From Radha-Syama to Maya-devi Dhama

Patita Pavan dasa: Sings Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

“Leaving the company of Radha-Syama in Vraja-Dhama (ChAdi’rAdhA-syAme braja- dhAme) you have come to this material world and suffered a host of painful miseries (bhugcho hethA nAnA-klesa).

You are actually composed of pure spiritual knowledge and bliss (tumi suddha cidAnanda) whose only happiness is found in service to Krsna
(Krsna-sevA tA’r Ananda). Alas, you have fallen into the hands of the material elements (panca-bhUter hAte pode’ hAy) trapped within the prison-house of Maya-devi (mAyA-devir kArAgAre).”

Baul Sangit (12)

Therefore the many statements on this site from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and**Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on the soul’s fall from the border of matter and spirit mean a stopover at the border of the material and spiritual world where the soul gets another chance or choice. Srila Prabhupada writes in SB 3.12.3: “The Lord first of all tries to protect him from the trap, but when the living entity persists on gliding down to hell, the Lord helps him to forget his real position to give the chance to see if he is happy by misusing his independence”.

“Devotee (1): In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come, why are we here?

Prabhupada: Yes. You forced Krishna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says,”My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there.” But he insists,”Oh, I must go. I must go.” “All right, you go at your risk. That’s all. And you suffer. What can be done?” Because you are son of God-God has got independence, full independence, almighty-therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that”I must go and enjoy independently,” so God says, “All right, you can go.” This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy. Beginning from Lord Brahma down to the worms in the stool, gradually… (Bg. lecture, Melbourne, June 27, 1974)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes in the next song again the fall of the soul from Goloka.

” Verse(13)

cid-dhama-bhaskara krsna, tanra jyotirgata

ananta citkana jiba tisthe avirata

Krsna is the shining sun of this all-cognizant spiritual abode, and

within His effulgence dwell innumerable fine particles of pure cognizance called jiva.

(14)

sei jiba prema-dharmi, krsna-gata-prana

sada krsnakrstha, bhakti-sudha kore’ pana

These jiva souls are by very nature full of pure ecstatic love and are all the dearly beloved of Lord Krsna. Always being attracted by Krsna, they continuously drink the ambrosial nectar of devotion.

(15)

nana-bhava-misrita piya dasya-rasa

krsner ananta-gune sada thake basa

Enjoying a mixture of various moods in the mellow of servitude, the jivas eternally remain subjugated and controlled by Krsna’s unlimited virtuous qualities.

(16)

krsna mata, krsna pita, krsna sahka, pati

ei sab bhinna-bhava krsna kore rati

They also love Krsna in all the different moods of being related to Him as a mother, father, friend, or husband.

(17)

krsna se purusa ek nitya brndabane

jiba-gana nari-brnda, rame krsna sane

Eternally in Vrndavana Krsna is the only male (purusa), and all the jivas there enjoy pastimes in His company in the role of females (prakrti).

(18)

sei to’ ananda-lila ja’r nai anta

ataeva krsna-lila akhanda ananta

There is no end to all of these blissful pastimes; therefore Krsna’s pastimes are known for being undisputedly supreme and unlimited.

(19)

je-sab jiber ‘bhoga-banca upajilo

purusa bhavete ta’ra jade paravesilo

All the souls, in whom the desire to enjoy separately awaken, have to enter into the material world under the false conception of being a male
(a purusa).

(20)

maya-karya jada maya–nitya-sakti-chaya

krsna-dasi sei satya, kara-kartri maya

Illusory material activities as well as maya herself are both the shadow

reflections of the eternal potency. In reality, maya is the eternal maidservant of Krsna, but her job is to be in charge of operating the prison-house of the material world.

(21)

sei maya adarser samasta bisesa

loiya gathilo bisva jahe purna klesa

This illusory energy maya, has created the material universe exactly like an imitation model of the real spiritual variegatedness, but with the added feature of being full of various miseries.

(22)

jiba jadi hoilena krsna-bahimukha

mayadevi tabe ta’r jachilena sukha

If by chance a living entity becomes averse to the Supreme Lord Krsna, then Mayadevi’s duty is to voluntarily offer her temptations of material

happiness.

