Krishna's expansions (different forms) and places of residence
The Infinity has a finite part, the material world which is the dream of Maha-Visnu, Lord Krishna's expansion for the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material world. Krishna is present everywhere in the infinity, and He enjoys everywhere exchanging loving relationships with His devotees either in His original form, or in one of His expansions. The material world is also connected to Him. His pastimes here is a nightmare for the demons Krsna descends to punish them and awaken them to the eternal reality of the spiritual world.
In a kingdom the king and queen live in a palace. The prime minister lives with his family in a luxurious villa. Most of the citizens live in ordinary rented houses or apartments; a few own a house. On the other hand prisoners reside in the jail. Likewise, also in the infinite kingdom of God there are several places of residence, for Krishna's infinite expansions or forms. Durga, the material energy, is compared to be like a dungeon or prison; Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrndavana are spiritual planets, in which respectively luxurious city life and paradise like country life takes place.
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.
Maha Visnu's boring dream
God is perfect and complete, the source and always increasing in perfection. The Srimad Bhagavatam (1.16.30) describes the material world as a dream state of Krishna's energy during His mystic slumber (yoga-nidra). Maha-Visnu lies in yoga-maya or yoga-nidra (creative transcendental sleep, His eyes half open) on a bed (of His own energy, Ananta-Sesa), in water. His dreaming is actually the material manifestations. Creating is very easy for this expansion of Krishna (Maha- Visnu). The material world is boring, monotonous and illusory, a dream world, a delusion. Lord Sri Krishna expansion, Maha-Vishnu is the architect and construction master of the cosmos. We can understand Maha-Visnu’s’s existence and qualities. Like someone daydreams about a dream palace or a dream world. All elements of this dream are in that person present; He can make his dreams become reality through an architect who can construct his fantasies. The day-dreamer does not lose the dream after the construction; he remembers his dream and keeps it in himself. He has the ability to create more dreams and can also improve his creation. In other words, the cause contains more than it’s effects. Maha-Visnu, who dreams the uncountable universes, has even more and better wealth, beauty, wisdom, strength and pastimes in His eternal realm, as living in a royal court with all perfection is higher than a horrid life in prison. The material world is a temporary, fog-like existence. It is momentarily there and then all gets dispersed or displaced as the fogs or clouds in the sky. His pastimes in the spiritual world are purely Transcendental Eternal Reality. They are the original of the upside-down reflection of the material world. Then, for example, ‘evil’ like wars and quarrels of this world are in the transcendental world games and recreation, just like in a play in a theater.
Katha ganam natyam gamanam - each step in the Absolute Reality is a dance and every word is a song. It is always festival and celebration.
Spiritual world
Krishnaloka consist of Vraja (Krishna-book chapters 1 up to 40), Goloka Navadvipa (where Sri Caitanya Maha-prabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Gadadhara, Srivasa and their associates reside), Mathura (Krishna-book chapters 40 to 51) and Dvaraka (Krishna-book chapters 52-90). Only in Vraja, Goloka Vrndavana, is a spiritual paradise, rural or country life; living in the forests and on hills. Only there is Madhurya-bhava spontaneous ecstatic love in the relationship of dasya- the relation of servant - master; sakhya- the relation of friendship, vatsalya- the relationship of parent or superiors and child or young people and srngara, the relationship between a man and woman.
Besides this Goloka Vrindavana there is Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha (literally: the world without fear anxiety) is city life and aristocratic opulence (aisvarya-bhava) and the relations there are primarily respectful and ritualistic. Vaikuntha is like the palaces of an emperor and empress and associates, goloka is like their holiday or paradise resorts. In Vrindavana the flowers are more precious and beautiful than the gems in Vaikuntha. The dust is more glorious than any precious metal or jewel of Vaikuntha.
Goloka Vrndavana (Vraja) has the form of lotus flowers. Vaikuntha is around Goloka Vrndavana as the petals of the lotus flower.
Personal expansions
Just outside Goloka Vrndavana is Ayodhya, where Lord Ramacandra, Sita, Hanumana, Laksmana, Bharata, Satrughna live with their associates (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 9, chapters 10 and 11). These are expansions of the adi-catur-vyuha. In Vaikuntha are the planets of the dvitiya-catur-vyuha and endless other amsa's (expansions of the expansions) and kala's (expansions of these expansions) of Krishan. In Vaikuntha these expansions of Krishna are being served as a king in his kingdom. In these kingdoms Krishna's expansions have four, six, eight, sixteen, twenty-four up to thousand arms and more as a sign of Their superhuman strength.
Krishna and His expansions (amsa's and kala's) are subdivided in two: 1. prAbhava (in full completeness)-prakAsa (manifestation), also called prAbhava-vigraha (form) or prAbhava-vilAsa (entertainment). 2. vaibhava (not all completeness have been manifested) - prakasa, vaibhava-vigraha or vaibhava-vilasa
( see diagram).
The PrAbhava-vigraha's have almost identical forms, but act differently. In the Vaibhav-vigraha's do the external features differ in more aspects from each other. In this way, Krishna can manifest Himself at the same time in lots of form to enjoy different lilas (pastimes).
