God Personally Present - Associating with the Absolute Truth
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is not just an abstract energy but a dynamic, loving person. The Vedic literatures explain that although the Lord's impersonal energy pervades everything, He is not personally present everywhere. However, out of His boundless mercy, the Lord makes Himself personally present for the benefit of His devotees in several extraordinary ways, both historically and eternally.
The Supreme Lord on Earth
Five thousand years ago, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, was personally present on this planet. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that He descended to reestablish religious principles, annihilate the demoniac kings, and exhibit His supreme opulences.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all wealth, all fame, all strength, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. When Lord Krsna was present personally on earth, He exhibited these six opulences in full.
- When Lord Krsna was present personally on earth, no one was richer than Lord Krsna, no one was more learned than Him, no one more beautiful, no one stronger, no one more famous and no one more renounced.
- When Lord Krsna was personally present, there were many such puffed up kings all over the world, and He thus arranged for the Battle of Kuruksetra.
- Above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Krsna, was personally present on the battlefield of Kuruksetra to give Arjuna direction.
The Perfection of Life
For a pure devotee, the ultimate goal is to have the Supreme Lord personally present before them, especially at the critical moment of death. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how the great authority Bhīṣmadeva achieved this absolute perfection.
- Sri Bhismadeva attained the perfection of quitting his body at will and was fortunate enough to have Lord Krsna, the object of his attention, personally present at the time of death. He therefore fixed his open eyes upon Him.
- He chanted the glories of the Lord, and by his sight he began to see the Lord personally present before him, and thus all his activities became concentrated upon the Lord without deviation.
- Bhismadeva never forgot the Lord in His transcendental feature as the Partha-sarathi, and the Lord was present personally before Bhismadeva while he was passing to the transcendental world. That is the highest perfection of life.
- Because a pure devotee is always speaking of Krsna and engaging in His service, as soon as he gives up his body he immediately returns to Goloka Vrndavana, where Krsna is personally present. He then meets Krsna directly. This is successful human life.
Personally Present in the Arcā-vigraha
We may lament that we were not born five thousand years ago to see Kṛṣṇa. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the Lord is personally present right now in the temple as the arcā-vigraha (Deity), fully capable of accepting our service and delivering us.
- Lord Visnu was personally present at the sacrificial arena, but this does not mean that He had any interest in His own personal benefit. Similarly, the arca-vigraha, the Deity in the temple, is present for the same purpose.
- If one puts letters in postboxes authorized by the general post office, the function of carrying letters is performed without a doubt. Similarly, the arca-murti can also deliver the same unlimited potency of the Lord as when He is personally present.
- Yes, God is always there in His Arca Vigraha form, either as Krishna or Rama or Caitanya, whatever. So He must be offered all respects as if He is there personally present.
- In the material world, wherever the Lord is personally present is to be understood as being the spiritual world. For example, the Lord is worshiped in the temple by pure devotees. The temple is therefore to be understood as being the spiritual world.
Personally Present in Sound
The most accessible and powerful way to associate with the Supreme Lord in the current age is through transcendental sound. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently teaches that there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His holy name; when chanted purely, He is personally present.
- There is no difference between the Lord and sound vibration coming from Him, even though He is not personally present.
- There is no rigid fixture of time, and anyone can chant the holy name with attention and reverence at his convenience. The Lord is so kind to us that He can be present before us personally in the form of transcendental sound.
- Whenever offenseless hearing and glorification of God are undertaken, it is to be understood that Lord Krsna is present there in the form of transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Lord personally.
- For a devotee, everything is in the spiritual world, for as long as he can hear about the pastimes of the Lord, or wherever he can chant, the Lord is personally present.
Conclusion
The Absolute Truth is not an unreachable, impersonal void. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the wonderful truth that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, was personally present on this earth to display His supreme opulences, protect His devotees, and speak the flawless instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā. While those without devotion may doubt His historical presence, pure devotees understand that the Lord is never truly absent. The unique perfection achieved by Bhīṣmadeva—having the Lord personally present at the time of death—can be attained by anyone who takes up the process of bhakti-yoga. By faithfully worshiping the arcā-vigraha in the temple and constantly chanting the holy names, a sincere soul enters the spiritual reality. Because the Lord is absolute and non-different from His name, form, and pastimes, any devotee who engages in offenseless chanting and hearing is associating with the Supreme Lord personally present.
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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 Personally Present. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.