Text 35] The Supreme Lord Is Equal to Everyone 47

TRANSLATION

The bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuntha are completely
spiritual, having nothing to do with the material body, senses or
life air. Therefore, kindly explain how associates of the Per-
sonality of Godhead were cursed to descend in material bodies like
ordinary persons.

PURPORT

This very significant question would be difficult for an ordinary per-
son to answer, but Narada Muni, being an authority, could answer it.
Therefore Maharaja Yudhisthira inquired from him, saying, etad
akhyatum arhasi: “only you can explain the reason.” From authoritative
sources it can be discerned that associates of Lord Visnu who descend
from Vaikuntha do not actually fall. They come with the purpose of
fulfilling the desire of the Lord, and their descent to this material world
is comparable to that of the Lord. The Lord comes to this material world
through the agency of His internal potency, and similarly, when a devo-
tee or associate of the Lord descends to this material world, he does so
through the action of the spiritual energy. Any pastime conducted by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is an arrangement by yogaméya, not
mahaméaya. Therefore it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya
descended to this material world, they came because there was something
to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact
that no one falls from Vaikuntha.

Of course, a living entity who desires s@yujya-mukti remains in
Krsna’s Brahman effulgence, which is dependent on Krsna’s body
(brahmano hi pratisthaham). Such an impersonalist who takes shelter of

the Brahman effulgence must surely fall down. This is stated in the
Sdstra (Bhag. 10.2.32):

ye ‘nye ‘ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah

Gruhya krechrena param padam tatah
patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but
who have no devotion is impure. Even though they rise to the highest
