Are we expansions of Krsna?? Is the spiritual world limited? Answering a few pressing questions

Here are a few interesting questions you may also be curious about.

Subscribe to receive new articles by e-mail. It’s free, but if you like, you can pledge a donation:

Here are a few interesting questions you may also be curious about:

» Are we expansions of Krsna??

In his purport to SB 5.20.5, Prabhupāda makes an interesting statement, while translating Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.1:

“O Nāciketā, the expansions of Lord Viṣṇu as the tiny living entity and the Supersoul are both situated within the cave of the heart of this body. Having entered that cavity, the living entity, resting on the chief of the life airs, enjoys the results of activities, and the Supersoul, acting as witness enables him to enjoy them. Those who are well-versed in knowledge of Brahman and those householders who carefully follow the Vedic regulations say that the difference between the two is like the difference between a shadow and the sun.”

The point one could question is in the first line: “the expansions of Lord Viṣṇu as the tiny living entity and the Supersoul”. We can see that here Prabhupāda appears to put both the soul and Paramātmā in the same category, as expansions of the Lord. What does it mean? Are we not supposed to be the marginal potency?

We can see that this again reinforces the point Prabhupāda makes repeatedly in His teachings: The soul is part and parcel of Krsna. “Expansion” in this case simply alludes to this fact. Both the Supersoul and the infinitesimal soul are part of Krsna, but there is a difference between them. The Supersoul is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; He is the Lord Himself, present in His full glory, while the infinitesimal soul is a separated expansion, a tiny fragment of the spiritual potency, endowed with free will.

There are different categories of expansions of the Lord, such as prābhava-prakāśa (when Krsna directly expands Himself, such as when He expanded to dance with the different gopis), vaibhava-prakāśa (when He appears in a slightly different form, such as Balarāma), prābhava-vilāsa (whe He appears as Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha), vaibhava-vilāsa (other forms of Viṣnu), and so on. All these are the Lord Himself, just appearing with different forms and playing different pastimes, the same person appearing in different forms.

We are also expansions of Krsna in the sense that we are also part of Him, but we are different from these; we are separated expansions, a tiny fragment of Krsna’s potency, endowed with free will. Because of this free will, we can choose between being under the shelter of the spiritual or material potencies, and we are thus called taṭastha-sakti, the marginal potency. When we hear “marginal”, we may think that it indicates we are something else, something in between the material and spiritual, but that’s not the case. We are, in fact, part of the spiritual potency; “marginal” just indicates this characteristic of free will. Prabhupāda explains this point in detail in his purport to Bg. 15.7.

It’s also important to understand that many explanations about these different categories of expansions are adapted to fit into the concept of past, present, and future that permeates our material thinking. In reality, all these different expansions are eternal, as Krsna indicates when He says mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke, jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts).

All these different categories of expansions are eternal. In this way, we are parts of Krsna, but at the same time eternally separated. There was never a time we were merged into Krsna, and it is also not possible to merge in the future; we are eternally individuals, meant to serve Krsna. It is just that because it is very hard for us to understand the concept of eternity, it is often explained that Krsna expanded Himself, appearing to indicate a beginning. It is explained in this way just to help us understand the main point, that Krsna is the center, the leader, the object of affection.

» The qualifications of a Brāhmana

We hear about the four varnas: brāhmana, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. However, how is it possible to identify if someone is a brāhmana or a śūdra now? In India, there was the caste system, and many are still considered brāhmanas due to birth. However, the qualities of a brāhmana are often not there. On the opposite extreme, some devotees are accepted as brāhmanas even though born in families of meat eaters, and having cultivated habits very far from brāhminical in the past, such as intoxication and promiscuous sex. How to make sense of all of it? What are the qualities of a true brāhmana, and how are they obtained?

The point is that the four social classes were never meant to be established by birth. The caste system is a distortion of the original system, something introduced in medieval India. When we take it away, the whole thing becomes clear. If someone were to make all professions hereditary, at some point, there would be great confusion, because we would have “doctors” sweeping the street and “janitors” making heart transplants. When we take it away, however, the qualifications of different professions become clear: everyone has to study and get a degree or some other proof of competence.

Understanding it is not simply a matter of birth, the next question is, what then are the qualifications of a Brāhmana? This is a point very well explained in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, chapter six. There, Ṛṣabhadeva describes the hierarchy of everything that exists in the universe, going from inanimate matter to He Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who is meant to be served by everyone. He Himself, however, serves the Brāhmanas; therefore, Brāhmanas and Vaiṣnavas should be served by everyone.

