God Is Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa - The Source of All Living Entities
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead maintains the entire cosmic manifestation through His direct plenary expansions. Among the original quadruple forms, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa serves as the ultimate shelter of all living entities and the infinite power that sustains the universe.
The First Quadruple Expansion
To manage both the spiritual and material skies, the Lord expands Himself into four primary forms. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the first expansion of Vāsudeva, acting as the original source for all subsequent viṣṇu-tattva incarnations.
- Sankarsana is the first expansion of Vasudeva, and because He appears by His own will, He is called svarat, fully independent. He is therefore infinite and transcendental to all limits of time and space. He Himself appears as the thousand-headed Sesa.
- Sankarsana is also Visnu, but from Him all other Visnus expand. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita 5.46.
- A summary of creation is given in this verse (SB 5.17.22-23). From Sankarsana, Maha-Visnu expands, and from Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu expands.
- Adi-caturbhuja, the original expansions from Baladeva, are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. All of Them are visnu-tattvas, or nondifferent Personalities of God. In the incarnation of Rama, these expansions appeared for particular pastimes.
The Predominating Deity of Jīvas
Every function of the universe has a supreme director. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that because the living entities merge into His body during the universal annihilation, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the predominating Deity and ultimate resting place of all souls.
- He (Sankarsana) is an infallible plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Visnu category, and He is beyond the creation of material nature. He is the original source of the living entities.
- Sankarsana, the second expansion, is Vasudeva’s personal expansion for pastimes, and since He is the reservoir of all living entities, He is sometimes called jiva.
- When the cosmic creation is annihilated, the living entities, who are indestructible by nature, rest in the body of Maha-sankarsana. Sankarsana is therefore sometimes called the total jiva.
- When it is said that Sankarsana is jiva, this indicates that He is the predominating Deity of the living entities. Similarly, Pradyumna is the predominating Deity of the mind, and Aniruddha is the predominating Deity of the ego.
The Supporter of the Planets
The massive planets floating in outer space are not sustained by blind physical laws. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, in His expansion as Lord Śeṣa Nāga, personally upholds the entire cosmic manifestation upon His hoods.
- By His (God's) spiritual energy Sesa Naga sustains all the planetary globes upon His invisible hoods. Sesa Naga is popularly known as Sankarsana, or - that which keeps balance by the law of magnetism.
- The scientists' law of gravity is a partial explanation of Lord Sankarsana's energy. The name "Sankarsana" has an etymological relationship to the idea of gravity.
- What is known as law of gravitation, that is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures as sankarasa, who is supposed to be supporting all these planets in the air.
- The entire material world is situated on the hoods of Lord Sankarsana. From His forehead He transmits to Lord Siva the power to destroy this material world.
Refuting Impersonalism
Māyāvādī philosophers falsely equate the Supreme Lord's expansions with mundane material creation. Śrīla Prabhupāda strongly refutes Śaṅkarācārya's assertion that Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is an ordinary living entity created by material cause and effect.
- In commenting on Vedanta-sutra 2.2.42, Sankaracarya has claimed that Sankarsana is a jiva, an ordinary living entity, but there is no evidence in any Vedic scripture that devotees of the Lord have ever said that Sankarsana is an ordinary living entity.
- One should understand that Sankaracarya’s statement that Sankarsana is born as a jiva is completely against the Vedic statements.
- He (Sankarsan) is the infinite living entity, and ordinary living entities are infinitesimal. Therefore He is never to be considered an ordinary living being, for that would be against the conclusion of the authorized scriptures.
- These members (Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) of the quadruple manifestation are never to be considered ordinary living beings. Each of Them is a plenary expansion of the Absolute Godhead.
Conclusion
To properly understand the foundation of the universe, one must recognize the infinite power of the Supreme Lord's expansions. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is never an ordinary, created living being, but the fully potent, uncreated viṣṇu-tattva who effortlessly balances the planets in space and serves as the ultimate reservoir for all souls. By acknowledging the original catur-vyūha, a sincere devotee easily bypasses the flawed logic of impersonalists and comprehends the absolute, transcendental supremacy of the Personality of Godhead.
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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 Lord Sankarsana. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.