No One Is Equal to Kṛṣṇa
The unique position of Lord Kṛṣṇa is defined by the Sanskrit term asamordhva—no one is equal to or greater than Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes this axiom to counter the misconceptions of impersonalists and pseudo-incarnations who claim to be God. While the living entities are qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa, they are eternally subordinate. Even the greatest demigods and powerful expansions of the Lord acknowledge Kṛṣṇa's supremacy. However, within the intimate circle of His pure devotees, Kṛṣṇa sometimes sets aside His majesty to exchange love on an equal level.
Supreme Position
Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore, He has no competitor. Citing the Bhagavad-gītā, he explains that everything emanates from Kṛṣṇa and nothing is superior to Him. To think that an ordinary human being or even a powerful demigod can equal Kṛṣṇa is a sign of ignorance and illusion.
- Krsna Himself, the original Narayana, says in Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no one superior to Me." Nor is anyone equal to Him.
- There are many persons who envy Krsna because He (Krsna) has explained in Bhagavad-gita that He is the Supreme and that nothing is above Him or equal to Him.
- Nobody can be equal with Krsna; nobody can be greater than Krsna. Everyone is lower than Krsna. So this intelligence is real intelligence, and if we think that equal to Krsna or greater than Krsna, that is all maya.
Foolishness of Imitation
The desire to become equal to Kṛṣṇa is condemned by Śrīla Prabhupāda as "sinful" and "foolish." He warns against those who try to imitate Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, such as the rāsa-līlā, without having His potency. A true devotee understands their position as an eternal servant and dances to please Kṛṣṇa, rather than trying to become Him.
- Foolish people who because of a poor fund of knowledge think that one can equal Krsna or become Krsna are condemned in every way. No one can equal or surpass Krsna, who is therefore described as asamordhva.
- A person in Krsna consciousness knows that Krsna is the supreme master and everyone else is His servant. One has to dance to please Krsna, not to imitate or attempt to become equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The speculation that one is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is another symptom of sinful life. One cannot take to Krsna consciousness unless one is completely freed from all sinful activities.
Expansions and Demigods
Even the primary expansions of the Lord, such as Lord Balarāma and Lord Viṣṇu, are described as "almost equal" to Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while they possess nearly all of Kṛṣṇa's opulences (estimated at 94%), Kṛṣṇa remains the original source. Regarding the demigods, he is even more emphatic: equating them with Kṛṣṇa is an offense known as pāṣaṇḍī.
- Lord Visnu is in the category of svamsa because He has opulences almost equal to Krsna's. Krsna is the original person, and Lord Visnu is His personal expansion. This is the verdict of all Vedic literatures.
- Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Krsna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as His brother, sometimes elder and sometimes younger.
- One who equates Narayana even with great exalted demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma is a pasandi, an agnostic. No one can equal Narayana.
Equality through Love
In the spiritual world, however, the rules of majesty are suspended by the power of love. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Kṛṣṇa's intimate friends, the cowherd boys, climb on His shoulders and challenge Him, saying, "You and I are equal." Kṛṣṇa enjoys this relationship more than the reverential worship offered by the Vedas. This "equality" is not an ontological merging but a relational intimacy facilitated by yogamāyā.
- Lord Krsna thought: "My friends climb on My shoulders in pure friendship, saying, ‘What kind of big man are You? You and I are equal'".
- In Vrndavana, the cowherd boys do not know that Krsna is God. They look on Krsna as an equal. This is the opulence of their devotional position.
- The position of being a devotee is higher than that of equality with Lord Krsna, for the devotees are dearer to Lord Krsna than His own self.
Conclusion
The philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness upholds the absolute supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa while simultaneously revealing the sweetness of His dealings with His devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that by giving up the false ambition to equal God and accepting the position of His servant, one can eventually attain a relationship where Kṛṣṇa Himself treats the devotee as an equal or even a superior.
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 Equal to Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.