God Is Powerful - The Omnipotent Source of All Energies
Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the most powerful being in existence, possessing unlimited and inconceivable potencies. Because the Lord is the supreme proprietor of all that be, His power is absolute and unrestricted, extending over both the material and spiritual worlds.
The Supreme Controller and Proprietor
To properly understand the position of the Lord, one must accept that He is the source of all power and the ultimate controller of the universe. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that because Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of everything, He must necessarily be more powerful than any other living entity or material force.
- God is the proprietor of everything, and, being so, He must be more powerful than anyone or anything else.
- By His will, I create, Lord Siva destroys, and He Himself, in His eternal form as the Personality of Godhead, maintains everything. He is the powerful controller of these three energies.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself in the plenary forms of the visnu-tattva, and although they are equally powerful, the original powerful Personality of Godhead is considered the source.
- The Lord is so powerful that He can do anything and everything merely by His sweet will alone. As mentioned above, everything is done by His energies in a natural way, with full knowledge and complete perfection.
The Transcendental Power of the Holy Name
One of the most accessible ways to experience the Lord's power is through His holy name. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the name of Narayana is so transcendentally powerful that it purifies the living entity even if chanted without full awareness or in reference to someone else.
- Although calling for his son, he (Ajamila) was unknowingly chanting the name of Narayana, and the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so transcendentally powerful that his chanting was being counted and recorded.
- Although he (Ajamila) had chanted the holy name Narayana to indicate his son, the holy name is so transcendentally powerful that he was automatically freed because he had chanted the holy name while dying.
- Although he (Ajamila) was referring to the small child and not to the original Narayana, the name of Narayana is so powerful that even by chanting his son's name he was becoming purified.
- Any lowborn person can be purified by the guidance of a pure devotee of the Lord, for the Lord is extraordinarily powerful.
Superhuman Feats of Divine Incarnations
The various incarnations of the Lord perform activities that are impossible for any mundane person to imitate. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Lord’s power is manifest in His various forms, such as Vamanadeva, who covered the entire universe, and Vyasadeva, who broadcasted the Vedic wisdom.
- As Vamanadeva, the Lord was so powerful that simply by stepping forward He covered the whole universe from Brahmaloka down to Patalaloka.
- Seeing the situation that had been created by the will of the Supreme, the unlimitedly powerful Lord, whose determination is infallible, took the wonderful shape of a tortoise, entered the water, and lifted the great Mandara Mountain.
- Srila Vyasadeva, a powerful incarnation of Narayana, compiled the Vedanta-sutra.
- Although He (Krsna) was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their (the gopis') desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding - Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.11.7).
Omnipotence in Maintenance and Protection
The Lord’s omnipotence ensures that all living entities are provided for and protected. Śrīla Prabhupāda rejects the idea of overpopulation or food shortages, stating that a powerful father like God can easily maintain all His children if there is proper spiritual management.
- This theory, that there is a shortage of food or overpopulation, we do not accept it. God is so powerful that He can feed everyone without any difficulty. Simply we are mismanaging. Otherwise there is no difficulty.
- Lord Visnu is so powerful that He can deliver anyone at once if He is pleased to do so. And Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, can be pleased immediately if we accept His order by surrendering unto Him, as Maharaja Yayati did.
- In the Vedic language we can understand that God is also a living entity. He's not void. He's just like a person, like you and me. But He's so powerful. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. One single number, He is providing so many, innumerable living entities.
- Devotional service to the Lord is so powerful that it can cleanse the hearts of the people in general by the devotional service of the pure, empowered devotee.
Conclusion
The supreme power of the Lord is a fundamental truth that inspires awe and devotion in the hearts of the faithful. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that by understanding how powerful God truly is, a living entity can abandon all fear and surrender to His protection. Whether through the transformative power of the holy name or the heroic deeds of His incarnations, the Lord demonstrates that His will is supreme and His potencies are unlimited. By acknowledging Kṛṣṇa as the original powerful Personality of Godhead, the source of both the material and spiritual worlds, we can transcend the limitations of mundane existence. Ultimately, the power of God is meant for the welfare of all living entities, providing a path for every soul to return to its eternal position as His loving servant.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Powerful. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.