The dream was that Krsna in His many forms was bowing the row

Trivikrama: Then you had a dream?
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Hari-sauri: What was that, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: That is...(laughs) The dream was I must come here.
Hari-sauri: It was some instruction that you got?
Prabhupada: The dream was that Krsna in His many forms was bowing the row. What is called?
Hari-sauri: Rowing the boat.
Prabhupada: Yes.

[S.P. Room Conversation, June 8, 1976, Los Angeles]

 

Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship

Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion Lord Sri Krishna. There is a Bengali poem made by me today in this connection. At about eleven there is a little lurching. The captain tells that they had never such calmness of the Atlantic. I said it is Lord Krishna's mercy. His wife asked me to come back again with them so that they may have again a calm Atlantic Ocean. If Atlantic would have shown its usual face perhaps I would have died. But Lord Krishna has taken charge of the ship…… Today is the 33rd day of our journey and at 3 o'clock in the morning I saw the sky cloudy with dim moon-light. From morning till 1 o'clock the sky remained cloudy and at 1/30 p.m. there was a shower of rain. The sky is still cloudy and the wind is blowing from south-east corner and raining at intervals. The whole day passed in that way and the wind assumed a para-cyclonic face with dense cloud resulting in rain till 9/30 p.m. with regular lightening etc. At ten o'clock when I was talking in the captain's room the chief engineer Mr. Travers told me that he had never such experience of calm & quietness of the Atlantic Ocean. There was always typhoon, cyclone, fog, etc. at least for days in every trip in the past(?). I said it is Lord Krishna's Grace. If such things as usual in Atlantic would have taken place, I would die.  

[Srila Prabhupada’s Jaladuta Diary Monday 13^th and Tuesday 14^th September 1965]   

 

The Lord, however, talks with the advanced devotee, and the advanced devotee also sees Him. It is all factual; it is not a dream.

TRANSLATION " 'You know that I come and eat the offerings, but because of external separation, you consider this a dream.

PURPORT: Because mother Saci was feeling separation from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, she thought she was dreaming that her son had come to her. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, wanted to inform her that actually it was not a dream. He actually came there and ate whatever His mother offered Him. Such are the dealings of advanced devotees with the Supreme personality of Godhead. As stated in the Brahma-samhita:

 

              premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

               santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti

             yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam

              govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

   "I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee." (Brahma-samhita 5.38) pure devotees realize dealings with the Lord on the transcendental plane, but because the devotees are still in the material world, they think that these are dreams. The Lord, however, talks with the advanced devotee, and the advanced devotee also sees Him. It is all factual; it is not a dream. 

[Srila Prabhupada from Caitanya Caritamrta Antya Lila 3.31]

Note: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, wanted to inform us that actually it was not a dream. He actually came there and rowed the boat in His many forms of incarnation. Such are the dealings of Srila Prabhupada with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord personally talked with Srila Prabhupada, and His Divine Grace also saw Him in His many forms rowing the Jaladuta to America. It was all factual; it was not a dream.

How special a devotee is Srila Prabhupada that ALL THE INCARNATION MANIFEST to safely take him to the USA. How important is Srila Prabhupada and his mission, i think we can understand a little from this pastime.

 

The Lord can hear from such a distant place, He can eat from there, and He can appear simultaneously in all places at a moment's notice. Such is the omnipotency of the Lord.

The Lord resides in His Vaikuntha planet. No one can estimate how far away this planet is situated. It is said, however, that anyone trying to reach that planet by airships or by mindships, traveling for millions of years, will find it still unknown. Modern scientists have invented airships which are material, and the yogis make a still finer material attempt to travel by mindships. The yogis can reach any distant place very quickly with the help of mindships. But neither the airship nor the mindship has access to the kingdom of God in the Vaikunthaloka, situated far beyond the material sky. Since this is the situation, how was it possible for the prayers of the elephant to be heard from such an unlimitedly distant place, and how could the Lord at once appear on the spot? These things cannot be calculated by human imagination. All this was possible by the unlimited power of the Lord, and therefore the Lord is described here as aprameya, for not even the best human brain can estimate His powers and potencies by mathematical calculation. The Lord can hear from such a distant place, He can eat from there, and He can appear simultaneously in all places at a moment's notice. Such is the omnipotency of the Lord.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.16]

 

Many Visnu incarnations expand at different ages in the duration of the cosmic manifestation. They are expanded only for the transcendental happiness of the pure devotees.

