Category:Empowered by God
Theme Analysis
The Supreme Personality of Godhead can empower a living entity to act on His behalf with extraordinary potency. This phenomenon is technically known as saktyavesa-avatara. Srila Prabhupada clarifies the distinction between direct incarnations (visnu-tattva), who are God Himself, and empowered incarnations (jiva-tattva), who are minute souls invested with specific powers such as ruling, creating, or preaching. Historical examples include Lord Brahma for creation, King Prthu for ruling, and religious founders like Lord Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha for preaching specific aspects of truth. Crucially, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that no one can spread the Krishna consciousness movement or the holy name of the Lord throughout the world without being specifically empowered by God (krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana).
- The Theological Distinction: There is a clear difference between the Lord Himself (visnu-tattva) and His empowered representatives (jiva-tattva); the latter are souls invested with divine power to execute a specific mission.
- Functional Empowerment: Different personalities are empowered for different tasks: Brahma for creation, the Kumaras for knowledge, Narada for devotion, and Prthu for executive administration.
- The Qualification of the Preacher: Spreading the holy name globally is not a result of mundane ability; it requires the specific sanction and potency of the Lord, without which such a massive task is impossible.
- The Price of Empowerment: To become empowered, one must be fully surrendered; the Lord awards this ability in proportion to the devotee's willingness to serve Him 24 hours a day.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Becoming Empowered by God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "Empowered by God"
The following 71 pages are in this category, out of 71 total.
A
- A living entity especially empowered to act on behalf of the Lord is called vibhuti, whereas the visnu-tattva incarnations of the Lord, such as the Matsya avatara (kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagad-isa hare), are called vibhava
- A sincere devotee can therefore be empowered by the Lord regardless of his situation. In the preceding verse (CC Madhya 19.134) from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami has described how he was personally empowered by the Lord
- According to the Bhagavad-gita any controller who has some specific extraordinary power is called a vibhutimat sattva, or controller empowered by the Lord
- After King Prthu gave his royal command, the planet earth in the shape of a cow could understand that the King was a directly empowered incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the King knew everything - past, present and future
- All demigods who are empowered by the Supreme Lord are also separated parts and parcels. They do not belong to the categories of visnu-tattva
- Although Yamaraja was accused by both the Visnudutas and the Yamadutas, he is perfect in administering justice because he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- An empowered person who is actually engaged in the confidential service of the Lord should not be treated as an ordinary human being
- Any living being acting as the incarnation of Lord Visnu is thus empowered by Lord Visnu to preach the bhakti cult. Such a person can act like Him and defeat demons by arguments and preach the bhakti cult exactly according to the principles of sastra
- Apart from the direct incarnations, there are innumerable empowered incarnations. They are also mentioned in the revealed scriptures. Such incarnations are directly as well as indirectly empowered
- As Hari is not subject to mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master empowered by Him is also not subject
- As stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (CC Antya 7.11), krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana: Unless a devotee is specifically empowered by God, he cannot preach the holy name of the Lord all over the world. This is an explanation of the word avesa-rupa
- As we have already explained previously, when a living being is specifically empowered by the Supreme Lord to act for a particular purpose, he is called a saktyavesa-avatara. Prthu Maharaja was not only a saktyavesa-avatara but also a great devotee
B
- Being the incarnation of the passion mode of material nature, he (Brahma) is empowered by God to generate the beautiful material manifestation. Yet due to his being one of the numerous living entities, he is apt to forget the art of his creative energy
- Brahma is also one of these living entities, but he is especially empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Brahma is supposed to be the creator of this universe, actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead is its ultimate creator
- Brahma is always a jiva-tattva. The highest pious living being, or the greatest devotee of the Lord, is empowered with the potency of the Lord for creation, and he is called Brahma
- Brahma was the first living entity, and he was empowered by the Supreme Lord to act in charge of the mode of passion
- Brahma, Visnu and Siva are qualitative incarnations. Empowered incarnations are those like the Kumaras, King Prthu and Maha-muni Vyasa (the compiler of the Vedas)
D
- Devotees are empowered by the Lord to distribute devotional consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, to the people in general. They are known as authorized spiritual masters & it is by their mercy that a conditioned soul gets the seed of devotional service
- Devotional service to the Lord is so powerful that it can cleanse the hearts of the people in general by the devotional service of the pure, empowered devotee
- Directly empowered incarnations are the Kumaras, Narada, Prthu, Sesa, Ananta, etc
E
- Empowered by God. God created Brahma, and he was empowered to create the universe
- Empowered incarnations are of two types - primary and secondary. The primary ones are directly empowered by the S P of Godhead and are called incarnations. The secondary ones are indirectly empowered by the S P of Godhead and are called vibhuti
- Empowered representatives (of God) are called saktyavesa-avataras, or incarnations invested with transcendental power of attorney
I
- I worship Govinda. He is my Lord. Only by His grace am I empowered to create the universe
- If a Vaisnava, by the mercy of the Lord, is empowered by Him to distribute the Lord’s holy name all over the world, other Vaisnavas become very joyful - that is, if they are truly Vaisnavas
- In the material world also, the initial creator is the Lord Himself. He brings about the creation of Brahma, who becomes the subsequent creator, empowered by the Lord
- It (Vedanta philosophy) is a great science, and the great professor is the Lord Himself in the form of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And persons who are empowered by Him can initiate others in the transcendental loving service of the Lord
- It is said in the sastra (CC Antya 7.11), krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana: one cannot distribute the holy names of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra unless he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- It is said that a pure devotee can see the Lord at every moment, and because of this he is empowered by the Lord. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
- It is said that these two kings, Uttanapada and Priyavrata, were specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, unlike the great King Rsabha, who was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself
