Page 21 - Sri Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdhi - 1000th year anniversary of Ramanujacarya

the abode of the Personality of Godhead.”
“Nihsreyasa means ‘the ul mate des na on.’ Sva-samsthana indicates
that the impersonalists have no par cular place to stay. The imperson-
alists sacrifice their individuality so that the living spark can merge into

the impersonal effulgence emana ng from the transcendental body of
the Lord, but the devotee has a specific abode. The planets rest in the
sunshine, but the sunshine itself has no par cular res ng place. When
one reaches a par cular planet, then he has a res ng place. The spiritu-
al sky, which is known as kaivalya, is simply blissful light on all sides,
and it is under the protec on of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (14.27), ‘brahmano hi pra shthaham:’ the
impersonal Brahman effulgence rests on the body of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. In other words, the bodily effulgence of the Su-
preme Personality of Godhead is kaivalya, or impersonal Brahman. In

that impersonal effulgence there are spiritual planets, which are known
as Vaikunthas, chief of which is Krishnaloka. Some devotees are elevat-
ed to the Vaikuntha planets, and some are elevated to the planet Krish-
naloka. According to the desire of the par cular devotee, he is offered a
par cular abode, which is known as sva-samsthana, his desired des na-
on. By the grace of the Lord, the self-realized devotee engaged in de-
vo onal service understands his des na on even while in the material
body. He therefore performs his devo onal ac vi es steadily, without
doub ng, and a er qui ng his material body he at once reaches the

des na on for which he has prepared himself. A er reaching that
abode, he never comes back to this material world.” (SB 3.27.28)
There are different types of rasas or flavorful rela onships with the
Lord which pure devotees can aspire to have in the eternal spiritual
world. Prabhupada explains the nuances of the possibili es taught by
the Vaisnava sampradayas (disciplic successions)
Le er to Madhusudana -- London 23 November, 1969:
Prabhupada: “Regarding your second ques on about the rasas in Nara-
yana's Abode, it does not go higher than servitude and reveren al
friendship.”

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