Sonhood of God

We are worshippers not of the fatherhood of Godhead, but of the sonhood of Godhead. We don’t worship Him as the creator or as the controller, out on the circumference, but in the conception of sonhood, He is in the centre. He is not on the circumference, but in the centre. It is not that from one side He is furnishing everything, creating everything in the background. No; He is in the centre. That is the conception of Srimad Bhagavatam: sonhood, and then consorthood, a more heavenly expression, is found there. He is there in the centre, and His extensions emanate from Him. So in our conception of the Absolute, His father is controlling Him, His mother is abusing Him and punishing Him, and He is also seen to fall at the feet of His beloved. What to speak of Guru, even Godhead Himself may appear to become bewildered about His absolute position.

And why? Love divine. Prema. So how highly precious a thing divine love must be. After liberation, beyond calculative devotion, in the highest plane of the whole creation, eternal love reigns supreme. And that divine love emanates from Him just as rays of light emanate from the sun.

So, He is at the centre, and His extension is on all sides. Baladev on one hand supplies the energy of existence, maintaining everything in the background, and the ecstatic side is controlled by His potency Srimati Radharani, who can make the Absolute Independent a ball in the play of Her hand.

It is inconceivable, it is incalculable, but this is the very nature of Divinity. The Lord says, «Aham bhakta-paradhino: yes, I have freely accepted subjugation to My devotees. I have no independence of My own. The way My devotees treat Me is so wonderful that it makes Me subservient to them.» Divine love is so charming that it is considered to be the ultimate goal of life, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally came along with Nityananda Prabhu to broadcast that news to the world.