Page 14 - History of Tirupathi Balaji and comparison of Sri Vaishnava

either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krishna
is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a
disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists. (SB 1.3.28)
If Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then who are Lord
Narayana and Lord Vishnu?

I have already given a short summary above that Lord Krishna is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom all other expansions originate.
He is present in Goloka. In another area of the spiritual world called Vaikuntha,
Lord Narayana is present with four arms. He is a plenary expansion of Lord
Krishna meaning He is a complete or absolute expansion of the Lord. He is also
worshipped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead with awe and reverence
and incredible opulence. Then for the material creation there are the Vishnu
expansions which are exactly identical to Lord Narayana in the spiritual world
except they are present in the material world. All the Vishnu expansions like
the Narayana expansions are plenary or complete expansions of Lord Krishna.
They are worshipped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There exists,
however, some slight differences which can be explained as degrees of sweetness.
For example, sugar is sweet, but, it is also experienced that there are degrees
of sweetness such as sweet, sweeter and sweetest. Sugar is sugar, but slight
differences in degrees of sweetness can be perceived.
Lord Caitanya, the fi fteenth century saint who is also considered an
incarnation of Krishna, explained the transcendental principle of “acintya
bhedabheda tattva” which means that the Absolute Truth of Godhead is
inconceivably and simultaneously one and different. One can say that there is no
difference between Lords Krishna, Narayana and Vishnu from the point of view
of potency. Yet, there are slight differences when we consider certain aspects of
their functions which include the rasas (relationships of different fl avors of love
with their devotees) that they enjoy, the degrees of sweetness of Their pastimes.
They are one and different and bodily differences. This has been witnessed
by transcendental devotees like Kuntidevi, Bhismadeva, Narada, Arjuna and
many others who have had close contact with Lord Krishna and His infi nite
expansions.
Sixty four qualities of Lord Krishna and appreciation of His sweetness

The subject of the expansions of God has been extensively studied and
th
explained by the 16 century Vaisnava saint Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in
the Sri Caitanya Caritamritam (CC) and by Srila Rupa Goswami in his Bhakti-
rasamrita-sindhu ( BRS - The Nectar of Devotion).
Srila Rupa Goswami gives a very precise explanation of the similarities and
sweetness of Lord Krishna’s expansions. Srila Rupa Gosvami, after consulting various
scriptures, has enumerated the sixty four transcendental qualities of the Lord as follows: (1)
beautiful features of the entire body; (2) marked with all auspicious characteristics; (3)
extremely pleasing; (4) effulgent; (5) strong; (6) ever youthful; (7) wonderful linguist;
(8) truthful; (9) talks pleasingly; (10) fl uent; (11) highly learned; (12) highly intelligent;
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