Shakti-Fan

Sridhar Maharaja, "There is the absolute and relative consideration, everywhere." Guru is always seen from the viewpoint of the absolute except in the case of rendering a specific service. In that case the absolute viewpoint is put into the background. But generally we should think that Krsna, guru, and paramatma are everywhere and know everything. It's an example of subjective reality in relation to the super-subjective reality. We are the objects and He is the subject and He is seeing through the diety, Sri Murti, Sri Gurudeva, and Caitya guru. This is from the viewpoint of the disciple, only. The guru will think that, "I am only a madhyama adhikari but by the grace of my uttama adhikari guru, I have the backing of akanda guru tattva, Sri Nityananda Prabhu. In this way everything is harmonized. Different acaryas are using different words to describe the same thing. It is us, with our "puppy brains" who cannot understand and see sectarian differences. Govinda Maharaja, "Krishna appears to us in the form of Sri Guru..." Prabhupada, "...for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva or acaryadeva,we speak of something that is of universal application." Narayana Maharaja, "Don’t think that Guru is not omniscient. Guru always remembers Krsna and Krsna is with him." Prabhupada, purport C.C. Adi 7.115 "In this connection the Padma Purana states, arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih: "One who considers the arca-murti, the worshipable Deity of Lord Visnu, to be stone, THE SPIRITUAL MASTER TO BE AN ORDINARY HUMAN BEING, and a Vaisnava to belong to a particular caste or creed, is possessed of HELLISH INTELLIGENCE." One who follows such conclusions is doomed"

If you told any professor of religious philosophy, ontological philosophy, or theology that an aspect of the infinite consciousness could be all pervading without being all knowing, you'd be laughed out of the classroom. If the professor was polite maybe he wouldn't laugh but he would certainly check to see if you had passed Introduction to Philosophy with a grade of C or better. Omniscience and omnipresence are concomitant by definition. If you want to take the time to search for citations from theologians then do it. BTW I am a Raiders fan and I live in the Black Hole. It's that idiot Beggar who likes the Dolphins.

In His form of Sri Guru, the form by which Krishna bestows his mercy...He is omnipresent but not conscious and therefore omniscient? Impossible! This has nothing to do with different gurus. Abhay Charan Das [early name of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada] For Members, Sri Gaudiya Math Bombay, Published in The Harmonist 1936,

Let's use the analogy of the Sun and the Sun rays. For the sake of analogy let's say that the Sun is made up of infinite Sun rays. The secondary characteristic of Sun rays is that they contain both heat and light. This heat and light pervades the solar system to various degrees. If we can detect even the faintest sunlight in the furthest out regions then we can also detect heat however minuscule. Here the analogy begins to break down because infinite consciousness does not dissipate. Everything exists within the realm of consciousness, so omnipresence takes place by the conscious Will of the Lord. Sva bhavaki jnana kriya ca. When the Lord, His expansions or representations are omnipresent are they suddenly devoid of consciousness in deference to your philosophical misconceptions?

You did not have to make the correlation between omnipresence and omniscience. Every theologian in every monotheistic religion already has done it for you.

Srila Narayana Maharaja, 6/20/06, San Jose, CA: "Some think that Guru is not omniscient. They ask: “If Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada knew that practically all his sannyasis would fall down, why did he give them sannyasa? They are wrong to doubt. Lord Ramacandra knew that Sita would be stolen, so why did He go running after that deer? Krsna knew everything. He knew that His dynasty would be destroyed by becoming intoxicated on rice wine and killing each other. Why did He not stop this from happening? Don’t think that Guru is not omniscient. Guru always remembers Krsna and Krsna is with him. Srila Suta Gosvami has said, “My Guru, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, knows everything.” If you do not reconcile this, you will have some doubt in Guru. Guru is omniscient, but Guru should be bona fide. Try to follow my instructions and be happy."

Then look at the way Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja structures his thesis. It's up to an individual whether or not they wish to associate with a sadhu. The interesting thing here is how he explains the "seer" and the "seen". This connects with the idea of how the parampara is always continuing. The guru is always there but can we see him?