(23)

maya-sukhe matta jiba sri-krsna bhulilo

sei se avidya-base asmita janmilo

Intoxicated by maya’s illusory happiness, the living entity then forgets

Krsna. Under the influence of such ignorance, false egoistic selfishness arises.

(29)

bhramite bhramite jadi sadhu-sanga hoy

punaraya gupta nitya-dharmer udoy

Thus wandering and wandering, if by chance the poor soul gets the association of the devotees of the Lord, then her eternal nature, which has been for so long covered over, will once again become aroused.

(30)

sadhu-sange krsna-katha hoy alocana

purva-bhava udi’ kate mayar bandhan

By discussing topics concerning Krsna in the association of devotees, and thus awakening her previous mentality of servitude to Krsna, all bondage to maya’s illusion become severed.

(31)

krsna- prati jiba jabe korena iksana

bidya-rupa maya kore’ bandhana chedana

When the conditioned soul thus looks towards Krsna, then by such an act,this very same maya, in the form of transcendental knowledge, severs all of her material bonds.

(32)

mayika jagate bidya nitya-brndabana

jiber sadhana-janya kore’ bibhavana

The seat of this transcendental knowledge is present within this very universe as the eternal Vrndavana-dhama in India . Lord Krsna expands His abode and pastimes at this Vrndavana just to facilitate the conditioned souls’ practice of devotional service.

(33)

sei brndabane jiba bhavavistha ho’ye

nitya seva labha kore’ caitanya- asraye

When she comes into contact with this Vrndavana, the living entity becomes overwhelmed and lost in emotional ecstasy. Remaining under the shelter of Lord Caitanya, she attains eternal service.

(34)

prakatita lila, ar goloka-bilasa

ek tattva, bhinna noy, dvividha prakasa

The Lord’s pastimes of appearing in this world, as well as His pastimes in Goloka, are one and the same truth. Being non-different, they are simply two types of manifestations of the same pastimes.

(35)

nitya-lila nitya-dasa-ganer niloy

e prakata-lila baddha-jiber asroy

The eternal pastimes in Goloka are the abode of all the eternally liberated servitors, whereas the manifest pastimes in the material world are the refuge for all of the bound-up conditioned living entities.

(36)

ataeva brndabana jiber avasa

asar samsare nitya-tattver prakasa

Therefore Vrndavana is the living entities original eternal home, manifesting its own eternally true nature within the dead material world.” (Kalyana Kalpataru)

In many other places the Thakura writes the same.

“..he went to take bath in the Ganges. He merged his body unto the naval into the water of the Ganges and sat down in the posture of padmasana. Thereafter he fixed his sight between his eyebrows while remembering the lotus feet of Supreme Lord.

..Meanwhile when Jivadasa saw that his father did not returned from the Ganges for a long time he came to the bathing ghata of the Ganges and saw his father absorbed in yogic meditation. Gradually it became afternoon and Jivadasa repeatedly called his father. Not getting any answer Jivadasa checked his body and came to know that his father has left them and returned to the spiritual world…. Then everyone including the brahmanas, the kayasthas and the members of the other class began to touch that saintly body and felt great happiness. Thereafter they decorated that saintly body with flower garlands and took it to the crematorium on an opulent cot. People began to shower

flowers on him from four directions. The vaishnavas walked with him while performing Harinama sankirtana. This was indeed a wonderful incident. Devadasa who was dear to everyone today left everyone and return to the blissful abode of the Lord.”

Devadasach22

sphulinga riddhagner iva cid-anavo jiva-nicaya

hareh suryasyevaprithag api tad-bheda-vishayah

vashe maya yasya prakriti-patir eveshvara iha

sa jivo mikto ‘pi prakriti-vasha-yogyah sva-gunatah

sphulingah—sparks; riddha—large; agneh—of a fire; iva—just like; cit—of spiritual energy; anavah—atoms; jiva–of living entities; nicayah—multitudes; hareh—of Lord Hari; suryasya—of the sun; iva—just like; aprithak—not different; api—and; tat—from that; bheda-vishayah—different; vashe—in the control; maya—illusory potency, maya; yasya—of whom; prakriti—of material energy; patih—the master; eva—certainly; ishvarah—controller; iha—here; sah—He; jivah—the living entity; muktah—liberated; api— although; prakriti—of material nature; vasha—to the control; yogyah—suitable; sva—own; gunatah–because of the quality.

