Is God present everywhere? How to understand this?

Lipsa, 17th March 2013

Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
Glories to all the Devotees
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Kindly clarify my doubt,

When Prahlada Maharaj replied his father that God resides everywhere, the father angrily asked whether his God was within one of the pillars of the palace, and the child said yes. At once the atheist king
shattered the pillar in front of him to pieces, and the Lord instantly appeared as Narasimha!

So does this mean that the Lord is within non-living objects also in the form of His material energy and He appears to favor His pure devotees? If it is true then is He in every object we see around us,
good or bad (like is He present in books, in the walls, in the things we use, etc…) ?

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Rathin Mandal, 18th March 2013

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This entire manifestation is created by Sri Krishna. Energies of Krishna are of three types internal potency, marginal potency and inferior potency. In the spiritual world everything is created by internal potency. While this material world is created by inferior energy and we are part of the marginal potency. All this potencies come from Sri Krishna hence everything is part and parcel of him just like we are.

Something may appear non-living to us, but it is actually not. The Deities in temple are manifestation of Krishna in material world. Deities form is Krishna’s expansion as ‘archa vigraha’. You can read pastime of Lord as ‘Saksi Gopal’. Same is true with picture also. One should know that when he looks at the picture of Krishna, Krishna is also looking back at him. The book of Krishna is non-different from Krishna. Because all the words contained in the book emanate from Krishna. That is way we worship Bhagavat Gita, because it is a gift given by Krishna.

BG 7.5: Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.
In the above verse Sri Krishna said that we being part of the superior energy have control over the inferior energy and hence we can use it to an extend. And we are using it to make building, aeroplane and weapons to kill. This clearly proves we have some control over the material energy.

This material is also created by Krishna, so He can use this energy to manifest Himself at any place He likes. But one should remember that the material energy cannot touch Sri Krishna because it is inferior to Him. This is confirmed in the following verse:
BG 4.13: According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

your Servant
Rathin

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 18th March 2013

Dear Lipsa Mataji,

Hare Krishna!

Please kindly accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Gurudeva.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Yes, Krishna is present in non-living objects, inside every atom and within the space between the smallest particle (which is unknown as yet to the material scientists). As Rathin Mandal said, when it comes to the transcendental name, fame, pastimes, form, image, etc., of Krishna, then He is personally present, not just in the particles.

But if you take items such as laptops, electric cables, tables, chairs. mud, stones, toothbrush, toothpaste, walls, paper, etc.,

Here is what is said in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is:

Verse BG 7.7

mattaḥ parataraḿ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaḿ protaḿ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

From the purport etc., it is to be understood that while everything comes from God, everything is not to be taken as God, though it is a manifestation of God’s energy.

From purport to BG 7.4:
quote
The science of God analyzes the constitutional position of God and His diverse energies. Material nature is called prakṛti, or the energy of the Lord in His different puruṣa incarnations (expansions) as described in the Sātvata-tantra:

viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ

ekaḿ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaḿ tv aṇḍa-saḿsthitam

tṛtīyaḿ sarva-bhūta-sthaḿ tāni jñātvā vimucyate

“For material creation, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s plenary expansion assumes three Viṣṇus. The first one, Mahā-Viṣṇu, creates the total material energy, known as the mahat-tattva. The second, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The third, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramātmā. He is present even within the atoms. Anyone who knows these three Viṣṇus can be liberated from material entanglement.”

unuote

From purport to BG 7.25:

quote

Also in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.7) there is this prayer by Brahma: “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supersoul, O master of all mystery, who can calculate Your potency and pastimes in this world? You are always expanding Your internal potency, and therefore no one can understand You. Learned scientists and learned scholars can examine the atomic constitution of the material world or even the planets, but still they are unable to calculate Your energy and potency, although You are present before them.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, is not only unborn but also avyaya, inexhaustible. His eternal form is bliss and knowledge, and His energies are all inexhaustible.

unquote

Srila Sankarshan Das Adhikari, Srila Gurudeva wrote on 11 June 2012:

“It is God in the form of Ksirodakashayi Vishnu who dwells within every atom, not Garbhodakashayi Vishnu. The scientists have not been able to find Him through their gigantic atom smashing machine. The real God particle, Ksirodakashayi Vishnu, is so small that no matter how much they smash atoms to get smaller and smaller particles of matter they will still not be able to find Him. However, the Supreme Lord can easily be found within one’s heart and within every atom by one who has awakened his love for God. Therefore there is no need for a gigantic atom smashing machine to find God. All you need is love.”

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Lipsa, 20th March 2013

Hare Krishna
Please accept my humblest obeisances
Glories to all devotees
All glories to Srila Gurudev and Srimati Gurumataji
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank You Rathin Mandal Prabhuji, Mahabhagavat Das Prabhuji for the answers with references.

your unworthy servant,
Lipsa

Bhakta David, 22nd March 2013

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Srila Acaryadev and Srimati Guru Mataji.

All glories to Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandraji.

Hare Krishna

How do you top those answers? Perfect explanation supported by sastra and Gurudev.

Thank you to Lipsa Tripathy for asking this question. And thank you to Rathin Prabhuji and Mahabhagavat Prabhuji for their wonderful answers. I have learned a lot from the responses.

your servant,
Bhakta David

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