Sight through Sound

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How to see Krishna?

It is not easy to see Krishna.

Yet, Krishna can easily be seen through the ears.

In fact, we cannot see Krishna in truth except through our ears.

 

The first self-realized soul of this universe, the creator god, the first guru of the parampara has explained as such.

 

Lord Brahma spoke:

 

 

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.11

 

tvaḿ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja

 

āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puḿsām

 

yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti

 

tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya

 

SYNONYMS

 

tvam — unto You; bhakti-yoga — in devotional service; paribhāvita — being one hundred percent engaged; hṛt — of the heart; saroje — on the lotus; āsse — You reside; śruta-īkṣita — seen through the ear; pathaḥ — the path; nanu — now; nātha — O my Lord; puḿsām — of the devotees; yat-yat — whichever; dhiyā — by meditating; te — Your; urugāya — O multiglorious; vibhāvayanti — they specifically think of; tat-tat — the very same; vapuḥ — transcendental form; praṇayase — do You manifest; sat-anugrahāya — to show Your causeless mercy.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.

 

PURPORT

 

The statement here that the Lord manifests Himself before the devotee in the form in which the devotee likes to worship Him indicates that the Lord becomes subordinate to the desire of the devotee — so much so that He manifests His particular form as the devotee demands. This demand of the devotee is satisfied by the Lord because He is pliable in terms of the transcendental loving service of the devotee. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.11): ye yathā māḿ prapadyante tāḿs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. We should note, however, that the Lord is never the order supplier of the devotee. Here in this verse it is particularly mentioned: tvaḿ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita. This indicates the efficiency achieved through execution of matured devotional service, or premā, love of Godhead. This state of premā is achieved by the gradual process of development from faith to love. On faith one associates with bona fide devotees, and by such association one can become engaged in bona fide devotional service, which includes proper initiation and the execution of the primary devotional duties prescribed in the revealed scriptures. This is clearly indicated herein by the word śrutekṣita. The śrutekṣita path is to hear from bona fide devotees who are conversant with Vedic wisdom, free from mundane sentiment. By this bona fide hearing process, the neophyte devotee becomes cleansed of all material rubbish, and thus he becomes attached to one of the many transcendental forms of the Lord, as described in the Vedas.

 

This attachment of the devotee to a particular form of the Lord is due to natural inclination. Each and every living entity is originally attached to a particular type of transcendental service because he is eternally the servitor of the Lord. Lord Caitanya says that the living entity is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, every living entity has a particular type of service relationship with the Lord, eternally. This particular attachment is invoked by practice of regulative devotional service to the Lord, and thus the devotee becomes attached to the eternal form of the Lord, exactly like one who is already eternally attached. This attachment for a particular form of the Lord is called svarūpa-siddhi. The Lord sits on the lotus heart of the devotee in the eternal form the pure devotee desires, and thus the Lord does not part from the devotee, as confirmed in the previous verse. The Lord, however, does not disclose Himself to a casual or unauthentic worshiper to be exploited. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.25): nāhaḿ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Rather, by yoga-māyā, the Lord remains concealed to the nondevotees or casual devotees who are serving their sense gratification. The Lord is never visible to the pseudodevotees who worship the demigods in charge of universal affairs. The conclusion is that the Lord cannot become the order supplier of a pseudodevotee, but He is always prepared to respond to the desires of a pure, unconditional devotee, who is free from all tinges of material infection.