How Can You Say That Everyone Else Has It Wrong

“It is not proper to remain in this place. Let us go to another great forest, as here we have seen numerous calamities which are causes of ruin. The destruction of Putana and the reversal of the cart, and similarly the falling of the trees without the intervention of the wind. Therefore, let us without delay depart from Gokula to Vrindavana, where the earthly calamities will not overpower us.” (Vishnu Purana, 5.6.22-24)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

स्थानेनेह न नः कार्यं व्रजामो ऽन्यन् महावनम्
उत्पाता बहवो ह्य् अत्र दृश्यन्ते नाशहेतवः

पूतनाया विनाशश् च शकटस्य विपर्ययः
विना वातादिदोषेण द्रुमयोः पतनं तथा

वृन्दावनम् इतः स्थानात् तस्माद् गच्छाम मा चिरम्
यावद् भौममहोत्पातदोषो नाभिभवेद् व्रजम्

sthāneneha na naḥ kāryaṃ vrajāmo ‘nyan mahāvanam
utpātā bahavo hy atra dṛśyante nāśahetavaḥ

pūtanāyā vināśaś ca śakaṭasya viparyayaḥ
vinā vātādidoṣeṇa drumayoḥ patanaṃ tathā

vṛndāvanam itaḥ sthānāt tasmād gacchāma mā ciram
yāvad bhaumamahotpātadoṣo nābhibhaved vrajam

“Let me ask you something. Taking the perspective of an outsider, what would you think is the most controversial aspect of the presentation of the Vaishnavas, particularly focusing on the line of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, descending to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and further? Of the things the teachers highlight, of the words they use, of the points of emphasis, of their manners of comparison, with respect to points of reference, what do you consider to be the toughest sell?

“Let me offer my opinion, even though no one is asking for it. I think the greatest stumbling block is in the title to one of the published works. It is likely the most well-known, having sold the most copies if tracking against a bestseller’s list for the standard publishing houses. Those words are ‘as it is.’  Prabhupada puts those three words at the end of the title to his translation and commentary of Bhagavad-gita.

“As if to intentionally flush out any lingering ambiguity, there is the direct statement, which is simultaneously an accusation.  The author is subtly pointing the finger at other presentations of Bhagavad-gita, claiming they are not correct. At least the versions people access at their local bookstore or library. Everyone else is missing the point. Either intentionally or by accident.  Bhagavad-gita As It Is reaches the conclusion of devotion to Shri Krishna, who is supposed to be God the person.

“How can you make such a claim, though? Even people who are born into Hinduism are more familiar with the rituals, which are known as yajnas. They know about important observances, and how each one has a purpose. For instance, the ritual to wish well for the departed ancestors. To ask for blessings at the time of a wedding. To pray for auspicious outcomes.

“Where are the yajnas for devotion to Krishna? They don’t exist, I tell you. It is not like you can call a priest over to your house and tell them that the occasion to observe is your sentiment, in how you really love Krishna and His teachings to Arjuna. The priest will wonder what needs to be done, since there is nothing passed along within the tradition for such a purpose. Do you see what I am saying? Where is your evidence that Bhagavad-gita recommends devotion to Krishna, as the final conclusion, in the formal sense?”

The implementation of such devotion with accompanying practices, procedures, and rituals is known as vaidhi-bhakti.  The devotion is according to rule and regulation, vidhi.  We do not find explicit procedures laid out in the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna, but that does not invalidate the proposal.  There are direct references to bhakti in several places.  It is stated that bhakti is the only way to know Krishna in truth.  Since Krishna is God, knowing Him is the highest knowledge.  If bhakti is the way to reach that summit, then how can anything else be more important?

भक्त्या माम् अभिजानाति
यावान् यश् चास्मि तत्त्वतः
ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा
विशते तद्-अनन्तरम्

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram

“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.55)

Krishna provides options.  The door is always open to the spiritual world of Vaikuntha.  At the same time, a person can opt for the mechanical way, the staggered way, or even the way of impersonalism.  They can gradually ascend the scale of elevation, reaching even the point of the creator, Lord Brahma.  But Brahma’s planet still features birth and death. Vaikuntha does not.

आ-ब्रह्म-भुवनाल् लोकाः
पुनर् आवर्तिनो ऽर्जुन
माम् उपेत्य तु कौन्तेय
पुनर् जन्म न विद्यते

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ‘rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.16)

If a person is having a difficult time believing in God as a person, as a distinct individual, they can worship the cosmic manifestation.  The Sanskrit is avyakta-murtina.  We know that God exists because everything exists.  He pervades the entire space.  He can never be absent from a place.  At the same time, He is above that complete whole.  He is both associated with it and different from it.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

If looking for evidence through a way of life, we can find the correct understanding of Bhagavad-gita in the people of Gokula-Vrindavana.  They based their movements on the satisfaction of Krishna, who was a young child at the time.  They decided on the abrupt shift in location.  They packed everything up from Gokula and went to Vrindavana.  This was to mitigate the recent inexplicable calamities related to the earth.  Gravity was turning into an enemy, all of a sudden.  Krishna was at the center of spontaneous and dangerous collapses.  Better to seek out safer conditions, was the thought.

This move was not passed down in a tradition.  This decision was not tied to vidhi or yajna.  There was no personal benefit to be gained.  If anything, it was kind of a headache. Who wants to move an entire community? That usually only happens after a natural disaster, like a flood, fire, or earthquake. The people decided on their own, based on their love for Krishna. This was the same decision taken by Arjuna, who was previously in doubt. This is the best decision for everyone. It is the logical conclusion from the most logical presentation delivered by the most logical, sober, and thoughtful individual, who happens to be the son of Nanda and Yashoda.

सर्व-धर्मान् परित्यज्य
माम् एकं शरणं व्रज
अहं त्वां सर्व-पापेभ्यो
मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

In Closing:

Conclusion reached when over,
From presentation logical and sober.

That many rituals mentioned though,
With multitude of options so.

That devotion clearly the best,
Directly by Krishna blessed.

Practiced potential even in move,
Like elders Vrindavana to choose.