The Lord's servants come to the material world.

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The Lord's servants come to the material world.

 

This somewhat complicated subject will be discussed in future separate

essays in greater detail. Tulasi is not an ordinary living entity. It is

mentioned many times in sastra and in Srila Prabhupada's purports

(pertinent quotes included within this presentation) that the descent of

the Lord's nitya-parsadas is for the purpose of His lila and is not in

the same category as the appearance of the nitya-baddha living entities.

Nor is the descent of Tulasi an example of a resident of the spiritual

world becoming envious of Krsna.

 

The example of Kala Krsnadasa is inappropriate since he was already in

the material world. Furthermore, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not allow

him to fall away but protected him and kept him with Him for a year.

Kala Krsnadasa was then given the shelter of Nityananda Prabhu and the

nectarean service of informing Mother Saci and the residents of

Navadvipa of the Lords South Indian tour in great detail.

 

Other examples of falldown from spiritual positions show that each case

is special, and those devotees who were spiritually situated were simply

taking part in the Lord's transcendental lila. Citraketu did not fall

into material life. It is clear from his prayers to the Lord (as

Vrtrasura) that he was still very much an exalted devotee, that his

bhakti was not covered, and commentators have explained that this

[apparent falldown] was a special favor of the Lord for it increased his

attachment to the Lord. Srila Prabhupada explains very clearly that Jaya

and Vijaya's fall was a special arrangement of the Lord for His lila

(Bhag. 3.16.26-27, purp.). Jiva Gosvami writes in Priti-sandarbha, 7,

that when Jaya and Vijaya became demons, within they knew themselves and

kept their spiritual form. Additionally, Srila Prabhupada writes,

 

The conclusion [of the Jaya-Vijaya "falldown"] is that no one falls from

the spiritual world or Vaikuntha planet, for it is the eternal abode.

(Bhag. 3.16.26, purp.)

 

Therefore it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to

this material world, they came because there was something to be done

for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no

one falls from Vaikuntha. (Bhag. 7.1.35, purp.)

 

The fall of Bharata Maharaja was also special as he was protected by the

Lord. Even in the body of a deer and later as an apparently incoherent

Jada Bharat he remembered his past experiences and Krsna consciousness

and perfected himself in the next life.

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in this regard, writes in his

commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.33,

 

Even if they fall, they become more attached to You, just as when King

Citraketu, Bharata Maharaja and King Indradyumna had a so-called fall

down. In their fallen forms, such as Vrtrasura [previously King

Citraketu], their love multiplied hundreds of times. Therefore, the fall

of a devotee causes his love to increase.

 

Srila Prabhupada's purport to Bhag. 10.2.33 is in complete agreement

with that of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Additionally he writes,

"There are instances where marginal energy jiva souls have fallen from

the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya." (SP Ltr. Rayarama, Dec.

2, 1968) If everyone fell, Srila Prabhupada wouldn't have written "there

are instances," which suggests that this is true only in a few special

cases, as we are presenting. Additionally, in reference to Jaya and

Vijay, Srila Prabhupada states in other purports such as Bhag. 3.16.29

and Bhag. 7.1.35 that no one falls.

 

An apparent contradiction also manifests between statements of Srila

Prabhupada regarding the appearance of Jaya and Vijaya in the material

world. In the first set of quotes below, Srila Prabhupada warns us to be

careful and follow the spiritual principles carefully or we will fall

down, even from Vaikuntha, just as Jaya and Vijaya fell from the

spiritual world. So, we should be careful, "don't think you have

achieved the goal, you can fall down from anywhere." In the second

series of purports Srila Prabhupada states that actually these pure

devotees have not fallen, thus revealing the hidden truth of their

exhaulted status, that they voluntarily came down to satisfy the Lord's

desire to fight. Those who consider the first group of statements as

representative of the entire issue, and ignore the second set of quotes,

not giving a proper explanation, leave us hanging with an incomplete and

inconsistent presentation.

