God Is Auspicious - The Supreme Source of All Good Fortune
In the material world, fortune and misfortune are constantly fluctuating dualities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is entirely beyond this duality. Because the Lord is the absolute reservoir of purity, His appearance, His form, His pastimes, and His devotional service are eternally and unconditionally auspicious for all living beings.
The Auspicious Time of His Appearance
When the Supreme Lord descends into the material world, His absolute purity dramatically transforms the cosmic environment. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the natural elements, planets, and creatures all respond with extraordinary beauty and peacefulness to herald the auspicious advent of the Personality of Godhead.
- A pure breeze began to blow at the auspicious time for the appearance of God and when the brahmanas engaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according to Vedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by the breeze - SB 10.3.1-5.
- At the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord the rivers flowed with clear water, and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarily beautiful - SB 10.3.1-5.
- At the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord the sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky - SB 10.3.1.
- In the trees and green plants, full of flowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos and swarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake of the demigods (at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord) - SB 10.3.1-5.
The Most Auspicious Form and Presence
Progressing through the stages of spiritual realization reveals deeper levels of divine fortune. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while the impersonal and localized aspects of God are certainly auspicious, the highest and most beneficial realization is encountering the eternal, personal form of the Supreme Lord.
- After surpassing the impersonal brahmajyoti and seeing the personal aspect of the Lord and His most auspicious eternal form, the devotee realizes the Absolute Truth in full.
- By meeting the Personality of Godhead Himself face to face, the devotee experiences the most auspicious feature of the Supreme.
- The Lord in the temple in the worshipable form is never to be considered to be made of stone or wood, for the Lord in His arca incarnation as the Deity in the temple shows immense favor to the fallen souls by His auspicious presence.
- The devotees can always remember the form of Nrsimhadeva when they are in danger, and therefore the appearance of Nrsimhadeva was not at all inauspicious. The Lord's appearance is always worshipable and auspicious for all sane persons and devotees.
Hearing His All-Auspicious Pastimes
Connecting with the Lord through transcendental sound is a direct method of attaining all good fortune. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that hearing, chanting, and glorifying the wonderful adventures and qualities of the Lord brings supreme satisfaction and auspiciousness to everyone in the universe.
- O my lord, what was the purpose of this incarnation? Kindly explain this to us, for hearing about the pastimes of the Lord is auspicious for everyone.
- Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing.
- Gajendra said, "Pure devotees are always satisfied simply by glorifying Your auspicious characteristics. For them there is nothing else to aspire to or pray for."
- Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is full of narrations of the activities of the Supreme Lord, is auspicious for all living beings residing in every planet. One who takes it as belonging to a particular sect is certainly mistaken.
The Ultimate Auspicious Activity
Human life is designed for achieving the highest spiritual perfection. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that taking to the path of God consciousness and engaging in pure devotional service is the only truly auspicious activity, as it grants full liberty and connects the soul with the source of all fortune.
- According to Vedic civilization, a human being must be God conscious. He should understand what God is, what this material world is, who he is, and what their interrelationships are. This is called sreyas, or ultimately auspicious activity.
- Factually the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of all self-realization. Consequently, the goal of all auspicious activities - karma, jnana, yoga and bhakti - is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Considering all these points, therefore, intelligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart and who is a mine of all auspicious qualities.
- Liberty, happiness and all good fortune can be attained only by surrendering unto the Lord because He is full liberty, full happiness and full auspiciousness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully reveals that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the very definition of auspiciousness. Because the Lord is completely free from the contaminated dualities of the material world, His presence brings absolute purity and good fortune. This is vividly demonstrated during His divine appearance, when the rivers, stars, and natural elements perfectly align to reflect His absolute purity. While transcendentalists experience auspiciousness by realizing the impersonal brahmajyoti or the localized Paramātmā, the zenith of spiritual fortune is attained only by realizing the eternal, personal form of the Lord. Whether He appears as the terrifying Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to protect a devotee or as the merciful Deity in the temple, His presence is always a supreme blessing. By engaging in the hearing and chanting of His wonderful pastimes, as recorded in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the living entities on all planets can access this boundless good fortune. Ultimately, any human endeavor—whether karma, jñāna, or yoga—must be directed toward the Supreme Lord to be considered successful. By abandoning temporary material pursuits and fully surrendering to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, an intelligent person connects with the supreme mine of all auspicious qualities, thereby securing eternal liberty, profound happiness, and the absolute perfection of life.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Auspicious. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.