Divine grace necessary to understand Sri Krishna's glory

March 13, 2005

Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

Bhagavan Krishna and His infinite auspicious attributes have often been compared to a boundless ocean. Some can only test its waters while others remain standing on the shore beholding its expanse. Just as only a few can delve deep into the ocean and gather the pearls from its floor, a handful alone can fathom the glory of Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why is there so much gradation among the devotees in their experience of Krishna? An insight

into this mystery is given in the prayer of the creator, Brahma, to Sri Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, which says that it is only by Krishna’s grace that it is possible to understand His glory which is merited by devotion to Him.

Bhagavan Krishna's accessibility to the cowherd community of Gokul was a matter of wonder for the celestials. His divine deeds were legion and these heavenly denizens who witnessed them wondered what merit these simple folks must have done in a previous birth to enjoy the Supreme Godhead’s company and display such unconditional love by treating Him as one among themselves. They took liberties with Him and the Bhagavan reciprocated their love in an equal measure. Brahma, the creator, having witnessed the deliverance of Aghasura by Krishna wanted to witness more of the Bhagavan's divine deeds wrought by His power of Maya. So he hid the calves and later on the cowherd boys also and waited to see what Krishna did.

Bhagavan Krishna, true to His quality of omnipresence assumed as many forms as the calves and the boys Brahma had hidden and returned them to their respective homes and this facade went on for almost a year (equivalent to a moment of Brahma's time). Neither the cows nor the parents found anything amiss ; on the contrary, their love for their offsprings only increased. When the creator witnessed that as many calves and cowherd boys were there in Gokul as he had hidden his mind was in a whirl as he was also under the spell of Sri Krishna's deluding power.

As if this was not enough all the cowherd boys appeared as Bhagavan Krishna in His divine form ( Holding Sankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma in four hands) to Brahma next and later he had the vision of Sri Krishna as a helpless child searching for His friends. When Brahma regained his normal vision he saw that it was indeed the Supreme Being who had incarnated as child Krishna in Gokul and prostrated before Bhagavan Krishna extolling His glory which he had witnessed, ``Even I, Brahma, cannot truly comprehend Your glory. Many adept in other spiritual disciplines in this world resigned their activity to You and through devotion attained the supreme state. He alone who is blessed with an iota of Your grace can realise Your glory

”.

Bhagavad Gita describes Bhagavan Krishna’s Visvarupa (Chapter 11 Sloka 9-13) :

sanjaya uvacaevam uktva tato rajan / maha-yogesvaro harihdarsayamasa parthaya / paramam rupam aisvaramaneka-vaktra-nayanam / anekadbhuta-darsanamaneka-divyabharanam / divyanekodyatayudhamdivya-malyambara-dharam / divya-gandhanulepanamsarvascarya-mayam devam / anantam visvato-mukham

divi surya-sahasrasya / bhaved yugapad utthitayadi bhah sadrsi sa syad / bhasas tasya mahatmanah

tatraika-stham jagat krtsnam / pravibhaktam anekadhaapasyad deva-devasya / sarire pandavas tada

( Sanjaya said: O King, after saying this, Maha Yogesvara Sri Hari revealed to Arjuna His supreme aisvarya form.Arjuna saw the visvarupa of Sri Bhagavan, who possessed unlimited mouths and eyes and all varieties of astonishing features. Countless exquisite ornaments and heavenly garlands bedecked that form, in whose hands numerous celestial weapons were raised. He was dressed in lavish garments, anointed with divine fragrances and He was full of wonders, unlimited and resplendent, with faces on all

sides.If a thousand suns rose all at once in the sky, such splendour might approach the effulgence of that supreme Person in His radiant universal form.At that time, Arjuna could see the totality of the entire universe situated in one place in that gigantic body of Visvarupa, the God of Gods. )

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA!!!

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