“By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My own nature. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.2)

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इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागता:
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च

idaṁ jñānam upāśritya
mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge ’pi nopajāyante
pralaye na vyathanti ca

1. A cowherd boy

“Krishna? The one who runs outside with the calves during the daytime? The one always playing on His flute? I do have to hand it to Him. When those children of the cows start to scatter, when they start getting out of control, Krishna sure knows what to do. He simply climbs to the top of Govardhana Hill and starts playing His flute. That sound apparently attracts everyone towards Him. It is an interesting exchange and all, but who takes such people seriously?”

2. A cowardly kshatriya

“Krishna? You mean the coward who ran away from the battlefield? The one who was too afraid to confront the persistent Jarasandha for like the twenty-first time? Okay, so Krishna was victorious all those other times. I am not sure why He was so annoyed by all the attacks that He felt the need to run away, acting like Mr. Ranchor over there.

“Anyway, He is not someone to be taken seriously. He hides in His well-guarded city of Dvaraka. He can’t seem to control Himself, either, so He is always surrounded by beautiful queens. Krishna must have been blessed by good karma from a past life.”

3. A chariot driver

“Krishna? You mean the one who is like a menial servant? He drives that chariot around for Arjuna. Krishna takes orders. That is not a very respectable position. Not that we are putting down chariot drivers, but it is not like you would ever go to one for advice on the meaning of life. Am I right?”

4. A magician

“Krishna? The one who put on that amazing display for Arjuna? It supposedly had all the planets and the presiding deities. It was a wonderful image, for sure. I would not be so easily fooled, though. Any magician can repeat the same, through proper training and practice. It doesn’t mean much that Arjuna specifically requested the vision of the virat-rupa, was granted a special set of eyes in the moments prior, and then spontaneously broke out into effusive praise.”

अर्जुन उवाच
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान्
पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम्

arjuna uvāca
paraṃ brahma paraṃ dhāma pavitraṃ paramaṃ bhavān
puruṣaṃ śāśvataṃ divyamādidevamajaṃ vibhum

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty.” (Bhagavad-gita, 10.12)

5. A Brahman-realized soul

“Krishna? He is a tat-purusha. I believe that is the proper term. He is like a tattva-darshi. He is what you would call a prophet. An elevated being roaming the earth to rescue others. Krishna is Brahman. He shows others how to become Brahman. We need teachers like that. Otherwise, we will forever remain in maya.”

…

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा
मानुषीं तनुम् आश्रितम्
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
मम भूत-महेश्वरम्

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

As many angles of vision as can be found in this world, that many viewpoints exist into the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. The different viewpoints were found during the manifest lila of Krishna, when He was directly present in this world. Even those who interacted with Him directly, face-to-face, did not always understand Him properly.

The above viewpoints are mistakes in that they are either completely wrong or incomplete. Krishna Himself declares this in Bhagavad-gita. The people who are not intelligent consider Him to be an ordinary human being. The lengthy passage of time since the conversation with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra has introduced an additional misconception.

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः

nāsato vidyate bhāvo
nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayor api dṛṣṭo ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ

“Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation. This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.16)

Some consider Krishna to be a myth. He is part of the Indian folklore, you see. He is a Hindu god. One in the list of many figures worshiped in that tradition, which must not have much intelligence attached to it. The followers are into these far out concepts like the continued existence of the soul, in the manner of permanent durability, such that there are repeat lifetimes, continuing through to the full dissolution of the entire cosmic manifestation and its subsequent regeneration.

भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

Likely the most offensive mischaracterization is this idea that Krishna is merely a self-realized soul. This opinion is intentionally put forward, in the manner of trying to cheat others. You see, if Krishna simply realized Brahman, then the same potential is there for me. I can be Krishna. I can merge into this nothingness. I actually have no identity. Neither does anyone else.

Though there are many shlokas from which to choose for refuting such sophistry, one in particular is quite clear. Krishna says that through assimilating the highest wisdom, jnana, the person who achieves liberation will find a nature similar to Krishna. They do not become Krishna. Sages of the past have also found success in this path.

This means that there is a separate identity. Individuality. Sages of the past are individuals of the past. They are separate from Krishna, as is Arjuna. As are we, who can benefit from the wisdom shared in that conversation. The jnana is meant for us, who are within the human population.

If we maintain a mistaken idea of the highest teacher, the adi-guru, then how far can we really advance? It is a kind of cheating to accept the knowledge but not acknowledge the supreme standing of the teacher. He never says that we become God or that we assume an identity where we can attribute the origin of the universe to ourselves.

Rather, there is oneness, advaita, in the merging of consciousness. It is aligning our interests with the Supreme Lord’s. This is the way forward in the continued existence through eternity in liberation.

In Closing:

Just a child with cows to play,
Or magician with amazing display.

Away from the battlefield to run,
Chastity of young girls undone.

Not someone seriously to take,
In this way foolishness to make.

Krishna with highest standing of all,
The origin and greatest teacher to call.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, mayavada, poem, poems, poetry, shri krishna