Page 46 - THE FOURTH DIMENSION

the material body and the soul is not present. Both body and soul are spiritual. Self-identity is determined by
one’s service and love for Krishna which is eternal and free from all material influence. There is no influence of
the modes of material nature on the spiritual body (the eternal body of the soul, different than the material
body).

The qualities manifested by Krishna and His devotees may appear contradictory according to the mundane
conception limited by time and space. In the transcendental realm all contradictory acts are harmonized by the
inconceivable potency of Lord Krishna. What may be impossible and unreachable in the material world is
accessible and easily performed in the spiritual world. For example, over 16,000 gopis dance with Krishna in the
rasa dance. Each gopi is convinced that Krishna is dancing only with her. Krishna multiplies Himself into many
identical forms so that each gopi has the impression He is dancing with her. Such a feat is impossible in the
limited material world.

Unless we accept that Lord Krishna possesses inconceivable potencies we remain atheists due to doubts and
disbelief when one perceives of unlimited powers of the Lord.

Another striking example of Lord Krishna’s mutually contradictory qualities is the pastime of Brahma who
kidnapped all of Krishna’s cowherd boys and calves and took them far away using his mystic powers. Brahma
wanted to interrupt Lord Krishna’s pastimes with his mystic powers. When Brahma returned quickly to see the
effect on Krishna, he was bewildered to see that all the cowherd boys and calves were still playing with Krishna.
The Lord created another set of boys and calves who were expansions of Himself. As Brahma looked at them in
amazement, the boys and calves transformed into Vishnu forms manifesting four arms with all the opulences
and markings and characteristics possessed by the Supreme Lord Himself.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains with many profound details how Krishna is the origin of all the
innumerable Vishnu expansions in the material world:

All the Viṣṇu forms had four arms, with conchshell and other articles, but these characteristics are also possessed
by those who have attained sārūpya-mukti in Vaikuṇṭha and who consequently have forms exactly like the form
of the Lord. However, these Viṣṇu forms appearing before Lord Brahmā also possessed the mark of Śrīvatsa and
the Kaustubha gem, which are special characteristics possessed only by the Supreme Lord Himself. This proves
that all these boys and calves were in fact directly expansions of Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, not merely
His associates of Vaikuṇṭha. Viṣṇu Himself is included within Kṛṣṇa. All the opulences of Viṣṇu are already present
in Kṛṣṇa, and consequently for Kṛṣṇa to demonstrate so many Viṣṇu forms was actually not very astonishing.

The Śrīvatsa mark is described by the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī as being a curl of fine yellow hair on the upper portion of
the right side of Lord Viṣṇu’s chest. This mark is not for ordinary devotees. It is a special mark of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.
(SB 10.13.47-48 purport)
Each of the Vishnu expansions were worshiped by devotees engaged in the greatest pious activities, namely
hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. Brahma witnessed the following incredible manifestations of Lord
Krishna’s infinite powers:

All beings, both moving and nonmoving, from the four-headed Lord Brahmā down to the most insignificant living
entity, had taken forms and were differently worshiping those viṣṇu-mūrtis, according to their respective
capacities, with various means of worship, such as dancing and singing. (SB 10.13.51)

What is being described is beyond human imagination. Brahma witnessed all living entities and himself, moving
(such as humans, ants, butterflies) and nonmoving (trees, plants, etc.), had assumed various forms. They were
all engaged in the service of Lord Vishnu. The constitutional position of every living entity is to serve the Supreme
Lord Krishna.
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