“Our dear friend Yashoda, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks. When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Sometimes, if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Krishna will go away.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.29)

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वत्सान् मुञ्चन् क्‍वचिदसमये क्रोशसञ्जातहास:
स्तेयं स्वाद्वत्त्यथ दधिपय: कल्पितै: स्तेययोगै:
मर्कान् भोक्ष्यन् विभजति स चेन्नात्ति भाण्डं भिन्नत्ति
द्रव्यालाभे सगृहकुपितो यात्युपक्रोश्य तोकान्

vatsān muñcan kvacid asamaye krośa-sañjāta-hāsaḥ
steyaṁ svādv atty atha dadhi-payaḥ kalpitaiḥ steya-yogaiḥ
markān bhokṣyan vibhajati sa cen nātti bhāṇḍaṁ bhinnatti
dravyālābhe sagṛha-kupito yāty upakrośya tokān

Okay, the boy is beautifully dressed. Okay, the ornaments look nice. Alright, the parents really know what they are doing. They are with it. They are not negligent. Okay, it is really the mother who takes care of things. These times were as traditional as you can get it. You can say that the image suits the word “traditional” perfectly. The mother is at home, but she still works. In many ways, the women of the community put in more hours than the men. The mothers have to help in the production of milk and milk-related products, while at the same time keeping an eye on the young children.

Alright, so the boy is clever. He has a sense of humor. He does not simply sit in a corner, quietly to Himself, while the rest of the world moves. He does things to intentionally cause a stir. He wants attention. He almost insists upon it. There is no question of a juvenile detention facility; the crimes of the boy do not warrant severe punishment. The child of Yashoda is a nuisance, at best.

Despite the beautiful complexion, the flute in His hands, the peacock feather in His hair, the enchanting smile on His face, and the lovely garland of flowers around His neck, Krishna is still a boy, after all. Why is there so much space dedicated within sacred texts to His dealings in the farm community of Gokula-Vrindavana? Why do individuals who have otherwise renounced the world, now living as ascetics, choose to meditate on that specific setting? What exactly is so special about Krishna stealing butter, when such mischief has taken place in countless homes since before anyone can remember? Not really breaking news here, but children make trouble today, as that is in their nature.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that in order to understand Krishna, we must first understand the creation. That is the reason for the description of the appearance and activities, janma and karma, of Krishna showing up in the tenth canto of the sacred Bhagavata Purana. The reader has to wait. The first nine cantos explain the creation, our role in it, the period of viability, the elements involved in the composition, from both the micro and macro perspectives, and what everything means in the end. The information is voluminous and in-depth, and so nine cantos is almost not enough to cover everything.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

The basic building block of the universe is the atom. The Sanskrit equivalent is anu. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is something like paramanu, or the greatest of the smallest unit. Paramanu is also a unit of time measurement. Paramanu is the time it takes for the sun to cross over the atom.

लव निमेष परमानु जुग बरस कलप सर चंड
भजसि न मम तेहि राम कहँ कालु जासु कोदंड

lava nimeṣa paramānu juga barasa kalapa sara caṃḍa
bhajasi na mama tehi rāma kaha~ kālu jāsu kodaṃḍa

“Mind, why are you not worshiping Shri Rama, whose bow is like time, with weapons of arrows representing the different units of time, such as paramanu, lava, nimesha, barasa, yuga, and kalpa?” (Dohavali, 130)

In another context, anu describes the small living entity and paramanu describes the atoms that are the building blocks of the forms inhabited by the countless anu living beings. Many instances of anu and paramanu combinations appear in different places across the universe. It is like a giant fire choosing to expand, while the original fire continues to burn. The expansion of that fire, through the distribution of the sparks, does not diminish the potency of the fire. This is one way to understand the impersonal perspective on Divinity.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

The countless sparks of the fire have different coverings, which are known as bodies. These bodies consist of material elements, both gross and subtle. The exact combination is not always the same. Sometimes, a particular body has more fire than air. Another body might have a greater proportion of the water element. The individual inside is always anu, with a collection of paramanu units. The original source can expand to fit inside even paramanu, and so the anu, who is individual spirit soul, is never truly alone.

अणोरणीयान्महतो महीयानात्मास्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायां
तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुः प्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः

aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmāsya jantornihito guhāyāṃ
tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuḥ prasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ

“Both the Supersoul [Paramatma] and the atomic soul [jivatma] are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.” (Katha Upanishad, 1.2.20)

Thus far we have covered the material composition of the various instances of life spread across the creation, but then there is motion to also consider. How do those instances behave? What is the result of those actions? Is there a systematic way to understand the changes which occur? There is also the time element to consider. Time is what delivers the changes based on the actions. Those actions are from choice. In other words, the countless individuals act. They then suffer or enjoy the consequences to those actions. Time is what delivers the results. Time is always delivering results, and so the changes are constant.

गुणदोषकृतं जन्तुस्स्वकर्म फलहेतुकम्
अव्यग्रस्तदवाप्नोति सर्वं प्रेत्य शुभाशुभम्

guṇadoṣakṛtaṃ jantussvakarma phalahetukam
avyagrastadavāpnoti sarvaṃ pretya śubhāśubham

“Driven by a virtuous or evil purpose, each living entity performs some work, which has consequences associated with it. After death, the same person steadily reaps all those auspicious and inauspicious results.” (Hanuman speaking to Tara, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 21.2)

From this basic review we see how much is going on within a single universe. There is too much to keep track of, in fact. We learn that the Supreme Lord is situated above. He is neutral to the entire proposal. He is not directly implicated in the crimes. He is not praised for the pious behavior. This is because He has nothing to do. The image of Vishnu lying down in the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha perfectly depicts this position of neutrality and lack of botheration.

And yet the same Vishnu volunteers to appear within the manifest realm. He takes birth from the womb of Devaki, who is the wife of Vasudeva. Vishnu as the child Krishna then moves to the community of Gokula. He blesses the residents with His vision. This is an image that yogis, jnanis, and karmis have been searching after for countless lifetimes. The one who is above everything is under the direction of mother Yashoda. The one who has everything, always and in full, chooses to steal butter. The one who never bothers anyone pinches babies in order to make them cry. Such kindness, such compassion, such affection, and such mercy can only flow from the Supreme Lord.

In Closing:

From Upanishads to tell,
On principles to dwell.

Of universe and atom so,
How individual with time to go.

And the Supreme neutral to it all,
But still Yashoda as mother to call.

And into homes for butter to steal,
Only after knowledge image with appeal.

Categories: bhagavan

Tags: creation, dailyprompt, hare krishna, krishna lila, poem, poems, poetry