ABOUT LANGUAGES SIGNIN

Home AboutKrishna Books Audio Videos Art More Store

HomeOtherReligiousTraditions

AboutKrishna WhatwasSrilaPrabhupada's
KrishnathePerson
opinionofSatyaSaiBaba?
KrishnaConsciousness
HareKrishna!Thanksforyourquestion.GenerallySrilaPrabhupadadid
Overview
notmakecommentsaboutotherpersons.Hepreferredtospeakof
TopicIndex Krishnaandletothersrepresentthemselves.
Glossary
TheReadingRoom However,occasionally,especiallywhenhesawthatotherswerebeing
misled,hespokeoutstrongly.IhavepastedanarticlethatSrila
Prabhupadawroteforanewspaper,inresponsetoanarticlethatwas
writtenregardingsomethingthatSatyaSaiBabasaid.Ithinkthisarticle
willexplainSrilaPrabhupada'sfeelingsinregardstoyourquestion.

(thefollowingisanexcerptfromTranscendentalDiary,Volume4,byHari
Sauridasa):

PradyumnaprabhuhadalengthymeetingwithSrilaPrabhupadathis
afternoontofinalizehisreplytotheBlitzarticleonSaiBaba.Pradyumna
readfromtheopeningparagraphofthearticlewhichwasentitled"Godis
anIndian.""'HiscontemporaryavatararestsinthetrinityofSirtiBaba,Sai
Baba,andPremBabatocome.SoSatyaSaiBaba,thesecondofthe
tripleincarnation,assertedinthecourseofamarathoninterviewtoadd,
'Inmypresentavatara,Ihavecomearmedwiththefullnessofthepower
oftheformlessGodtosavehumanity.'"

SrilaPrabhupadadictatedtheoutlineofthelettertoPradyumna:

"'DearSaiBaba,justrecentlyintheBlitzpaper,publishedongivethe
dateweweresurprisedtofindonearticle"GodisanIndian."Andyou
haveclaimedtobecomeanincarnationofGodtosavethehuman
society.Whatisthegroundofyourclaimingasincarnation?Andwhatyou
havedonetosavethehumansociety?Willyouexplainforenlightenment
ofus,ormanyofus.

"WehavegotthelistofincarnationsrecordedintheVedicscripturesand
theirrespectiveactivitiesalso.SowhereisthatrecordintheVedic
scriptureaboutyourappearingasincarnation?LordKrishna'sincarnation
nessisfullydescribedinSrimadBhagavatam.Similarly,Lord
Ramacandra'sincarnationnessorLordBuddha'sincarnationness,Lord
Caitanya'sincarnationness,wehavegotfullinformationinVedic
literatures.Whereisyourincarnationdescribed?Willyoukindlygivethe
reference?

"Anyonecansay,likeyou,thatoneisanincarnation,asithasbecomea
fashionnowadays.Butisthatclaimtheonlyproofofone'sbecoming
incarnation?Somesuchunauthorizedclaimofbecominganincarnationis
certainlyridiculous.Thenyouhaveclaimedtotakeform..."

"Whathehaswritten?"(SrilaPrabhupadaasked)

PradyumnarereadBaba'sclaimtobeinganavatara"armedwiththe
fullnessofthepoweroftheformlessGod."

Prabhupadacontinued."'Soyouhaveclaimedtotakeaformofthe
formlessGod.ButweseeintheBhagavadgitathatGodisnever
formless.'"

HehadPradyumnareadoutverse7:24fromtheGita,anditspurport.
TellingPradyumnatoquotetheverseintheletter,alongwithaquotefrom
Yamunacaryafoundinthepurport,Prabhupadawentonwithhisdictation:

"'OnlytherascalsandlessintelligentclassofmenthinkthatGodis
formlessandwhenHeincarnates,Hetakesaparticularform....Sointhis
connection,thestatementofBhagavatamisespeciallyimportant.
Brahmetiparamatmetibhagavanitisabdyate.Brahmanisimpersonal,
Paramatmaislocalized,andBhagavanistheSupremePersonalityof
Godhead.'"

VoicingaloudPrabhupada'sstatementashewroteitdown,Pradyumna
repeated,"Brahmanistheimpersonal..."

Prabhupadaimmediatelycorrectedhim."'Brahmanisimpersonal.'Not
'the.''Paramatmaislocalized,andBhagavanistheSupremePersonality
ofGodhead.'"

