Why doesn't Lord Krishna give Moksha to everyone?

Question

If Krishna wants, he can give Moksha to everyone.

Bhagavad Gita 18.66:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Meaning:- Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

By his grace, he can free anyone from sins. Why his grace will only fall if one surrenders to him? Why doesn't he give Moksha to everyone? Because everyone's ultimate goal is Moksha so just give them Moksha.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said:

There is another class of devotees, known as Kripasiddha, that is to say, those on whom the grace of God descends all of a sudden and who at once attain His vision and Knowledge. Such people may be likened to a room that has been dark a thousand years, which, when a lamp is brought into it, becomes light immediately, not little by little.

So it is possible that every single creature could get Moksha just by the grace of God.

Answer 1

Before looking into the answer let us first look at few questions.

1. Why did Government create prison houses?
2. Government has the power to release all the prisoners.Why doesn't the head of Government release all of them?

Many Vaishnav acharyas compare this material world(that includes different heavenly and hellish planets) to a prison house.

So why was this material world created?

Actually This material world is eternal it was never created.(BG 13.20)

Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.

For those who are envious of GOD are sent to this world. We can see that everybody here wants to lord it over material nature; some one wants to be a master of his family, someone master of his country, master of his job etc. But in reality Krishna is the master of entire cosmic creation. I discuss this matter in more detail in my answer here .

Why Doesn't Krishna grant liberation to all?

The living entities in this world may be broadly classified in 2 categories.

1. those who are engaged in sense gratification(serving the illusory energy of krishna )
2. Those who are engaged in service of God(PATH OF SELF REALIZATION)

And Krishna says:

As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.

So if someone wants to serve external illusory energy of GOD; Krishna grants his desire and sends such person to this world/or keeps the person in this world.

Basically God doesn't interfere with out free will(I discuss this free will in my above linked answer).Because there is no point in showing a gun to a girl and asking her to say 'I Love You' :D . In that circumstance anyone will say as you dictate. God does not impose himself on us. We came here by our wish so he wants us to return on our own wish.

So point here is :He sent us to this world because we wanted to come here.

How do we know that Krishna respects our will?

At the end of Geeta Krishna Says :

Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.

So here he is not forcing Arjuna to carry out His(Krishna's) will instead asks Arjuna to do as he wishes to.

In addition I would also mention a small story(I guess its a folk tale but i'm not sure):

Story goes roughly like this: Once sage Narada was visiting different places of pilgrimage on earth where he saw many people engaged in worshiping Vishnu. He was bewildered as to how come Vaikuntha is so vacant. These people are so pious they must be in Vaikuntha.

So when he reached Vaikuntha He asked Lord Narayana about it. lord said 'You can bring all of them here if they wish to'. Narada became happy and came back on earth.

He asked people if they desire to come to Vaikuntha. Half of them did not know what Vaikuntha was and others were just not interested since they were deeply attached to their kinsmen etc. then Narada realized what is the condition of living entities of this world.

P.S.: I have given a crude example of Prison houses built by government. SO Based on criminal actions of person judiciary system send a person to prison. however Krishna sees intentions and desires and accordingly places a person in different abode.Krishna being the supersoul in everyone's heart is aware of the intentions of all living beings.

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.

Edit1:

Great Acaryas have descended in this world over period of time. Someone might ask are Acharyas(great Vedantist such as Shankara,Ramanuja,Madhav etc.) envious of GOD?

In answer we can look back to our example of Prison House. Sometimes police in-charge, minister or in some cases even head of state may enter a prison to see that administration is going on well. However it is not wise to think that they are prisoners.

Basically there are two types of living entities

1. Nitya-Mukta(Eternally liberated)
2. Nitya-baddha(Eternally Bound)

So Most of great Acaryas(Not all may be) are considered as Nitya-Mukta or are considered as incarnation of God.

They descent by their own will for delivering the fallen souls.Ex. if above mentioned great acaryas had never descended to this world we would have never been able to discuss this matter as we are doing right now.

I wish to be liberated. Why am I still in this world and Not liberated?

Again revisiting our example.If prisoner says 'release me'; will authorities release him? obviously answer is 'No'.

To release a prisoner there are 2 main factors.

