From the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, it is explicit that he has sometimes said that no one falls from Vaikuntha, and sometimes that we fell from Krishna’s association.  The fall-vadis like to proclaim that there are just a scant few statements by Srila Prabhupada, that no one falls from Vaikuntha, and even those are not definitive.  And in any case they are fewer.  We have not made a count for comparison, because the sheer number of statements of one over the other cannot be accepted as proof of the siddhanta. 

For example, the Bhagavatam states Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam only once, but Srila Jiva Gosvami, after careful analysis concludes that it is the “emperor statement” of the Bhagavatam.  Although stated only one time, it is the siddhanta.  Our approach to solving this problem is to first ascertain what is the siddhanta; once we have the answer, then it is simply a matter of relegating all statements that contradict the siddhanta to preaching strategy.  Thus far we have shown that two predecessor acaryas do not support fall down from Vaikuntha.  We find that Srila Prabhupada made many similar statements.  Hereafter we cite some examples from Prabhupada supporting the position that the jiva does not fall.  We cite many of these statements because some of our readers may not be aware that Prabhupada made so many clear and definitive statements on this point—statements that need no interpretation:

From Vedic scriptures it is understood that sometimes even Brahma and Indra fall down, but a devotee in the transcendental abode of the Lord never falls. (Bhag. 3.15.48, purport)

The conclusion is that no one falls from the spiritual world or Vaikuntha, for it is the eternal abode.” (Bhag. 3.16.26, purport)

This ordinary living being is of two kinds—nitya-baddha or nitya-mukta.  One is eternally conditioned and the other is eternally liberated.  The eternally liberated living beings are in Vaikuntha jagat, the spiritual world and they never fall into the material world. (Bhag. 5.11.12, purport)

The nitya-siddha devotees never fall down to the region of the material atmosphere even though they sometimes come into the material plane to execute the mission of the Lord. (Bhag. 3.3.26, purport)

Therefore, it is to be understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise, it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha. (Bhag. 7.1.35, purport).

Ordinarily, there is no possibility that the four sages could be so angry with the doorkeepers, nor could the Supreme Lord neglect His two doorkeepers, nor can one come back from Vaikuntha after once taking birth there.  (Bhag. 3.16.29, purport)

The devotees of the Lord, however, never fall down. In Bhagavad-gita (9.31), the Supreme Personality of Godhead assures Arjuna, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: “O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” Again, in Bhagavad-gita (2.40), Krishna says:

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous types of fear.”  (Bg. 2.40), (NOI 3 purport)

A pure living entity in his original spiritual existence is fully conscious of his constitutional position as an eternal servitor of the Lord.  All souls who are situated in such pure consciousness are liberated, and therefore they eternally live in bliss and knowledge in the various Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky. When the material creation is manifested, it is not meant for them.  The eternally liberated souls are called nitya-muktas, and they have nothing to do with the material creation.  (Bhag. 3.5.29, purport)

They are all self-realized souls who are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated.  Although they could conceivably declare themselves Narayana or Visnu, they never do so; they always remain Krishna conscious and serve the Lord faithfully. Such is the atmosphere of Vaikuntha-loka.  Similarly, one who learns the faithful service of Lord Krishna through the Krishna consciousness movement will always remain in Vaikuntha-loka and have nothing to do with the material world.  (Bhag. 6.1.34, 36, purport)

But once one is engaged in the spiritual activities of bhakti-yoga, one does not fall down.  (Bhag. 8.3.11)

The living entities are divided into two categories—the eternally liberated and eternally conditioned.  Those who are ever-liberated never come in contact with maya, the external energy. The ever-conditioned are always under the clutches of the external energy.  This is described in Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome.” (Bg. 7.14) The nitya-baddhas are always conditioned by the external energy, and the nitya-muktas never come in contact with the external energy.  (Cc. Madhya. 22. 14-15)

Sometimes it is asked how the living entity falls down from the spiritual world to the material world.  Here is the answer,

“Unless one is elevated to the Vaikuntha planets, directly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is prone to fall down, either from the impersonal Brahman realization or from an ecstatic trance of meditation.”  (Bhag. 3.25.29, purport)

Here Srila Prabhupada raises the question himself and then answers it.  The meaning is clear—that no one falls from Vaikuntha.  Surprisingly, fall-vadis either offer no explanation of these statements or they interpret them to mean that no one falls from Vaikuntha after returning there from the material world.  This raises a number of problems:  If one does not fall after attaining Vaikuntha, why is it that those already there fall? Have they not attained Vaikuntha?  If liberated souls can fall, why does the Lord say in Bhagavad-gita (15.16) that those in the spiritual world are infallible?  If the mahatmas are under the shelter and protection of His daivi-prakrti, which is proclaimed throughout the sastras to be His superior energy, how can the liberated devotees be taken out of the internal energy’s protection?  These are all very serious questions that come to mind when the fall down theory is considered, because if accepted as the philosophy they immediately lodge us in many inconsistencies.