30 Sri Isopanisad

gita. The Lord says that the foolish deride Him, taking Him
to be one of the mortal beings. But He is not a mortal being,
nor does He come before us with a body produced of material
Nature. There are many so-called scholars who say that when the
Lord descends, He does so in a body of matter, just like an
ordinary living being. Such foolish men place the Lord on a
level equal to that of the ordinary man, not knowing His
inconceivable power.

Because He is full of inconceivable potencies, God can
accept our service through any sort of medium, and He can
convert His different potencies according to His own will.
The unbelievers argue that the Lord cannot incarnate Himself,
or if at all, He descends in a form of material energy. This
argument is nullified if we accept His inconceivable potencies
as realities. Even if He appears before us in the form of ma-
terial energy, it is quite possible for Him to convert the ma-
terial energy into spiritual energy. The source of the energies
being one and the same, the energies can be utilized suitably
according to the will of that energetic Source. For example, the
Lord appears in the Form of Arca, or Deilies supposedly made
of earth or stone. These forms, engraved from wood or stone or
any other matter, are not idols, however, as is held by the
iconoclasts.

In the present state of our imperfect material existence
we cannot see the Supreme Lord on account of our imperfect
vision. But still, those devotees who want to see Him by
means of material vision are favored by the Lord, Who appears
in so-called material form to accept the devotees’ service.
This does not mean that such devolees, who are in the lowest
stage of devotional service, are worshiping an idol. In fact,
they are worshiping the Lord, Who has agreed to appear before
them in a particular way which is approachable by them.
This Arca Form is not fashioned in terms of the order or whim
of the worshiper. It is eternally existent with all Its para-
phernalia. This can be actually felt by a sincere devotee, but
not by an atheist.
