UNIT-3 OPEN BOOK ASSESSMENT

BALARAMDESH
28 AVRAO PRABHU

Q 3: Establish, in your own words, with appropriate evidence from Sri Isopanisad
verses, purports, analogies and Prabhupäda’s Sri Isopanisad lectures, the
personal form of the Lord.
Ans: God is personal and has a form:

The texts of the holy Vedas say that God can take any form he likes. For
example, he appears as Lord Narasimha – half man-half lion. He takes the
form of a boar (Varaha incarnation) and also the form of a fish (Matsya
incarnation). In Vaikuntha he has four handed form. As Krishna and as
Lord Rama he is in his two-handed form. For different pastimes God has
different forms. But the form which the devotees like the most is his two-
handed form. When Krishna appeared in his four handed form to Devaki
and Vasudeva in Mathura then they prayed to the Lord to appear in two
handed form. When Krishna showed Arjuna his virat rupa (universal form)
then Arjuna begged Krishna to come back to his two-handed form.

If we look around ourselves, we can find any living being has a form. I have
a form. Animals have form. Fish has a form. Trees have a form. Even a
little insect has a form. So, how can the Supreme Lord who created us be
formless.

God is personal, he has a form. And he like to have personal relationship

with his devotees. If we fail to understand this, we won’t endeavor to
develop relationship with him. How can we relate with someone who is
formless or impersonal?

This is why Srila Prabhupada in his books and lectures have explained with
scriptural references that God is personal. He emphasizes that the real
purpose of human life is to re-establish relationship with God and return
back to the spiritual world.

God can also be realized as impersonal Brahman:

Vedic texts also say that God can be perceived as impersonal Braman.
Impersonal Brahman means from the body of the Lord emanates
transcendental rays which covers the spiritual world and is called brahma-
jyotir. This is the impersonal aspect of the Lord.

Many spiritual practitioners consider brahma – jyotir or God’s personal rays

to be the ultimate reality. They are called as impersonalists. They desire to
merge in these transcendental rays upon leaving the body. But these rays
are coming from the Lord only. When these impersonalist gain more
knowledge and get purified then they can penetrate the transcendental
rays and enter into the spiritual planet where they are able to directly see
and serve the Lord.

Realization of the Supreme Lord as impersonal Brahman is incomplete or

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 UNIT-3 OPEN BOOK ASSESSMENT
BALARAMDESH
28 AVRAO PRABHU

partial realization of the Lord. But when we understand that God is

personal and has a form then we can completely understand and realize
him. Vedic texts give evidence to prove that God is personal

Evidences from Isopanisad which proves God is personal:

Isopanisad Mantra 4 says “Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of

Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running.
The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He
controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.”
Here it is said that the Lord is swifter than mind and overcomes all others
running. Anyone who runs has form. A formless person cannot run. So,
the Lord who is the fastest runner has to be a person.

Isopanisad Mantra 15 says that devotees pray to Lord to remove the

effulgent rays (hiraṇmaya-pātra, Isopanisad 15) so that they can see his
beautiful face. You and I have face because we have forms. Similarly,
unless God is personal and have form how can he have a face? This verse
establishes that Supreme Lord is personal.

“O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your
dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to
Your pure devotee.”

Again in Isopanisad 16, prayer is offered to Lord to remove the

transcendental rays (vyūha raśmīn samūha tejo), to see Lord’s most
auspicious form full of bliss (yat te rūpaṁ kalyāṇa-tamaṁ tat te paśyāmi).

This verse explains that the form of the Lord is full of bliss. Devotees
experience unlimited happiness when they see the beautiful form of the
Lord. In Goloka Vrindavan, devotees are eager to always see the Lord.
The gopis, the topmost devotee of the Lord, cursed the creator for creating
eyelids because the eyelids would momentarily block the vision of Krishna.

God is personal so he enjoys many pastimes with devotees:

Krishna enjoys different pastimes with his devotees. He relishes different

rasas (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya and santa) in the spiritual world.
He has his cowherd friends, parents, cows and above all gopis with whom
he enjoys madhurya rasas. Unless the Lord has a form, he cannot enjoy
these transcendental rasas.

Srila Prabhupada says that you and I can also participate in Lord’s
pastimes. For that we have to purify ourselves by chanting the holy names
of Lord and return back to the spiritual world. In the kingdom of God, we
get a spiritual body and get an opportunity to associate with the Lord and
his countless devotees. There everyone serves the Lord and enjoys with

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 UNIT-3 OPEN BOOK ASSESSMENT
BALARAMDESH
28 AVRAO PRABHU

the Lord.

TOTAL WORDS : 837

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