 

There are instances where marginal energy jiva souls have fallen from

the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya. So the potency to fall

under the influence of the lower energy is always there. (68-12-02)

 

So there is chance of falling down even from the personal association of

God. Jaya-Vijaya, they had to become demons. If we do not follow

strictly our regulative principles, routine work, then the whole scheme

will be failure. Then, instead of Christianity, it will be

"churchianity." (730919rc.bom)

 

After all, the living entity falls down from the spiritual world. Just

like Jaya-Vijaya. There is possibility, if you do not stick to the

spiritual principle, even if you are in Vaikuntha, you will fall down,

what to speak of this material world? Because in the Vaikuntha or in the

spiritual world, no contaminated soul can stay there. He will fall down.

 

Now, when the spirit soul falls down? Just like Jaya-Vijaya. Jaya and

Vijaya became asuras. They fell down from Vaikuntha. But they became

asuras under the circumstances. (Bhag.-gita class, Honolulu: July 4,

1974)

 

To be victimized by maya is possi.... There is possibility.... Just like

Jaya and Vijaya. They were gatekeepers in the Vaikuntha. They also fell

down, Hiranyakasipu. So this falldown, there is possibility in any

moment because we are very small. We can be captivated by maya at any

moment. Therefore we shall be very, very careful. (760311mw.may)

 

In the following excerpts Srila Prabhupada states something very

different; that Jaya and Vijaya are pure devotees who have descended to

the material world by the Lords arrangement:

 

This incident, therefore, proves that those who have once entered a

Vaikuntha planet can never fall down. The case of Jaya and Vijaya is not

a falldown; it is just an accident. (Bhag. 3.16.12, purp.)

 

A devotee once accepted by the Lord, can never fall down. That is the

conclusion of this incident. [Jaya and Vijaya] (Bhag. 3.16.29, purp.)

 

>From authoritative sources it can be discerned that associates of Lord

Visnu who descend from Vaikuntha do not actually fall. They come with

the purpose of fulfilling the desire of the Lord, and their descent to

this material world is comparable to that of the Lord. The Lord comes to

this material world through the agency of His internal potency, and

similarly, when a devotee or associate of the Lord descends to this

material world, he does so through the action of the spiritual energy.

Any pastime conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is an

arrangement by yoga-maya, not maha-maya. Therefore it is to understood

that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came

because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha. (Bhag.

7.1.35, purp.)

 

The conchshell the Lord took from Pancajana, which is called Pancajanya,

is the same one He sounded at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita.

According to the acaryas, Pancajana had become a demon in a way similar

to that of Jaya and Vijaya. In other words, though appearing in the form

of a demon, he was actually a devotee of the Lord. (Bhag. 10.45.42-44,

purp.)

 

Similarly, Krsna does not fight with anyone ordinary, but rather with

some of His great devotees. Because Krsna wants to fight, some of His

devotees come down to this material world to become His enemies and

fight with Him. For example, the Lord descended to kill Hiranyakasipu

and Hiranyaksa. Should we think that these were ordinary living

entities?

 

No, they were the great devotees Jaya and Vijaya, who came to this world

because Krsna wanted to fight. In the Vaikuntha world, the spiritual

world, there is no possibility of fighting, because everyone there

engages in Krsna's service. With whom will He fight? Therefore He sends

some devotee in the garb of an enemy and comes here to this material

world to fight with him. (TQK: chapter 12: Bewildering Pastimes)

 

The fighting spirit is there in Krsna also. So when He wants to fight,

in the Vaikuntha there is no possibility of fight. Nobody will be able

to fight. Nobody will agree to fight. So there is no fighting. Fighting

means must be inimical propensity. Unless you think "I am your enemy,"

and I think "you are my enemy," the fighting is not going on. If I

think, "I am fighting with my friend," it will be false fighting.