Devotee: So we have to associate with a living sadhu? Gour Govinda Swami: Definitely. There is always one there. But he is not a cheap person. Such a person is very rare. If you can get his mercy then you can see him. Otherwise, by your own effort and perception you cannot see him. No, no, no. You always think that you are drasta, the seer, and that the sadhu is drsta, the one to be seen. Everyone is like this. They think they are the seers. But it is just the reverse. You are to are to be seen and they are the seer! Think this over very deeply. I think you cannot completely understand what I say. We always think that we are the seer and that they are to be seen, but this is not a fact. It is just the reverse. They are the seers and we are to be seen.

A Brief Excerpt From The Publication Entitled "The True Conception Of Sri Guru Tattva" by Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja,

Gaudiya siddhanta is attacked. Devotees ask resonable questions to the aggresor camp. Questions are not answered. Discussion is suspended, until hours or days later, then comes another attack.

Srila Narayana Maharaja: Some think that Guru is not omniscient. They ask: “If Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada knew that practically all his sannyasis would fall down, why did he give them sannyasa?" They are wrong to doubt. Lord Ramacandra knew that Sita would be stolen, so why did He go running after that deer? Krsna knew everything. He knew that His dynasty would be destroyed by becoming intoxicated on rice wine and killing each other. Why did He not stop this from happening? Don’t think that Guru is not omniscient. Guru always remembers Krsna and Krsna is with him. Srila Suta Gosvami has said, “My Guru, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, knows everything.” If you do not reconcile this, you will have some doubt in Guru. Guru is omniscient, but Guru should be bona fide. Try to follow my instructions and be happy.

WHAT IS THE GAUDIYA SAMPRADAYA? Murwillumbah, Australia, January 15, 2000 (Excerpt) Satyarupa dasi: You told me in one darsan that the Gaudiya Matha came from Brahma. Srila Narayana Maharaja: But now I will tell you more. Those who follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, especially those who are from a place called Gauda, these devotees are called Gaudiya. There are five Gaudas, and each is between two rivers. The first is Punjab, located between the Sindhu and Yamuna rivers; another is between Ganges and Yamuna. Another is between Ganges and Gundaka, and the fourth is between two other rivers and the fifth is Bengal. Of the five, the prominent Gauda is Bengal. Satyarupa dasi: Why? Srila Narayana Maharaja: Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared there. He practiced love and affection for Krishna in parakiya mood. Do you know what is meant by parakiya? It is paramour-love (transcendental unwedded love). In India there are so many sampradayas and they do not know about this; but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu discovered it from Srimad Bhagavatam. Satyarupa dasi: What specific verses are evidence of this in Srimad Bhagavatam? Srila Narayana Maharaja: pati sutanvaya-bhratr bandhavan ativilanghya te 'nty acyutagatah gati-vidas tavodgita-mohitah kitava yositah kas tyajen nisi (S.B. 10. 31. 16) When Krishna played His flute on the full-moon night, all the gopis left their husbands, children, friends, fathers, mothers, and everything, and they went to Krishna. Their husbands were there at home; and therefore this is parakiya. Although the gopis had husbands, Krishna was their beloved. From the beginning they had no relation with their husbands; Yogamaya arranged it so that their husbands never touched them. She made artificial wives, and the husbands used to be with them. Those who accept this, and who follow the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, are called Gaudiya. Satyarupa dasi: Like the false Sita? Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes, something like that. There are so many slokas in Srimad Bhagavatam: na paraye 'ham niravadya-samyujam sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah samvrscya tad vah pratiytu sadhuna (S.B.10.32.22) Krishna is telling the gopis, "I cannot repay you. Your love and affection to Me, and our meetings are so pure and transcendental that I cannot repay you. You have given up your husbands and all other relatives for Me, but I cannot give up anyone. I cannot give up my father and mother. I have so many bhaktas, and I cannot give them up. Therefore I cannot repay you." The gopis had left their husbands, and therefore this verse is another evidence of parakiya bhava. This understanding was discovered and preached in this world by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Those who follow this idea of Mahaprabhu, under the guidance of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunnatha dasa Gosvami, are Gaudiya. Those who do not follow are not Gaudiya's, even if they live in that area. Those who maintain this idea that the gopis are parakiya, who want to develop the same mood, and are doing bhajan for that end, are Gaudiyas. Srila Rupa Gosvami is Sri Rupa Manjari. He is doing bhajan, externally in the body of Srila Rupa Gosvami, and internally as Sri Rupa Manjari. Externally he is chanting and remembering as Srila Rupa Gosvami, and internally he is serving in his siddha-deha of Sri Rupa Manjari. He is serving Radha and Krishna conjugal. This is the idea of Gaudiya, and those who follow this are Gaudiyas. It is coming especially from Sri Madhavendra Puri, then Sri Isvara Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda, Sri Svarupa Damodara-down to my Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja.

