{"id":302,"date":"2014-10-01T14:33:42","date_gmt":"2014-10-01T09:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iskconbangalore.org\/blog\/\/?p=302"},"modified":"2022-01-24T18:43:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T13:13:33","slug":"godhead-and-his-potencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iskconbangalore.org\/blog\/godhead-and-his-potencies\/","title":{"rendered":"Godhead and His Potencies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that three-fourths of the entire creation is manifested by the spiritual potency of the omnipotent Godhead?<\/p>\n

\"Krishna2\"<\/p>\n

In the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a (1.22.52) it is stated:<\/p>\n

eka-de\u015ba-sthitasy\u0101gner jyotsn\u0101 vist\u0101ri\u1e47\u012b yath\u0101
\nparasya brahma\u1e47a\u1e25 \u015baktis tathedam akhila\u1e41 jagat<\/p>\n

The fire exists in one place and expands its light and heat everywhere. Similarly, the omnipotent Lord is situated in His eternal abode, Goloka V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana; but He expands Himself both in the material and spiritual worlds, by His various potencies.  par\u0101sya \u015baktir vividhaiva \u015br\u016byate (\u015avet\u0101\u015bvatara Upani\u1e63ad 6.8) His energies are innumerable and immeasurable. But primarily all these potencies can be grouped into three principal divisions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The internal potency or spiritual potency \u2013 (cit \u015bakti)<\/li>\n
  2. The marginal potency (ta\u1e6dasth\u0101) \u2013 (jiva \u015bakti \/ k\u1e63etraj\u00f1a)<\/li>\n
  3. The external potency or illusory energy \u2013 (m\u0101y\u0101 \u015bakti)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These three potencies are described in Vi\u1e63\u1e47u Pur\u0101\u1e47a (6.7.61)<\/p>\n

    vi\u1e63\u1e47u-\u015bakti\u1e25 par\u0101 prokt\u0101 k\u1e63etra-j\u00f1\u0101khy\u0101 tath\u0101 par\u0101
    \navidy\u0101-karma-sa\u1e41j\u00f1\u0101ny\u0101 t\u1e5bt\u012by\u0101 \u015baktir i\u1e63yate<\/p>\n

    The original potency of Lord Vi\u1e63\u1e47u is superior. The living entity (k\u1e63etraj\u00f1a) actually belongs to that superior energy. The third energy, called the material energy, makes the living entity act in ignorance and engages him in fruitive activities.<\/p>\n

    Comparison of Spiritual Potency and the Illusory Energy of the Lord<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all these potencies. The activities of internal and external potencies are almost similar, but there is a difference in both quality and quantity. The spiritual worlds, manifested by the internal potency, constitute three-fourths of the entire creation; whereas the material worlds, manifested by the external potency constitute the remaining one-fourth. This is the quantitative difference.<\/p>\n

    \"creation\"<\/p>\n

    Qualitatively, the creation of the cit potency is non-destructible and eternal; but the creation of m\u0101y\u0101 potency is destructible and temporary. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a><\/span> (8.20)<\/p>\n

    paras tasm\u0101t tu bh\u0101vo ‘nyo ‘vyakto ‘vyakt\u0101t san\u0101tana\u1e25
    \nya\u1e25 sa sarve\u1e63u bh\u016bte\u1e63u na\u015byatsu na vina\u015byati<\/p>\n

    The spiritual potency or the superior nature of the Lord is eternal (san\u0101tana) and is never annihilated (na vina\u015byati). When everything in this world (which is the creation of the inferior nature or m\u0101y\u0101 \u015bakti) is annihilated, that part remains as it is.<\/p>\n

    The second qualitative difference is that the spiritual creation is real, whereas the material creation is illusory. The former is light and the latter is darkness. In darkness one cannot find what he wants. Similarly, in the darkness of material world one can never find what he searches for.<\/p>\n

    The spiritual creation is described as sat-cit-\u0101nanda (eternal, full of knowledge and bliss) and the material world is asat-acit-nir\u0101nanda (temporary, full of ignorance and full of miseries). Thus the search for eternal existence and permanent happiness cannot be satisfied in the material world characterized by the darkness of ignorance.<\/p>\n

    Nature of the Living Entity<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"Soul\"<\/p>\n

    The living entities (j\u012bva \u015bakti) are  also superior energy and this is confirmed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (7.5)<\/p>\n

    apareyam itas tv any\u0101\u1e41 prak\u1e5bti\u1e41 viddhi me par\u0101m
    \nj\u012bva-bh\u016bt\u0101\u1e41 mah\u0101-b\u0101ho yayeda\u1e41 dh\u0101ryate jagat<\/p>\n

    K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that there is another superior energy which comprises the living entities who are trying to exploit the resources of this inferior, material nature. The living entities are superior because qualitatively they are one with the spiritual potency. The characteristics of the living entities are elaborately explained in the second chapter of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101. It is stated that:<\/p>\n

    na j\u0101yate mriyate v\u0101 kad\u0101cin
    \nn\u0101ya\u1e41 bh\u016btv\u0101 bhavit\u0101 v\u0101 na bh\u016bya\u1e25
    \najo nitya\u1e25 \u015b\u0101\u015bvato ‘ya\u1e41 pur\u0101\u1e47o
    \nna hanyate hanyam\u0101ne \u015bar\u012bre<\/p>\n

    The soul (spirit of living entity) is never born; and it never dies. It is unborn (aja\u1e25), eternal (nitya\u1e25), ever-existing (\u015b\u0101\u015bvata\u1e25) and primeval (pur\u0101\u1e47a\u1e25). It is not annihilated even after the destruction of the body.<\/p>\n

    Further it is stated that the soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. He is everlasting (nitya\u1e25), present everywhere (sarva-gata\u1e25), unchangeable (sth\u0101\u1e47u\u1e25; does not undergo any changes), immovable (acala\u1e25) and eternally the same (san\u0101tana\u1e25).<\/p>\n

    The living entity is called the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord (ta\u1e6dastha \u015bakti) because he can either be in the spiritual world created by the internal potency or in the material world created by the illusory energy. The relationship of the living entity with the Supreme Lord and His internal potency is eternal and permanent; but due to the forgetfulness of his real nature, he comes under the influence of the m\u0101y\u0101 \u015bakti.<\/p>\n

    The Nature of Material Existence<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"3<\/p>\n

    What is the cause of this material existence? Why does the living entity forget his eternal relationship with the Lord? Why does he come under the influence of the inferior energy? The reason is explained in Prema-vivarta.<\/p>\n

    k<\/em>\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47<\/em>a-bahirmukha ha<\/em>\u00f1<\/em>\u0101<\/em> bhoga-v<\/em>\u0101<\/em>\u00f1<\/em>ch<\/em>\u0101<\/em> kare
    \nnika<\/em>\u1e6d<\/em>a-stha m<\/em>\u0101<\/em>y<\/em>\u0101<\/em> t<\/em>\u0101<\/em>re j<\/em>\u0101<\/em>pa<\/em>\u1e6d<\/em>iy<\/em>\u0101<\/em> dhare<\/em><\/p>\n

    The word bahirmukha refers to a person who is hankering after material enjoyment. When he wants to enjoy independent of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, he comes under the influence of the external energy and identifies himself as one of the creations of material nature. As a consequence, he suffers the three-fold miseries in this material world. The three-fold miseries are:<\/p>\n