BG 11.53: The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.
They make their visit, but they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the path of devotional service, as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the next verse.
BG 11.54: My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
Krsna is saying that one who can understand the mystery behind the mysteries of appearance, pasttimes and reason of his form that person can come to me. How to understand the mystery of his appearance, past times? By undivided devotional service. Why is he talking about devotional service in this chapter - universal form chapter as we can't perform devotional service to the Universal form? So how is this verse coming? Krsna is actually helping us to go deeper- the highest level of understanding Krsna.
Srirangam is the biggest temple in the world! We need to cross many layers and dooors to see the deity of the Lord. Same way one has to enter into so many doors of the supreme absolute truth. We are all searching for truth and happiness and anyone searching for happiness should also search for truth. The topmost trust in this world is called the absolute truth and that absolute truth is understood in various ways.
The outer form of this understanding is Universal form- it's on the material platform, nothing spiritual about it.. Second door is spiritual platform - Spiritual is superior to matter and that is the impersonal brahman. That impersonal brahman is the absolute truth. Then he comes to the Paramatma realization. The lord is localized in every entity. And then the Lord shows the form to various devotees as and when the devotee has that feeling for Krsna - for example Murari Gupta - varaha, Ram. Yashoda as Krsna; Ramananda raya - Radha and Krsna. Various forms in the bhagavan realization. One who enters that door, then we understand that the bhagavan feature, the 2 handed form in Goloka Vrindavan is actually the highest. He also says how we can reach that form of Krsna - that form of mine as I AM, can be understood only by undivided devotional service. When our divisional service is polluted or divided by other desires (karma, dhyana, ...) then we don't give importance to the 2 handed form of Krsna and this is what is taught by Srila Rupa Gosvami - anyabhilashita shunyam - there is no other asha only one asha to serve Krsna and please Krsna. Only to please Krsna. Gyanandi anavritam - not confused by gyana and karma and other such desires. When one has all other desires have gone and only one desire to please Krsna exclusively that is undivided devotional service and that devotional service is very pleasing to Krsna and that will help us to get to Krsna's 2 handed form.
Beautiful story - Narad muni was travelling and he came to a place where Krsna was giving benedictions. He saw some were asking for beautiful home, beautiful wife, nice car, then one said I want only your bhakti - They were asked to stand on the side whearas others were given the benediction immediately. Why? These people who are asking for bhakti and I give them this benediction of bhakti to them then I'm purchased by that person and that is the power of bhakti and before I give them bhakti I really want to test them to make sure if they really want bhakti. Externally they might ask that bhakti but internally do they want bhakti? That is the power of a bhakta! In Mahabharat, Krsna was purchased by the pandavas. He was like a servant and he was completely purchased by them. That is the power of being a bhakta - the power of pure devotional service. Hence the only thing needed to attract Krsna is pure devotional service - do everything and anything for the pleasure of Krsna. That is the price to pay for going back to Krsna. We shouldn't be distracted by so many things by maya but we need to try coming out with flying colors.
When one takes up to pure devotional service and surrenders to Krsna then for Krsna in a flick of a second he can owerpower and remove all the desires we have in our heart and will make us anya abhilasha. When he sees that we are very very sincere then he will help us. His external energy is very powerful and nobody can come out of their desires but one who surrenders to me he can very easily come out of these desires and Krsna can do it. Just reject things unfavorable and just accept things favorable to Krsna and only then you can get a very private, very deep experience of Krsna. Krsna here is hence revealing the secret of coming to him. The pleasure, joy is increasing many fold. But by the mercy of Mahaprabhu the process of breaking through has become very easy and even an unqualified person is given the chance to get on undivided devotional service. He is allowing anybody and everybody to get a touch of Krsna by his most pmerciful incarnation of Krsna as his HOLY NAME! Kali rupe naam avatara - only through his HOLY NAME! Hence the holy name is given so much emphasis. Veda vyasa is hence saying only if somebody chants your holy name can reach you. We have been given a million dollar opportunity to reach the topmost door of Krsna by chanting the holy name of the Lord without offence and sincerely. He may be a grahasta but if he chants the holy name sincerely and hence we can enter into the mysteries of Krsna;s past times just by chanting the maha mantra with no offences.
The real purpose of having deities in the home is to have a relationship with them. Same way husband and wife need to have a relationship in their life and only then you have love for them. Same way we should have love for our deities and have that relationship with them. We should always keep thinking of our deities and feel let me bathe them, feed them, give them water - have that relationship with them. Only when you get that attraction with your deities that will help us get closer to bhakti and we become stronger on our bhakti platform. When we enter the house, we should feel that oh my Krsna, my deities are waiting for me home, they are standing there. let me take care of them. We shouldn't take them lightly. We should start getting a relationship with them and we should be consumed by their thought. Very nice example is sakhi gopal - complete faith that deity of Krsna is non-different from Krsna. He feels no difference when he stands in front of the deity thinking that Krsna is standing in front of me because he's been so merciful. He then reciprocates as the supreme personality of Godhead. As we approach Krsna's deity as the supreme personality of Godhead he also reciprocates with us like that and hence we should start taking them very seriously. The deities will make us ready and their presence in our home will force their way in our heart. He is a thief, he steals away all the bad things and take his presence in our heart. Example is the story of Sakshi Gopal.