Srila Narayana Maharaja, May 13, 2001: If anyone is not following this, even he is trying to be ISKCON, he is not really ISKCON. He is ISKCON-abhasa (a semblance or shadow). We see in the semblance of ISKCON that so many members can fall down. The real ISKCON members, however, will never fall down. Brahma is the first in ISKCON, Narada is second, Srila Vyasadeva is third, and fourth is Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. They cannot fall down. Srila Rupa Gosvami cannot fall down, and he is also ISKCON. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami will never fall down, and he is also ISKCON. We are all ISKCON, but those who can fall down, those who are simply trying to be ISKCON, are not really its members.<o:p> </o:p> We must help devotees who are in that category. I pray that Krsna will sprinkle His mercy on them so that one day they will be in the real ISKCON. June 29, 2002 :<tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I am only repeating the words of the acaryas in my</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">guru-parampara, who are themselves under the guidance of Sri</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu is none other than the Supreme</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Lord, Sri Krsna, and Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, and</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> the entire guru-parampara are under his guidance.</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> You should have the strong belief that my words and teachings</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">are non-different from the words and teachings of Srila</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Several persons say that there are</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">many differences in our teachings. Yes, there are many</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> differences; but only in the sense that I am not as learned as</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">he is, and my English pronunciation and also my words are not</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> exactly the same as his. However, even if my choice of words is</tt> <tt style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> sometimes different, my siddhanta and mood are the same as his.</tt>

Srila Narayana Maharaja: "I know that in all preaching the root is Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Prabhupada. Only by his mercy is everyone preaching. When I preach, all know that, "Oh, he is in line of Srila Svamiji; he is preaching in his line." Everywhere in the world, except in India, Svamiji did this; being one hand of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Gosvami Thakura. He also did it in India, but in India there were others as well. I know that everywhere there are so many disciples of various sections-like Govinda Maharaja, myself, Srila Puri Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaja. All are making disciples, but I think we are in one family. Now I see however, that so many sections don't like each other. They fight among themselves, and also with others. They even fight with their wives and divorce them. And some disciples can divorce their Guru also. But we don't like that. We should try to help each other. There is some envy. The disciples of certain gurus never come to me. They fear somewhat, but I don't fear. I know that they are in one family and they should come. They are fearing that, "Oh, when he will come, he will take all my disciples and attract them." But really I don't want to do that. I want to help all, as a siksa-guru helps. They should understand this, and they should not quarrel; otherwise this preaching will come to some harm. We should think in this way: "He can help my disciples, and I should help his disciples." During Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's time there was no division like this - that he should come and he should not come. All used to come to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; all used to come to Srila Rupa Gosvami. I want it to be like that."

Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu 17-19 Srila Narayana Maharaja's English Edition,

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Badger, California: May 14, 2003 (evening) Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

(continued) Although both Brahma and Siva are actually superior in bhakti to Prahlada Maharaja, their posts involve contact with the three gunas, or modes of material nature, namely goodness, passion, and ignorance. The role of Lord Brahma is creation and procreation in raja-guna, the mode of passion. Lord Siva’s role of demolition and dissolution is in tama-guna, the mode of ignorance. It is for this reason that they are called guna-avataras, incarnations of the material qualities. Prahlada Maharaja is nirguna, transcendental to the three modes of nature. He has nothing to do with activities in material goodness, passion, and ignorance, by which this world is shackled. Lord Siva is also beyond the three modes of nature, but he adopts the mode of ignorance (tama-guna) to efficiently perform his function. The Personal Associate Regarding Lord Siva’s glorification of Prahlada Maharaja, now consider Lord Siva’s identity as a transcendental personality – separate from his post. Sometimes senior Vaisnavas express sincere recognition of the novice, inspiring him or her on the path of devotion. The Vaisnava may say, “Oh, you work so hard and earn money, and with that money you support and nourish me. I have no means at all. I do nothing but visit for a short while, eating, and sleeping at your expense. I would not be able to speak the glories of Lord Krsna at this festival if you had not arranged for the management of all the activities here, so you are superior to me.” Out of sincere humility, gratitude and affection, liberated souls speak in this endearing manner, and at the same time they are fixed in the realization that they are always being personally maintained by the Supreme Lord. The senior Vaisnava has the disciple’s personal benefit in mind. However, Lord Siva was not speaking for Prahlada Maharaja’s benefit, but to acquaint aspiring devotees with the stages of devotion. His desire was to facilitate the service of Sri Narada Muni and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, whose mission was to establish in the world the sequence of the grades of devotion and ultimately establish the glories of the gopis. Try to understand all these truths, and seek to gradually become firmly situated in bhakti. Imagine that you are in a market in which there are thousands of varieties of shops. In some of those shops there are products made of iron, in some shops there are products made of gold, in some there are jewels, and in others cintamani (wish-fulfilling stones). An expert is guiding you through all the shops, pointing out different products and revealing which are superior. If there are a thousand pounds of iron and only one ounce of gold, the gold has more value. On the other hand, many pounds of gold will not amount to the value of one Kaustubha-mani or a similarly precious stone. Millions of such precious jewels cannot compare with a tiny quantity of cintamani, and even millions of cintamani stones cannot compare with one holy name of Lord Krsna. Now suppose someone is chanting the name of Lord Krsna alone, and another is absorbed in the name of Radha-Ramana. The name Radha-Ramana, meaning Sri Krsna, the enjoyer of pastimes with Srimati Radharani, has more transcendental taste (rasa) than the name Krsna alone. The person absorbed in that holy name will therefore experience a greater spiritual pleasure. Regarding the analogy of the shops in a market, that expert tells you, “This shop is good, that shop is better, and this one is the best. Similarly, in his Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Srila Sanatana Gosvami establishes the gradations of excellence of various devotees and their devotion, in order to help his readers determine their spiritual path. The history of Narada Muni’s coming to the abode of Lord Siva and glorifying him was first narrated in this Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta. Like Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Narada is also that expert described above. He desired to establish pure bhakti in the world, and therefore he played the role of searching for the greatest devotee and recipient of Lord Krsna’s mercy. His search had taken him first to the “shop” of a brahmana in Prayaga, and after that to South India, to the shop of a king. Then he traveled to heaven, where he entered the shop of King Indra, and Indra sent him to the shop of Lord Brahma. Brahma sent him to Lord Siva, and Lord Siva is now sending him to Prahlada Maharaja. Gradually, Sri Narada will bring us to the greatest recipients of Lord Krsna’s mercy, the gopis. In the form of Gopisvara, Lord Siva is the beloved servant and associate