God Is Unconquerable - Conquered Only by Unalloyed Devotion
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses unlimited strength and power, making Him entirely unconquerable by any material means. Because no one is equal to or greater than God, He is celebrated in the Vedic literatures as Ajita. Yet, within this absolute supremacy lies a beautiful paradox: the supreme conqueror of all universes gladly allows Himself to be conquered by the pure love of His devotees.
The Meaning of Ajita
To understand the greatness of the Supreme Lord, one must first recognize His absolute, unconquerable nature. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that not only is it impossible to conquer God, but ordinary living entities cannot even conquer His external, material energy.
- Because everyone is lower than God, who will conquer Him? Therefore His name is Ajita. Ajita means unconquerable. What to speak of God, you cannot conquer even the energy of God. You are under the material energy of God.
- The Supreme Lord cannot have any enemy, nor can a so-called enemy harm Him because He is ajita, or unconquerable. But still He takes pleasure when His pure devotee beats Him like an enemy or rebukes Him from a superior position.
- Sanandana said, "The Vedic reciters, or the personified Vedas, sing thus, 'O unconquerable Lord, You are the Supreme Personality. No one is equal to You or greater than You. No one can be more glorious in his activities.'"
- Innumerable universes generate from the holes of His bodily hairs, and thus His transcendental body is the Vedas personified. He is the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and He is the unconquerable Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Futility of Mental Speculation
Many philosophers attempt to understand the Absolute Truth through their own intellectual prowess. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that this ascending process of mental speculation is useless; God cannot be captured by the tiny human brain, but only by submissive surrender.
- God is unconquerable, but He is conquered by the devotee who abandons mental speculation and listens to authoritative sources.
- Amongst various holy names of the Lord, He is also called ajita, or one who can never be conquered by anyone else. Yet He can be conquered by the paramahamsa path, as practically realized and shown by the great spiritual master Brahma.
- God is known to be unconquerable, but one who submissively hears the words of a self-realized soul conquers the unconquerable.
- Receive knowledge, and try to assimilate it, and try to apply it, apply it with your body, with your mind, with your intelligence. Then you will understand God so nicely that although God is unconquerable, you will conquer Him.
The Power of Submissive Hearing
The secret to conquering the unconquerable Lord is entirely straightforward. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that one simply needs to lend their ears and submissively hear the messages of the Lord from a bona fide, self-realized spiritual master.
- If one meekly and submissively hears about the activities of the Lord from a realized soul, he will be able to conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unconquerable by any other process.
- In whatever condition you are, you do not require to change. You simply hear. Then a day will come when you will be able to conquer the Supreme Lord, who is unconquerable. God is great, nobody can conquer.
- Just lend your aural reception and try to hear about God from the self-realized person, from Mahatma. Then one day it will become so, that although God is unconquerable, you will conquer Him.
- Regardless of one's condition of life, if he practices bhakti-yoga, which begins with hearing the transcendental messages of the Lord through the mouths of devotees, he gradually conquers the unconquerable God.
Conquered by Pure Devotion
The ultimate perfection of life is to engage in unalloyed devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes that because the Lord is so affectionate to His pure devotees, He willingly consents to be defeated by their love and devotion.
- The Lord is known as ajita (unconquerable). No one can conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Lord consents to be conquered by His devotees. That is His nature.
- Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unconquerable, Dhruva Maharaja defeated Him with the specific qualifications possessed by the Lord's devotees.
- My dear Lord, You are unconquerable - the devotee prays - but by this process, by hearing, You are conquered.
- This process (bhakti-yoga) will help the devotee conquer the unconquerable Supreme Personality of Godhead and become His associate after giving up the material body.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly confirms that while the material energy is immensely difficult to overcome and the Supreme Lord is entirely unconquerable, the path of bhakti-yoga provides the ultimate key. One does not need to change their external condition, acquire vast wealth, or engage in strenuous intellectual gymnastics. By simply abandoning the pride of mundane speculation and offering submissive aural reception to the messages of the Lord from a bona fide spiritual master, any sincere soul can conquer the unconquerable. The Lord, being incredibly affectionate, relishes being defeated by the pure, unalloyed love of His devotees. Thus, through the process of hearing and chanting, the unconquerable Absolute Truth, Ajita, becomes the intimate, conquered friend of the pure devotee.
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 Unconquerable. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.