Just as the sparks are to a great fire, and just as the particles of sunlight are to the sun, in the same way, the living entities are simultaneously one and different from Lord Hari.Lord Hari is always the supreme master of the illusory potency maya, whereas the living entities, even in the liberated condition, are liable to become subject to the influence of maya, because of their smallness.”

T 80Shri Gauranga-Lila-Smarana-Mangala-Stotram

Auspicious Verses for Remembering Lord Gauranga’s Pastimes

(3)

tomare loite ami hoinu avatara

ami vina bandhu ara ke ache tomara

3) “I have descended to this world just to reclaim you. Other than Myself, who else is your true friend? ”

Arunodaya-Kirtan by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(4)

gopinatha, ami to’ tomar jana

tomare chadiya, samsar bhajinu,

bhuliya apana-dhana

Oh Gopinatha, I am actually Your eternal devotee, but somehow or other I have abandoned You to worship this useless material world. Thus I have completely forgotten about the supreme treasure which is my birthright.

Song 2 — Gopinatha

(1)

gopinatha amar upay nai

tumi krpa kori, amare loile,

samsare uddhar pai

Oh Gopinatha, Lord of the gopis, I can’t see any possible means of deliverance. Only if You bestow Your causeless mercy and take me back to Godhead, then it will be possible for me to get out of this predicament.”

Song 3 — Gopinatha

KrishnaKrishnaKrishnaSong 1 — Sambandha (Relationship with Krsna)

(3)

he radhe, he krishna-candra bhakta-pran

pamare jugala
-bhakti koro’ dan

Oh Radhe, Oh Krsna-candra, the very life of Your devotees! Please give devotion unto Yourselves in charity to this fallen sinner.

(4)

bhakti-hina boli’ na koro’ upeksa

murkha-jane deho’ jnana-susiksa

Please do not neglect me because I am devoid of devotion. Kindly give Your most auspicious instructions to this fool.

(5)

bisaya pipasa-prapidita dase

deho’ adhikar jugala-vilase

Your servant is very much diseased with the thirst for material sense gratification, so he’s asking You to kindly give him the capacity to assist in Your divine conjugal pastimes.

(6)

cancala-jivana- srota pravahiya,

kaler sagare dhay

gelo je divas, na asibe ar,

ebe krishna ki upay

This flickering life is slowly drifting away, flowing onward into the ocean of time. So many days have gone by; no more will come, so now I am

wondering how to get back to You, my dear Lord Krsna!”

Song 4 — Petition for Service

“(2)

hrdoya pidita ja’r, krishna cikitsaka ta’r,

bhava-roga nasite catur

krishna- bahirmukha-jane, premamrta-bitarane,

krame loya nija antahpura

Krsna is just like a doctor for those whose hearts are ailing, as He is very expert at destroying the diseased condition of material existence. By distributing the nectar of ecstatic love to all the inimical souls, He gradually takes them back into His own confidential realm.”

Song 2 — Krsna’s Unlimited Qualities (Guna-kirtana)

Sambandha-abhidheya-prayojana-vijanana

(Realization of Relationship with Krishna, Actions according to that relationship, and the Supreme Goal of life)

“As long as the jiva takes full shelter of the Supreme Lord he remains a resident of the spiritual planets, but when he forgets the innate spiritual knowledge about the Lord he is placed outside the transcendental realm. The jiva is compared to a ray of the sun, but under the cloud of maya, or the illusory energy, his conditioned state is an unconstitutional and hence unnatural term of existence. The jiva exists to support and participate in the Supreme Lord’s transcendental pastimes, but his marginal nature makes him vulnerable and can bring him under maya’s spell, to suffer the pangs of repeated birth and death. But as soon as the individual spiritual spark awakens to realise his original self, the dark mist of ignorance, or maya, dissipate, and the long suffering of repeated birth and death at last comes to a halt. He regains his true spiritual identity.”

