Sometimes the Lord is apparent because of “unpredictable” or “surprise” events. A theist construes such events as “Krishna’s arrangement.”

In “Brihad Bhagavatamrta,” translated by Gopiparanadana prabhu, Lord Nrsinghadeva licks the body of Prahlada Maharaja as a gesture of supreme affection. In this way great souls like Brahma and Lord Siva glorify Prahlada as being more intimate with Krsna than they can ever be.

Mayavadis, and impersonalists in many other traditions think of God as “the white light,” and don’t go beyond this understanding. The “Jyotir-vadis,” we might call them, deny anything personal in the Supreme Lord.

In an arrival address lecture in New York, Srila Prabhupada said this: “Just like in English language there is the word, “If you love me, love my dog.” So the spiritual master is the “dog” of God; therefore if the spiritual master is patted, God is very much pleased.” The original quote is attributed to Saint Bernard who was born in 1091 (maybe that’s how the dog breed got its name?). It goes like this in English: “Love me, love my dog” and like this in Latin: “Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.”

Srila Prabhupada also often quoted the second verse of the Vedanta Sutra, namely, Janmady asya yatah: “Brahman is the origin of everything.” You will find it quoted throughout Srimad Bhagavatam, appearing first in Canto One, verse one.

A beautiful verse in the Srimad Bhagavatam explains that one’s service to Krishna is not because He needs it, but because the offerer needs it. In the Seventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Prahlada Maharaja says that: “The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord’s mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one’s face is decorated, the reflection of one’s face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.”

In a Vrindavana lecture on the twenty-second of October, 1972, Srila Prabhupada said this about acaryas: “Acaryas will never say, “I think.” “It is in my opinion.” No. Such things are not accepted. No personal opinion. It must be supported by Vedic evidences. That is called parampara system, genuine system of understanding. As Krsna says, ‘evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2].’ No change.”

The size of Rathayatra carts and the infectious festive mood they generate, when careening through the streets and landmarks in major world cities, is testimony to Srila Prabhupada’s greatness and to his one professed “defect”, namely “I can’t do anything small.”

It’s been said that this is how a Vaisnava reacts to obstacles: Difficult? Do it tommorrow. Impossible? It’ll take a little longer. In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, First chapter, thirty-fifth verse, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Since the Supreme Lord is all-powerful, He can do things that seem wonderful for a common man. Similarly, a devotee who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord can also do wonderful things unimaginable to a common man, by the grace of the dust of those lotus feet. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore teaches us to take shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet.” And in the purport to Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Vol 6, Chapter 16, verse 65, he writes, “Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives credit to a devotee who performs any heavy task perfectly. Hanumanji, or Vajrangaji, the servant of Lord Ramacandra, serves as another example. It was Hanumanji who jumped over the sea in one leap and reached the shore of Lanka from the shore of Bharata-varsa. When Lord Ramacandra chose to go there, He paved the way with stones, although by His will the stones were able to float on the sea. If we simply follow Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions and follow in the footsteps of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, this Krsna consciousness movement can advance, and EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TASKS CAN BE PERFORMED [emphasis mine] by the preachers remaining faithful to the service of the Lord.”

“When ancient Navadvipa was discovered, the people of modern Kuliya, Navadvipa, became very envious. They began to say so many things and showered various abusive words on the devotees of Gauranga.” (Biography of Thakura Bhaktivinoda quoted in Sri Bhaktivinoda Vani Vaibhava Vol 1, published by Touchstone Media, no date given)