“The word urukrama means ‘the one whose activities are glorious.’ Krama means ‘step.’ This word urukrama specifically indicates the Lord’s incarnation as Vamana, who covered the whole universe by immeasurable steps. Lord Vishnu is powerful, and His activities are so glorious that He has created the spiritual world by His internal potency and the material world by His external potency.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.7.10 Purport)

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His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the presentation of Krishna consciousness is not for introducing any new God. It is not meant to strike competition or to suppress other forms of religion.

Rather, it is a mere refinement in understanding of the one who is beyond the thinking ability of man. Every religion has this acknowledgment of greatness, and so the Vedic tradition, particularly within the Vaishnava parampara, tries to expand on this greatness, with the experience being blissful throughout.

A person may object that Krishna is a Hindu God and that followers are trying to convert people away from their own faith or tradition, as established by generations prior within a particular region. If faced with such questions, the follower of the personal God, in the well-defined understanding, can respond with questions of their own.

1. Are you trying to say that God is not all-attractive?

“We address and worship the Supreme Lord as Krishna. This refers to His attractiveness. He is all-attractive. This means that nothing is missing. There is nothing lacking. Any reasonable person will make this acknowledgment.

“What is your objection to this name? We see attractiveness everywhere. We appreciate the autumn sky, how the sunlight hits against the trees, combining with the cool breeze. There is attractiveness to the fallen leaves, with the variety of colors. We marvel at the white landscape after a snowstorm.

“Are you saying that God cannot be attractive? There is attractiveness everywhere else. There is the beautiful flower. Why can’t God be the most attractive object in the entire universe? To think otherwise is silly.”

2. Are you trying to say that God is not of extraordinary activities?

“We praise people for the amazing things they have done. That college dropout founded a company which later invented the smartphone. That athlete won more Olympic gold medals than anyone else. That leader turned their nation around. It used to be poverty stricken and full of crime. Now it is the haven for those who seek peace and prosperity.

“We worship God as Urukrama because of His extraordinary activities. Do you object to this? Are you saying that God is devoid of activities? Is He not amazing?

“If you think He is not amazing, that is quite offensive. You have no evidence to back up such a claim. If you are offended by the name Urukrama, perhaps you don’t know God very well.”

3. Are you trying to say that God is not the creator of the universe?

“We worship God as Jagadisha. This refers to His control over the universe. He is the original creator of everything. That is one way to know Him. Just as everything around us has an origin. That house didn’t build itself. Someone planted the seed for the tree to emerge. Something doesn’t come from nothing.

“When you get to the cause of all causes, sarva-karana-karanam, you have found God. This is one way to define Him. How can you object to such a name? If God is not the creator of the universe, then who is? Did it randomly appear? You sound like an atheist, to me.”

4. Are you trying to say that God is not the controller of fortune?

“We say such and such person is the richest in the world. This is based on a hypothetical liquidation of assets. Most of the time, the majority of these assets are in shares held in a publicly traded company. This means that the value of the shares can fluctuate with time, making a person richer or poorer, depending on the waves of the markets.

“We worship God as Madhava. This means that He is the husband of fortune. He is the controller. No one is as fortunate as Him. Everything goes right for Him. He is never poverty stricken.

“Do you object to this title? Do you think God is poor or old? That doesn’t align with common sense.”

5. Are you trying to say that God does not give pleasure to the senses?

“A person craves pizza. This is to satisfy their sense of taste. Another person pays hundreds of dollars to attend a musical performance. This is to satisfy the ears. There are expensive clothes to give comfort to the body.

“We worship God as Govinda because He gives pleasure to the senses. Do you think that is not true? If experiencing God is not pleasurable, then how can He be God? What is wrong with referring to Him in the manner through which we appreciate Him? If He isn’t giving pleasure to the devotees, why would anyone worship Him?”

In Closing:

Since pleasure to the senses to give,
And as controller of fortune to live.

Since the universe first creating,
And extraordinary activities demonstrating.

Since with attractiveness abound,
And worship always found.

In Vedas with so many names aligning,
Only a fool that tradition maligning.

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