanting pastimes. Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully narrates how the Lord's innocent, playful, and sometimes dramatic looking completely captivates the minds of His eternal associates, deepening their pure love for Him.
- Dressed with muddy earth mixed with cow dung and cow urine, the babies (Krsna and Balarama) looked very beautiful.
- Mother Yasoda once told Mukhara, her maidservant,"Just look at Krsna looking stealthily toward all sides and slowly stepping forward from the bushes. It appears that He is coming just to steal the butter."
- When they reached the place called Balagandi, Lord Jagannatha stopped His car and began to look left and right.
- Salva addressed Krsna, "You rascal, Krsna! Look. This is Your father, who has begotten You and by whose mercy You are still living. Now just see how I kill Your father. If You have any strength, try to save him."
Conclusion
A systematic study of the Vedic literatures profoundly deepens our understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's absolute nature. As Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully explains, God's looking is never a passive or ordinary biological function; it is the primary engine of universal mechanics and divine love. At the dawn of creation, the colossal task of manifesting the cosmos requires no heavy machinery or physical exertion; Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu simply glances over the dormant material energy, and by His looking, the entire cosmic order is activated. On a microscopic level, the Lord expands as the Paramātmā and sits upon the tree of the body next to the individual soul, acting as the eternal, silent onlooker who perfectly witnesses and records our every desire. Despite the rebellious nature of the conditioned souls, the Lord's compassion is so vast that He continuously looks after our maintenance. However, for those who completely surrender to His lotus feet, He looks upon them with special, intimate favor, guaranteeing their spiritual and material necessities. Furthermore, the aesthetics of how the Lord looks are purely transcendental. While mundane bodies deteriorate with time, the Supreme Lord always looks like a remarkably fresh, blooming youth. Depending on the necessity of His pastimes, His gaze can be terrifyingly fierce—like the impossible-to-look-at eyes of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva—or incredibly sweet, bestowing a merciful, affectionate smile upon His devotees. Ultimately, in the supreme spiritual abodes, the simple act of the Lord looking left and right from His chariot as Lord Jagannātha, or glancing stealthily before stealing butter in Vṛndāvana, completely immerses His associates in an ocean of ecstatic love, proving that capturing the merciful glance of the Supreme Lord is the ultimate perfection of life.
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 Looking. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.