God Likes - The Absolute Independence of the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully independent and acts entirely by His own sweet will. Because He is the supreme controller of all energies, He can do whatever He likes without any impediment. While conditioned souls are forced to act according to the stringent laws of material nature, the Lord creates, maintains, and enjoys His pastimes with absolute freedom, ultimately desiring that all living entities share in His supreme spiritual bliss.
The Supreme Sweet Will
Mundane scientists attempt to explain the workings of the universe through rigid physical laws, but Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the cosmic manifestation operates simply because the Lord likes it to. With His inconceivable potencies, He can do anything.
- The omnipotent Lord, by His different energies, can perform anything and everything He likes. The creation of the cosmic world is done by His yogamaya energy.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead has multipotencies. Therefore, as soon as He likes, He uses one of His potencies, and by that expansion He creates this cosmic manifestation.
- The earth was placed on the water by His inconceivable potency. The Lord is all-powerful, and therefore He can sustain the huge planets either on the water or in the air, as He likes.
- The Lord can act any way He likes. He may take away one's opulence, or He may not. There are varieties of forms of life, and the Lord treats them according to the circumstances, as He chooses.
Appearing by His Own Desire
Ordinary living entities are forced to take birth in the material world due to their past karma. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the Supreme Lord is never forced; He descends and expands His forms whenever and however He likes, simply for His own pleasure.
- Whenever the Lord likes, He can appear Himself from anywhere and everywhere without disturbing His appearance and disappearance in any other place.
- The Lord is free to do whatever He likes. Therefore this verse says, vina vinodam bata tarkayamahe. It is only for His pleasure that He comes although He does not need to come.
- God can expand Himself in any number of forms. We cannot do that. That is the symptom of God. Akrti, prakrti. Prakrti is His nature, supreme nature. As soon as He likes anything to do, He will do it. There is no impediment.
- Since Lord Visnu is the Supersoul of all living entities, if He likes He can save us from adhibhautika disturbances, disturbances from other living entities.
The Desire for Loving Exchange
God is not a static, desireless void. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes that because the Lord is full of spiritual bliss, He genuinely likes to invite all living entities to participate in His eternal loving pastimes.
- He likes every part and parcel of His different potencies to take part in the blissful rasa because participation with the Lord in His eternal rasa-lila is the highest living condition, perfect in spiritual bliss and eternal knowledge.
- Since God is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha He likes every part and parcel of His different potencies to take part in the blissful rasa: participation with God in His eternal rasa-lila is the highest living condition perfect in spiritual bliss and eternal knowledge.
- Krsna could understand the competitive womanly nature of His co-wives, and He had smiled. He had immediately asked Satyabhama, "Why are you asking for only one flower? I would like to give you a whole tree of parijata flowers."
- As if they would allow Her to do with the nectar whatever She liked, whether She distributed it, threw it away or drank it Herself without giving it to them.
Controlled by Pure Devotion
The most astonishing feature of the Lord's absolute independence is how He chooses to use it. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the unconquerable Lord actually likes to be dependent upon and controlled by the pure love of His devotees.
- The Lord likes to be under the control of His devotees.
- He is not actually dependent, but He likes to be dependent upon His devotee. This is His mercy.
- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings: "You are now completely independent to act however You like. If You like, You can kill me, and if You like, You can save me. In any case, I am Your eternal servant and You have every right to do whatever You like."
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly summarizes the ultimate truth of God's independence: the Supreme Lord is the master of all potencies and can do whatever He likes. He effortlessly sustains the universe and incarnates at His own sweet will. Yet, despite being the supreme, fully independent Absolute Truth, the Lord is conquered by pure devotion. Because He is the embodiment of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, He likes nothing more than to engage in sweet, loving exchanges with His parts and parcels in the eternal rasa-līlā. Out of His boundless mercy, He voluntarily likes to become dependent upon His devotees. When a conditioned soul understands this beautiful nature of Kṛṣṇa, they naturally offer their own life in full surrender, joyfully praying like Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that the Lord is free to do whatever He likes with them.
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 Likes. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.