Kṛṣṇa appears in two ways. He appears as antaryāmi, the Supersoul within himself, within oneself, and He appears as the spiritual master, externally. Caitya-guru and dīkṣā-guru. Caitya-guru... As caitya-guru, as the supreme spiritual master, He is in everyone's heart. And His representative... In order to help externally the sincere person, He sends the spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master from outside and the caitya-guru from inside, they are helping. The Supreme Personality is helping a devotee, a real, serious devotee two ways: from within, from without. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta therefore says that kṛṣṇera prakāśa, manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, a spiritual master. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: ** "If I can satisfy my spiritual master, then I understand that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. And if I cannot satisfy my spiritual master, then I have no other way to approach Kṛṣṇa." These songs we sing every day. So my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Instead of seeing Kṛṣṇa, you serve so faithfully that Kṛṣṇa will see you." That should be the process. Kṛṣṇa is omnipresent. He can see you, He can understand you, what are doing. So we have to execute devotional service in such a faithful way that Kṛṣṇa will see us. Then you will be successful. "Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa. Try to become seen by Kṛṣṇa." That was my Guru Mahārāja's instruction. Cakṣur yathaiva kṛtayaiva antaḥ-param. Tasyātma-tantrasya harer ahīśituḥ parasya māyādhipater mahātmanaḥ. Evaṁ bhūtaḥ parameśvaraḥ mad-anyad astīti.
Now, Yamarāja says that "I have got a master like that." The Yamarāja has anubhūti. Therefore he describes what is the nature, characteristics, of his master. Yamarāja also does not say that "I have seen my master." But he still accepts that there is a master. "I am not all in all." Never said... In these ślokas we do not find anywhere Yamarāja says that "I have seen Him." It is very common thing. Now the government is going on. Not that everyone has seen the president or the king, but still, the government is so nicely managed that everyone knows that there is an executive head. So there is no question of this villainy that "There is no God. I do not believe in God. God is dead," or "Everyone is God." Not like that.
- tasyātma-tantrasya harer ahīśituḥ
- parasya māyādhipater mahātmanaḥ
- prāyeṇa dūtā iha vai manoharāś
- caranti tad-rūpa-guṇa-svabhāvāḥ
- (SB 6.3.17)
Now, Yamarāja says that,
- bhavaty evaṁ bhūta anyaṁ
- parameśvara ye punar asmād
- niduḥṣasya pāpinaṁ rakṣita-vāñchā
te ke tān āha tasyeti dvābhyām (?)
So the Yamadūtas inquired from Yamarāja, "Whether there is another controller than yourself?" So that he has described, that "There is supreme controller than myself." Tasyeva rūpaṁ guṇaḥ prabhāvaḥ prabhāvāya svabhāvaṁ bhakta-vatsalyādi yeṣām. So that tasyātma-tantrasya harer ahīśituḥ parasya māyādhipater mahātmanaḥ, so he is informing that "There are Viṣṇudūtas also. They are..." Viṣṇudūta means devotees, the devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. "They are also..." Just, the Yamadūtas, they are also traveling everywhere to find out... Not to find out. Everyone is sinful. "Similarly, there are Viṣṇudūtas also." That is the information. "They are also seeing, inspecting what kinds of actions we are actually performing." Prāyeṇa dūta iha vai manoharaḥ. Because the Viṣṇudūtas came to take away Ajāmila, so they were surprised, that "Who these persons, the great personalities, were there?" So now Yamarāja is explaining that "These manohara, these beautiful personalities who appeared, they are Viṣṇudūtas. Just like you are Yamadūtas, similarly, they are Viṣṇudūtas." Prāyeṇa dūtā iha vai manoharāś caranti. Caranti: "They also travel all over the universe." And what is their qualities? Tad-rūpa-guṇa-svabhāvāḥ: "Exactly looking like Viṣṇu, four hands with śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma, tad-rūpa." This is called liberation of possessing the similar feature of the body as Lord Viṣṇu. Tad-rūpa-guṇa-svabhāvāḥ. And their qualities are also the same. And svabhāvāḥ, and nature, character, is also the same. That is oneness. When one is liberated in his original spiritual feature, he becomes equal, just like in svarūpa, in form; guṇa, in quality; and svabhāvāḥ, characteristics, exactly like Viṣṇu. Prāyeṇa dūtā: "It is very difficult to recognize." Just like in this world also, if the president or the king comes in common dress, you cannot understand who is president, who is king and who is a common man. Similarly, in the Vaikuṇṭha world also the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha, they have got the same feature of the body, same qualities, and same characteristics. This is described here. Try to understand. What is that?
Revatīnandana: I'm feeling a little chilly.
Prabhupāda: Prāyeṇa dūtā iha vai manoharāś caranti tad-rūpa-guṇa-svabhāvāḥ, bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni: "These Viṣṇudūtas, they are not only worshipable by common men, but they are worshipable by the demigods." Sura-pūjitāni. Sura means the demigods. Pūjitāni: "They are worshiped." Bhutāni viṣṇoḥ: "Those who are associates of Lord Viṣṇu..."
So there is no question of impersonalism. This oneness with God and the living entity, these are the oneness, that they attain the same quality, the same characteristics, the same feature of the body. That is oneness. Not that they have no individuality. God has got individuality and His devotees or the living entities, even though not devotees, nondevotees, everyone has got individuality. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "I, you, and all these persons who have assembled here in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, they existed in the past, they are existing at the present moment, and they will continue to exist in the future." Now, where is the question of mixing together? They existed as they are existing now, and at the present moment they are existing as individuals, and in the past, they also existed as individuals, and the future, they will continue to exist as individuals. So there is no question of losing the individuality. That's a theory only. No living entity loses his individuality even after liberation. They try to keep mixed up with others. Just like the sunshine is a combination of molecular parts, something shining. Is it not? Similarly, brahma-jyotir is combination of the individual parts and parcels of God. But without individual activity they cannot stay in the brahma-jyotir for long. Because everyone wants some individual activity. Just like we are sitting together now. After some hour, every one of us will feel what is our individual... Everyone will be engaged in his individual activity. Therefore, according to Bhagavat-siddhānta, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti (SB 10.2.32). The individual soul who simply tries to merge into the effulgence, Brahman effulgence... That position is attained after many, many years' austerity and penances. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means with great trouble and difficulty one is elevated to that position, merging into the impersonal brahma-jyotir. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). That is called paraṁ padam. But again says, patanty adhaḥ: "But they still, again they are prone to fall down." Why they fall down? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they do not care for Your lotus feet."