Why is that? Brāhmanas and Vaiṣnavas are meant to be served by all classes because they are the ones who understand the goal of life, and by serving them and listening to their instructions, everyone else is guided in this direction. Even the greatest kings are not meant to rule alone: they should always rule listening to the council of saintly Brāhmanas and Vaiṣnavas. In this way, they are sure to always remain on the right path.

What are the qualifications of a Brāhmana? This is also explained. The first is that he should be very well learned in the Vedas, not just in the sense of mundane erudition, but in the sense of understanding the real conclusions of the scriptures. The second is that one should be fixed in the mode of goodness, and thus be fixed in śama, dama, and satya (mind control, sense control, and truthfulness). He should also practice penance (tapasya), tolerance (titikṣā), and realize the position of the living entity and the Supreme Lord (anubhava). Apart from these six personal qualities, one should preach the purpose of the Vedas to the conditioned souls, describing the scriptures in their original sense, without personally motivated changes.

We can see that these are qualities no one is born with nowadays (or even in previous eras); they need to be developed by being trained under someone who has these qualities. Therefore, there is the system of paramparā, the chain of disciplic succession. It is not to be expected that one who does not take part in this system, being trained by a qualified spiritual master, may reach these qualifications, regardless of birth.

In every era, different individuals have natural characteristics to be part of different social classes, but to realize this natural tendency, they still have to be trained, just as one may have a natural talent to be a doctor, but will not become one until they study and get his or her degree.

Another meaning is that these verses reveal the process of spiritual evolution that all living beings are meant to go through. One may go from plants and trees all the way to the position of a human being or demigod, but the ultimate goal is to become a pure devotee of the Lord. Therefore, when we study the qualities of the brāhmanas, we should keep in mind that these are qualities we are all meant to eventually develop.

» Another question

We hear that this material world is 1/4 of Krsna’s creation, and the spiritual world is 3/4. If the total denominator is 4, that means there must be a sort of limited space where the whole Vaikuṇṭha is resting, or is fit in. At the same time, however, it is also said that Vaikuṇṭha is infinite, but on the other hand, it fits inside Krsna’s mouth (as in the pastime where He shows the universe to mother Yaṣoda). How to make sense of all of this?

This description of the material creation being one quarter and the spiritual creation being three quarters comes from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (3.12.6):

tāvān asya mahimā tato jyāyāmś ca pūruṣaḥ
pādo ’sya sarvā bhūtāni tri-pād asyāmṛtam divīti

“Such is His greatness, but the Lord (Puruṣa) is greater still. He is greater than everything that has been described. All material universes and all living beings are just His one foot. The other three feet form the immortal and eternal spiritual world.”

This verse describes that the Supreme Brahman has four feet, or parts. The first foot is the material world, which represents one-quarter of the creation, and the other three feet are the spiritual world, which represents the other three-quarters.

This is part of a very philosophical passage that discusses the nature of the Supreme Brahman (you can check it in detail in the Govinda-bhāsya, first pāda, adhikarana 10). The main point, however, is that the passage describes how Gāyatrī permeates everything that exists inside the universe, and then changes the perspective, explaining that the creation of the Lord is greater still, with the spiritual creation being still larger, and representing the majority of His potency. It should not be taken literally in the sense that there is a finite space and that the size of the spiritual world can be measured; it is not like that.

Even this particular universe we live in appears to be unlimited, at least from our perspective. Then we have the seven coverings, which are many orders of magnitude larger, and this is just one of many other universes. We don’t even know how many universes there are, if millions, billions, or any other number. Each universe is compared to an atom that is part of a larger structure, so there may be infinite universes out there. Then, we have the causal ocean that is many times larger, and then the spiritual sky that is still larger, and in fact, unlimited. We can’t understand it with our material brains.

All of this, however, fits inside of Krsna. This is the real meaning of unlimited. Krsna is so large that the infinite can fit inside of Him, as He showed to mother Yaśodā. The spiritual sky is infinite, but Krsna is still a larger infinite. At the same time, however, He is so small that he can fit inside the atom. This Supreme Person, who is simultaneously the greatest and the smallest, appears as a cowherd boy on this planet and shows the whole creation inside His mouth to His mother, who, although also part of the creation, is seeing everything from the outside. Such is the inconceivable power of Krsna!

If we think we can fit this infinite person who has all the other infinites situated inside of Himself inside of our tiny, limited brains, we are illusioned. We are infinitesimal: infinitely small. We can only bow down to Him.

You can also donate using Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, Wise, Revolut, or bank transfers. There is a separate page with all the links. This helps me enormously to have time to write instead of doing other things to make a living. Thanks!