Sri Sanmodana Bhashyam – Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’ s commentary on

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Sri Sikshashtaka (1)

“hari he!

aviveka-rupa ghana, tahe dik acchadana,

hoilo ta’te andhakara ghor

tahe duhkha-brsti hoy, dekhi’ cari- dike bhoy,

patha-bhrama hoiyache mor

Oh my Lord Hari! Ignorance of You is just like a menacing raincloud which hovers overhead and covers all directions, causing the darkness of spiritual blindness to envelop me. From this cloud of ignorance falls the rain of material tribulation, which strikes fear throughout the four

directions. Thus I have become lost and confused in this darkness, and I am absolutely unable to find the right path back to You, dear Lord!”
(Gitamala Song 18, The Power of Ignorance)

Our comment : Back to Krishna, where we came from. The Krishna he sings about, in Vrindavana.

“In the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad
(4.3.11) it is said:

svapnena sariram api prahatyasuptah suptan abhicakasiti sukram adaya punar eti sthanam hiranmayam purusha eka hamsah.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is graceful like a swan, wakens the souls sleeping in material bodies and takes them back to His effulgent spiritual abode.”

Amnaya sutra Part 1, chapter 6, Jiva tattva prakarana – The nature of the individual spirit souls

QUESTION: Are all souls of one type, or are there different relative levels?

ANSWER: There are different relative levels among the jivas.

QUESTION: How many levels are there?

ANSWER: There are basically two: the level of the jiva’s real and eternal form (svarupa), and the level of the jiva’s dream of a false material designation (upadhi).

QUESTION: Why don’t all souls remain in their true position, free from material designation?

ANSWER: Those souls who accept nothing other than service as their eternal occupation never lose their transcendental position
(svarupa). Their attraction to Krsna is everlasting. But those who become obsessed with their own separate so-called happiness turn away from Krsna and are

immediately shackled by maya in the prison of the material world.” (VSM 7: Different Levels of Jivas, Seventh Chapter, Different Levels of Jivas)

Our comment” remain in their true position”they were in nitya-mukti, but there” those who become obsessed with their own separate so-called happiness turn away from Krsna and are immediately shackled by maya in the prison of the material world”

“phalgum nirarthakam viddhi

sarvam jadamayam jagat

bahirmukhasya jivasya

griham eva puratanam

phalgum—false; nirarthakam—useless; viddhi—please know; sarvam—all; jadamayam—material; jagat—universe; bahirmukhasya—who has turned his face away; jivasya—of the soul; griham—home; eva—indeed; puratanam—ancient.

Please know that the material world is meaningless and illusory. It is an ancient prison house for the souls who have turned their faces from the Supreme Lord.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

The material world is meaningless and illusory. It is an ancient prison house for the souls who have turned their faces from the Supreme Lord.

The material world created by Maya is a useless and illusory place for the individual souls, who are small particles of spirit. Why do the individual souls reside in this worthless place? The answer to this question is that the material world is an ancient prison for the individual souls who have turned their faces away from the Supreme Lord. Only the souls who have turned their faces away from the Supreme Lord have entered the material world. The souls who do not turn their faces away from the Supreme Lord remain always free from the prison of matter. They do not enter the material world. They stay always in the spiritual world. The Maya-sakti (potency of material illusion) is always under Lord Krishna’s control. As darkness must stay always far away from the shining sun, so the illusory potency Maya must stay always far away from Lord Krishna, far away from the spiritual world. The individual souls who have turned their faces away from Lord Krishna are attracted to the bewildering variety of Maya’s world. In this way they fall under Maya’s spell. In truth the individual souls are always beyond the modes of material nature. But when they fall under Maya’s spell, the individual souls think they themselves are products of the material modes. Then they try to enjoy the pathetic pleasures the three material modes offer. That is the condition of the souls who have turned their faces away from the Supreme Lord. The other spirit souls, the souls who remain in the spiritual world, do not turn their faces away from the Supreme Lord. Only the souls who turn their faces away from the Supreme Lord leave the spiritual world and go to the world of matter.(Tattva viveka,

Dvitiyanubhava, 12)

Our comment : There is no border-fall here. Some souls who don’t turn away, they stay in the spiritual world, but some turn away from residence in the spiritual world.

