“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

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रसो ऽहम् अप्सु कौन्तेय
प्रभास्मि शशि-सूर्ययोः
प्रणवः सर्व-वेदेषु
शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु

raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

FRIEND1: Do you ever run into people who are excited about space exploration?

FRIEND2: Hmm, that is a broad spectrum. Explain what you mean by ‘excited’. Do these people simply want to go to space, to see what it looks like, to study? Or are they after something else?

FRIEND1: Specifically, they want to colonize other planets. They want to live on Mars, for example.

FRIEND2: Haha, yes. I have run into such people.

FRIEND1: I assume by your laughter that you share my sentiments on this issue?

FRIEND2: Probably.

FRIEND1: I mean, come on! I always wonder the cause. You mean to tell me that life is so miserable right now that you want to uproot everything and move to another planet? Not another state. Not another country. Not to the mountains. Not to the woods. Nope, you are ready to move to Mars!

FRIEND2: They are serious, I hope you know.

FRIEND1: Oh, trust me, I have seen the glimmer of hope in their eyes. Have they ever given thought to what they will do once they move?

FRIEND2: Probably the same things they do now. Sit around and be miserable. Talk endlessly about the people they hate. Reach for this intoxicant and that. Fight over trivial matters. I guess it will take a while before they destroy life on the new planet. Perhaps that is why they are so eager to go.

FRIEND1: Man, you took the words right out of my mouth! Just look at the mess mankind has created on this planet. They literally torture the earth. I am not one of these extremists, either. I drive cars. I travel using the fuels they have extracted from the ground. My point is that none of this so-called advancement has made people any happier. Do you know how dangerous it is to drill, by the way?

FRIEND2: I do not.

FRIEND1: If you hit the wrong section, there might be a gas that pours out. It is odorless and clear, by the way. You need these sensors to detect it. You have to put on a real mask, not those useless ones forced on people during that fake pandemic from recent years. If you do not adequately prepare in a matter of minutes, you will die.

FRIEND2: Seriously?

FRIEND1: No joke. Talk to people in the oil industry. They will tell you. Anyway, I am not here to criticize. We are all in this together. But I did realize one thing. It is about the sun.

FRIEND2: You want to move there?

FRIEND1: You joke, but think about it. We are fortunate that the sun is so far away.

FRIEND2: Why is that?

FRIEND1: Because people would either try to move there or destroy it. I am not joking. The very sun that we need, rely upon, and appreciate.

FRIEND2: Not everyone appreciates it.

FRIEND1: Okay, but the wise people do. Cultures that are ancient in origin share a similar level of appreciation. I know that Bhagavad-gita attributes intelligence to the sun. The sun received the eternal wisdom of Bhagavad-gita long ago.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं
प्रोक्तवान् अहम् अव्ययम्
विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह
मनुर् इक्ष्वाकवे ’ब्रवीत्

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikshvaku.” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.1)

FRIEND2: It is not that much of a leap to make. The sun stays where it is. The sun provides. The sun maintains itself. The sun is also distinct. If it were a product of randomness, you would have many suns. This must mean that there is an individual producing the amazing matter, the heat and light which are emitted.

FRIEND1: I am telling you, the atheists of the world, the worst of the worst, would try to block out the sun.

FRIEND2: I believe they even have plans along those lines.

FRIEND1: I know what you are referring to. These people have the most money at their disposal. Just see. This is what they do with their wealth. Rather than sit back, relax, enjoy, and appreciate, they are intent on destroying mankind. They have the hubris to think they can overcome the sun.

FRIEND2: It is strange, indeed. We should ask them, “Ever heard of an awning?” Ever tried taking a few steps closer to a tree or building? You know, as in, standing in the shade? I think that would be a lot easier than trying to block out the sun.

FRIEND1: These are the same people who say there are no cures to common illnesses. It is not until the dangerous injections are created that we stand a chance, you see. I must say, these people are total frauds. Their recommendations for the world are laughable.

FRIEND2: What can be done? This is why Shri Krishna spends time describing the daiva and asura qualities to Arjuna. Krishna is the light of the sun. Krishna is the light of the universe. His planet does not require external lighting. We are thankful that saintly people appeared in this world, left their mark, and established a tradition whereby the eternal wisdom is available. We are fortunate to have access, to not have to rely on the cheaters.

न तद् भासयते सूर्यो
न शशाङ्को न पावकः
यद् गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते
तद् धाम परमं मम

na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.6)

In Closing:

So thankful for the sun,
For heat and light to come.

Blessed that far away,
So no interference at play.

From the wicked and the cruel,
Who hoping to conquer and rule.

From here just a mysterious ball,
But Krishna the source of it all.

Categories: conversations

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, nature, poem, poems, poetry, space