Three Things To Know About Krishna To Satisfy Real Knowledge

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.29)

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भोक्तारं यज्ञ-तपसां
सर्व-लोक-महेश्वरम्
सुहृदं सर्व-भूतानां
ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिम् ऋच्छति

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

1. The proprietor of everything

“Have you ever thought about ownership? Take land, for instance. The government can seize your property if you fail to pay taxes in a timely manner. One person buys a home from another person. This country decides to annex one of their neighbors. That expands the territory.

“But if you ask me, no one really owns anything. The land was here for thousands of years before you were born. That building will remain standing long after you are gone. I think it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the original proprietor. He is the source of both the material and spiritual worlds.”

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो
मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां
बुधा भाव-समन्विताः

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

2. The friend of everyone

“Have you ever met someone who is friendly towards everyone they meet? It is rare to meet such a person. This is because based on working to fulfill a particular desire, there are these lines drawn. Good and bad. Friend and enemy. Supporter and detractor. Someone who obstructs and someone who clears the path forward.

“If you think about it, God would have to be the best friend of every person. No matter how much someone has forgotten Him, He will always take them back. It makes sense that Krishna would be dwelling inside of the heart. There is no favoritism in this feature, which is known as Supersoul.”

3. The enjoyer of everything

“We put on a good party last weekend. The people who attended left happy. They were well fed. They had a good time. We did everything for their enjoyment. Mission accomplished.

“But that kind of interest is limited. We can only satisfy so many people. There is that saying that you cannot make all of the people happy all of the time. There is one exception. Shri Krishna, the Supreme Lord, enjoys everything. I can worship Him in my home. You can worship Him in your home. There is no scarcity. There is no such thing as a race condition, as we often find inside of computer applications. Krishna enjoys everything, to the highest scale imaginable.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the above three truths qualify as real knowledge. The person who knows these things is actually wise. They are in the superior position when entering into any scholarly discussion or debate. They do not have to take instruction from anyone else as to the meaning of life, what to do on a daily basis, or where to direct the fruits of labor.

Fruits there will be. That is the impetus to work. I go to the office in order to gain something. I help someone else to make myself feel better, to improve the mood. I save money in the bank in order to spend at a certain time in the future.

Since Krishna is the enjoyer of everything, the result of my work should be for His satisfaction. Otherwise, the work becomes binding. There is the repeating cycle of anticipation, action, outcome, and temporary happiness or lamentation.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

As explained in Bhagavad-gita, work for the satisfaction of the Supreme merges into transcendence. The transformation may appear to be impossible to prove through visual changes, but the concept is not all that foreign to us.

As an example, if I create a temporary goal to be able to complete a marathon race, there are certain steps I will take in preparation. I will train on a regular basis. This will involve running. I might purchase a certain pair of shoes. I will follow a strict routine in eating and sleeping.

If I am able to attain the goal, then every component aspect becomes part of the accomplishment. The regular rest received on the comfortable mattress, inside of the climate-controlled room, is part of the story of success. The work involved in maintaining those daily conditions essentially merges into the single story of triumph.

I can follow the same pattern, but extended over an entire lifetime, with the goal of pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Seeing a smiling face in the temple. Associating with others, who are similarly focused on satisfying the one who is the ultimate enjoyer of sacrifice.

कृष्ण-नाम निरन्तर याङ्हार वदने
सेइ वैष्णव-श्रेष्ठ, भज ताङ्हार चरणे

kṛṣṇa-nāma nirantara yāṅhāra vadane
sei vaiṣṇava-śreṣṭha, bhaja tāṅhāra caraṇe

“A person who is always chanting the holy name of the Lord is to be considered a first-class Vaishnava, and your duty is to serve his lotus feet.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 16.72)

Since they are chanting the holy names, I consider them to be first-class devotees. They are worthy of honor and worship, in their own right. I am so thankful for their presence, which lends tremendous support. I am satisfied in this basic knowledge, which actually encompasses everything needed to be known, in the difficult journey of life.

In Closing:

Filled with turmoil and strife,
This difficult journey of life.

From only things three,
Different way to see.

Real knowledge to be known,
By summary of activities shown.

That merging transcendence to,
Because Krishna conduit through.