1. What is the punishment give?has he served the period?
2. Has he transformed;and is all criminal mentality Gone?

So here in our case above point 1 will correspond to:

How much baggage of Karama do you carry? You have to repeat cycle of birth and death untill you have suffered or enjoyed for your past karma.

2nd Point will correspond to Do we really have sincere desire for liberation and are we really trying hard for that?

Krishna Says(BG 9.34):

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.

Krishna repeats above verse in 18.65

And finally He says :

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

So we have to examine ourself across these factors. We just cant say 'oh!I want moksh' and that Krishna will come and liberate you.

That is like saying 'Oh Krishna!Please make me rich' and expecting that he will come and make you rich then and there. This is common sense. After you cultivate a plant you have to wait for long time till that plant becomes tree and gives you fruits.This is simple law of nature. And being in this world we are bound by these laws of nature.

Edit2:

I also disagree* with the statement that according to you Ramkrishna makes:

The reason being;if Krishna gave liberation to anyone randomly(withou any qualification); then that would mean that Krishna is biased.

But it is confirmed in Geeta and Vedanta sutra that Krishna is not biased towards anyone.For Him everyone is equal.

note: * I disagree if he meant that without any qualification moksha is given. Sometimes it may seem like a person is all of the sudden liberated, but we do not know of his pious credit and spiritual advancement.

Answer 2

I think Shree Krishna expects us to do the right things and live our life, do our karma according to Shreemad Bhagvad Geeta श्रीमद भगवद्गीता as told by himself. And through our kama , finally to come to him. So he wont offer moksha to everyone , but wants everyone to achive it themself by following his teachings and ways.

तस्मात सर्वेषु कालेषु माम अनुस्मर युध्य च ।

मय्य अर्पितमनॊबुद्धिर माम एवैष्यस्य असंशयः॥

श्रीमद भगवद गीता . Chapter 8 shlok 7

tasmāt—therefore; sarveṣu—always; kāleṣu—time; mām—unto Me; anusmara—go on remembering; yudhya—fight; ca—also; mayi—unto Me; arpita—surrender; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—intellect; mām—unto Me; eva—surely; eṣyasi—will attain; asaṁśayaḥ—beyond a doubt.

Meaning:- Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛiṣhṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

Answer 3

_{While visiting the site after a while, I really liked this Q. I would also agree with @Sai's answer comment. At the same time your counter arguments (to that comment & other answers) are quite interesting and those led me to write this down. Sometimes, we ask something as a way of expression. Deep down we know that, we don't want an answer from other sources, but via same place from where the question actually came: "the deep down". This answer might act as a helper.}

"If 'Krishna' wants, he can give Moksha to everyone. By 'his' grace, 'he' can free anyone from sins. Why 'his' grace will only fall if one surrenders to 'him'? Why doesn't 'he' give Moksha to everyone?"

In your queries, I have highlighted "Krishna", "he", "his", "him" etc.. If you think the personal form of VAsudeva Krishna, who was a YAdava prince, ruled in Mathura & Dwarka, married to Rukmani, cousin of PAndava, spoke Gita -- as a "giver of Moksha", then I fear that it's a wrong perception. Of course that body which lived for 100+ years was divine & godly, but that body was/is/will-be NOT responsible for the Moksha received by various Jivas (includes him) before, during & after his time in earth or other planets.

While perceiving "God": the Vaishnava-s refer -- "Krishna", many prefer -- "Shiva", Advaitans refer -- "Brahman", Muslims/Sufi-s as -- "Allah" & so on.
During Gita, that ultimate was referred as "Me". But we innocently connect it to Krishna, because he spoke. Plz refer Understanding "Me".
In summary, "Atma", "Turiya", "Moksha", "Leela", "Akarma (in Karma)" are different names of that "Me" only.

What is Moksha?

