“O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.3)

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क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम

kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi
sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ
yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama

“What do you say to the people who like your overall presentation of bhakti-yoga and sanatana-dharma, but take issue with your repeated criticism of Mayavada philosophy? In the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the frequency of the mentions resembles the old days of the record album playing on repeat. The same words, spinning around and around, giving the same message. The Mayavadis are bad, you see. The bhaktas, the Vaishnavas, are good. Stay with the good people. Avoid the bad.

“Except that so many of these Mayavadis are well-respected. They are considered trusted authorities to the rest of the world. Hindu households keep pictures of such figures on their altars. The people worshiping are kind, simple, and dedicated. They are not fond of bringing to light so many criticisms or nitpicking. Anyone even loosely associated with sanatana-dharma gets a seat at the table.

“Okay, so the Vaishnava might have a different way of viewing things. They have a different vada, or conclusion. The siddhanta they follow is different. Why do you feel the need to keep criticizing others, though? Why not let your philosophy stand on its own? Why not remain independent? It is almost like you need the Mayavadis, the impersonalists, to justify your position. Prove your case based on the merits.”

The emails are quickly turning ubiquitous. From your bank. From your utility company. From the mortgage lender. From the credit card company. From the recording artist preparing for their worldwide tour. You see, there is something to be mindful of. The customers have to remain on high alert. They should not be deceived. They should avoid becoming a potential victim. The threat is real.

The emails are a warning, to be on the lookout for scammers. There are bad actors impersonating in such a way as to look legitimate. It sure did seem strange that the politician you follow suddenly wants you to purchase their meme coin. The bank says that your account has been hacked and the only way to get your money back is to send a deposit to yourself. Act fast. Click on this link. Don’t waste time trying to verify. You cannot afford to wait another second.

The reality is that scammers are successful. They can trick other people. The results can be disastrous. Imagine being locked out of your email. Imagine not being able to make a phone call. Imagine having to prove to someone that you are really who you claim to be. They don’t believe you, because someone else has illegally changed the information on the other side. Of course, you have to prove that they are the pretenders and that you are the one telling the truth.

In the same way, if a person claims to be God, should they be taken seriously? If they say that every person is God and that only through following a certain path can the realization take place, wherein elevation is the point of true equivalence, reaching a state of self-realization that makes you God, should that be followed blindly? Is it not the duty of the wise, the sane, and the honest to point out the flaws? Should not the legitimate followers of the Vedic tradition warn others about scammers?

Especially when the people claiming to be God use Bhagavad-gita and related works as their justification, something has to be said. The claim is laughable and easily dismissed by referencing just a few verses. The speaker of the Gita is Shri Krishna. While He is the son of Vasudeva and Devaki, the foster-child of Nanda and Yashoda, and the charioteer to the bow-warrior Arjuna, Krishna is also Bhagavan. This refers to the topmost person, Purushottama. Bhagavan has the opulences of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom, and renunciation to the fullest extent. He holds these opulences at the same time. There is no interference or overlap. Bhagavan can be both strong and renounced at the same time. He is both an athlete and a scholar.

Krishna teaches something simple and yet so profound. The living being is different from their body. The body is like a field, kshetra. The living being is like the knower of the field, kshetrajna. The field might change. Actually, the field always changes. It has changed in our very lifetime. The field was different in a previous existence. We will move to a different field in the future.

If we isolate this specific teaching, we see that there is a limitation. The kshetrajna has a specific range. That is to say, they only know what happens inside of their field. I know what has happened to me. I know what I am thinking. I know where I want to go in the future. I do not know the same for you. I can only learn through communication. You have to tell me. I am not the knower inside of your body.

This means that kshetrajna is not a standing of absolute supremacy. They can never be equal to God. If I am limited in my perception, how can I claim to be the greatest? How can I ever look someone in the face and honestly tell them that I am God? The idea is preposterous. I am limited. I even had to learn the distinction between knower and field. This means that I was previously in ignorance. God can never be in ignorance. God should never require knowledge, instruction, or training.

Krishna kindly provides confirmation of this limitation. In addition to revealing the difference between field and knower, Krishna says that He is the knower inside of all bodies. He is like the universal kshetrajna. This makes sense. We have some supremacy. We have some control. We are like individual versions of God, with limited scope and ability. He is the true and complete God, since He has perception that is perfect. He is never limited.

What is wrong in pointing out this distinction to others? Why should the people who know keep quiet when others are giving the wrong idea of Divinity? There is no harm in identifying the scammers. If they want to claim to be God, let them do so independently. Why should they even touch Bhagavad-gita, which is meant for the devotees?

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वर:
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुष: पर:

upadraṣṭānumantā ca
bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ
paramātmeti cāpy ukto
dehe ’smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ

“Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.23)

In Closing:

From past to future sent,
For the devotees meant.

With Krishna to connect,
Accurate Divinity to detect.

That despite knower am I,
Still on your testimony to rely.

God as universal knower of all,
As friend of Arjuna to call.

Categories: questions

Tags: bhagavad-gita, dailyprompt, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, vedanta