"'SoonehastoacceptthestatementofKrishna,theSupremePersonality
ofGodhead,howHeisoriginallythepurusaorperson,'"hesaid.
"'ImpersonalBrahmanisexpansionoftheraysofHispersonalbody,
exactlylikethesunshineisexpansionoftheraysofthesungod
Vivasvan.VivasvanisapersoninthesunglobeandKrishnaisalsoa
personwhospokethephilosophyofBhagavadgitalong,longyears
beforeHespokethesametoArjuna.Imamvivasvateyogamproktavan
ahamavyayam.

"Therefore,theconclusionisthatoriginallyGodisalwaysaperson.
ImpersonalBrahmanisemanationfromthepersonalGod.Inotherwords,
God,personalGod,isnotfromimpersonalBrahmanbutimpersonal
BrahmanisfromthepersonalGod.ThatisconfirmedintheBhagavad
gita.ImpersonalBrahmanisrestingonthepersonalGod,exactlythat
illuminationoflightisrestingontheelectricbulb,notthatthebulbis
restingontheilluminatedlight.'"

AgainquotingfromtheGita,Prabhupadacametoaverypointed
conclusion:

"'SoKrishna,asaperson,saystoArjunathatbothofthemexistedinthe
pastasperson,andthey'llcontinuetoremainpersoninthefuture.So
withoutknowingallthisknowledge,amudhaacceptstheincarnationof
Godascomingfromimperson,avajanantimammudhamanusimtanum
asritam.Underthisheadingyouhaveprovedyourselftobecomeamudha
('ass').AndhowamudhaoranasscanbecometheincarnationofGod?'"

Notcontentwiththat,PrabhupadaaskedPradyumnatoreadtherestof
thearticletohim.

Pradyumnasquintedthroughhisglassesatthepaperandreadouta
declarationbythewriterofhisacceptanceofwhathecalled"theavatara
conceptwhichbroadlymeansthedescentofthedivineprincipleinto
humanaffairs."RemindingthereaderofLordKrishna'sdescenttosave
humanity,thewriterdeclared:"Solutionandcuretoworld'sills:ToBaba's
devotees,theavatarahassimilarlycometoprovideboththesolutionand
thecuretoaworldlivinginterrorofanuclearholocaust.Thefalse
dichotomiescreatedbyWesternthoughtbetweenGodandman,purusa
anddeva,simplydonotexistintheIndianscriptures,whichprescribethe
assimilationofGodinmanandmaninGodasthebasisofreligion."

Prabhupadawasdisgusted."Thisisanotherrascaldom.Godisalways
distinctfromman."

PradyumnasaidthatSaiBabamadeasimilarquotehimself,laterinthe
piece.Hereaditout:"GodismanandmanisGod.Allofushave
somethingofGod,thedivinespark,withinus.Allmenaredivine,like
myself,withthespiritembodiedinhumanfleshandbone.Theonly
differenceisthattheyareunawareofthisGodhood."

Skippingtoanothersectionofthearticle,Pradyumnawenton,"Herehe
says,'Themissionofthepresentavataraistomakeeverybodyrealize
thatsincethesameGodordivinityresidesineveryone,peopleshould
respect,love,and...'"

Prabhupadacutin."No,no.Ifheresidesineveryone,thenwhyhehas
specialclaim?"

"Yes.Well,hesayshehasremembered."

"Heremembers?"Prabhupadaasked."HowGodcanforget?"

"Thathesayshere.Hesaysthat,'Takepaddyorricebywayofan
illustration.Everygrainofriceisenclosedinahusk.Youhavetoremove
 thehusktogetthegrainofrice.Nowhuskandricebothcomefromthe
sameseed.RiceisthequivalentofGodinman.'"

"Butstillhuskisnotrice,"Prabhupadasaid."Youcannotsayhuskis
rice."

Noddinginagreement,Pradyumnareadon."Hesays,'Riceisthe
equivalentofGodinman,whilethehuskcanbecomparedtodesire
whichreducesGodtoman.'"

Prabhupadasatshakinghishead."No,no."

Pradyumnafinishedthequote:"Thereforelifeplusdesireequalsman.Life
minusdesireequalsGod."

Prabhupadadictatedtheconcludingwordsofhisletter:

"YouaredesiringtobecomeGod.Therecannotbenodesire.Butyou're
unceremoniouslydesiringtobecomeGod.Althoughthereisnoproofin
theshastras('scriptures').IntheBhagavadgitaitisacceptedthatthe
livingentitiesaresparksof,partandparcel,ofGod,Krishna.Butpartis
neverequaltothewhole.SoyoucanclaimasasparkofGod,asevery
livingentitycanclaim,butyoucannotclaimastheSupremePersonwith
fullpower.Thatismisleading.Youcanshowalittlemagic,asother
magiciansalsocanshow,butyoucannotshowthefullmagic,asKrishna
displayedorLordRamacandradisplayed.Therefore,yourclaimasafull
poweriscompletelyfalseandblasphemous."

