Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 139, Radharani's feet;

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Digest 139, October 9th, 2005. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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Radharani's feet; Liberation of yogis and Lord Brahma

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Q)Are we not supposed to take pictures of Srimati Radharani's lotus feet on

Radhastami? If we can take pictures can we not look at those Divine Lotus feet

on any other day of the year? I have Srimati Radharani's lotus feet picture as

my screen on my cell phone, am I not supposed to do that?

 

A) Radharani shows her feet only this one day per year. You may certainly take

a picture at that time, but it is not a good idea that you keep her feet as the

screen on your cell phone.

 

 

Q) The end of purport to SB 6.1.1 reads - "Yogis, however, instead of directly

going to the spiritual world, sometimes want to see other planetary systems.

....At the time of dissolution, Lord Brahma, along with all the inhabitants of

Brahmaloka, goes directly to the spiritual world."

I have doubts here.

 

a) The yogis do not have unalloyed bhakti. So how can they go back to Godhead

at the time of dissolution?

 

Answer: As mentioned in the verse itself, the statement above by Maharaj

Pariksit refers back to the discussion on nivrtti-marga in the Second Canto

(Chapter 2), which describes the yogic process of meditation on the Lord in the

heart. By fixing his mind on the form of Paramatma feature of Lord Vishnu, the

yogi is enabled to attain the spiritual world or gradually transfer himself to

the higher planets up to Satyaloka. (SB 2.2.25-28) This system of yoga is

similar to Dhyana yoga as outlined in Chapter 6 Bhagavad-gita.

 

As we know, there are three aspects of Absolute Truth, viz. Brahman, Paramatma

and Bhagavan. The object of meditation and worship for the yogis is generally

the Paramatma or Hiranyagarbha feature of the Lord. Such yogis do not attain

direct association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vaikuntha

planets, but remain in Brahmaloka for the duration of Brahma's life, and attain

liberation along with him. (Cf. SB 3.32.8)

 

As pointed out by Arjuna himself, although authoritative, this process is very

difficult and practically not viable in this age. The recommended process for

self-realization in Kali yuga, which is simultaneously also the most sublime

method, is hari-nama-sankirtana.

 

 

b) We have heard that those who are celibate from birth go to Brahmaloka, but

they are not pure devotees. So how can they go back to Godhead with Brahma? Is

it possible that when they are in Brahmaloka they then develop love of Godhead,

perform pure devotional service and get qualified to go back?

 

Answer: Those who reach Brahma-loka are qualified for three different types of

perfection depending upon how they reached there. Those who attain Satyaloka by

dint of pious activities achieve a position in terms of their comparative pious

credits, the Hiranyagarbha worshipers as mentioned above are liberated along

with Brahma, whereas those who are on the path of devotional service can

continue to perfect their devotion in Brahmaloka and attain the spiritual

world. (Cf SB 2.2.28 purport)

 

 

c) We have heard that in some lifetime any one us could have been Brahma and

after our account of pious activities was exhausted we came back to martyaloka.

But from the above verse it seems that Brahma always goes back to Godhead.

 

Answer: Lord Brahma generally attains liberation, but this is not always

necessarily the case. Srila Prabhupada explains that Brahma and the inhabitants

of his planet are also subject to the laws of material nature and are not free

from birth and death; but because Lord Brahma is directly engaged in the

service of the Supreme Lord in the management of the Universe, he is able to

attain liberation. (Cf. BG 8.17)

 

In the Brihad-Bhagavatamrita, Lord Brahma states that being always conscious of

the imminent destruction of his planet, he is concerned about his liberation

and thus engages himself and other inhabitants of his planet in worshiping the

Supreme Lord. (Sri Brhat Bhagavatamrta 1.2.62)

 

 

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