Question: I was wondering if it is the official view of ISKCON that Srila Prabhupada is Nitya Siddha?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
There is no such official view. By studying the life of Srila Prabhupada and on the basis of scriptural evidence, however, we can see that Srila Prabhupada was an exceptionally empowered representative of the Lord and a perfected soul, siddha.
We know from scriptures three kinds of liberated souls – sadhana siddha, kripa siddha and nitya siddha. But once they become siddha, perfect, through whichever process, they are all considered on the same level. Ultimately there is no distinction.
This is also in line with the conclusion that the soul is always untouched by the influence of matter, even in the conditioned state. Just as the moon appears to move in its reflection on water, despite its actual steady position in the firmament, so the conditioned soul’s reflection on the material body appears to be changing, but the soul is unaffected, and as soon as he is reinstated in his constitutional position, he is eternally liberated.
Numerous examples are found where a perfected pure devotee is accepted as a perfect or siddha associate of the Lord. The classical example is Narada Muni – we can read narrations of his previous life as the son of a maidservant, and even the lifetime prior to that as a Gandharva in heavenly planets. But by the mercy of Bhaktivedantas he became a siddha, and was awarded a transcendental body. Again in his next life, which was in the next day of Brahma, he appeared as Narada Muni, but with complete freedom to move anywhere in the material and spiritual worlds. (Cf SB 1.6.27, 28, 29, and 30). Similarly, Prahlada is also described as a siddha or perfect soul, although born in a demoniac family, and there are other such examples.
Srila Prabhupada in fact sometimes defined a nitya siddha as one who is never forgetful of Krishna throughout his whole life. He also said of his own life, “So far my present life is concerned, I do not remember any part of my life when I was forgetful of Krishna” (Letter to Tamala Krsna dasa – Los Angeles 21 June, 1970), and that despite numerous opportunities to engage in sinful activities, he had always led a spotlessly pure life. From his characteristics and his extraordinary endowment to uplift all classes of people to the highest perfection of life, we can get a glimpse of appreciation of his own position of perfection in spiritual realization.