The spiritual dimension is infinite and infinitely expanding. The Krishna svarupa or svayam rupa or Krishna's own form is the cause of all causes (sarva karana karanam) or the original energy source (saktimam). All other categories (on the diagram) are servants who “dance” or act their pastimes according to the will of Krishna (ekale isvara Krishna, ara sarva bhrtya; (bhrtya means dance) means, Krishna is the only controller and all others are His servants). All God does is play or enjoy. The material world is also play as it prepares the demons to become His devotees and become players in the spiritual world.
The svayam-rupa, Krishna, is amsi (the origin of all amsa's or expansions) and avatari (the cause of all avatara's (literally: those who descend in the material world). The svayam-rupa is not dependent on other forms.
Tad-ekatma-rupa (a form one with the self, but little different bodily form, features, emotions) has the same nature; He is the same Krishna, but he is also different in individuality. These have two categories: vilasa's, are tad-ekatma rupa's in the spiritual world; svamsa's, are tad-ekatma rupa's in the material world, and display less opulence’s.
Vilasa has two forms: prAbhava and vaibhava. In prAbhava vilasa, Krishna, for a certain lila adopts a form practically the same as Himself but acting differently; vaibhava vilasa is when the expansion in features and form differs from the svayam-rupa. Arca-murti's are arca-avatara's (forms of Krishna’s amsa's or kala's) who appear in this world as temple-murti's (the form of God in the substance of His energy, apparently, because He can become the visibly alive, energetic, original, form).
Narayana is the general name of Krishna’s expansions outside Goloka vrndavana, either in the Paravyoma (literally: higher air. This means the spiritual world) or in the material world. From the dvitiya catur-vyuha (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) originate also the eight vilasamurti's, for example Adhoksaja.
The material world
The four adi-catur-vyuha's, namely Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha are directly the cause of the dvitiya catur-vyuha's Vasudeva, Maha-sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. These dvitiya-caturvyuhas are the rulers of the months: margasirsa etc. Mahasankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha expand and govern respectively: Mahavisnu ( who is the creator of the mahat-tattva and the elements), Garbhodakasayi Visnu (who is also called Padmanabha (a lotus flower comes out of His navel on which Brahma is sitting ) He is the sattva guna avatara or controller; the cause of the two other guna avatara's) and Ksirodaksayi Visnu. Garbhodakasayi Visnu is one form of Pradyumna and comes through Mahavisnu. Ksirodakasayi Visnu comes through Garbhodakasayi Visnu; Garbhodakasayi Visnu is the cause of Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who is an expansion of Aniruddha. Ksirodakasayi Visnu comes through Mahavisnu and Garbhodakasayi Visnu into the material universe.
Isvara Koti Brahma is the Visnu form of Brahma. Jiva koti Brahma is when this post is officiated by a jiva (soul).
Lila-avatara's come from the spiritual world. They appear for a lila (transcendental pastimes).
Kalpa-avatara's appear in each kalpa (day of Brahma; a day of Brahma lasts for thousand maha-yuga's; one maha-yuga is a cycle of four yuga's: satya-yuga, treta-yuga, dvapara-yuga and kali-yuga and lasts for 4.32 billion year).
The manvantara avatara's are avatara's who appear along with the Manu to assist Manu with governing (their name is between brackets mentioned in the graphic behind the manu). Manu is a demigod or king who issues the laws for the society of living beings for a period of 306.750 million years. They appear in this world by means of Krishna's amsa's; some of them are liberated souls, but generally they are very elevated conditioned souls.
The yuga-avatara's are saktyavesa avatara's or visnu-tattva avatara's who establish the process of religion for a certain yuga.
In the west, the Gods we know by the name of Allah (the great) or Yahweh, are in the category of vaibhava-vilasa or dvitiya-catur-vyuha. They are the amsa-amsa-amsa of Sri Krishna or the expansion of an expansion of an expansion of vraja-gopa-murti, svayam-rupa, Krsna. This God of the Bible or Koran is described as the creator of the heaven and earth, and residing in heaven. According to Genesis, this God created through His spirit or amsa, ( Maha - or Garbhodakasayi Visnu) the heaven and earth. He himself is in the spiritual world in His palace, with His son on His right side, and angels around His throne. This is a very limited description of the spiritual or Vaikuntha planets of Sri Sri Laksmi-Narayana.
Siva is the amsa of the dvitiya catur-vyuha. Sadasiva is his name in the spiritual world. Sadasiva-loka is just outside the covering around the material world. Rudra is his name in the material world. Rudra controls tamo-guna (the quality of ignorance) and dissolves the material world. Svayam Sada Siva is Gopesvara in Vrindavan. The protector of the holiest of holy abodes, Krsna’s planet or kingdom. Sada Siva is his expansion. Brahma creates, Visnu maintains (or preserves) and Siva destroys, constantly (Siva energizes the different pralaya's or destructions). Durga is Siva’s sakti-tattva, the energy of Siva or Siva’s wife.
