God Is Free from Material Contamination - The Transcendental Nature of the Supreme
A fundamental principle of Vedic theology is the absolute purity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that God is eternally free from material contamination. Even when He descends into the material world, He is not touched by the modes of nature. Unlike the living entities who are conditioned by material bodies, the Lord's body, name, and activities are entirely transcendental. This article examines the specific nature of the Lord's freedom from material influence and how this distinguishes Him from all other beings.
Viśuddha-sattva: No Material Body
The material world is conducted by the three modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the demigods who manage universal affairs (like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva) accept bodies made of material modes, Lord Viṣṇu is different. He is known as viśuddha-sattva, meaning His existence is completely free from any material tinge. He appears by His internal potency, not by the force of material nature.
- Out of these three, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva accept material bodies but Lord Visnu does not accept a material body. Lord Visnu is therefore known as visuddha-sattva. His existence is completely free from the contamination of the material modes of nature.
- Bhagavad-gita also confirms that when the Lord appears He appears as He is by His internal potency. He is not contaminated by the material energy because He is the Lord of material energy.
- He (the Lord) is untouched by the contamination of material nature because of His spiritual potency, and because He is not subjected to material vision, He is known as transcendental. He has no material activities, nor has He a material form or name.
Spiritual Senses and Form
A common misunderstanding is that to be free from material contamination, God must be formless. Śrīla Prabhupāda corrects this, stating that the Lord has a form with hands, legs, and eyes, but they are not materially contaminated. His senses are transcendental. To think of Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human being with a material body is described as misleading; His activities are transcendental bliss, free from the defects of material life.
- The Lord is not impersonal; He has His eyes, legs, hands and everything else, and because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord we also have these things. But His hands, legs, eyes and senses are not contaminated by material nature.
- The very conception of the Personality of Godhead as a human being is misleading. His (Krsna's) pastimes appear to be exactly like a human being's, but actually they are transcendental and without any tinge of material contamination.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no hands which are materially contaminated, but He has His hands and accepts whatever sacrifice is offered to Him. That is the distinction between the conditioned soul and the Supersoul.
Distinction Between Lord and Jīva
This quality of being perpetually free from contamination is the defining distinction between God and the living entity (jīva). While both are spiritual in nature, the living entity has the aptitude to be overcome by nescience and material designation. The Supreme Lord, however, is the symbol of perfect knowledge and is never subordinated by His own energy.
- The Lord is eternally the symbol of full and perfect knowledge. This is His speciality: perpetual freedom from all material contaminations.
- This (perpetual freedom from all material contaminations) distinguishes the Lord from the individual, common living entities who have the aptitude for being subordinated by nescience and thus becoming materially designated.
- The Personality of Godhead is pure, being free from all contaminations of material tinges. He is the Absolute Truth and the embodiment of full and perfect knowledge. He is all-pervading, without beginning or end, and without rival.
Conclusion
Understanding that God is free from material contamination is essential for spiritual advancement. As long as one's consciousness is contaminated, one cannot truly understand the transcendental nature of the Lord. However, by the mercy of Lord Viṣṇu, who is the controller of the material energy, a devotee can also become freed from this contamination and return to the spiritual world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Free From Material Contamination. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.