L
- Living entities are also part and parcel of Lord Visnu, but they are not as powerful; therefore when a living entity descends as an incarnation of Visnu, he is especially empowered by the Lord
- Lord Brahma addresses King Prthu as prajapate just to remind him of his great responsibility in maintaining the peace and prosperity of the citizens. Maharaja Prthu was empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for this purpose only
- Lord Brahma is a great devotee of the Lord; therefore he has been empowered or inspired by the Lord to create such a universe as the one manifested before us. The Lord also inspired Arjuna to fight in the field of Kuruksetra
- Lord Brahma is a powerful expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Brahma is jiva-tattva, he is empowered by the Lord, and therefore he is considered a plenary expansion of the Supreme Godhead
- Lord Brahma is the first created being within this universe and is empowered by the Supreme Lord to create
- Lord Jesus was jivatattva. He is not Visnu tattva. When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara
- Lord Krsna's avesa forms are also explained in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta (Purva 18): A living entity who is specifically empowered by the Lord with knowledge or strength is technically called avesa-rupa
- Lord Sesa in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and, in the material world, Lord Ananta, who carries innumerable planets on His hoods, are two primary empowered incarnations. There is no need to count the others, for they are unlimited
M
- Maharaja Prthu is an incarnation of Visnu, yet he is a great devotee of Lord Visnu. Although an empowered incarnation of Lord Visnu, he is nonetheless a living entity. As such, he must be a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Material nature gets the power to supply the material elements from the glance of the supreme purusa, Maha-Visnu, and when empowered by Him she is called the cause of the material manifestation
O
- O Indra, King of heaven, the thunderbolt you carry to kill me has been empowered by the prowess of Lord Visnu and the strength of Dadhici's austerities
- One cannot do anything unless he is enlightened and empowered by the Lord. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
- One cannot explain the glories of the holy name of the Lord without being specifically empowered by Him
S
- Sometimes He incarnates Himself or empowers a suitable living being to act for Him, but in either case the purpose is the same: the Lord wants the suffering living being to go back home, back to Godhead
- Srila Suta Gosvami was the proper teacher, and therefore the sages at Naimisaranya elevated him to the vyasasana. Srila Vyasadeva is designated herein (SB 1.1.7) as the Personality of Godhead because he is the authorized empowered incarnation
- Such a devotee is empowered by Garbhodakasayi Visnu. In this way, an incarnation of Krsna in the form of Brahma engineers the total creation of the universe
T
- The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs. The supply of air, light, water and all other benedictions for maintaining the body and soul of every living entity are entrusted to the demigods. BG 1972 purports
- The great Rsi Narada, who is an empowered incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, propagates devotional service all over the universe. All great devotees of the Lord all over the universe and in different planets and species of life are his disciples
- The Kumaras are empowered with transcendental knowledge. Sri Narada is empowered with devotional service. Maharaja Prthu is an empowered incarnation with executive function
- The Lord Brahma mentioned in this connection is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When there is no fit human being to empower as Lord Brahma, the Lord Himself takes the position of Lord Brahma. That Brahma mentioned here (SB 5.17.14) is Hari Himself
- The Lord's empowered incarnation Narada and plenary incarnation Varaha, as well as indirectly empowered Lord Buddha, created faith in the mass of people
- The Personality of Godhead always does good for one and all, by empowering His devotees to preach and propagate the transcendental process of devotional service to Godhead everywhere in accord with the specific time, place, and audience
- The poet or writer dealing with transcendental subject matters is not an ordinary writer or translator. Because he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whatever he writes becomes very effective
- The Supreme Lord is called Hrsikesa; He is the only conductor of the senses. Unless empowered by His energy, our senses cannot act. In other words, He is the only seer, the only worker, the only listener, & the only active principle or supreme controller
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully equipped with six kinds of opulences, and King Prthu was also empowered in such a way that he could display these six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in full
- The supreme proprietor of everything is Lord Visnu. He is the maintainer of everyone. The king, the father, and the guardian are simply representatives of Lord Visnu, empowered by Him to look after the management and maintain things
- The two categories of avataras are empowered devotees and tad-ekatma-rupa (the Lord Himself)
- The various expansions of the Supreme Lord who act to empower the material energy are known as plenary expansions or incarnations. As illustrated by the example of many flames lit from one flame, all these plenary expansions are as good as Visnu Himself
- The Vedas are expanded by many branches and subbranches by great devotees and empowered incarnations of the Lord like Vyasa, Narada, Sukadeva Gosvami, the Kumaras, Kapila, Prahlada, Janaka, Bali and Yamaraja
- There are incarnations that control the material qualities (guna-avataras), incarnations associated with the reign of each Manu (manvantara-avataras), incarnations in different millenniums (yuga-avataras) and incarnations of empowered living entities
- This (CC Madhya 19.135) is a confirmation of the statement krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana. Unless one is specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he cannot spread the Krsna consciousness movement
- This ability is also awarded by God according to one's willingness to render service unto God. One must be voluntarily willing to render service unto the Lord, and He will empower the doer in proportion to his surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord
- To be empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has to qualify himself. This means that one must engage twenty-four hours daily in the loving devotional service of the Lord
W
- We accept Jesus Christ as saktyavesa-avatara, an empowered incarnation of God
- When a demigod worshiper comes to his senses, he can reason as follows, "The demigods can offer benedictions only after being empowered by the Supreme Lord, so why not worship the Supreme Lord directly"
- When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of saktyavesa avatara.. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach
- When God's part and parcel is especially empowered, he is called saktyavesa-avatara
- When King Prthu is described as an incarnation of Lord Visnu, it should be understood that he is a saktyavesa-avatara, part and parcel of Lord Visnu, and is specifically empowered by Him
- When they are directly empowered they are called incarnations, but when they are indirectly empowered they are called vibhutis