Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 138, Is Srila Prabhupada

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Digest 138, October 2nd, 2005. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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Is Srila Prabhupada accepted as a nitya-siddha devotee?

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Question:

I was wondering if it is the official view of ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada is

Nitya Siddha?

 

Answer:

There is no such official view. By studying the life of Srila Prabhupada and on

the basis of scriptural evidence, however, we can see that Srila Prabhupada was

an exceptionally empowered representative of the Lord and a perfected soul,

siddha.

 

We know from scriptures three kinds of liberated souls - sadhana siddha, kripa

siddha and nitya siddha. But once they become siddha, perfect, through

whichever process, they are all considered on the same level. Ultimately there

is no distinction.

 

This is also in line with the conclusion that the soul is always untouched by

the influence of matter, even in the conditioned state. Just as the moon

appears to move in its reflection on water, despite its actual steady position

in the firmament, so the conditioned soul's reflection on the material body

appears to be changing, but the soul is unaffected, and as soon as he is

reinstated in his constitutional position, he is eternally liberated.

 

Numerous examples are found where a perfected pure devotee is accepted as a

perfect or siddha associate of the Lord. The classical example is Narada Muni -

we can read narrations of his previous life as the son of a maidservant, and

even the lifetime prior to that as a Gandharva in heavenly planets. But by the

mercy of Bhaktivedantas he became a siddha, and was awarded a transcendental

body. Again in his next life, which was in the next day of Brahma, he appeared

as Narada Muni, but with complete freedom to move anywhere in the material and

spiritual worlds. (Cf SB 1.6.27-30 http://www.vedabase.net/sb/1/6/27/en,

http://www.vedabase.net/sb/1/6/28/en, http://www.vedabase.net/sb/1/6/29/en,

http://www.vedabase.net/sb/1/6/30/en ) Similarly, Prahlada is also described as

a siddha or perfect soul, although born in a demoniac family, and there are

other such examples.

 

Srila Prabhupada in fact sometimes defined a nitya siddha as one who is never

forgetful of Krishna throughout his whole life. He also said of his own life,

"So far my present life is concerned, I do not remember any part of my life

when I was forgetful of Krishna" (Letter to Tamala Krsna dasa - Los Angeles 21

June, 1970), and that despite numerous opportunities to engage in sinful

activities, he had always led a spotlessly pure life. From his characteristics

and his extraordinary endowment to uplift all classes of people to the highest

perfection of life, we can get a glimpse of appreciation of his own position of

perfection in spiritual realization.

 

 

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Responses to Some Frequently Asked Questions (Karma, free-will, demigods, Lord

Siva, why are we here, how to control the mind, Deity worship, marriage, Jesus

Christ, spiritual and material relationships and morality of Lord Krsna's

conjugal pastimes, spiritual master, spirit soul/jiva/living entity):

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