Category:God's Behavior
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category explores the complex, dynamic, and perfectly exemplary behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Far from being an inert, emotionless energy, the Lord exhibits all the propensities of a person, including anger, humor, affection, and even apparent defeat (as in His mock battles or His dealings with Jarāsandha). Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that whatever the Lord does is meant to teach human society (ācāra), to protect the devotees, and to annihilate the demons. His behavior is absolute; therefore, pure devotees see no difference between His harsh chastisement and His gentle blessings. The Lord's behavior is described as being simultaneously as soft as a flower and as hard as a thunderbolt. While materialistic rascals misunderstand His actions—such as His intimate dealings with the gopīs, or His apparent lack of sympathy for the asuras—pure devotees like Bhṛgu Muni, Kuntīdevī, and Bali Mahārāja are struck with wonder by His extraordinary behavior. Even when the Lord's behavior seems contradictory, such as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu radiating the effulgence of Nārāyaṇa while behaving as a humble devotee, it is always the highest expression of transcendental love and absolute perfection.
- The Ultimate Exemplar: The Supreme Lord descends to teach by His personal behavior. He demonstrates how to properly respect brāhmaṇas, government officials (like the Kazi), and elders, setting the perfect standard for human society.
- Softness and Hardness: The behavior of the Supreme Lord perfectly reconciles opposites. He can be as soft as a flower toward His surrendered devotees and as hard as a thunderbolt toward the envious demons.
- Misunderstood by the Foolish: Mundane rascals, impersonalists, and demons (like Jarāsandha) miscalculate the Lord's behavior, mistaking His transcendental pastimes for ordinary human weaknesses or immorality.
- Absolute Mercy: Pure devotees do not find fault with the Lord. They understand that even when the Lord exhibits anger, kicks a devotee (as Lord Nityānanda did to Śivānanda Sena), or strips away material opulence (as He did to Bali Mahārāja), it is an act of supreme affection.
- Divine Propensities: Because the living entities are parts and parcels of God, all psychological propensities—such as the desire for a mock fight or cunning, playful behavior—exist originally in the Supreme Lord.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God's Behavior - The Exemplary Dealings of the Supreme Person.
Subcategories
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
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K
Pages in category "God's Behavior"
The following 30 pages are in this category, out of 30 total.
A
B
- Being the SPG, Lord Rsabhadeva possessed a transcendental, spiritual body. Since the general public could not appreciate His behavior and mystic yoga practice, they began to disturb Him. To cheat them, He behaved like crows, cows and deer
- Bhrgu Muni could understand his position and that of the Lord, and he was struck with wonder at the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because of his gratitude, his voice choked up
I
- In a sporting attitude, Krsna wanted to engage in a mock fight with His devotee. As we have experienced from the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the propensities and instincts of a human being
- In his personal behavior, Prthu Maharaja exhibited all good qualities, and in spiritual knowledge he was exactly like Brhaspati. In self-control he was like the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself
O
- One should worship the brahmanas & Vaisnavas by offering them all kinds of endowments & sweet words, & if one has no means to offer anything, he must at least use sweet words to pacify them. The Lord personally exhibited this behavior towards the Kumaras
- Ordinary people cannot understand the essence of sastra, nor can they understand the pure character, behavior and abilities of strict followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s principles
- Out of His causeless mercy upon Me, Advaita Acarya has also come here. I am indebted to Him for His affectionate behavior. This debt is impossible for Me to liquidate
P
- Prakasananda Sarasvati continued, By Your (Caitanya's) effulgence it appears that You are just like the Supreme Narayana, the Personality of Godhead, but by Your behavior, You appear to be otherwise. So we are inquisitive to know why You act in this way
- Prthu Maharaja advised his citizens to follow the exemplary behavior of the Lord Himself and thus engage in the service of brahmanas and Vaisnavas
- Pure devotees do not make any distinction between the Lord's anger and His blessings. They see both with reference to the Lord's behavior with others and themselves
S
- Seeing the behavior of Maharaja Prthu with His (Lord Visnu's) lotus eyes, He was detained because He is always the well-wisher of His devotees
- Seeing the extraordinary mercy the Lord granted to the family of Bhavananda Raya, everyone was struck with wonder. They could not understand the behavior of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- Since he (Haridasa Thakura) did not go to see the temple, Lord Caitanya Himself, who is nondifferent from Jagannatha, used to come and sit with Haridasa Thakura daily. Here in Srimad-Bhagavatam we also find this same behavior of the Lord
T
- The King's (Prthu) behavior was very pleasing to the reciters, and consequently the reciters continued their praise and even foretold the King's future activities, as they had been instructed by the sadhus and sages
- The Lord bestows special favor upon His devotee by taking away all his material opulences. Bali Maharaja appreciated this behavior by the Lord
- The Lord, being the Supersoul, is extremely dear to everyone. Why, then, should the Lord display unsympathetic behavior toward the asuras? How is this impartial?
- The Mayavadi philosophy, they do not accept the form of the Lord, and they do not know how to behave with the form
- The softness of a flower and the hardness of a thunderbolt are reconciled in the behavior of a great personality. The following quotation from Uttara-rama-carita (2.7) explains this behavior. One may also consult the Madhya-lila, Third Chapter, verse 212
- This (not becoming entangled in material world) can be made possible if we become Krsna conscious by studying Krsna, learning of the transcendental nature of His activities, and understanding how He behaves in this material world & in the spiritual world
W
- When Sivananda Sena returned and Srila Nityananda Prabhu saw him, the Lord kicked him severely, complaining that He was very hungry, and asked why he had not arranged for His food. Such is the behavior of the Lord with His devotees
- When the Kazi came down to see Him (Lord Caitanya), the Lord offered him proper respect and a seat because he was a respectable government officer. Thus the Lord taught us by His personal behavior
- When this cunning behavior of the Lord with the girls became known to the people in general, it did not create misunderstandings among them. Rather, they enjoyed happiness in these dealings
- Who can be more of a leading personality than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose behavior could be more exemplary