of those gopis. *[end note 1] In the hermitage of Sri Narada Muni, Prahlada Maharaja heard the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam while within the womb of his mother. From his birth, Prahlad was fixed in transcendental realization of the all-pervading presence of the Supreme Lord, and he preached love of God to his schoolmates at the tender age of five. Despite efforts by his atheistic father to change his nature – efforts that culminated in repeated attempts to kill him by means of administering poison, putting him in boiling oil, tossing him from the top of a cliff and so on – Prahlada continued to experience great joy by remembering Lord Visnu and chanting his holy names. Prahlada was protected by the Supreme Lord in every situation. Finally, Lord Visnu appeared in the form of a half-man, half-lion and killed his demonic father. When offered a benediction by the Lord, Prahlada simply asked for the liberation of his father, as well as that of all conditioned souls. He is honored in this world by all pure devotees. *[end note 2] “Srila Madhvacarya is the original acarya for those who belong to the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya.”(SB 6.1.40.purport) “This Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya is also known as the Brahma-sampradaya because the disciplic succession originally began from Brahma. Brahma instructed the sage Narada, Narada instructed Vyasadeva, and Vyasadeva instructed Madhva Muni, or Madhvacarya.” (Krsna Introduction). *[end note 3] “The Vedas say, ‘svadharma-nisthah sata janmabhih puman virincatam eti - One who strictly follows the principles of varnasrama-dharma for at least one hundred births will be rewarded with the post of Lord Brahma.’ ” (SB 5.20.33 purport) Varnasrama-dharma - the institutions dividing society into four divisions of social life and four occupational divisions of castes. *[end note 4] “At the beginning of Brahma’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again. Again and again, when Brahma’s day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahma’s night they are helplessly annihilated.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.18-19) “At the end of the day, under the insignificant portion of the mode of darkness, the powerful manifestation of the universe merges in the darkness of night. By the influence of eternal time, the innumerable living entities remain merged in that dissolution, and everything is silent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.28) “The dissolution of the three worlds is effected by the incarnation of darkness, Rudra, represented by the fire of eternal time which blazes over the three worlds. These three worlds are known as Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah (Patala, Martya and Svarga). The innumerable living entities merge into that dissolution, which appears to be the dropping of the curtain of the scene of the Supreme Lord’s energy, and so everything becomes silent.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.28 purport) “It is said that the blazing fire from the mouth of Sankarsana rages for one hundred years of the demigods, or 36,000 human years. Then for another 36,000 years there are torrents of rain, accompanied by violent winds and waves, and the seas and oceans overflow. People forget all these devastations of the worlds and think themselves happy in the material progress of civilization. This is called maya, or ‘that which is not.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.31 purport) “Thereafter, at the end of the millennium, the Lord Himself, in the form of Rudra, the destroyer, will annihilate the complete creation as the wind displaces the clouds. This creation is very appropriately compared to clouds.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.10.43) *[end note 5] “There are two types of dissolution of the manifested cosmos. At the end of every 4,320,000,000 solar years, when Brahma, the lord of one particular universe, goes to sleep, there is one annihilation. And at the end of Lord Brahma’s life, which takes place at the end of Brahma’s one hundred years of age, in our calculation at the end of 8,640,000,000 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years, there is complete annihilation of the entire universe, and in both the periods both the material energy called the mahat-tattva and the marginal energy called jiva-tattva merge in the person of the Supreme Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.21 purport) *[end note 6] “Karanodakasayi Visnu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and he is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, the elements, the material ego, the modes of nature, the senses, the universal form of the Lord, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and the sum total of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.6.42)

