God Shall - The Absolute Promises of the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are absolute and infallible. When an ordinary human says "I shall," the outcome is uncertain, as we are constantly restricted by the laws of material nature. However, when the Supreme Lord declares what He shall do, the entire cosmic manifestation cooperates to fulfill His will. By studying the Lord's supreme promises in the Vedic literatures, we gain deep insight into His absolute power, His flawless truthfulness, and His boundless love for His devotees.
The Ultimate Promise of Deliverance
The most famous and comforting declaration in all of Vedic literature is found at the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the Lord explicitly guarantees that He shall protect anyone who abandons all material dependencies and fully surrenders unto Him.
- If one is serious about being happy spiritually, he must take shelter of Lord Visnu, as the Lord personally demands: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear."
- One should aspire only for the benediction offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." This is the greatest benediction.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead says: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear."
- Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins.
Instructing and Guiding the Sages
The conditioned souls are covered by the darkness of ignorance. To rescue them, the Lord descends and declares that He shall personally instruct humanity. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how incarnations like Lord Kapila and Lord Caitanya mapped out the perfect path of spiritual realization.
- O great sage, I shall manifest My own plenary portion through your wife, Devahuti, along with your nine daughters, and I shall instruct her in the system of philosophy that deals with the ultimate principles or categories.
- Kapiladeva was one son, and when He was grown up He also said, "My dear mother, My father has left home. I will also leave home. If you want to take some instruction from Me, you can take. Then I shall go away."
- The great sage Narayana began to speak. "My dear Narada," He said, "I shall tell you a story which took place long, long ago."
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I shall certainly go to Vrndavana from Jagannatha Puri. If all of you give Me permission, I shall return here again without difficulty."
Loving Reciprocation and Humility
Although He is the supreme controller of the universe, the Lord is conquered by pure love. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Lord eagerly promises that He shall accept the simplest offerings of His devotees, and He even declares that He shall become their subordinate servant.
- The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita: "If a devotee offers Me with devotion a little leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I shall accept it." Why does the Lord say this? Is He dependent on the offering of the devotee?
- The Lord said, "But from My side I have something for you. I shall remain always as an order carrier servant in your court." In this way the Lord became Bali Maharaja's doorman, and that was his return.
- On hearing this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, replied, "Akrura, I shall surely come to your home with My elder brother, Balarama, but only after killing all the demons who are envious of the Yadu dynasty. In this way I shall please all My relatives."
- The Vaisnava devotees, they are not very much anxious to see God. They know, "Why God shall come to me? He is so busy, He has got so many business. Let me do my duty."
Exhibiting His Absolute Will
The Lord's "I shall" is the ultimate determining factor in the universe. Whether He is confounding the plans of powerful demons or punishing the elements of nature, Śrīla Prabhupāda shows that the Lord's will is always perfectly executed.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the demigods, "Do not be aggrieved. By My own energy I shall bewilder the demons by creating a quarrel among them. In this way I shall fulfill your desire to have the nectar."
- Balarama said to Yamuna, "You wretched river! You did not care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You did not come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams."
- Please give Me permission to go to Alalanatha. I shall remain there alone, only Govinda will go with Me.
Conclusion
The supreme assurance found in the Vedic literatures is the infallible word of the Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda systematically establishes that when the Lord declares "I shall," the result is an absolute certainty. Unlike the temporary and broken promises of the material world, the Lord's promises are eternal. Whether He declares that He shall force the Yamunā river to bend to His will, that He shall bewilder the universe's most powerful demons, or that He shall become the doorman for a pure devotee like Bali Mahārāja, His will is always supreme. The ultimate perfection of human life is to recognize the greatest of all these promises: the Lord's guarantee in the Bhagavad-gītā that He shall deliver any soul who fully surrenders unto Him. By abandoning all other speculative paths and placing complete faith in the Lord's absolute word, a sincere devotee becomes entirely free from fear and returns to the spiritual world.
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 Shall. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.