Actual Form Of Krishna

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BY SRILA BHAKTI PROMODE PURI GOSVAMI MAHARAJA

Part 9 of "Essence of Pure Devotion"

 

Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja has written: Sri Vrajanandana Sri Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead above Lord Visnu. He is the complete resplendent form of ultimate existence, knowledge and supreme bliss being absolutely independent. He is the complete whole in respect to all His features. He manifests His sweet pastimes in Vraja in His original form. The devotees understand Him as the Supreme Absolute Truth and His name, form, qualities and pastimes are all transcendental. These transcendental features of the Lord are above the three modes of material nature and to call this form of the Lord as material is a great offense to the lotus feet of the Lord. Differentiation of the Lord or duality is an illusion The Lord's form is non-different from Him otherwise in contemplating that the Lord's form is illusion would mean duality which is ignorance. Lord Krishna Himself, His original incarnations (Vilasa) pastimes expansions are all transcendental and are seen in the light of non-dual truth. To the question of Saunaka Rsi, as to the essence of all scriptures, Suta Goswami replies: (SB 1/2/11)

 

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate

 

The learned call the essence of truth as non-dual. The one absolute truth is known in three different aspects, firstly as Brahman (or effulgence); secondly as the Supersoul in the heart and thirdly as Bhagavan or the Supreme Lord Himself. The Pundits (jnanis) reject all association with material nature as false or non-existent and identify the truth as the formless effulgence of the Lord called Brahman. The yogis however, with their one-pointed minds, locate Him, the Supreme Truth, as the form of the Supersoul in the heart devoid of any pastimes. The devotees view te Supreme Lord in His complete feature of knowledge, existence and bliss and exulting in unique loving pastimes with His associates. Amongst the devotees of the Supreme Lord, the confidential devotees of Lord Krishna who taste the sweetness of loving pastimes in Vraja stand 0out as most superior in preference to those who loving moods of servitorship are tinged with awe and reverence. In this context, just as one very far away can only perceive the effulgence of the sun, similarly the learned pundits, not being able to behold the attractive form of Lord Syamasundar, are able to perceive only the shining effulgence emanating form the Supreme Lord. The yogis understand the form of the all pervading Lord as present in the hearts of the innumerable living entities and as the Supersoul in the heart. The devotees, by following the process of devotional service, are able to see the Lord's forming truth and amongst such devotees, those in the spontaneous loving moods, free from awe and reverence, can only be so fortunate visualize the pure, transcendental form of Sri Krishna.

 

ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge

 

Sri Rama, Lord Nrshimadeva, etc, are part of the incarnations of Vishnu or part of the part but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Supreme Lord. He incarnates from age to age to rescue the demigods like Lord Indra from the oppression of the demons. As in C. Charimtamrta Adi (2/89/0), the one candle which originally lights all the other candles, has the characteristic of being the original candle. Similarly, in this way Lord Sri Krishna is the fundamental original persons and all are His expansions. In Gita too (14/21) the Supreme Lord says He is the basis for Brahman which is under His shelter. In Gita (10/42)

 

atha va bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna

vistabhyaham idam krtsnam, ekamsena sthito jagat

 

In this verse, it mentions the Supreme Lord is existing in one part as the Supersoul in the heart of all living entities which is meditated upon by the yogis. He is also celebrated as the Supreme Person (Purusottama) in His original form. The Kapila deva who founded the atheistic philosophy refers to creation as the ordinary combination of masculine and feminine gender. In Gita (9/10), the Supreme Lord informs Arjuna that the material nature is always subordinate to Him and is one of His multifarious energies. But at the same time under His direction material nature is able to produce the living and non living entities. The Lord is in the form of purified goodness, being transcendental and has no direct connection with material nature. Maha-Vishnu lying the Causal Ocean from far away casts a glance on material nature by which the material nature becomes agitated to produce this world of living and non-living things. Thus the mere glance of the Supreme Lord is sufficient to create this universe. The primary cause of this creation is the Supreme Lord Krishna while the secondary cause is the material nature. As the nipples of the neck of the goat cannot give milk, similarly, without the energy of the Lord Krishna, the material nature cannot produce or create living entities. In the construction of an ornamented pot, earth is one of the ingredients, the potter is the direct cause or maker and his tools which include the potter's wheel are the secondary cause of the creation of the pot. In this way, Sri Krishna in the form of Maha-Vishnu is the main reason for creation of the universe and His implements of creation namely, time and His energies are the secondary causes. Nevertheless, the act of creation was done from very far away by Maha-Vishnu, with faint resemblance of contact by limb i.e. in this case by His direct penetrating glance.

 

In the conversation of Sri Kapiladeva and Devahuti (3/26/19), and also between Sri Vidura and Maitreya (3/5/26), two verses are significant:-

 

daivat ksubhita-dharminyam svasyam, yonau parah puman

adhatta viryam sasuta mahat-tattvam hiranmayam

 

The Supreme Person injects His vital fluid into the agitated material energy and from the inert material nature, the Maha-tattva was born.

 

kala-vrttya tu mayayam guna-mayyam adhoksajah

purusenatma-bhutena viryam adhatta viryavan

 

The partial expansion of Lord Maha-Vishnu, injected the living entities with His transcendental potencies in the aggrieved restless condition of material nature, by the influence of time. In the form of Maha-Vishnu, His only contact with material nature is His sweet will by which the innumerable tiny spiritual sparks are injected into material nature. Firstly, the inert initial condition of nature is called pradhana and by the glance of the Lord, the mahat-tattva is formed form the static material nature after which this Mahat-tattva when impelled by time, gives rise to three kinds of false-ego as in the modes of Goodness, Passion and ignorance respectively. The living entities, originally of spiritual constitution, become embedded in the mahat-tattva whose predominating Deity is Vasudeva. The transformation of this mahat-tattva, by the false-ego in the mode of Goodness, gives rise to the mind and the presiding Deities or demigods, the predominating Deity of this mahat-tattva, by the false-ego in the mode of Passion, develops into intelligence and the subtle senses. The Deity for this mode is Pradyumna. The transformation of the mahat-tattva in the mode of ignorance gives rise to the five elements and the tan-mantras (sound, touch, sight). The predominating Deity for this mode is Sankarshana.