Fighting must be between two strong enemies. Therefore sometimes Jaya

Vijaya come. The question is that why the living entity falls down? It

is not falls down. Just like Jaya Vijaya came just to satisfy his

master. His master desired fighting, so some of His servant went to the

material world and became great enemy like Hiranyakasipu. Ravana. For

killing Ravana, Rama is coming. Well, Ravana could not be killed without

Rama. (720405SB.MEL)

 

When Krsna wants to fight, who will fight with Him? Some of His devotee,

great devotee will fight with Him. Not ordinary. Just like a king, if he

wants to practice mock fighting, some very exalted fighter, wrestler

will be engaged. Similarly... That is also service. Because Krsna wants

to fight, therefore some of His devotees come down to become His enemy.

Just like Jaya-Vijaya. This Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyakña.

 

Do you think they are ordinary living entity? . . . Nrsimhadeva, God

Himself has come to kill him. Do you think they're ordinary? No, they're

not ordinary. They're devotees. But Krsna wanted to fight. In the

Vaikuntha world there is no possibility of fighting because everywhere

there, everyone there is engaged in Krsna's service. With whom He'll

fight? Therefore He sends some devotee in the garb of enemy and Krsna

comes here to fight with Him. (730421SB.LA)

 

In Vaikuntha-jagat there is no violence. But Visnu is taking the symbol

of violence. Otherwise what is the meaning of this disc and club? So

when He wants to be violent, He comes here as Nrsiµha-murti. (laughter)

And He sends some of His devotees to play violence. That is

Hiranyakasipu. Because there the devotees are so much in accord with

Krsna and Visnu that there is no question of disagreement. But violence

is when this disagreement, atheist. Therefore sometimes a devotee is

deputed in this world to play as atheist, and Krsna comes to kill him.

(690411rc.ny)

 

Additionally, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in his discussion of

anartha-nivrtti in the Madhurya Kadambini, cites the following as

examples of devotees who have attained the state of prema:

 

With the attainment of the Lord's association, the eradication of

anarthas is absolute, with no possibility of their appearance. Thus if

one thinks that the following random episodes show anartha arising even

after attaining the lotus feet of the Lord, one chould throw out that

thought from his mind by his intelligence. In the case of Citraketu, who

had already attained the lotus feet of the Lord, his accidental

maha-aparadha to Siva was apparent, not real, for there was no ill

effect from his mistake. Both as an associate of the Lord and assuming

the form of the demon Vrtrasura, his wealth of prema was still evident.

The apparent offense of Jaya and Vijaya was caused by their personal

desire stimulated by prema. The two desired in this way, "O Prabhu! O

Lord of Lords! O Narayana! You're eager to enjoy the pleasure of

fighting, but outside of ourselves, everyone else is too weak to oppose

you. Though we're strong, we're not inimical to You. Somehow or other,

make us inimical to You, and relish the happiness of fighting. We can't

bear to see any lack whatever in Your perfection. Diminishing Your

affection for Your devotees, please fulfill the prayer of Your faithful

servants."

 

Here, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura makes no distinction between those

who have obtained the Lord and those who are already residents of

Vaikuntha. He states only that there is no chance of anarthas arising

for one who is situated at the Lord's lotus feet, independent of whether

or not one has "attained" this position or is situated in this position,

as Jaya and Vijaya. Bhaktivinode Thakura, in a commentary on Bhag.

6.11.24, cites the prayers recited by Vrtrasura as demonstrating the

mood of bhava-bhakti.

 

This quote from Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura agrees with that of Srila

Prabhupada above, "The question is that, why the living entity falls

down? It is not falls down. Just like Jaya-Vijaya came just to satisfy

his master. His master desired fighting, so some of His servant went to

the material world and became great enemy." (720405SB.MEL) And when the

Lord's pastime is finished they return to their position in the

spiritual world.

 

The GBC Position book deals only with the quotes supporting falldown and

is therefore incomplete. What should actually be our understanding?

These lilas are there to caution us, that even if one thinks that they

are a liberated soul, they must be careful to follow the process of

Krsna consciousness strictly. These eternal associates of the Lord have

come to fulfill the Lord's desire for particular lilas and show us these

pastimes. Sometimes an acarya may point to these lilas to caution a

neophyte that you can also fall down. In section eight below.

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