Message on Krishnashtami (Part-2)

Part-1   Part-2

The Veda says that the Lord alone knows about Himself (Brahmavit Brahmaiva). The Gita says that nobody other than the Lord can know the Lord. Some people misinterpret this Vedic statement as that he who knows Brahman becomes Brahman. But this interpretation contradicts the Gita because the Gita says that nobody other than the Brahman can know Brahman. The conclusion of this is that the Lord alone can preach about the Lord or Himself. Therefore, from this point of view also the Lord has to come down in the human form to preach about Himself. When the Lord preaches, He preaches the concept very clearly. Then you will naturally detect the preacher as the Lord Himself. This is inevitable with any human incarnation. Now you cannot tolerate this because you misunderstand Him that He indirectly ended in Himself. You will think that He is the biggest cheater. You will be the happiest person if His divine knowledge concludes that you are the Lord in the human form. Then you will praise such knowledge.

The advaita scholar solves this problem of your egoism and jealousy by saying that he and yourself are the Lord. It is a compromise in the spiritual business. Unfortunately, Lord Krishna did not know such norms of the business. Throughout the Gita He repeatedly emphasized that He alone is the Lord in the human form and He preached very clearly about the Lord. He did not say even once that Arjuna was Brahman like the Advaita scholar. He asked Arjuna to salute Him, to meditate upon Him and to serve Him (Manmanabhava— Gita). If Arjuna was Brahman, Brahman cannot salute Brahman. If you have any doubt about the preacher to be the Lord, you can analyse His knowledge. First you must see whether He is quoting the scriptures as a support while introducing the concepts. Then you must apply the faculty of your analysis and see whether His interpretations are logical. When you are satisfied with His divine knowledge in all angles and if such knowledge indicates Him as Lord you must accept Him. If you are unable to do this you are covered by jealousy and egoism. Shankara says that the knowledge to identify Brahman (Brahmajnana) should be heard only after purifying your mind from egoism and jealousy. Arjuna surrendered to Krishna by falling on His feet without any trace of egoism and jealousy.

Therefore, Arjuna, the receiving medium is very congenial for Krishna to say that He was the Lord. Except on this one occasion, Krishna never told anybody that He was the Lord. Throughout His life He was behaving as a human being only and acting according to the role. This is the state of Advaita of Shankara in which the human being in the human incarnation identifies with the Lord. It is like the wire identifying with the current. Wherever you touch the live wire, the shock is received because the current and the wire are inseparable. When the Lord enters the human body, which is a composite of the three bodies, since all the three bodies are integrated, they are identified with the Lord. When the current is flowing in a wire, which is an alloy of three metals each metal is charged and identified with the current. Similarly, when the Lord enters the human body, the Atman (Causal Body), the Jiiva (the subtle body) and Deha (external gross body)—all the three are identified with the Lord. Therefore, the Jiiva speaks that He is Ishwara (Lord).

When a deserving devotee like Arjuna was seen, Jesus also told that He and His Father are one and the same. When Jesus saw a devotee, who was slightly affected by jealousy and egoism, Jesus came down by one step saying that He was the Son of the God. The word son is indicating that He is different from the God but the same spirit is present in both like the same blood in the father and the son. This means that He is different and smaller than the God but at the same time has the same essence. It is like the relationship between the mighty ocean and the tiny water drop. The father is major and the son is minor component. They resemble qualitatively but differ quantitatively. This is the Vishishta advaita of Ramanuja. When Jesus met a devotee, who is fully bacterialised by jealousy and egoism He told that He was the humble messenger of God. This is the Dvaita of Madhva. Therefore, the human incarnation will declare its level based on the level of the receiver. Mohammad told that He is the messenger of the Lord. Thus, there is a gradual degradation of spiritual obedience and the gradual growth of jealousy and egoism. Jesus stands as a transition bridge between the Advaita of Krishna and Dvaita of Mohammad.

