God Is Nityo Nityānām - The Supreme Eternal Among Eternals
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the profound aphorisms of the Vedic literature to establish the personal nature of the Absolute Truth. The Kaṭha Upaniṣad declares that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is nityo nityānām, the chief eternal among all eternals, maintaining an eternal, loving relationship with His parts and parcels.
The Chief Eternal Among Eternals
The living entities and the Supreme Lord share the same eternal spiritual existence, but their positions are never equal. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while we are the plural, subordinate eternals (nityānām), God is the singular, supreme eternal (nityo) who oversees all others.
- God and we, we are all individuals. But the difference is that He's nityo nityanam. Nityanam means plural number. Nityo nityanam. Nityo is singular number, and nityanam means plural number. We are all plural number.
- In the Vedas the Supreme Lord is called the supreme eternal of all eternals (nityo nityanam). Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities are eternal. The supreme eternals are the visnu-tattva, or Lord Visnu and His expansions.
- The Upanisads declare, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam: (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13) He (Sankarsana) is the supreme living entity among all the living entities.
The Supreme Living Entity
God is not a formless, unconscious energy. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the Lord is the supreme conscious person (cetanaś), possessing individuality and personal attributes just as we do, but in an unlimited, perfect degree.
- Nitya means eternal. And cetana means living entity. So nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. This is the description of God, that God is also a living entity like you and me.
- We are also person, God is also person. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is also living entity, we are also living entity. So what is the difference between God and ourself?
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the chief living entity. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam.
Qualitative Oneness and Quantitative Difference
Because we are parts and parcels of God, we share His divine qualities, but we must never falsely claim to be the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the example of a fire and its sparks to illustrate our qualitative oneness and quantitative difference with the Lord.
- God and we, we are qualitatively one. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). But He is the chief living entity.
- Fire and a spark of fire qualitatively the same, but quantitatively different. Similarly, we are Brahman, and Krsna is Para-brahman, Supreme Brahman. Nityo nityanam, the chief of the all eternals.
- Actually, the demigods are not different forms of God, but they are God's different parts and parcels. God is one, and the parts and parcels are many. The Vedas say, nityo nityanam: God is one.
The Origin and Maintainer
The minute living entities are eternally dependent on the Supreme Lord for their existence and maintenance. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that as the singular, chief eternal, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original source of life and the ultimate maintainer of everyone.
- It is confirmed in the Katha Upanisad, nityo nityanam: there are many eternal living entities, but He is the chief maintainer. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita also, where Lord Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavah.
- As explained in the Vedas: nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the original source of life.
- Although it may be said that in the material world a living force is generated from matter, it must be admitted that originally matter is generated from the supreme living being. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam.
Conclusion
To properly understand the Absolute Truth, one must accept the Vedic verdict regarding the eternal relationship between God and the living entities. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the aphorism nityo nityānām cetanaś cetanānām perfectly establishes the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the original, conscious individual who mercifully maintains all other minute individuals. By recognizing our eternal subordination and qualitative oneness with the Lord, we can abandon the illusion of impersonalism and awaken our dormant, loving devotional service to the chief of all eternals.
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