There are various understandings of ultimate liberation. One should choose, whichever suits.
Whatever Krishna described as Atma, realizing that itself is Moksha. Some describe it as (nirvikalpa) SamAdhi as well. Again, what is that?
IMO, the best objectification of this state was done in Buddhism as attaining ShunyatA (NirvAna). The complete void-ness, nothingness is the true nature of God. The same has been repeated in many indirect ways in Gita, and once in a direct way:

_{BG 8.21 — What is called as "Unmanifested Indestructible", that's known as the final state (Moksha). Gaining which [one] doesn't return, is "My" transcendental destination.}

At 1st, it appears strange to term "God = Nothing", but that has been implied in Gita again & again. From SAmkhya school of thinking, "Nothing" finally remains when you apply Neti Neti on everything which comes your way.
Apart from Gautam Buddha, the modern day Yogis like Ramana Maharshi, Osho (see here) & Jaggi Vasudev have also advocated this "nothingness" as the true nature.

"Why his grace will only fall if one surrenders to him? Why doesn't 'he' give Moksha to everyone?"

Probably you think, "If we surrender to God, then God grants Moksha", where God & Moksha are different.
But as I described above, the "Me" (God) & "Moksha" are just same. It simplifies that: "One who surrenders to 'Me', gets 'Me'" or "One who surrenders to 'Moksha', gets 'Moksha'".

One may counter argue that, why that surrender-ship (SharanAgati) is not coming automatically?
Well, that happens too. Ultimately all gets Moksha by merging into that "Me" during the end of universe.

_{BG 9.7 — O son of Kunti, all elementary world becomes "My" nature at end of cycle(Kalpa); Again I create them at the beginning of the cycle.}

So at least half of the time (night), everything remains in the state of Moksha for sure. But I believe, your question is during the other half (day). Hence root of your queries is:

"Why shouldn't state of Moksha persist straight away?"

Well, actually it does! What we (ignorantly) call our "self" is just a minute part of the Prakruti - a dumb interaction of materials. The true "self" is Moksha ("Me") only.
The whole chapter BG 13 is dedicated to this & hopefully answers your question.
There are 3 entities which relates all of us:

1. Prakruti: Visible universe constituting Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. All elementary world consists of Prakruti. It's also called mAyA, because it illusions the timelessness into past, present & future. Body & senses including mind belongs here. This entity completely differentiates you & I.

2. Purusha: The enjoyer or consumer. Also called as Kshetragya according to BG 13.2. It witnesses (otherwise dumb) Prakruti as the reality. However, what constitutes Purusha & how it's different from Atma is bit shadowy & ambiguous to me. The closest objectification I have found is Buddhi as equivalent of Purusha. Refer BG 3.42 & Buddhi vs Mann. This entity partially differentiates you & I, as both of our Purushas are Witnesses, but they are witnessing different interactions of Prakruti.

3. Atma: The true "self". This is the 'creator'/'sustainer' of both Prakruti & Purusha. This entity (rather no entity) merges you & I into same "Me". i.e. the ShunyatA/"nothingness" as discussed before.

_{BG 13.20 — Know that Prakruti & Purusha, both are certainly beginning-less; Transformations and Guna-s (sattva, rajas, tamas) are known to be possible due to Prakruti.
BG 13.21 — Prakruti's purposes are said to be Activity - Reason - Creation; Purusha's purpose is said to consume happiness & sorrow.}

So when we ask the question, "Why Moksha is not given to everyone straight away?" "Why the Universe is created at first?" "Why all these miseries?" and so on. -- These questions are being raised only due to the interactions of the Prakruti's modes only. Ofcourse, this answer also!
Why are they happening? -- So that the enjoyer termed as Purusha inside that body can consume that.

Not only happiness, but the Purusha in us wants to enjoy the misery & sorrow as well; Because it still differentiates this sorrow from the happiness. The moment this (sorrow vs happiness) & all other dualities disappears, this Purusha also disappears. The disappearance of Purusha is called, 'Purusha being merged to the ShunyatA'. The state of nothing-ness is Moksha or Brahman.

What Atma is doing all the time when the Purusha is 'enjoying' the Prakruti? -- The Atma or "Me" remains unaffected and continues pervading without being spoiled.

_{BG 13.31 — When one realizes that the diversity of elementary world(Prakruti) is rooted in the One [which has] expanded, that attains BrahM.
BG 13.32 — Being beginning-less, being formless, the indivisible (0 / n = 0) transcendental "self"(Atma) being in body neither does anything nor gets affected, O son of Kunti.
BG 13.33 — How the space being subtle doesn't get affected, the "self"(Atma) being pervading everywhere in the body doesn't get affected.}