Pradyumnastoppedwritingandlookedup,raisingapointofhisown,
"Nowsomeonemaybringupapoint,theysay'Well,ifanavataracomes
ifhemustshowallkindsofgreatopulencesandpowers.'Thenhesays
sometimestheincarnationshowsthis,butsometimes,likewhenLord
CaitanyaappearedHedidn'tshowvisvarupa("universalform")or..."

Prabhupadareplied."ButHe[LordCaitanya]neverclaimedthat'Iam
avatara.'Butweunderstandfromthesastricevidence.Heneverclaimed.
Rather,whenHewasaddressedasKrishnaHeblockedHisears,'You
don'tsaylikethat.'Heneverclaimed.HefullydisplayedHimselfasa
devotee,notBhagavan.Thereforegaurangavadaisillegalgauranga
nagari,thatisillegal."

Familiarwiththeapasampradaya("unauthorizedschoolofthought")that
Prabhupadawasreferringto,Pradyumnasaid,"Gauranganagari,
mentioningLordCaitanyaintheroleofKrishnadancingwiththegopis..."

Prabhupadanodded."Inthisway,findoutthefaultystatementandgive
himproof."

LeavingPrabhupadatochantquietlyinthegarden,Pradyumnatypedthe
letteroutanditwassentofftoSatyaSaiBaba.

**************
ThisexcerptwastakenfromadiaryofSrilaPrabhpada'sservantatthe
writingofthatarticle.

Ihopethisishelpful.
Sincerely
Laxmimonidasi

Like 50 Share 50
10082reads

Joinourfamilyofsupporters.Makeadonation. ThankyoutothefollowingindividualsforkeepingKrishna.comaliveandvibrant:

AjitkumarAgrawal,AlfredFitch,AmitN,AmitSingh,AnkitBansal,ArunAthithan,AshimKumarKar,AshleyDalke,Audrey
Jimenez,BhaskarGurram,BhavanabenDesai,BhavinThakker,BrianBloch,CarmenRodriguez,ChetanSuri,Chirag
Mahyavanshi,DavidCorcoranIII,DavidTaylor,DebieBharath,DevMani,EditaVasiljeviene,EdwardEasterling,FranciscoPicazo,
GaryMark,GarySund,GenevieveBrewster,IanLubsey,JaiDevakiParks,JonathanMaxwell,JosephMilosch,JurgaSaule,Keith
Fralin,LorraineGroom,LotusImprints,LuzRamirez,MahipalReddyPatolla,MargotCordua,MarinaHansenRusso,Marlon
Brock,MartinRosenthal,NarendraKumar,NilaKhurana,ParthaBose,PratapaReddyDokuru,PrinulGunputh,Renuka
Muthumanickam,RobertGoettler,RosaWallace,SamClements,SamitMisra,SaranagatiInternational,ShaliniAnand,Sharon
Standley,ShyamalKrishna,SmithaKonduri,SreedharSegu,StephenKenton,SumitPatel,SundariRodman,SunilkumarPatel,
 SupriyaSengupta,SurendraKrishnan,TessaGordon,ThirumaleshBhat,VenkatKrishnan,VeronikaWard,VijayPatel,Vijay
Varanasi,VikasManna,VishalGandotra,ViswanadhMusunuri,YuvarajCThandu

HOME ABOUTKRISHNA AUDIO VIDEOS ART COMMUNITIES STORE

AboutUs KrishnathePerson Audiobooks SrilaPrabhupada Paintings ISKCON Newitems

ContactUs KrishnaConsciousness Lectures MantraMeditation Photos Magazine Books
Newsletters Bhagavadgita Live Documentaries Temples Media
Founder Overview Music KrishnaPeople Kids'Playground Clothing&Jewelry
BBT Magazine Radio HowTo Festivals&Events Kids
Donate TheReadingRoom Stories Saints Food Home&Worship
Opportunities Glossary Kirtan TV Prabhupada Bargains
Webcams Education StoreHelp

Copyright20022015TheBhaktivedantaBookTrustInternational,Inc.Allrightsreserved.|Terms&Conditions|PrivacyPolicy