The Post and the Person Holland: July 3, 1997 (evening) Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja Sri Narada desired to proclaim the glories of Lord Siva. As previously described, he praised Siva as the greatest devotee of Lord Krsna and most dear to Him, and Lord Siva became upset by hearing those praises. Siva then related a number of incidents which, according to him, were evidence that he was not dear to Krsna at all. Now Lord Siva compares himself to Sri Prahlada Maharaja,*[end note1] the famed devotee of Lord Nrsinhadeva described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. He told Narada, “Sri Prahlada Maharaja is superior to me, and it is he who is the dear devotee of the Lord.” Even though Lord Siva is superior to Prahlada Maharaja, he told Narada that Prahlada Maharaja is superior. Why? He said this to encourage people to follow Prahlada Maharaja’s ideal character and teachings. However, Prahlada Maharaja cannot enter Sri Krsna’s transcendental abode, Vrndavana, whereas Lord Siva resides there eternally as Gopisvara. Siva serves Sri Krsna personally in numerous ways. He and his wife Parvati-devi meditate on asta-kaliya-lila, Lord Sri Krsna’s confidential eight-fold daily pastimes. These secret pastimes are very confidential, yet both Siva and Parvati are able to meditate upon them. Siva is hundreds of thousands of times superior to and more worshipable than Sri Prahlada Maharaja, and yet the artful Siva declared Prahlada Maharaja to be superior. Why did he do so? In one sense Prahlada Maharaja is superior, and in another sense he is not. We can reconcile this by considering the two perspectives from which to understand the identity of Lord Siva: We can see Siva from the point of view of his post, and also from the point of view of his personality. As a personality, separate from his post, he appears as an associate of the Supreme Lord, such as Gopisvara, Hanuman and Bhima. As Gopisvara he resides eternally in Vrndavana. As Hanuman he always associates with and serves Lord Rama. As Bhima he always serves Lord Krsna. And, when Hanuman and Bhima combine together in this present age of Kali-yuga, they become Madhvacarya, our Sampradaya-guru.*[end note 2] From the point of view of Lord Siva’s function as the god of annihilation, and also that of Brahma as the secondary creator of the universe, Siva and Brahma are actually posts. Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are not ordinary human beings, but their posts are like that of the president or prime minister of a nation, wherein the man representing the post has to perform a certain defined job. Both as the post and the person, Siva is superior to Brahma. Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, but sometimes a jiva may become Siva’s expansion known as Rudra. If a man purely performs the duties of varnasrama for one hundred births, he may become Brahma.*[ end note 3] In other words, he may attain the position or post of Brahma. In turn, when a person in the post of Brahma carries out his function expertly for one hundred births, he becomes qualified to perform the function of Siva in his manifestation as Rudra. Siva’s post is therefore superior to that of Brahma, and this is also evidence that Siva is more powerful than Brahma. The Duty of Destruction What is the function of Lord Siva’s post, and why is it superior to that of Lord Brahma? One reason is that Brahma cannot execute pralaya, the complete destruction of the universe – a very dangerous thing, whereas Siva can do so. Siva’s function as destroyer is similar to that of a farmer who plants and cultivates a large area of wheat. The farmer carefully waters and nourishes the crop, guarding it from animals, and after five or six months the wheat matures and ripens. Then, either by hand or a machine, the farmer harvests the plants and carefully removes the grains from their shafts. The rest of the plant-matter becomes refuse, subject to rotting and attracting disease, vermin, and snakes. Therefore, the farmer sets fire to it and burns it. Just as the farmer extracts the grains from the plants, Lord Siva extracts the eternal spirit souls from their material bodies and from the world. At the time of annihilation he creates an inferno, setting the entire universe on fire, but the spirit souls are not destroyed. There are two kinds of universal devastations: one at the end of Lord Brahma’s day and one at the end of his life. At the end of his day (4,320,000,000 solar years) he rests in a mystic sleep within the body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and all the conditioned living entities enter as well.*[end note 4] While the entire universe is submerged in water, the living entities rest in their subtle bodies within the transcendental body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu. They await the start of the next day of Brahma, the next material creation or manifestation. Some of them become liberated, and others do not. When Lord Brahma completes the one hundred celestial years of his life, Lord Siva again performs this duty of destruction. At that time all the spirit souls enter into the body of Karanodakasayi Visnu or Maha Visnu. At the end of each day of Lord Brahma, all souls enter Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and at the end of Brahma’s life, even the millions of manifestations of Garbhodakasayi Visnu enter Karanodakasayi Visnu*[end note 5] along with the spirit souls. At the time of creation, Karanodakasayi Visnu generates innumerable manifestations of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and at the time of complete annihilation, they enter back into his body.*[end note 6] Lord Siva is not a living entity, but he is also not in the category of Lord Visnu. He is much more powerful than any living entity, even up to Lord Brahma. However, he is not equal to Lord Visnu. Because he is almost as good as the Supreme Personalty of Godhead, he can see the three phases of time: past, present, and future. One of his eyes is like the sun and another is like the moon. He also has a third eye, located between his eyebrows. It is from this third eye that he generates fire and employs it at the time of the universal destruction. Seen from this perspective – the destroyer – Lord Siva cannot serve Sri Krsna directly, because he is engaged at his post. Those souls who are liberated after hundreds of thousands of lifetimes of devotional practice, having renounced all responsibilities and concerns of the world – including occupations like that of Brahma and Siva – and who constantly hear about, glorify, and remember Lord Krsna, take birth in this world as pure devotees like Prahlada Maharaja. This was told by Lord Siva to Sri Narada. Prahlada Maharaja has nothing to do with this world; nothing to create or demolish. He rejected all such affairs as insignificant. Although he had inherited a large kingdom, it was controlled and governed by his ministers. His senses were totally absorbed in the transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. He was always engaged in hearing the name and glories of the Lord, singing and speaking about his glories, remembering and meditating on him, offering prayers, carrying out the his orders and fully surrendering to him. Devotees in Prahlada’s category have no need to approach Lord Krsna’s manifestations like Lord Nrsinhadeva and Lord Rama, for the Lord personally comes to them in these forms. Lord Siva told Sri Narada that because he is always engaged in the post of controlling the universe, he can neither see nor offer services to the Lord daily, as Prahlada Maharaja sees Lord Vamanadeva or Lord Nrsinhadeva. Vamanadeva and Nrsinhadeva are both manifestations of the same Lord, who regularly gives Prahlada his divine association and the opportunity to serve and offer obeisance at his lotus feet.