“The constitutional position of a pure living entity is beyond the gross and subtle bodies. The samvit aspect of the external potency is known in

the scriptures as nescience. Due to this nescience, the gross and subtle bodies of the living entities are created. When pure living entities reside in Vaikuntha, the first knot of nescience, in the form of false ego, does not entangle them. Pure living entities cannot remain steady after giving up spiritual activities. Therefore as soon as the living entities become situated in their own happiness through the minute independence given by the Lord, they become shelterless and are compelled to take shelter of Maya. On account of this, pure living entities have no shelter other than Vaikuntha. The living entities of Vaikuntha are very insignificant, like fireflies in comparison to the powerful sunlike Lord. As soon as the living entity leaves Vaikuntha, he is simultaneously awarded a subtle body and thrown into the material

world, created by Maya.” (Krishna-samhita 2.41)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura follows in his footsteps.

“This world is a perverted reflection of the original which is our real home. Instead of passing our time here, we want to go back to our eternal Abode.” (Sri Caitanya’s Teachings, p. 111)

“The Transcendental Sound becomes his sole engagement, he having secured the position of setting himself free from the egoistic exploitations of the phenomenal plane. Such a position would offer him the conception of the Absolute to Whom his only duty would be to offer his eternal services. This stage is known as regaining the true function after the expiry of his term of imprisonment as an enjoyer. Now he is in his proper health to engage himself as the eternal servitor of the Absolute, knowing his own position… The Consort Absolute will wait for the consort servitor. The parent servitor will meet the Child Absolute, the object of his or her only engagement. The eternal friend servitor will regain his position as such.” (Sri Caitanya’s Teachings, p. 193)

“The subjection of the soul to the laws of a foreign mistress is the result of his own deliberate choice. He can easily revert to the state of free existence by the exercise of the same freedom of choice… The soul is a tiny particle of the Universal-Soul. By his constitution he is subject to the spiritual power of the Divinity of which he is a constituent part. When he chooses to function in his own position in the spiritual system and in subordination to the laws of the spiritual realm he is constitutionally free. Whenever he chooses deliberately not to serve the Absolute he thereby ipso facto loses this natural or free state and is compelled to submit to the Divine Will under pressure. This thralldom he learns to prefer to real freedom by the tricks of the illusory Energy of Godhead maya which creates a world by the Will of Godhead in which Godhead makes Himself invisible for the benefit of the

jiva.” (Sri Caitanya’s Teachings, pp. 447-448)

Our comment: “revert to the state of free existence”, the soul was in Krsna’s abode.

“This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we desire to lord it over the universe we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eternal purposes… We should better go back into our own position, to our only Friend.” (Sri Caitanya’s Teachings, p. 493)

“Sri Radhika is the Source of all individual souls whose function is to be employed in the service of Sri Krishna by the alternative methods [of] loyal conscious submission, neutrality or actual opposition. The individual souls serve Sri Krishna as constituents of Sri Radhika. When they forget that they are constituents of Sri Radhika they forget the nature of their own selves, and engage in the abnormal activities of the mundane plane.” (Sri Caitanya’s Teachings, p. 615)

Our comment: The original position of the soul was serving Krishna as a constituent of Sri Radhika.

Question: I cannot understand this world.

Answer: It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When we decide to lord it over the universe we are allowed these facilities for temporary purposes. They do not serve our eternal purposes. It would be

better to seek for a place where we can find the real peace. Here we are always liable to be disturbed. By these disturbances Providence wants to teach us that world is not our eternal habitation, but that all real peace is to be found in Him. Being thus troubled we would naturally like to go back to the original place….. But the real truth is that we are to serve Godhead in the five different capacities. It is only when we deem it fit to come down to this world to lord it over other finite entities for our enjoyment that our real position happens to be forgot to some extent. This contingency arises when we want to deprive our Lord. That tendency was innate with us. It led us to prefer this temporal region by our own desire.