They make their visit, but they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the path of devotional service, as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the next verse.
BG 11.54: My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
Krsna is saying that one who can understand the mystery behind the mysteries of appearance, pasttimes and reason of his form that person can come to me. How to understand the mystery of his appearance, past times? By undivided devotional service. Why is he talking about devotional service in this chapter - universal form chapter as we can't perform devotional service to the Universal form? So how is this verse coming? Krsna is actually helping us to go deeper- the highest level of understanding Krsna.
Srirangam is the biggest temple in the world! We need to cross many layers and dooors to see the deity of the Lord. Same way one has to enter into so many doors of the supreme absolute truth. We are all searching for truth and happiness and anyone searching for happiness should also search for truth. The topmost trust in this world is called the absolute truth and that absolute truth is understood in various ways.
The outer form of this understanding is Universal form- it's on the material platform, nothing spiritual about it.. Second door is spiritual platform - Spiritual is superior to matter and that is the impersonal brahman. That impersonal brahman is the absolute truth. Then he comes to the Paramatma realization. The lord is localized in every entity. And then the Lord shows the form to various devotees as and when the devotee has that feeling for Krsna - for example Murari Gupta - varaha, Ram. Yashoda as Krsna; Ramananda raya - Radha and Krsna. Various forms in the bhagavan realization. One who enters that door, then we understand that the bhagavan feature, the 2 handed form in Goloka Vrindavan is actually the highest. He also says how we can reach that form of Krsna - that form of mine as I AM, can be understood only by undivided devotional service. When our divisional service is polluted or divided by other desires (karma, dhyana, ...) then we don't give importance to the 2 handed form of Krsna and this is what is taught by Srila Rupa Gosvami - anyabhilashita shunyam - there is no other asha only one asha to serve Krsna and please Krsna. Only to please Krsna. Gyanandi anavritam - not confused by gyana and karma and other such desires. When one has all other desires have gone and only one desire to please Krsna exclusively that is undivided devotional service and that devotional service is very pleasing to Krsna and that will help us to get to Krsna's 2 handed form.
Beautiful story - Narad muni was travelling and he came to a place where Krsna was giving benedictions. He saw some were asking for beautiful home, beautiful wife, nice car, then one said I want only your bhakti - They were asked to stand on the side whearas others were given the benediction immediately. Why? These people who are asking for bhakti and I give them this benediction of bhakti to them then I'm purchased by that person and that is the power of bhakti and before I give them bhakti I really want to test them to make sure if they really want bhakti. Externally they might ask that bhakti but internally do they want bhakti? That is the power of a bhakta! In Mahabharat, Krsna was purchased by the pandavas. He was like a servant and he was completely purchased by them. That is the power of being a bhakta - the power of pure devotional service. Hence the only thing needed to attract Krsna is pure devotional service - do everything and anything for the pleasure of Krsna. That is the price to pay for going back to Krsna. We shouldn't be distracted by so many things by maya but we need to try coming out with flying colors.
When one takes up to pure devotional service and surrenders to Krsna then for Krsna in a flick of a second he can owerpower and remove all the desires we have in our heart and will make us anya abhilasha. When he sees that we are very very sincere then he will help us. His external energy is very powerful and nobody can come out of their desires but one who surrenders to me he can very easily come out of these desires and Krsna can do it. Just reject things unfavorable and just accept things favorable to Krsna and only then you can get a very private, very deep experience of Krsna. Krsna here is hence revealing the secret of coming to him. The pleasure, joy is increasing many fold. But by the mercy of Mahaprabhu the process of breaking through has become very easy and even an unqualified person is given the chance to get on undivided devotional service. He is allowing anybody and everybody to get a touch of Krsna by his most pmerciful incarnation of Krsna as his HOLY NAME! Kali rupe naam avatara - only through his HOLY NAME! Hence the holy name is given so much emphasis. Veda vyasa is hence saying only if somebody chants your holy name can reach you. We have been given a million dollar opportunity to reach the topmost door of Krsna by chanting the holy name of the Lord without offence and sincerely. He may be a grahasta but if he chants the holy name sincerely and hence we can enter into the mysteries of Krsna;s past times just by chanting the maha mantra with no offences.
The real purpose of having deities in the home is to have a relationship with them. Same way husband and wife need to have a relationship in their life and only then you have love for them. Same way we should have love for our deities and have that relationship with them. We should always keep thinking of our deities and feel let me bathe them, feed them, give them water - have that relationship with them. Only when you get that attraction with your deities that will help us get closer to bhakti and we become stronger on our bhakti platform. When we enter the house, we should feel that oh my Krsna, my deities are waiting for me home, they are standing there. let me take care of them. We shouldn't take them lightly. We should start getting a relationship with them and we should be consumed by their thought. Very nice example is sakhi gopal - complete faith that deity of Krsna is non-different from Krsna. He feels no difference when he stands in front of the deity thinking that Krsna is standing in front of me because he's been so merciful. He then reciprocates as the supreme personality of Godhead. As we approach Krsna's deity as the supreme personality of Godhead he also reciprocates with us like that and hence we should start taking them very seriously. The deities will make us ready and their presence in our home will force their way in our heart. He is a thief, he steals away all the bad things and take his presence in our heart. Example is the story of Sakshi Gopal.
No comments:
Post a Comment