God Is Parabrahman - The Supreme Absolute Personality
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the term Parabrahman refers specifically to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa. While every living entity is Brahman, or spirit, there is a vast difference between the minute soul and the infinite Supreme Soul who maintains the entire creation.
The Distinction Between Brahman and Parabrahman
To understand the Absolute Truth, one must recognize the qualitative oneness and quantitative difference between the Lord and the living entities. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while we are Brahman, we are prone to be covered by material nature, whereas Parabrahman is always supreme and unaffected.
- In Vedic literature the living entity is called jivatma and Brahman, but he is never called Parabrahman.
- Brahman is indestructible and eternally existing, and its constitution is not changed at any time. But beyond Brahman there is Parabrahman. Brahman refers to the living entity, and Parabrahman refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The living entities are eternally parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The living entity is called the atma, and the Lord is called the Paramatma. The living entity is called Brahman, and the Lord is called the Parabrahman, or the Paramesvara.
- We are Brahman, but because we are not Para-brahman, or Supreme Brahman, we are subjected, we are prone to be covered by these material qualities. Therefore our business is again to recover ourself from these twenty-five elements, material elements.
The Necessity of Relationship and Service
The ultimate purpose of human life is to inquire into our relationship with the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the soul's natural engagement is the service of Parabrahman, which leads to a level of bliss that far exceeds mere liberation from material pain.
- Human life is meant for inquiring about Parabrahman and ones relationship with Him. Unfortunately, people are not asking questions about Parabrahman.
- The engagement of Brahman should be the service of Parabrahman.
- Mayavadi philosophers do not know that there is a relationship where Parabrahman and Brahman can be engaged in a loving transaction.
- Brahman bliss is enjoyed by living entities after liberation from material bondage. But Parabrahman, the Personality of Godhead, enjoys eternally a bliss of His own potency, which is called the hladini potency.
The Personal Feature of the Absolute
Although some philosophers focus on the impersonal aspect of the Truth, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that Parabrahman is ultimately a person. This personal feature is the source of the impersonal Brahman effulgence and is the object of worship for the most exalted devotees.
- Lord Sri Krsna is the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead (Parabrahman). He is omnipotent by His inconceivable energies, and therefore He is the Yogesvara, or the supreme master of all mystic powers.
- In his prayers, Lord Siva concentrated upon the personal features of Parabrahman, described in personal terms as snigdha-pravrd-ghana-syamam.
- The Parabrahman is as much a person as the individual entities. Neither the Lord nor the living entities are impersonal.
- This prayer is offered to the impersonal Brahman, which consists of the effulgent rays of Parabrahman. Parabrahman is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Siva is worshiped as Parabrahman, the worship is meant for Visnu.
The Source of All Energies and Activities
As the original cause of all causes, Parabrahman diffuses His energies throughout the entire universe. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that just as light spreads from a fire, the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead sustains all material and spiritual manifestations.
- The Puranas say: "Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman, are spread all over this universe."
- The creator is Parabrahman. Matter is not only subordinate to spirit but is actually created on the basis of spirit. When the spirit soul enters the womb of a mother, the body is created by material ingredients supplied by the mother.
- You exist internally as Parabrahman and externally as the ingredients of the material creation. Therefore, although manifested in various stages, at different times and places, and in various bodies, You are the original cause of all causes.
- The first requirement for the proper execution of karma-yoga is that one must give the fruits of his activities to the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, Krsna. By doing so, one actually situates himself in the renounced order of life, sannyasa.
Conclusion
The understanding of Parabrahman is the pinnacle of spiritual knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that while we share a spiritual quality with the Lord, we must always remain subordinate to His supreme position. By recognizing Lord Kṛṣṇa as Parabrahman, the seeker moves beyond the partial realization of the impersonal Brahman to the full realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This realization is not a mere philosophical adjustment but a call to action—to engage the soul's eternal nature in the loving service of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that by dedicating our activities and fruits to Parabrahman, we can overcome the influence of material nature and attain the ultimate perfection of human 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 Parabrahman. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.