Five Attributes I Can Add On

“Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.20)

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परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: ।
य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati

1. Beauty

“Wow, I guess they call it a makeover for a reason. That person certainly has been made over. They look completely different. Even their skin complexion. I guess the wedding day is pretty important. The pictures people take. The videos that are made. The memories created.

“Better to look your best. I did not know that something like external beauty could be so quickly transformed. I thought diet and exercise played the greatest role, but apparently you can change a lot using ornaments, clothing, and cosmetic products.”

2. Wealth

“Can you believe it? A few short years ago I remember having to deplete my savings account in order to pay bills. I had to support the family. We were not poor, but we lived within our means. We did not spend lavishly. It was a simple life.

“Being thrust into the job market, without a choice in the matter, things have suddenly changed. I am now in the top echelon of income earners. I can at least rest easy knowing that if emergencies arise, we will not become financially crippled. I don’t think money has changed me, but it sure has changed the way friends and family look at me.”

3. Strength

“I did not take steroids. I am not juicing. I swear to you. I simply started hitting the gym and adding in protein supplements. It has made a significant difference, both in terms of physical appearance and ability in athletic endeavors. I can now run for a longer period of time. I can generate more power in the various sports that I play. People no longer take advantage of me, considering me to be weak.”

4. Wisdom

“I can’t really explain the transformation to you. I guess it occurred gradually. I was not specifically looking for knowledge. I just had an interest in a specific subject matter. I read as much as I could. I consumed content in the manner of an animal grazing on a field. Both voluminous and omnivorous, as a famous talk radio host would say.”

5. Fame

“Did you see that person performing at the televised awards show last night? I used to work with them. They sat right next to me at the office. I remember they would tell me about their ambitions, how they wanted to make it in the music industry. I am so happy for them. They worked so hard, made so many sacrifices, and now they are doing what they love.”

…

In light of such a review, it is almost comical to hear any supposed spiritual leader proclaim to be equal to God. They are united with the Divine, you see. They have elevated themselves to a higher level of consciousness. They can prove their stature by reading minds, predicting the future, fasting for extended periods of time, and exhibiting a general sense of renunciation.

Not that we deny anyone the credit due for such advancement. It is better to be in tune with the spirit soul, the atma, than to be driven by the senses. Lust is the all-devouring enemy of this world, and to control lust is impossible without outside assistance.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
काम एष क्रोध एष
रजो-गुण-समुद्भवः
महाशनो महा-पाप्मा
विद्ध्य् एनम् इह वैरिणम्

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.” (Bhagavad-gita, 3.37)

That is the obvious indication, though. If we need outside help, we are not God. If we have to strive to become the best, it means that there is a moment in time when we are not the best. What goes up must come down. Someone who has to rise to power can certainly be dethroned. Someone else can compete with them for the top spot.

God is that person who does not have to add any attributes. He does not need to add to His total of accomplishments. When Shri Krishna lifts Govardhana Hill as a child to save the residents of Vrindavana from devastating rain, it is not like He has to train for the exhibition. He already had sufficient strength. The incident is merely a glimpse into that unimaginable level of power.

As Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita, His realm is imperishable. It is never annihilated. It is never created, either. It is always there, in the manner that Krishna always possesses opulences to the fullest degree. He holds beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom, and renunciation simultaneously.

In Closing:

Never prior to train,
In preparation for rain.

Or supplements to take,
For physique to make.

Simply in situation to land,
To place hill on hand.

And the residents to protect,
Always from Krishna to expect.