 From the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, many Visnu incarnations expand at different ages in the duration of the cosmic manifestation. They are expanded only for the transcendental happiness of the pure devotees. The incarnations of Visnu, who appear at different ages and times, are never to be compared to the conditioned souls. The visnu-tattvas are not to be compared to deities like Brahma and Siva, nor are they on the same level.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.2]

 

The Personality of Godhead manifests His multiforms according to the desires of the devotees

TRANSLATION: He approached the Personality of Godhead, who bestows all boons and who dispels the agony of His devotees and of those who take shelter of His lotus feet. He manifests His innumerable transcendental forms for the satisfaction of His devotees.

PURPORT: Here the words bhaktanam anurupatma-darsanam mean that the Personality of Godhead manifests His multiforms according to the desires of the devotees. For example, Hanumanji (Vajrangaji) wanted to see the form of the Lord as the Personality of Godhead Ramacandra, whereas other Vaisnavas want to see the form of Radha-Krsna, and still other devotees want to see the Lord in the form of Laksmi-Narayana. The Mayavadi philosophers think that although all these forms are assumed by the Lord just as the devotees desire to see Him, actually He is impersonal. From Brahma-samhita, however, we can understand that this is not so, for the Lord has multiforms. It is said in the Brahma-samhita, advaitam acyutam. The Lord does not appear before the devotee because of the devotee's imagination. Brahma-samhita further explains that the Lord has innumerable forms: ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan. He exists in millions and millions of forms. There are 8,400,000 species of living entities, but the incarnations of the Supreme Lord are innumerable. In the Bhagavatam it is stated that as the waves in the sea cannot be counted but appear and disappear continually, the incarnations and forms of the Lord are innumerable. A devotee is attached to a particular form, and it is that form which he worships. We have just described the first appearance of the boar within this universe. There are innumerable universes, and somewhere or other the boar form is now existing. All the forms of the Lord are eternal. It is the devotee's inclination to worship a particular form, and he engages in devotional service to that form. In a verse in the Ramayana, Hanuman, the great devotee of Rama, said, "I know that there is no difference between the Sita-Rama and Laksmi-Narayana forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but nevertheless, the form of Rama and Sita has absorbed my affection and love. Therefore I want to see the Lord in the forms of Rama and Sita." Similarly, the Gaudiya Vaisnava loves the forms of Radha and Krsna, and Krsna and Rukmini at Dvaraka. The words bhaktanam anurupatma-darsanam mean that the Lord is always pleased to favor the devotee in the particular form in which the devotee wants to worship and render service unto Him. In this verse it is stated that Brahma approached Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This form of the Lord is Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Whenever there is some trouble and Brahma has to approach the Lord, he can approach Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and it is the grace of the Lord that whenever Brahma approaches about disturbances in the universe, the Lord gives him relief in so many ways.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.20.25]

 

Similarly, no one can calculate when and how the different incarnations of the Lord appear according to the necessities of time, place and candidates.

In the previous verses it has been described that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material form, He accepts innumerable forms to favor His devotees and kill the demons. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are so many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that they are like the waves of a river. The waves of a river flow incessantly, and no one can count how many waves there are. Similarly, no one can calculate when and how the different incarnations of the Lord appear according to the necessities of time, place and candidates.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 8.3.12]

 

It is only by the personal sweet will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that He appears and disappears, and only fortunate devotees can expect to see Him face to face.

All the incarnations described in the sastras act wonderfully (kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare). It is only by the personal sweet will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that He appears and disappears, and only fortunate devotees can expect to see Him face to face.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.46]

 

There is no limit to the Lord's incarnations, but they can be perceived only by devotees who are fortunate.

The incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead appear continuously, like the waves of a river or an ocean. There is no limit to the Lord's incarnations, but they can be perceived only by devotees who are fortunate.

[Srila Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.42]