Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 20.397
Understanding Kṛṣṇa’s Eternally Present Pastimes
“The eternal pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are continuously taking place in the original Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. These same pastimes are gradually manifested within the material world, in each and every brahmāṇḍa.
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are eternally present in the original Goloka Vṛndāvana and in the material universes. They are therefore called nitya-līlā, eternally present pastimes.
- Although the sun appears to rise and set, it is continuously shining somewhere on the earth. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes seem to appear and disappear, yet all His līlās are present simultaneously throughout innumerable universes.
- The 125 years calculated in our solar system as Kṛṣṇa’s lifetime equal one moment for Kṛṣṇa. Our limited senses make His eternal pastimes difficult to understand, so we should learn from the sun’s example and accept the verdict of the Vedic literatures.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on how the sun keeps shining when it is out of your sight, then reread the explanation of Kṛṣṇa’s nitya-līlā.
Ask yourself
How can the sun’s example help you understand something that your limited senses cannot directly observe?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.