The other demi-gods are vibhuti's (living beings, jiva's or souls) ( see diagram above right) with extra capacities, more than ordinary people. These are for example Brahma, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Indra. There are approximately 330 million demigods in this universe. The 12 adityas, the 11 Rudras, the 8 Vasus, and the 2 Asvinikumara's. are the 33 leaders of 330 million demi gods. Each head demigod has 10 million assistants.
Garbhodakasayi Visnu manifests Rudra who has the material quality of ignorance for the destruction of the cosmos. Rudra is also described as Visnu's abhasa-rupa (His reflection or shadow).. The Rudra’s are the shadow of Visnu’s own body. In Siva or Rudra the power of Visnu is not fully present. This is the reason why he can be in the presence of maya (in Visnu is there no maya) and in this sense Siva is considered created by maya; this form of Siva is arisen due to the presence of maya. Siva is sometimes described as being under the influence of the external energy; Siva has a task here and in his marital connection with devi, sakti, maya he must surrender to her nature. He is not "in maya" like the jiva's. In his constitutional form (as Sadasiva, the eternal Siva (means very generous or auspicious), Siva is a maha-bhagavata (Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh), but as service to Krishna he associates with maya, therefore in that sense only he is not free from maya's influence.
Sakti or Energy
Krishna has innumerable potencies, the chief are divided into three. Iccha-sakti, kriya-sakti, jnana-sakti. Iccha-sakti means His potency that, whatever He wishes, that is done, iccha means desire. Jnana-sakti, knowledge. Then kriya-sakti: activity. In the Vedic literature it is said, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. For example, His potencies are working and producing flowers. We are seeing that a flower is being produced automatically, so nicely scented, so nicely colored. Atheists think it is being produced automatically. No. It is produced by the kriya-sakti, by the active potency of God.. Jnana-sakti also works: there is such perfect knowledge that nobody can see any defect. You see a butterfly, how it is nicely painted. You can see duplicate in both the wings. Just like an artist paints something nicely, the butterfly is painted by God. Atheists think it is coming out of nothing. This is their foolishness. It is coming about by the iccha-jnana-kriya-sakti. But His jnana is so wide that simply by His will, it can be executed. Because we cannot see the controller of these energies before our eyes, that does not mean there is no existence of God.
Another example, the anatomical condition of your body. How nice is the mechanical arrangement, just like a big factory and big office. The brain and the eyes are the office, and the stomach is the factory, in some place some part of the manufacture is finished, then it goes to another place, and this is creating energy, which is coming to the heart and other places. But the body is starting out as a small pea, and then it is developing.
Also, see any seed, how it develops to for example a great tree. How much potency is there. Svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. Everything is being done by His energies. I claim, "It is my body," but I do not know how even a hair is growing. I do not know how it is replaced. I cut it in the morning, and the next day, I see again there is. These things are going on by svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. We have to study God's activity in this way, this is nature's study. Those who are intelligent, they can see that these things are working: Iccha-sakti, kriya-sakti, jnana-sakti, these three potencies of God, Krishna.
iccha-sakti-pradhana krishna-icchaya sarva-karta
jnana-sakti-pradhana vasudeva adhishthata
Krishna expands Himself also to conduct or to control or to act on these three potential powers. The iccha-sakti, willing potency, that is being controlled by himself. Jnana-sakti is under His expansion which is known as Vasudeva. Iccha-jnana vina na haya srijana. Without desire and without knowledge, nothing can be created, nothing. We are manufacturing so many things. The manufacturer is first of all thinking, willing. That is iccha-sakti. Then he acts on it. That is called jnana-sakti; to plan how to use the resources, the material ingredients. As a result of which the creation is realized. Then the creation is carried out by the kriya (action) sakti, which is controlled by Sankarsana. Without jnana, without willing, nothing is produced. Whenever you find something produced, you must know, behind that production there is the supreme will, the supreme knowledge and the supreme’s activity.
iccha-jnana vina na haya srijana
tinera tina-sakti meli' prapanca-racana
This iccha-sakti, this potency of supreme will, jnana-sakti, the potency of supreme knowledge, and kriya-sakti, the potency of the supreme hand, these three things are conducting all affairs in this material world.
At the saktyavesa category we distinguish two gradations of sakti. Avesa mean filled with or absorbed in a certain sakti, mood or mode. The first gradation is called saktyavesa avatara; the saktis manifest themselves completely (Kumara's, Narada, Prthu, Parasurama, Brahma and Srila Prabhupada). The second gradation is called vibhuti (means majesty, glory): the avesa-sakti’s manifest themselves partially.
Energy or power points to Personality
There is no creation without desires and (aesthetic) feeling (iccha-sakti). There is no creation without thoughts and knowledge (jnana-sakti) and without strength for the activity (kriya-sakti). These sakti's belongs to a person. Individuality or personality (meaning where there is desire, feeling thinking and activity) is the base of the order in the human society. Similarly, there is the order of the universe (micro and macro cosmos) behind which there is as its substrate (the irreducible base) and Designer the Personality who is the original topmost God of Gods, Krishna.