The original Krsna appears in the material world on an earth planet [Gokula] but simultaneously he is in Goloka Vrnadavana, always enjoying His nitya-lila. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Visnu is not simultaneously enjoying pastimes in the Vaikunthas. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is a puruṣa-avatāra Who expands from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu Who expanded from Mahā-Viṣṇu. In TLC Chapt.8, At the time of the dissolution of the entire material creation both Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Visnu and the pradhana, the material ingrediants are reabsorbed into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Sripad Prema Prayojana Prabhu paraphrasing Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur,

The Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Disciplic Successionand Its Unique Characteristics: of Which We are a Part (excerpt) by Stephen Knapp (Srinandan Prabhu) Much of the information regarding the spiritual identities comes from the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika by Sri Kavi-karnapura. Furthermore, many other associates of Lord Caitanya not mentioned in this article are also described as being incarnations of intimate gopis, sakhis and manjaris of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in the Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, Chapters Ten and Eleven, in case you would like to continue this line of study.

NAVADVIPA, PURI, AND GODAVARI Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja (Sri Devananda Gaudiya Matha, Navadvipa, India, March 13, 2000) http://www.purebhakti.com/lectures/lecture20000313.shtml It is said that Mahaprabhu was able to taste what He came to this world to taste-only after He met Raya Ramananda, who is Vishaka in Krishna-lila. He learned from him how to taste Radha-bhava. Do you know why He learned from Ramananda Raya instead of Srila Svarupa Damodar, who is Lalita devi in Krishna-lila? Lalita devi is the first expansion of Radharani, and Vishaka devi is the second expansion. But Visakha's birthday is the same as that of Srimati Radharani, so her nature is the same. She has practically the same qualities and the same form. Krishna could not be taught by Lalita devi because her mood is pragalba, impudent and bold. (There is no actual equivalent word in English for pragalba.) Srimati Radhika and Srimati Visakha, although also left-wing gopis, are the same as each other-madhya-nayika (heroines who are a mixture of pragalbha and mugdha [enchanted]). Therefore Mahaprabhu had to learn from Ramananda Raya how to taste Radha-bhava. And, because it was at Godavari where Mahaprabhu learned to taste that Radha-bhava...

I just tried to simplify things and call it a curve ball. Actually it's a combination of a slider and a curve, which I call a "slurve". It's really a very different thing. Something Minor Leaguers have never seen. See Mad Magazine issue 52, Mad Goes to Major League Baseball. Stop blaspheming my husband, Beggar, you cad!

Okay Theist, so you think that you can hit a Gaudiya Math Major League curve ball?