Variety and Difference

Question: Due to our previous saṁsakāras and saṅga, our desires vary from sādhaka to sādhaka. But in the spiritual world also the mood varies from nitya-pārśada to pārśada. How do these desires (taste, mood) vary, considering that they have no past impressions or karma-phala? Is it due to different spiritual bodies or perhaps due to particular constitution of souls? 

Answer: It varies according to their sthāyī-bhāva. Here in the material world, the desires are coming from material saṁsakāras and there, desires are coming from bhakti-saṁsakāras.

Question: When a devotee becomes perfected and attains a spiritual body, he is called nitya–siddha when he enters the nitya-līlā, just as the eternal (nitya) pārśadas. Is there a specific difference between these two categories?

Answer:  Yes, there is some difference. Nitya-siddhas are tataṣṭha-śakti imbued with antaranga-śakti, while nitya-pārśadas are antaranga-śakti. 

Question: In this material world, a jīva needs a subtle body as a link to the ātmā. What about the spiritual world – is a subtle body necessary or only external spiritual body is required for the variety of sevā?

Answer: Just as you have a subtle body here, you also have a subtle body in the spiritual world. But the subtle body in the spiritual world is spiritual and not material and thus the difference that exists in the material world between the ātmā and subtle body does not exist there. Both are spiritual. 

Question: Then what about the nitya-siddha-pārśadas who have manifested from the svarupa–śakti – is there a difference between their spiritual body and soul, like in case of Kṛṣṇa (no difference between deha and dehī)? Or is it the case that the difference between deha and dehī does not exist only in case of Kṛṣṇa (and not even Śrimatī Rādhārāni)?

Answer: There is no difference between the deha and dehī of nitya-pārśadas. They are similar to Sri Kṛṣṇa.

Spiritual Identities

Question: Are the posts of Gaṇesh and Kārtikeya assigned like the posts of other principal devatās? Or are they expansions of the eternal Gaṇesh and Kārtikeya who are present in Sadā Śiva loka? In this case, are their bodies also spiritual?

Answer: In the spiritual world, Gaṇeśa, Kārtikeya, Śiva, Durgā, Pārvatī, and even the rivers Yamunā and Sarasvatī, and the Vedas personified are all devotees and have spiritual bodies. Then in the material word, we also have Gaṇeśa, Kārtikeya, Durgā, and Pārvatī, who have material bodies. If one is praying to any of these personalities in the spiritual world, then the deva will appear to him in a spiritual form, not material. Therefore, in śāstra, we see descriptions of devas, who are eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa but seemingly under the influence of the material guṇas. As far as Brahmā and Śiva are concerned, sometimes Viṣṇu Himself takes their positions. When in scriptures it is said that Śiva or Brahmā is the source of Viṣṇu, Brahmā or Śiva, it refers to Nārāyaṇa, who is the source of Mahāviṣṇu. 

Smaranam

Question: Is smaraṇam important during nāma japa? Are chanting and hearing not sufficient in themselves to bring one to perfection?

Answer: Any limb of bhakti, such as hearing, chanting, and smaraṇam [recollection or meditation] can bring perfection, independent of any other process. Smaraṇam is of four types, nāma, rūpa, guṇa, and līlā smaraṇam. If one is chanting (the name) without smaraṇam, then it is less efficacious than chanting the name with nāma smaraṇam.  If the heart is not pure, nāma smaranam by itself is more powerful than mere chanting without smaraṇam.