During Pralaya, will even conditioned souls rest with Mahavishnu?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhuji, Since lord mahavishnu inhales again so one particular universe gets destroyed so srila Prabhupada said to one of his students that the souls again enter the lord. The students asked him when the cycle of birth and death ends for a particular universe. But it is just of that particular universe but if the soul at the end of the universe still don’t realise God, so it should be transferred to another universe for realisation (or) since it is already inside lord mahavishnu, it has already attained liberation without realisation? Or may be the case that all the souls of the particular universe has realised God when the universe gets destroyed?
At brahma’s death, do all the soul gets liberation? Because the soul enter lord mahavishnu as said by srila Prabhupada. I will be obliged if you clarify my doubt or misconceptions.”
REPLY:
I have taken 8 months to take this question for reply because you had written in a format even without punctuation marks that is not understandable instantly. I request the devotees to clearly write their questions within 10 lines – One question in a single mail. Writing multiple questions may make me to choose the better one. And, I keep the questions that I am unable to understand in a separate folder and take it after some delay when I find some time to understand it. Now, I have editted your question with some punctuations.
(CREATIONS BY KRISHNA : MATERIAL WORLDS – CREATION & ANNIHILATION! READ HERE!)
You have asked:
“When a planet is destroyed during pralaya, all souls are taken by Maha vishnu. Only the liberated souls can reach Mahavishnu. But during pralaya, all souls would not have liberated in a planet. Then, how can Vishnu take all souls to Him during Pralaya? Or, all souls get liberated in bulk when pralaya happens?”
Had you asked like I have asked above, I would have replied even 8 months back.
Let it be. Let us now see your question. Let me explain this in local explanation without using difficult terms and details.
During Pralaya, getting attracted/ inhaled to Vishnu happens for all. Not only for the liberated souls.
During Pralaya, all the material creations cease to exist. The whole Prakriti, ie, material nature is inhaled by Mahavishnu. And, all the souls are also inhaled by Mahavishnu.
The prakriti and souls rest in the body of Mahavishnu til the next creation. Those souls may contain both the conditioned and liberated souls.
That means, though a soul is packed with karma, it is inhaled by Mahavishnu.
(HOW KRISHNA CREATED ALL THE CREATIONS AND LIVING BEINGS? READ HERE!)
These souls, their pending karma and Prakriti (material nature) may be in a suspended/ sleep condition in the body of Mahavishnu.
When Mahavishnu likes to make the existence of all souls and Prakriti again, He just glances at the Prakriti.
Upon His glance, Prakriti starts to manifest again. All the waters, rocks, soils, start to exist.
Then, the souls that have pending karma, ie, conditioned souls are sent back to the material creations again to continue to face their karmic reactions.
Pralaya is just like renewal of creations. So, the souls with pending karmic reactions will rest in the same state with Mahavishnu after Pralaya.
The liberated souls continue to remain with Mahavishnu when the creations are made by Prakriti again.
Srimad Bhagavatam (3-26-19) says:
daivāt kṣubhita-dharmiṇyāṁ
svasyāṁ yonau paraḥ pumān
ādhatta vīryaṁ sāsūta
mahat-tattvaṁ hiraṇmayam
“After the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates material nature with His internal potency, material nature delivers the sum total of the cosmic intelligence, which is known as Hiraṇmaya. This takes place in material nature when she is agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls.”
Srila Prabhupada writes in the verse (3-26-21):
“A person at night remains inactive, covered by the darkness of night, but when he is awakened in the morning, the covering of night, or the forgetfulness of the sleeping state, disappears. Similarly, when the mahat-tattva appears after the night of dissolution, the effulgence is manifested to exhibit the variegatedness of this material world.”
(Pralaya and End of Creations – Timing as per the Scriptures! READ HERE!)
The material creation follows cycles of creation, maintenance, and dissolution. With the help of Brahma, the material energy creates various life forms, and the souls are sent into appropriate bodies, determined by their past karmas.
For understanding, during re-creation, in the womb of the material energy, the Supreme Lord impregnates the souls. Then, inspired by the karmas of the individual souls, the souls get diferent bodies for them.
Liberated souls continue to be with Mahavishnu.
In this process, Brahma has role only during the start of the existence of creations again.
So, the condensed reply for your question is:
All souls need not get liberated to get rest with Mahavishnu after Pralaya. Even conditioned souls rest with Vishnu and come back and start facing their karmic reactions from where they left before Pralaya.
Liberation is not a condition for getting rest with Mahavishnu during Pralaya.
You have also asked whether all souls get liberated when a Brahma dies.
No. Brahma is not connected to liberation. He is also a living being like us but with more powers. Brahma can’t give liberation for a soul because even Brahma is not liberated. Only Vishnu/ Krishna can give liberation for a soul.
Hope you are clear whether during Pralaya, even conditioned souls rest with Mahavishnu.
(Start of Creations by Krishna thru different manifestations! READ HERE!)