God Is Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu - The Paramātmā in Every Heart
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands as Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu to intimately maintain the material creation. As the ultimate friend of the conditioned soul, He resides within the heart of every living being and within every atom of the universe.
The Third Puruṣa-avatāra
To manage the affairs of the material cosmos, the Absolute Truth expands into three primary forms. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the third puruṣa-avatāra, specifically responsible for the maintenance of the universes and the manifestation of the quality of goodness.
- The conclusion is that the purusa-avatara is manifested in three features - third the Ksirodakasayi Visnu who is the Paramatma of every material object, organic or inorganic.
- The third expansion of Visnu is Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who is the incarnation of the quality of goodness. He is to be counted within both types of incarnations (purusa-avataras and guna-avataras).
- He (Ksirodakasayi Visnu) is the second incarnation from Karanodakasayi Visnu, who is the origin of material creation and who expands as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who then enters into each and every universe.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form of Ksirodakasayi Visnu maintains all the affairs of material nature. Thus the supreme controller of the three modes of material nature is Lord Visnu.
The Paramātmā in Every Heart
God is never far away from the conditioned soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that as the Paramātmā, or Supersoul, Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu resides directly in the heart of every living entity, accompanying the soul life after life.
- The Personality of Godhead, in His Paramatma feature, enters the creation of this material world as Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and in a very friendly attitude the Lord sits along with the conditioned soul in the body.
- In the Satvata-tantra it is said that the third purusa incarnation, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. This Ksirodakasayi Visnu is an expansion of Garbhodakasayi Visnu for pastimes.
- The living entity desires a particular type of material enjoyment, and thus the Lord supplies him with a body, which is like a machine. Just to keep him alive in that body, the Lord remains with him as the purusa - Ksirodakasayi Visnu.
- The original, complete feature of the Absolute Truth is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His plenary representation is Paramatma, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who is situated in everyone's heart.
Present Within Every Atom
The Lord's omnipresence extends beyond just the conscious living beings. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters into every element of matter, residing perfectly within every single atom of the cosmic manifestation.
- He (Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead) enters all the elements, including every atom of matter, as Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innumerable, both in the universes and in the individual atoms.
- The Lord enters every universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu and then expands Himself as Ksirodakasayi Visnu to enter the hearts of all living entities and even enter the atoms. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham.
- The third, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramatma. He is present even within the atoms.
- The Lord is situated in this universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. He is also situated within every atom.
The Lord of the Milk Ocean
Within this material universe, there is a transcendental planet that remains completely untouched by material contamination. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu resides there on the Ocean of Milk, where He is approached by the demigods during times of crisis.
- Within the halo of the universe there is a transcendental planet known as Svetadvipa, which is the abode of the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, the Paramatma feature of the Supreme Lord.
- The Ksirodakasayi Visnu has His own planet on the northern top of the universe, and there is a great ocean of milk where the Lord resides on the bed of the Ananta incarnation of Baladeva.
- Whenever there is a crisis within this universe, the demigods go to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and they stand on the beach of the Milk Ocean.
- The Purusa-sukta is the standard prayer which the demigods recite to appease the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Because He is lying on the ocean of milk, He is called Ksirodakasayi Visnu.
Conclusion
To understand the profound mechanics of the material creation is to recognize the supreme mercy of Lord Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that as the ultimate maintainer, the Lord never abandons the conditioned souls, choosing instead to accompany them within their hearts as the Supersoul. By maintaining the entire universe and simultaneously residing within every atom, He perfectly demonstrates the unlimited, all-pervading nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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