Correct Angle of Vision

“The absolute infinitesimal has got his free will, and by his free will he can either pose himself as a forgetful agent or he can awaken himself for his original eternal function of remembering his own eternal exploits” (Forgetfulness of the Humanists

An article originally published in The Harmonist on Sept 19th, 1934 – Vol XXI No.2)

“We are expelled Adams and Eves from paradise…. Dislocated stars like us shooting from the ever-glowing infinite fountainhead of the Transcendence. The shooting stars are again retracted by the same fountainhead through the power of instructions and bliss…. this will carry them back to their original position to be dovetailed with the Absolute.” (Harmonist)

“Real and permanent kindness consists in bringing before the enslaved jivas a true and vivid picture of their natural, free and blissful existence and reinstating them in their true position.” (Daya or kindness to jiva -Vaishnavism -Real And Apparent)

“The human soul is a tiny part of the Divine spiritual essence function-ing in the realm of the Absolute which is free from limitations but liable to be expelled from the spiri¬tual world if it ever forgets its own littleness and abjures the guidance of Krishna. So long as it chooses to be guided by Krishna it is free from limi¬tations or ignorance.” (Harmonist November 1928, The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya)

“Having forgotten Krsna, the conditioned living entity is suffering the misdirection and perversion of his own so-called intelligence. The living entities are fragmental parts of the supreme shelter, Krsna , but have fallen from Krsna’s kingdom of spiritual pastimes”.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.38 purport by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur)

“The eternal pastimes that svayam-rupa Krsna performs with His ‘attracted’ associates in Vraja are meant for removing the misfortune of the living entities, so to engage in service other than the worship of Krsna is most unbecoming . Therefore, understanding yourselves as ‘attracted’ in your relationship with the Lord, you should try to awaken your constitutional propensities.’

Purport

Attracted living entities have no propensity other than the worship of that Krsna. The moment the attracted souls are distracted , they glance towards maya from Vaikuntha. At that time the universe is created and material enjoyment overcomes the constitutional duties of the living

entities belonging to the marginal potency of the Lord and makes them averse to Krsna.” (Caitanya Bhagavata chapter 13, text 84 purport of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati)

“The soul functions freely in the realm of the Absolute where it is conscious of its real relationship with Krishna. Its function is crippled, thwarted and distorted the moment it chooses to set up as master on its own account, that is to say wants to play the role of a male.

This perverted activity is stopped on all sides by the resistance of the Absolute Truth. It falls out with everything as soon as it falls out with Krishna. In its attempt to enjoy everything it is punished by those very things which serve to lure them to deeper depths of ignorance by a delusive response to their frantic attempts after sensuous gratification. In the normal state those very objects help them in serving Sri Krishna. To sum up the soul retains its natural condition as long as it serves the Absolute with all the resources of the principle

of self-consciousness. But its will is free. It may not like to serve the Absolute. This is the abuse of its free choice in as much as it is an offense against the principle of pure reason which also is part and parcel of its eternal nature. In consequence of its choosing deliberately to act in opposition to the dictates of reason the delusion

that it is an entity existing independently of Krishna takes firm possession of it. It now finds itself exiled from the realm of the Absolute and functioning in strict subordination to the delusive or material power of Sri Krishna. In this new world the fallen soul tries to please itself with the help of its reason on which it has

deliberately put various limitations. Thus is evolved the principle of the false ego (Ahankara).” (The Harmonist vol. 26)

Thus this Tatastha fall-vada means that when the jiva leaves the spiritual planets, he gets another choice or chance at the border of the spiritual world– material world.

“First location” means after he leaves his home, the first location or stop-over outside home is the border.

Why would the Lord lay down souls in empty sleep forever. He is lilamaya, anandamaya’bhyasat. He wants everyone in His pastimes always. Sarve sukhino bhavantu.

Why would Krsna be so unable as to not have all souls eternally in always expanding ecstatic bliss. Why He needed to evolve and increase His associates gradually. Does He start with zero devotees and then expands, as a king in this world?

This is apasiddhanta. As the Upanishads teach:

om purnam adah purnam idam

purnat purnam udacyate

purnasya purnam adaya

purnam evavasisyate

“The completely Perfect is complete and perfect.”

