Srila Prabhupada makes it clear that instead of asking about how did we fall into this material world, we should ask how to get out of here. He equates this attitude to someone drowning in the ocean who starts asking how he fell into the sea when offered help instead of first getting out of the water and asking questions later.

It makes perfect sense when we think about it logically, but there is also an emotional factor that makes us often take the wrong turn: the fear that the person who is supposed to save us is the same one who put us here. The ultimate conspiracy theory.

The sastras, as well as our previous acaryas, explain that we are eternal servants of Krsna. This makes perfectly clear what our original position is. However, at the same time, it is made clear that no one falls from the spiritual world. How can we come from the spiritual energy if no one falls from the spiritual world?

The fact is that this is a very complicated question. Srila Prabhupada gave a simple analogy that covers the central idea, explaining that is just like someone falling asleep. During his sleep, he forgets who He is and dreams of being someone else. He may travel to different places in the dream and it may seem that a very long time passed, but when he wakes up he sees that he actually never left his bed. Similarly, he explains, we were previously with Krsna in His lila or sport, but due to our own choice, we fell into this material world. However, when we become again Krsna Conscious we notice we are back to the original place and just a moment passed. Just like someone dreams without ever leaving his bed, we never actually leave the company of Krsna, although, under the influence of illusion, we imagine doing so.

Prabhupada further explains this idea in a class on SB 2.9.1 (Tokyo Japan 1972), where he embarks on a long explanation about how the soul falls into the material trap, culminating with: “This situation, our contact with matter, is just like dream. Actually, we are not fallen. Therefore, because we are not fallen, at any moment we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we understand that, “I have nothing to do with. I am simply Kṛṣṇa’s servant. Eternal servant. That’s all,” immediately he becomes liberated. Exactly like that: as soon as you… Sometimes we do that. When the fearful dreaming becomes too much intolerable, we break the dream. We break the dream when it becomes intolerable. Similarly, we can break this material connection at any moment as soon as we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. “Oh, Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. I am His servant.” That’s all. This is the way. Actually, we are not fallen. There cannot be any fallen. The same example: Actually there is no tiger; it is dreaming. Similarly, our fallen condition is also dreaming. We are not fallen. We can simply give up that illusory condition at any moment. At any moment.”

This analogy of material existence being like a dream is Prabhupada’s answer to the paradox of the soul coming to the material world although no one falls from Vaikunta. In a dream, one can go to different places, but when he wakes up he realizes he never left his bed. The dream is not false, it happened, but it is illusory in nature, just like our stay in this material world. When the illusory influence of Maya is dissipated, we discover that we actually never left.

In this way, the analogy covers the central point, but some will accuse it of not covering all the intricate philosophical details. As in any analogy, it can only go so far. If we don’t want to accept it and instead want to use our brains to understand every intricate detail we fall back into the original problem.

The fact Prabhupada emphasizes that we should not try to solve this question implies that it is just not possible to fully understand it using our imperfect material intelligence. When one becomes liberated this becomes a very easy question, but it’s not possible to fully understand it while we are still in the grip of the material nature, just like one can’t fully understand what reality is while he is still dreaming.

The ones who try to do that end up reaching the wrong answers. The most dangerous of them is the ultimate conspiracy theory, that Krsna randomly sends some of the souls to the material world so He can play His Lila of saving us.

If one can’t hold himself and needs an answer, I suggest studying the last chapter of the story of King Puranjana, described in the 4th canto, more specifically in chapter 28. This is precisely the part of Srimad Bhagavatam that answers this question.

Some try to disqualify this explanation arguing that this explanation is part of an allegory, and thus can’t be taken at face value. I found this a very dangerous mentality, too close for comfort to the approach of the Mayavadis, who emphasize certain parts of the scripture while minimizing the others in an effort to sustain their theories. All parts of the Srimad Bhagavatam are correct and any explanation has to harmonize all parts.

As Srila Prabhupada explains (4.28.65p): “There are many similar stories in the Purāṇas for self-realization. As stated in the Vedas, parokṣa-priyā iva hi devāḥ. There are many stories in the Purāṇas that are intended to interest ordinary men in transcendental subjects, but actually these refer to real facts. They are not to be considered stories without a transcendental purpose.”

So, what the 28th chapter of the 4th canto reveals to us?

The context is that, after a life of fruitive activities and sense gratification as a man, King Puranjana goes to hell to pay for his sins and is later reborn as a woman, who has the opportunity of marrying Malayadhvaja, a pure devotee of Krsna. Due to his association, she also becomes attracted to the service of Krsna.

After serving her husband for a very long time and even following him during his practice of austerities in the stage of Vanaprastha, she sees herself alone in the forest after her husband passes away. After creating the body of her husband she starts to lament pitifully and is approached by the Lord Himself, who comes to her in the form of a Brahmana.

