Description of Krsna

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Dear Ramesvara Prabhu,

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

> I am trying to write a concise description of Krsna for a bhakta program

> handbook. It cannot be more than 300 words. Better would be 200. It can be

> in point form. But it must include the most important essential aspects to

> describe Krsna.

> I think it should include the 4 qualities exclusive to Him: His flute

> playing, His exquisite beauty, His wonderful pastimes, and His associates.

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. I think that a Bhakta program should

have an introduction to Lord Krishna via the acintya-bhedabheda philosophy

instead of discussing such extremely advanced topics as Lord Krsna's

pastimes, flute and associates.

 

Acintya-Bhedabheda-Tattva uniquely describes Lord Krishna's position. Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains this nicely in Jaiva Dharma by describing the

ten principles (Dasa Mula) of our philosophy. In discussing the eigth

principle, he quotes Srila Jiva Gosvami on the Param Tattva (Absolute

Truth), as follows.

 

Param Tattva, or Bhagavan, comprises of four characteristics: a) svarupa, b)

vaibhava, c) jiva-sakti and d) pradhana.

 

Svarupa is the Lord's personal form. It is eternally full of knowledge and

bliss, and is known as sat-cid-ananda vigraha. The form of Lord Krsna is

spiritual and transcendental. Vaibhava represents the spiritual abode,

paraphernalia, names and avataras of the Lord. They also are transcendental.

The jiva-sakti represents the conditioned as well as the liberated living

entities who are spiritual. Pradhana represents the material creation, which

is not spiritual. All four aspects of the Supreme are eternal and they

represent Param-Tattva, or the Absolute Truth. Srila Jiva Gosvami compares

these four constituents to the internal sun-globe, the surface of the sun,

the rays of the sun and the reflection of the sun respectively. One may ask

how Lord Krsna can be one Supreme Person eternally and at the same time be

manifested as these four aspects eternally. The answer is that Lord Krsna is

one and also all of these in their entirety at the same time -- eternally.

It is inconceivable for us minute sparks to understand the nature of the

absolute. Thus, inconceivable oneness-and-difference at the same time is the

nature of Lord Krsna. This philosophy perfectly reconciles the Vedanta

philosophies espoused by the Vaisnava schools of Madhvacarya, Visnusvami,

Nibaraka and Ramanujacarya with that of Sankara. We have received this

eternal philosophy from the Supreme Lord Himself, Sri Krsna Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, in conjuction with the mercy of Sri-Sri Radha Govinda of Jaipura

Who codified the tenets via Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana.

 

Without understanding acintya-bhedabheda tattva, one cannot understand Lord

Krsna. Without understanding Lord Krsna a little, it is not possible to go

back to Godhead or develop love for Him (as per Bhagavad-Gita 4.9, and

Brhad-Aranyaka Upanisad 4.4.21).

 

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

 

Nayan.