There is, as stated in Bhakti rasamrta sindhu, a perfect, more perfect, most perfect. (NOD 2.1.221) There is no void in the kingdom of God
(Srila Prabhupada writes in Bg 6.15 purport) which can be filled up.

There is no void or sleeping field to be cultivated or activated. The Absolute Complete perfect Whole has no imperfections.

When responsible parents make babies they don’t store them in ice to hibernate in peace (comparable to existence in brahmajyoti) . So why would All-Love, Sri Sri Radha Krsna have designated their eternal extensions or expansions, their parts and parcels, the souls in the

Brahmajyoti. Better keep them home, the best place, in Krsnaloka.

Brahman existence is always deprecated in scripture.

See:

Existence in brahmajyoti is stunted existence. This is not “pure” liberation but semi-liberation, because there is no Krsna consciousness.
(CC. Madhya 6.269; SB 10.2.32 avisuddha buddhaya — impure intelligence and vimukta manina, they think they are liberated.)

kaivalyam narakayate

kaivalyam—the pleasure of merging into the existence of Brahman;

narakayate—is considered hellish.

For a devotee, the pleasure of merging into the existence of Brahman is considered hellish. (Prabodhananda Sarasvati from Caitanya-candramrita 5)

If any of the conditioned souls desire to become content by merging into that glowing light, then that would be just like being satisfied at night with the glow of lightning bugs in the absence of the sun. The insignificant light emitted by such insects will certainly never serve as a replacement for the radiant sun, and similarly the devotee of Krishna is never content to merge with the Brahman effulgence, which is very feeble in comparison to the Lord’s original form of bliss.
(Song– Merging with Brahman is Foolish

Sings Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Sanatana Gosvamin Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.2.215 describes the happiness in the brahmajyoti as monotonous, undeveloped and so vague as to be virtually nonexistent.

In the brahmajyoti there is only sat (eternality), no cit (knowledge) and ananda (bliss).CC.Adi 2.5.

We have no appetite (Ruchi) for the knowledge of Brahman which is restricted to realisation of mere Chit only; for, spiritual sportive

pastimes have no place in it…Brahman is immutable, incorporeal, invisible or formless, without attributes and dry of Prem…It is clear from the above that you never can know the spiritual sportive pastimes of Para-Brahman if you be dazzled by mere Chit-swarup of Brahman which is only a semblance of the eternal light of Chit. Brother! Look forward!! Enter into the Kingdom of Godhead after dashing through the brilliancy of Chit pure and simple — there you will be able to realise the spiritual pastimes of Godhead, then you will be able to taste the ambrosia of an incessant Brahma-Rasa. No longer will your soul remain wooden-like. (Bhativinoda Thakura, Nam Bhajan)

rasa—of the nectar of transcendental mellows; virahitan—devoid, dried-up; dhik—to hell with; gauranga—to Lord Gauranga; pranati— obeisances; rahitan—those who are devoid of; shushka–dry; tarka—logic; adi—beginning with; dagdhan—burned up.

To hell with those who have been burned by the dry logic of the mayavada philosophy. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

What is the mukti? It is as good as hell. Mukti means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but there is no service of Krishna. It is simply merging, to become one. Just like sunshine, and if you are put into the sunshine, what benefit do you get? Simply to have scorching heat on, that’s all. What benefit would you get? And mukti is like that. (Srila Prabhupada lecture -The Nectar of Devotion, Bombay, January 8, 1973)

134The great sages named Astavakra, Dattatreya and many other yogis along with the five-faced Shiva, all gave up the philosophy of impersonalism and instead engaged themselves in meditation on the lotus feet of Shri Krishna Chaitanya.Becoming detached from all forms of liberation, they especially rejected the desire to merge in the all-pervading light of the brahman effulgence.

135Sometime I will wander and wander throughout the forest of Rudravan and come to the place called Medra-sthala.Sitting there, I will meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Gaura.Then I will behold a supreme beautiful goddess appearing nearby.

