“Those fourteen thousand Rakshasas of frightening deeds were eliminated by that one man, a foot-soldier, who was Rama.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 26.35)

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चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम्
हतान्येकेन रामेण मानुषेण पदातिना

caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām
hatānyekena rāmeṇa mānuṣeṇa padātinā

“I know we have touched upon this area before. It is a recurring theme, if you will. I think it warrants repeated emphasis precisely because of the landscape, which has not really changed throughout the centuries. The issue we contend with is that the nonbelievers insist upon evidence. They want some empirical data to prove that there is a God, that He can be located, and that worship of Him is not the equivalent of children pretending to serve tea to one another in a playroom.

“I know that the typical response is to say that there is evidence everywhere. There is an abundance of proof, but the ability to recognize requires some type of qualification. I guess you could compare it to those abstract images, the ones that ask people if they can see the eagle or the tiger represented in the drawing. It is not until someone points out where exactly to look that others can notice.

“Is there not something similar with recognizing the highest being of all? Are there no experiments or calculations we can make? That is how we determine greatness, otherwise. We measure to create comparisons and distinctions. Those with extraordinary measurements, in the agreed upon assessment, earn a higher status. Is there not some measurement we can take to determine that God has the highest stature of all?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada repeatedly deemphasizes this tendency. You cannot realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead through an experiment. This is due entirely to our limitation in understanding. We cannot grasp the concept of infinity as it pertains to time and space.

As a simple example, suppose that someone were to claim to be God. They show themselves to me. They do something amazing. I am ready to believe, but I have one question. How do we know that this person does not die? In response, they could remain manifest before me. I can actually see them, as opposed to only trusting the existence of the unmanifest [avyakta], which applies to both time periods, namely, prior to birth and subsequent to death.

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत
अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना

avyaktādīni bhūtāni
vyakta-madhyāni bhārata
avyakta-nidhanāny eva
tatra kā paridevanā

“All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.28)

If this person continues to stand before me for one hundred years, does that prove they are God? What about a measurement of one thousand years? We have the testimony of Markandeya Rishi, who once witnessed the dissolution of the universe. He noticed that one person remained where they were, completely unaffected. He concluded that this person, in the form of a child, was indeed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana.

तावच्छिशोर्वै श्वसितेन भार्गव:
सोऽन्त: शरीरं मशको यथाविशत्
तत्राप्यदो न्यस्तमचष्ट कृत्‍स्‍नशो
यथा पुरामुह्यदतीव विस्मित:

tāvac chiśor vai śvasitena bhārgavaḥ
so ’ntaḥ śarīraṁ maśako yathāviśat
tatrāpy ado nyastam acaṣṭa kṛtsnaśo
yathā purāmuhyad atīva vismitaḥ

“Just then the child inhaled, drawing Markandeya within His body like a mosquito. There the sage found the entire universe arrayed as it had been before its dissolution. Seeing this, Markandeya was most astonished and perplexed.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 12.9.27)

The problem is that most of us will not have the opportunity to take such a measurement. We will be gone long before the duration reaches four digits and more. We also cannot prove anything prior to our birth. We must accept the information on faith.

The Supreme Lord is so kind that He does not relegate us to perpetual ignorance. He provides evidence in a manner that can be understood. For instance, in the avatara of Shri Rama, He defeats fourteen thousand of the best fighters, of horrible deeds, bhima-karma, in a single conflict. The Rakshasas are attacking as a collective unit. Even four against one is an unfair fight, but fourteen thousand against one is overwhelming force.

Rama successfully defends. He is one, eka. He is a foot-soldier, while the opponents can appear and disappear at will. This is one way to know God, but we should also understand that even this measurement has a limitation. Rama can defend against fourteen million, if He so chooses. Time [kāla] operates under His direction, after all. Kāla has defeated everything in its path. Kāla has yet to lose. Kāla only takes away.

“Akshaja means ‘the measurement of our senses,’ and adhokshaja means ‘that which is beyond the measurement of our senses.’” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.19.25 Purport)

The defect in observation and experiment has a corresponding Sanskrit word. Adhokshaja refers to someone whose qualities cannot be properly measured. This is another name for the same Rama. If we put the entire globe on a digital scale, we can just imagine the reading. Take all the planets combined and place them on the same scale. This represents the universe, but that is only a spark of the splendor of the Almighty, who is always infinite in His glories.

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा
तत्तदेवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोऽशसम्भवम्

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam

“Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.41)

We cannot understand God through empirical evidence, but we can still understand Him. The way is bhakti, which is devotion. This land of birth and death is difficult to overcome, but with the favor of the Supreme Lord we can easily cross beyond it. The highest being of all will provide the understanding necessary for seeing Him, for identifying Him, for worshiping Him, and for always staying with Him.

दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

In Closing:

That against attackers won,
Fourteen-thousand against one.

Of His splendor shown only a spark,
Devotion for our awakening to start.

Not from measurement to take,
Where limited assessment can make.

Because infinitely expanding so,
Bhakti the only way to know.

Categories: fourteen thousand, questions

Tags: dailyprompt, poem, poems, poetry, science, vishnu