Whats the difference between the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana?
Philosophy · asked by user [] · 2009-09-06 · 2 answers
Is it that Rama stays in one of the Vaikuntha planets and Krishna stays in Vaikuntha?
Do souls in Vaikuntha go to Goloka Vrindavana? Or do they have to be reborn on earth to be promoted?
It is said that those who are enamoured of Vishnus magnificence and splendour go to Vaikuntha and those who have pure love for Krishna, go to GV.
Which destination is better and why?
Do souls in Vaikuntha go to Goloka Vrindavana? Or do they have to be reborn on earth to be promoted?
It is said that those who are enamoured of Vishnus magnificence and splendour go to Vaikuntha and those who have pure love for Krishna, go to GV.
Which destination is better and why?
user [38] · 2009-09-16
Rama stays in Ayodhya and Krishna in Goloka.There are special cases. In general everyone goes where he belongs and is fully satisfied there. So there is no better destination in this sense.
user [154] · 2009-10-17
Amongst millions of liberated souls, to find a devotee of the Lord is very rare. Even the devotee interested in the majestic aspect of the Lord cannot see Goloka. They attain service to the majestic form of the Lord in Vaikuntha, after getting liberation. Amongst those who worship Krsna in the rasa of Vraja, only those to whom Krsan bestows mercy are able to see Goloka. By the mercy of Krsna the vastu siddha bhakta is brought to Goloka. Those who are svarupa siddhas remain in this world with the identity of a gopi. Those who are covered by the mode of ignorance, see only the material world, even when performing their worship. Those covered by the mode of passion can see a little better. Those devotees in sattva mode realize a reflection of Goloka when they see the earthy Gokula. The devotees beyond the modes of nature very quickly obtain a body of a gopi in Goloka, the spiritual world, by the mercy of Krsna. Goloka becomes realized to the extent of the removal of maya. --Bhaktivinoda Thakura Sri Caitanya Siksamrita - 7
Above Vaikuntha is Goloka Vrndavana, where Sri Krsnacandra, who is the perfect object for all five rasas, is eternally worshiped by His devotees, who are the repositories of love. Devotional service is meant for Him alone. Since the Hari-janas worshipable Lord is not present within the fourteen worlds as any material object, within the waters of the Viraja as the neutral balance of the material modes, or within Brahmaloka in formless Brahman, they have nothing do with these places. The worshipable Lord of the pancaratrika Vaisnavas resides in Vaikuntha, and the worshipable Lord of the bhagavata Vaisnavas resides in Goloka.
--Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Brahmana and Vaisnava