Reaching the Eternal Abode
The human form of life offers a unique opportunity to solve the problem of repeated birth and death. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that beyond this temporary cosmic manifestation lies an eternal existence known as the sanātana-dhāma. This spiritual sky, or Vaikuṇṭha, is the true home of the living entity. While the material world is characterized by annihilation, the eternal abode remains untouched, full of opulence and spiritual bliss.
Nature of Spiritual World
The material world is subject to creation and destruction, but the spiritual world is immutable. It is described as paramam padam, the supreme abode. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while everything is technically God's kingdom, the specific designation of "eternal abode" refers to the spiritual sky where the Lord resides in full glory.
- When this temporary manifestation is annihilated, its cause, the eternal existence of the spiritual world, continues as it is, and therefore the spiritual world is called sanatana-dhama, the eternal abode.
- Since all of creation is the kingdom of God, everything material is actually spiritual, but paramam padam specifically refers to the eternal abode, which is called the spiritual sky or Vaikuntha.
- In his Bhagavat-sandarbha (Text 23), Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhu states, The Padma Purana refers to the eternally auspicious abode of Godhead, which is full in all opulences, including the energies sri, bhu and nila.
Path of Surrender
Entering the eternal abode is not achieved by material work or mental speculation. It is a result of the Lord's mercy, bestowed upon those who surrender. Kṛṣṇa promises that His devotee, though engaged in various activities, will reach the imperishable home by His grace.
- It is Krsna's promise that by surrender peace and eternal life will come automatically (BG 18.62): O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him in all respects, so that by His mercy you can have transcendental peace and the eternal abode.
- Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.
- Even after I quit this body, it will go with me; and if it is perfect in this life, then it will take me to the eternal abode.
Freedom from Misery
The defining characteristic of the eternal abode is the absence of material misery. In the material world, birth, death, disease, and old age are inevitable. However, the eternal soul can only find true happiness in the paravyoma, the spiritual sky, where these factors do not exist.
- Because the living being is eternal, he can be happy only in the eternal abode of the kingdom of God (paravyoma), from which no one returns to this region of repeated birth and death, disease and old age.
- Anyone who attains the supreme perfection, being engaged in My (Krsna's) personal devotional service in the eternal abode, reaches the highest perfection of human life and does not have to come back to the miserable material world.
- One who (a human being) is sober, who knows the laws of nature, and who is not influenced by unnecessary attachment or aversion is sure to be recognized by the Lord and thus become eligible to go back to Godhead, back to the eternal home.
Abodes of Avatāras
The spiritual sky contains innumerable planets, each presided over by a specific form of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda distinguishes between the nitya-avatāras, who have their own eternal planets, and other expansions who appear for temporary missions.
- Nitya Avataras have their eternal abodes in the spiritual sky and Naimittic Avataras are expansions of Nitya Avataras for some timely purpose.
- In the Skanda Purana, in the Ayodhya-mahatmya chapter, the demigod Indra requested Lord Sesa, who was standing before him as Laksmana, “Please go to Your eternal abode, Visnuloka, where Your expansion Sesa, with His serpentine hoods, is also present.
Conclusion
The goal of human life is to prepare for the final journey. By practicing devotional service and detaching oneself from temporary attractions, the soul can return to its original, blissful condition in the eternal abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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 Eternal Abode. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.