God Gives Power - The Supreme Source of All Prowess
In the material world, individuals and nations constantly strive for supremacy, falsely believing they are the independent architects of their own strength. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Vedic literatures shatter this illusion, revealing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the absolute source of all power, endowing everything from the planets in space to the senses of the living entity with their functional capacities.
The Source of Universal Power
The majestic forces that govern the cosmos do not operate blindly or independently. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that the profound abilities of the material elements, as well as the astonishing power that keeps millions of heavy planets floating in space, are directly supplied by the Supreme Lord.
- All of them (the material elements, the living entities and material nature) together are recipients of power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are thus able to manifest their individual capacities.
- Not only the earth but many, many millions of planets are floating in the air, and this floating power is endowed upon them by the Lord.
- The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is the father of all living entities, who are placed in different high and low positions according to their desires or aspirations. Some of them are specifically endowed with powers by the will of the Lord.
- Whenever we see something exalted, we must consider it part of the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A powerful man (vibhutimat sattvam) is one who has obtained the grace of the Lord or has derived some power from Him.
Empowering His Representatives
God delegates authority to qualified living entities to assist in managing His creation and spreading His glories. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that exalted figures, from universal creators like Lord Brahmā to the pure devotees writing transcendental books, achieve their success only because they are empowered by the Lord.
- He (the king) is also supposed to be God's representative. God gives power to somebody to look after the interest of the inhabitants of that particular planet. Similarly, there is a king in the sun planet.
- Nothing is possible without tapasya. Lord Brahma, however, was empowered to create this entire universe because of his austerities. The more we engage in austerities, the more we become powerful by the grace of the Lord.
- As soon as one is favored by the mercy of the spiritual master and the Lord, one is immediately given all the power necessary to write books and propagate the Krsna consciousness movement without being hampered by material considerations.
- Factually only the Lord Himself can describe Himself, and His learned devotee also can describe Him as far as the Lord gives him the power of description.
The Power of Senses and Reason
On an intimate, personal level, a living entity cannot even think, speak, or perceive without the Lord's active assistance. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that as the Supersoul, God sits within the heart to enliven our dormant senses and provide us with the power of memory, reason, and ultimate liberation.
- As Paramatma, Supersoul, the Lord is living in everyone's heart, and from Him only does one's power of remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness follow. One person can sharply remember past activities by the grace of the Lord while others cannot.
- Dhruva Maharaja said: My dear Lord, You are all-powerful. After entering within me, You have enlivened all my sleeping senses - my hands, legs, ears, touch sensation, life force and especially my power of speech.
- He is the master of all planets. This is not accepting blindly. God has given you the power of reason, the power of arguing - but don't argue falsely. If you want to know the transcendental science you must surrender.
- If one tries he can also return home, back to Godhead. This prowess is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supersoul.
Utilizing Power in Devotion
Recognizing the true source of one's abilities separates the divine from the demonic. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that a sane person never becomes falsely proud of their borrowed strength; instead, they feel deep gratitude and dedicate their God-given power entirely to the execution of devotional service.
- The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee, or asura, is that a devotee knows that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone derives power from Him.
- No one should be puffed up for his powers borrowed from the Lord. The sane man should rather feel obliged to the Lord for such benefactions and must utilize such power for the service of the Lord.
- All power is obtained from the Lord; therefore each particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord and not otherwise. The Lord can be known by one who has adopted such a submissive service attitude.
- O Lord, O Transcendence, kindly help us by giving us the power to execute bhakti-yoga so that we can control our restless minds and fix them upon You.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly demystifies the origin of all strength, ability, and influence. The Vedic literatures confirm that there is no independent power anywhere in the cosmic manifestation. The majestic force that floats millions of planets in space, the creative energy of the material elements, and the administrative authority of great universal kings are all directly endowed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the most intimate level, every living entity is entirely dependent on the Supersoul (Paramātmā) within the heart, who enlivens the dormant senses and provides the power of speech, memory, and logical reasoning. Furthermore, the Lord specifically empowers His pure devotees with the transcendental prowess required to preach, write literature, and describe His glories. Understanding this absolute dependence is the defining difference between a sane devotee and a foolish asura (demon). A materialistic person becomes falsely puffed up by their borrowed abilities, misusing them for sense gratification, whereas a true devotee feels deep, humble gratitude. By recognizing that all strength belongs to Lord Viṣṇu, the sincere soul prays for the grace to utilize every ounce of their God-given power exclusively in the execution of bhakti-yoga, executing the will of the Lord and ultimately returning back to Godhead.
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