Five Things I Must Be Shown In Order To Believe In God

“O king, the beauty of Rukmini was indeed unparalleled on this earth. The highly effulgent Vasudeva desired her simply by hearing about her. Indeed, through hearing Janardana was also desired by her. She thought, ‘As He is heroic, resplendent, and strong, He should become my husband.’” (Hari-vamsha, 87.14-15)

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रुक्मिणी त्व् अभवद् राजन् रूपेणासदृशी भुवि
चकमे वासुदेवस् तां श्रवाद् एव महाद्युतिः

स चाभिलषितस् तस्याः श्रवाद् एव जनार्दनः
तेजोवीर्यबलोपेतः स मे भर्ता भवेद् इति

rukmiṇī tv abhavad rājan rūpeṇāsadṛśī bhuvi
cakame vāsudevas tāṃ śravād eva mahādyutiḥ

sa cābhilaṣitas tasyāḥ śravād eva janārdanaḥ
tejovīryabalopetaḥ sa me bhartā bhaved iti

1. That He is the origin of everything

“If only He shows me that He is the origin of everything. And I mean everything. The heavens, the skies, the planets, for sure. But also the trees, the mountains, the rivers, and the leaves. We notice that inside the seed is everything. Well, one seed does not necessarily look much different than another, but the outputs are so distinct that no one would ever make a mistake in identification. He needs to show me that He configured the seeds to grow a certain way, that they are like microchips embedded with intelligence.”

जथा भूमि सब बीजमय नखत निवास अकास
रामनाम सब धरममय जानत तुलसीदास

jathā bhūmi saba bījamaya nakhata nivāsa akāsa
rāmanāma saba dharamamaya jānata tulasīdāsa

“Just as within the earth are found every kind of seed and within the sky live all the stars, Tulsidas knows that Shri Rama’s holy name is the reservoir of all dharma.” (Dohavali, 29)

2. That He has the most power

“If only He shows me that He can do anything and everything. For instance, see that mountain over there? Lift it. You might think I am crazy. You might accuse me of being too demanding. I say, why not? He is supposed to be the highest person. If so, then show me. Only then will I follow.”

वर्षतीन्द्रे व्रज: कोपाद्भग्नमानेऽतिविह्वल:
गोत्रलीलातपत्रेण त्रातो भद्रानुगृह्णता

varṣatīndre vrajaḥ kopād
bhagnamāne ’tivihvalaḥ
gotra-līlātapatreṇa
trāto bhadrānugṛhṇatā

“O sober Vidura, King Indra, his honor having been insulted, poured water incessantly on Vrindavana, and thus the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of cows, were greatly distressed. But the compassionate Lord Krishna saved them from danger with His pastime umbrella, the Govardhana Hill.” (Uddhava, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.2.33)

3. That He has perfect memory

“If only He proves that He can remember everything. And I mean everything. Bring up incidents from my life that I have forgotten. Show me something from the past. Give me a glimpse into the future. I give assurance that I will follow dutifully, after the fact.”

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि
जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि
न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

4. That no one can defeat Him

“If only I see how capable He is, that He is unconquerable. Show me that no one can defeat Him. Test His strength against the strongest people in the world. If He is going to fight, force Him into one of those handicap-style matches that professional wrestling made famous. Yes, and He should win with ease. Only then will I follow.”

चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम्
हतान्येकेन रामेण मानुषेण पदातिना

caturdaśa sahasrāṇi rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām
hatānyekena rāmeṇa mānuṣeṇa padātinā

“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)

5. That He will always be there for me

“Only if He proves His dedication to me will I follow. I have been disappointed too often to offer blind faith. Never again. I will only trust when someone shows that they are deserving of it. I need evidence that He will never forsake me, that no matter what I do, I can always count on His association. Then, I promise, I will follow.”

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

“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)

…

Rukmini Devi, the daughter of King Bhishmaka, has a different approach. Rather than insist on seeing, hearing is enough. She has heard sufficiently. She has heard from people of the highest stature. She knows they are not making things up. They are not telling fictional tales around a campfire late at night. Rather, they know that this person Krishna is the best, is the most attractive, and has the greatest qualities, gunas.

From that hearing Rukmini develops a strong resolve. It resembles the dridha-vrata described in Bhagavad-gita. She will always be thinking of Krishna. Nothing can stand in her way. Not even arrangements previously made. Not even a plan known to the entire society, in a grand wedding ceremony to link with the wicked character named Shishupala. Shastra reveals that Krishna also heard about Rukmini, and so the foundation of the relationship was the same. They were destined to be together, as a result.

The Vaishnava acharya recommends the same. We should hear. That hearing is more important than insisting upon a specific vision. After all, the object of worship is in the superior position. He is not like a vending machine sitting in the corner of a store or some flashy exhibit at a carnival travelling through town. The people approaching should bring some seriousness. They should behave in a gentlemanly way. They should be interested in elevating to a higher platform. Most importantly, they should appreciate what they get, in recognizing the kindness of the person who is already wishing them well, since time immemorial.

In Closing:

Already wishing me well,
So where do I get off to tell?

That for specific proof to insist,
Otherwise devotion to resist.

Plight of Rukmini consider,
How faith eventually to deliver.

From hearing alone a plan set,
Krishna as husband to get.