God Is Known As - The Manifold Names of the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has unlimited potencies and activities, He is known by unlimited names. Each name of the Lord perfectly describes a specific feature, incarnation, or transcendental quality of the Absolute Truth.
The Three Features of the Absolute
According to Vedic literature, the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Supreme is known as the impersonal Brahman by speculators, the localized Paramātmā by yogīs, and the supreme Bhagavān by pure devotees.
- The Absolute Truth is known sometimes as Brahman, sometimes as Paramatma and sometimes as Bhagavan. One who has complete knowledge and spiritual understanding realizes the spiritual form of Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead.
- The Srimad-Bhagavatam explains that the Supreme Absolute Truth is known as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. In addition, the living entity, individual soul, is also called Brahman.
- The Vedic literature frequently mentions Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, and therefore these three terms are widely known as the subjects of transcendental understanding.
- The best is the spiritual world, and it is known as Brahman. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is known as Parabrahman. Therefore paratah parat means "better than Brahman realization."
The Cosmic Puruṣa-avatāras
When the Lord decides to create the material universes, He expands into three specific forms. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that these forms are known as the puruṣa-avatāras, each lying on a different cosmic ocean to facilitate creation and maintenance.
- There are three purusa features in the material creation, and this form, who is known as the Karanodakasayi Visnu, is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakasayi Visnu and the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, which we shall know one after another.
- Lord Maha-Visnu is known as Karanodakasayi Visnu, the Supersoul of everything.
- Your body is lying within the vast water at the bottom of the universe, and thus You are known as Garbhodakasayi Visnu.
- One of the expansions of Maha-Visnu is Ksirodakasayi Visnu, the Supersoul within every living entity. As the Supersoul of the total aggregate of living entities, or the second purusa, He is known as Garbhodakasayi Visnu.
The All-Pervasive Maintainer
The Supreme Lord intimately sustains both the universe and the living entities. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that because the Lord lives everywhere and protects everyone, He is known by names like Vāsudeva and the Supersoul.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Vasudeva because He lives everywhere. The word vas means "to live."
- Because the Supreme Lord lives everywhere, He is known as Vasudeva. Although He lives everywhere within the material world, He is not contaminated by the modes of nature. The Lord is therefore described in Isopanisad as apapa-viddham.
- Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.
- The Lord is known as bhuta-bhrt, one who gives protection to all living beings. One should discharge his duties only, for no one but the Supreme Lord can give protection to anyone else. This is explained more clearly in the following verse.
The Master of Mystic Power
The inconceivable abilities of the Supreme Lord are completely beyond human estimation. Because He can effortlessly perform contradictory and impossible feats by His mere will, Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that the Lord is known as Yogeśvara.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is known as Yogesvara. Yatra yogesvarah krsnah.
- The Lord is known as Yogesvara, the master of all mystic power, because of His omnipotence. If He likes, He can make anything lighter than cotton or heavier than the universe.
- The Lord is known as Yogesvara, master of all mystic powers. Consequently the planet earth was informed by the King (Prthu) that she need not worry about his standing without her help.
- He (God) is transcendentally so full of inconceivable potencies that simply by His willing, everything is done without physical or personal endeavor. He is called, therefore, Yogesvara, or the Lord of all mystic powers.
The Infallible and Unconquerable
Unlike conditioned souls who fall into illusion, the Lord remains eternally perfect. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that because God is never trapped by material energy and can never be defeated, He is known as Acyuta and Ajita.
- The Supreme Lord is known as Acyuta, and Lord Krsna is addressed as such by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (1.21) - senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta.
- Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-spiritual, He can descend from the spiritual sky without changing His body, and thus He is known as acyuta, or infallible.
- The Lord is known as ajita (unconquerable). No one can conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Lord consents to be conquered by His devotees. That is His nature.
- Since demoniac persons are less intelligent, they dare to fight with Visnu, who is known as Ajita, or one who has never been conquered.
The Covered Incarnation of Kali-yuga
Generally, the Lord appears in every age to display His pastimes. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that in the Age of Kali, the Lord descends secretly as a devotee, and is therefore specifically known by the name Tri-yuga.
- In this Age of Kali there is no lila-avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore He is known as Triyuga. That is one of His holy names.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is known as Triyuga, which means that He is manifest in three yugas. However, this means that in the Age of Kali the Lord appears not directly but in disguise.
- Prahlada said: In the Age of Kali, O Mahapurusa, You sometimes appear in a covered incarnation (Caitanya). Therefore You are known as Tri-yuga - one who appears in only three yugas.
- Those who are sufficiently intelligent worship this Supreme Personality of Godhead (Lord Caitanya) by performing sankirtana-yajna. In this incarnation, the Supreme Lord declares Himself not to be the Supreme Lord, and therefore He is known as Tri-yuga.
Conclusion
To properly understand the Absolute Truth, one must study the profound meanings behind His holy names. Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms that whether He is known as the infallible Acyuta, the all-pervading Vāsudeva, or the mystic Yogeśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains the singular, unlimited source of everything. By constantly chanting and remembering the names by which He is known, the conditioned soul is guaranteed spiritual perfection.
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