The allegory of King Puranjana is actually not an allegory, because it describes the true story of King Pracinabarhi and ultimately the story of all of us. After traveling for a very long time in the lower species we come to this human body (compared to the city where Puranjana becomes the king) and when we suffer some irreparable loss we lament. The message that the Lord gives to Puranjana is thus a message for all of us. He says (SB 4.28-52-55):

“Who are you? Whose wife or daughter are you? Who is the man lying here? It appears you are lamenting for this dead body. Don’t you recognize Me? I am your eternal friend. You may remember that many times in the past you have consulted Me.

My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can’t you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world.

My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Mānasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home.

My dear friend, you are now My very same friend. Since you left Me, you have become more and more materialistic, and not seeing Me, you have been traveling in different forms throughout this material world, which was created by some woman.”

As Srila Prabhupada explains (SB 4.28.53p):

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself into many. In order to enjoy bliss more and more, the Supreme Lord expands Himself in different categories. As mentioned in the Varāha Purāṇa, He expands Himself in viṣṇu-tattva (the svāṁśa expansion) and in His marginal potency (the vibhinnāṁśa, or the living entity). These expanded living entities are innumerable, just as the minute molecules of sunshine are innumerable expansions of the sun. The vibhinnāṁśa expansions, the marginal potencies of the Lord, are the living entities. When the living entities desire to enjoy themselves, they develop a consciousness of duality and come to hate the service of the Lord. In this way the living entities fall into the material world.”

“The natural position of the living entity is to serve the Lord in a transcendental loving attitude. When the living entity wants to become Kṛṣṇa Himself or imitate Kṛṣṇa, he falls down into the material world. Since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, His affection for the living entity is eternal. When the living entity falls down into the material world, the Supreme Lord, through His svāṁśa expansion (Paramātmā), keeps company with the living entity. In this way the living entity may some day return home, back to Godhead.

By misusing his independence, the living entity falls down from the service of the Lord and takes a position in this material world as an enjoyer — that is to say, the living entity takes his position within a material body. Wanting to take a very exalted position, the living entity instead becomes entangled in a repetition of birth and death. He selects his position as a human being, a demigod, a cat, a dog, a tree, etc. In this way the living entity selects a body out of the 8,400,000 forms and tries to satisfy himself by a variety of material enjoyment. The Supersoul, however, does not like him to do this. Consequently, the Supersoul instructs him to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord then takes charge of the living entity. But unless the living entity is uncontaminated by material desires, he cannot surrender to the Supreme Lord.”

He emphasizes similar points in his purport in verse 54:

“The original home of the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the spiritual world. In the spiritual world both the Lord and the living entities live together very peacefully. Since the living entity remains engaged in the service of the Lord, they both share a blissful life in the spiritual world. However, when the living entity wants to enjoy himself, he falls down into the material world. Even while he is in that position, the Lord remains with him as the Supersoul, his intimate friend. Because of his forgetfulness, the living entity does not know that the Supreme Lord is accompanying him as the Supersoul. In this way the living entity remains conditioned in each and every millennium. Although the Lord follows him as a friend, the living entity, because of forgetful material existence, does not recognize Him.”

Being an eternal servant of Krsna, how can the soul forget Him and fall into the material world? In this spiritual world, there is no influence of the three modes, and therefore there is no force that can force the soul to come to this material world. However, being part and parcel of Krsna, each soul is embued with free will, and when such free will is misused we come to envy Krsna and desire to become an independent enjoyer in this material world. Krsna is innocent, we are here due to our own choice. It’s our own fault.

People accept conspiracy theories when they don’t want to accept the truth. Similarly, blaming Krsna is a way to avoid accepting the fact that it is our own choice. Krsna doesn’t want us to be here. It’s time to go back.

This is further corroborated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who wrote:

“The independent jiva is a beloved servant of Krsna, and thus Krsna is kind and compassionate towards him. Seeing the misfortune of the jiva, as he misuses his independence and becomes attached to maya, He chases after him, weeping and weeping, and appears in the material world to deliver him. Sri Krsna, the ocean of compassion, His heart melting with mercy for the jivas, manifests His acintya-lila in the material world, thinking that His appearance will enable the jiva to see His nectarean pastimes. However, the jiva does not understand the truth about Krsna’s pastimes, even after being showered by so much mercy, so Krsna then descends in Sri Navadvipa in the form of guru. He personally describes the supreme process of chanting His name, form, qualities and pastimes, and personally instructs and inspires the jivas to take to this path by practicing it Himself. Baba, how can you accuse Krsna of being at fault in any way when He is so merciful? His mercy is unlimited, but our misfortune is lamentable.” (Jaiva Dharma, ch. 16)