Lifespan as Brief as a Lightening Flash
Lord Brahma, the predominating demigod of this universe, has a lifespan as long as the duration of this universe, which is 311 trillion 40 billion years of our earthly years. But compared to eternity Brahma's incredibly long life span is as a brief of flash of lightening. What then can we said about our miniscule life spans of a mere maximum 100 years?
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
1) Is the number of souls constant? Given that each soul is individual and eternal, this would mean that the number of souls must be constant. If not, then this would imply that some souls are not eternal? Please clarify.
2) If nitya-siddhas (eternally liberated souls) never choose to forget Krishna, then why couldn’t nitya-baddhas (eternally conditioned souls) also never choose to forget Krishna? I.e., why is that nitya-baddhas chose to forget Krishna, but notwithstanding their free will, nitya-siddhas will never ever choose to forget Krishna?
Thank you so much.
Your servant
Madhavananda Das
The nitya-baddhas can also choose never to forget Krishna and thus always be nitya-siddhas. Because the jiva souls possess a marginal nature they always are endowed with ability to either remember Krishna and thus be nitya-siddha or to forget Krishna and thus be nitya-baddha.
In this regard it is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in a lecture he gave in Mayapur on 11 February 1976 that every living entity is originally nitya-siddha or eternally liberated. But sometimes just as king may fall asleep and dream that he is a pauper, the eternally liberated soul because of his marginal nature may fall into the illusion that he can enjoy separately from Krishna or God. And just as a dream of only a few seconds can be appear to be going on forever, when the soul forgets his identity his illusioned dream-like state seemingly goes on forever and he is thus designated as nitya-baddha or eternally conditioned. Therefore when the living being does not misuse his free will he is known as nitya-siddha and when he misuses his free will he is known as nitya-baddha.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Lord Brahma Offers Obeisances to Lord Sri Krishna
Answers by Citing the Vedic Version
Question: Is there a Constant Number of Souls?
Dear Srila Gurudeva,Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
1) Is the number of souls constant? Given that each soul is individual and eternal, this would mean that the number of souls must be constant. If not, then this would imply that some souls are not eternal? Please clarify.
2) If nitya-siddhas (eternally liberated souls) never choose to forget Krishna, then why couldn’t nitya-baddhas (eternally conditioned souls) also never choose to forget Krishna? I.e., why is that nitya-baddhas chose to forget Krishna, but notwithstanding their free will, nitya-siddhas will never ever choose to forget Krishna?
Thank you so much.
Your servant
Madhavananda Das
Answer: Constantly an Infinite Number of Souls
Yes, there is a constant number of souls. And that number is infinite.The nitya-baddhas can also choose never to forget Krishna and thus always be nitya-siddhas. Because the jiva souls possess a marginal nature they always are endowed with ability to either remember Krishna and thus be nitya-siddha or to forget Krishna and thus be nitya-baddha.
In this regard it is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in a lecture he gave in Mayapur on 11 February 1976 that every living entity is originally nitya-siddha or eternally liberated. But sometimes just as king may fall asleep and dream that he is a pauper, the eternally liberated soul because of his marginal nature may fall into the illusion that he can enjoy separately from Krishna or God. And just as a dream of only a few seconds can be appear to be going on forever, when the soul forgets his identity his illusioned dream-like state seemingly goes on forever and he is thus designated as nitya-baddha or eternally conditioned. Therefore when the living being does not misuse his free will he is known as nitya-siddha and when he misuses his free will he is known as nitya-baddha.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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