6.1 Only by your power, O Almighty, is illusion mighty 

tomāra icchāya saba 

hoy māyā-baśa

It is, O Lord, by your arrangement

That all fall to illusion’s enticement

My dear Lord, Srila Prabhupada articulates a profound truth about reconciling the mighty power of illusion with your almighty will. You are always the well-wisher of every living being, desiring only good for all and harm for none.

O compassionate Lord, why then do we fall into illusion? It is not because you do not care for us; it is because you care so much that you honor our autonomy. You have given each of us free will, and free will would be meaningless without an arena to exercise it. Therefore, you provide the material world as an arena where we may live apart from you—or even oppose you—if we so choose.

O supremely wise Lord, between your benevolent supreme will and our ignorant free will lies a volatile tension. Just as a teacher sets an exam with wrong options—not to mislead but to test—so too do you permit illusion. Yet, like a perfect teacher, you also guide us—through saints, scriptures, and the whisper of conscience. Thus, by your compassion, you transform this domain of illusion into a domain of education.

My beloved Lord, Srila Prabhupada’s mission itself is an expression of your compassion—inspiring those devoted to you to dedicate themselves to the liberation of lost souls. O Lord who respects my free will, please inspire me to use it freely and fully for loving and serving you.