Buddha introduced the social service in which you have to serve the humanity like the servant. This is a training course given to serve the human form in general so that in course of time you will serve the human form of the Lord. Lord Krishna also emphasised such training in the Gita. The service should be without any desire according to Buddha and this is the Nishkama Karma Yoga taught by Krishna in the Gita. When you are trained in doing such selfless service to the humanity, you will naturally do the same selfless service to the Lord in human form also. The selfless service is indicated by the word Dharma. The humanity is indicated by the word Sangha. The Lord in the human form is indicated by the word Buddha. The words Dharma and Sangha indicate the training to serve the humanity without any selfishness. The word Buddha denotes to serve the human incarnation after this training in the same way. This is the essence of the three statements “Buddham, Dharmam, Sangham Sharanam Gachchami”. Shankara also formulated this training in order to remove the repulsion to the human form. He asked to serve all the human beings treating each human being as Brahman. He included yourself also as Brahman so that you will not have egoism and jealousy to the humanity. When the training is over and the repulsion to the human form ceased the ripened souls served Him as the human incarnation of Shankara. To such disciples only He told “Shivah Kevaloham” which means that Shankara Himself alone is Lord Shiva.

Krishna is not mentioned in the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu because in His place Balarama was mentioned. He was said to be the fullest incarnation (Paripurnatamah Sakshaat). Lord Vishnu indicates only one quality that is Sattvam. Lord Krishna exhibited all the three qualities that is Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas. He showed Sattvam and attracted the devotees. At the same time, He showed Rajas and Tamas and repelled the devotees. He is the incarnation of Datta who is the form of the three qualities in equilibrium indicated by the three full faces. When the devotees run away by the exhibition of the bad qualities, He laughed at them calling them as ignorant fools. He says “Tribhirgunamayaih—", which means, “This fool is not understanding that I am beyond these three qualities and that I am untouched by any quality. Any soul in this world is the composite of these three qualities only in different proportions and therefore, cannot cross the influence of these three qualities”.

Krishna asked Dharmaraja to tell a lie but Dharmaraja refused. Dharmaraja was taken to the hell for not following the Lord. The Lord told that one should even cross the justice because whatever pleases Him is the justice. Krishna appeared as a liar in this scene. He appeared as a thief in stealing the butter. He appeared fond of girls when He danced in Brindavanam. He appeared as the protector of justice in the Kurukshetra war. He appeared as the topmost divine preacher while preaching the Gita. This multi-dimensional personality of Lord Krishna shows that He is the creator, who is totally untouched by these items of creation. The cosmos is His playground and the human beings are the audience of the play and all the qualities are the tools of His divine game. We must constantly remember that the playground, audience, co-players and the tools of the game are just His imagination and that He is deriving the entertainment from His imaginary world. The word Krishna is derived from the verb Krish, which means that He attracts His devotees towards Him. Rama means the Lord who entertains Himself. Krishna means the Lord who wants to give the same entertainment to His close devotees. For this purpose, He attracts His devotees towards Himself. He likes to enjoy this divine game along with His close devotees. It is just like somebody goes to see a picture along with his family members. He says that one in millions can only recognise Him (Kaschit Mam— Gita). This means that a few liberated souls who are always associated with Him in the upper world come down into this world as His devotees and those few devotees can only recognise Him. Therefore, all His life history on this earth is the divine drama played by Him along with His troop.

This discourse is the divine butter, which is being offered as prasadam (offering) to the devotees of the Lord, which removes egoism to form the basis for receiving the eternal grace of the Lord. The butter which you are taking as prasadam, is increasing the fat in your body. This raises the egoism and cholesterol brings serious illness only. Today you are breaking the pot containing butter, which is hanging up at far height. Do you know the inner meaning of this? Lord Krishna used to break the pot containing the butter. The maidens were storing the butter, which is in excess leftover. They wanted that the Lord should not take this excess butter. Infact they themselves should offer this to the Lord. The reason is that this entire world is the wealth of the Lord. You can take whatever you need. But you are taking it in excess and storing for generations together. The Lord does not permit taking more wealth and therefore, you are considered as a thief (Stenaevasah, Yavanartha Udapane— Gita, Maagrudhah, Kasyasvisddhanam— Veda). The maidens used to take that excess butter to the city of Madhura and purchase some luxurious ornaments. The Lord broke such pots and the butter in it falls on the soil and goes waste. Therefore, when you store the money for luxuries and for the future generations without offering it to the Lord in human form like Krishna, it will become waste by the will of the Lord. Either it will be stolen or it will go to hospitals or it will be lost by the undeserving future generations.

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