136Acknowledging the presence of this forest-goddess, I will respectfully bow down to her.Getting up, I will ask, “Please tell me, mother – what is your name?”With tears in her eyes, the goddess will sadly reply, “Listen, dear child, my sorrow is impossible to describe.”

137″There are five of us who are daughters of the five kinds of jnana

(transcendental knowledge).We are the five types of liberation – please listen to our names: Salokya, Samipya, Sarsti, Sayuja and Nirvana.I have been given the name Nirvana, for I am the form of liberation involving total annihilation of the soul.

138″My four sisters have gone off to Vaikunthapur, leaving me behind.Thus left alone, I have become bewildered.By the mercy of Lord Shiva, Dattatreya and many other sages were endeavouring to attain me for some time.

139″But now even those sages have rejected me and are living somewhere in Rudra-dvipa.All the people are singing of this incident.Uselessly I have been searching for the rishis and still cannot locate them anywhere!Oh when will I find them again?”

140″Shri Gauranga Prabhu has delivered everyone, yet still He remains merciless only to me.Therefore I will find a place right now in which to give up my life and all people shall know that place to be called Nidaya
(merciless).

141Just by hearing the very name of Sayujya, the liberation of merging impersonally with the Lord, my heart will tremble as if I had heard the name of the witch Putana.Trembling in great fear I will cover my eyes and drop to the ground on the spot.” (Navadvipa Bhava Taranga, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

Material suicide causes loss of the physical body, and spiritual suicide causes loss of the individual identity. Mayavadi philosophers desire to lose their individuality and merge into the impersonal spiritual

brahmajyoti existence. (SB 3.14.24.p)

The ambitious Mayavadi philosophers desire to merge into the existence of the Lord, and this may be accepted as sayujya- mukti. However, this form of mukti means denying one’s individual existence. In other words, it is a kind of spiritual suicide. (CC Madhya 6.169 p)

if a living being refuses to engage in these transcendental blissful pastimes, he is at liberty to merge into the Absolute. This is something like a son’s committing suicide instead of living with his father according to the rules the father sets down. By committing suicide, the son thus sacrifices the happiness he could have enjoyed by engaging in a filial loving relationship with his father and enjoying his father’s estate. (Mukunda Mala stotra 4)

If merging with the Supreme Brahman were the living enti¬ties’ ultimate goal, then we would have to imagine that the living entities have been created by the Lord out of cruelty. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Krishna-samhita, 10 Conclusion)

“I am Brahman,”… That is like convalescent stage. Just like a man has no fever but he is not cured. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.1, Madras, January 2, 1976)

A pure devotee does not like even to hear about sayujya-mukti, which inspires him with fear and hatred. Indeed, the pure devotee would rather go to hell than merge into the effulgence of the Lord. There are two kinds of sayujya-mukti—merging into the Brahman effulgence and merging into the personal body of the Lord. Merging into the Lord’s body is even more abominable than merging into His effulgence. (CC Madhya 6.268-269)

Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya 9.267): “Pure devotees reject the five kinds of liberation; indeed, for them liberation is very insignificant because they see it as hellish.”

One who is desirous of merging into Brahman is overwhelmed by the excellence of his unattained goal. When attained, his long cherished wonder in the form of Brahman becomes abominable. One who desires to become one with Brahman is very restless, being bound by material shackles. (BS, Brahmana and Vaisnava, appendixes: The varnasrama of

Vaisnavas)

ajnasyardha-prabuddhasya

sarvam brahmeti yo vadet

maha-naraka-jateshu

tenaiva viniyojitah

“The half-awake fool that proclaims, `Everything is Brahman,’ takes birth again in a terrible hell.”

-Vasishta-sastra

Our comment: According to the Brahmayjoti-fall-vada Krishna kept us cruelly eternally in hell, contracted in wooden-like status, in monotony.

To end, this border-tatastha and nitya-mukta/baddha descriptions also can be taken ontologically and figuratively — as in Bhagavad-gita

dvau bhuta-sargau loke ‘smin

daiva asura eva ca

O son of Pritha, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called divine and the other demoniacBg 15.6

We have extensively commented on this subject in our blog-spot http://fallvada.blogspot.nl