Why Couldn’t Arjuna Retire And Meditate On Krishna

"O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusudana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth." (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 1.32-35)

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Friend1: I know that the Bhagavad-gita discusses yoga.

Friend2: What is that?

Friend1: You know, the mystic thing. Sitting down in a secluded place. Laying down a rug made of deerskin. Concentrating the eyes on the tip of the nose and so forth.

“One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.13-14)

Friend2: That is a certain kind of yoga, but what is the actual meaning of the word?

Friend1: Union. Plus.

Friend2: And within the proper context what is being added?

Friend1: The individual soul and the Supreme Soul. Jivatma uniting with Paramatma.

Friend2: What is considered the best yoga?

Friend1: I know about grading the different varieties, but Shri Krishna does make a distinction as far as who is the best yogi.

Friend2: The one living in the cave?

Friend1: Not necessarily.

Friend2: The person teaching a class in a room heated to one hundred degrees?

Friend1: Another miss.

Friend2: The mystic who can appear and disappear at will?

Friend1: Actually, we know Rakshasas could do that, from descriptions in the Ramayana. They were the quintessential bad guys, so exhibiting that ability surely doesn’t make you the best yogi.

Friend2: It doesn’t really make you a yogi, either.

Friend1: The answer is the person who always thinks of Krishna. He is the topmost.

“And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.47)

Friend2: It’s a key omission, done intentionally, by those who are averse to serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead but want to use Bhagavad-gita to further their personal objectives.

Friend1: My question is about Arjuna. We know the conclusion to the conversation. He fights in the war. He proceeds. The advice from Krishna, who is also the charioteer, worked. Doubts vanished. With certainty, Arjuna knew that he was on the righteous path in delivering justice to the bad guys, who had gotten away with their crimes for too long.

Friend2: Then what exactly about Arjuna?

Friend1: If the best yogi is the one who always thinks of Krishna, what would have been the harm if Arjuna dropped his weapons and retired to the forest? We know that is the setting for the conversation. The leading fighter for the Pandava side had this inclination. He did not want to take part in the sin of killing so many others, especially some people he respected.

Friend2: Relatives, teachers and other family members. Are you saying that by living in a cave somewhere, meditating on the lotus feet of Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord, Arjuna would not be guilty of a violation?

Friend1: Forget piety and sin for a moment. We know that a person who meditates on Krishna is the best of yogis, and in all circumstances a person should strive for yoga, for that is the benefit of a human birth. Not to eat as much as possible. Not to sleep comfortably on a memory foam mattress. Not to gaze at the ocean on the perpetually sunny days. Spiritual life is the auspicious end for the spirit soul travelling through the cycle of reincarnation.

Friend2: You raise an interesting issue, but you should know that such a decision would have been ill-rooted.

Friend1: How so and does that really matter?

Friend2: Retreating to the forest would have been to avoid responsibility, to consider only the bodily welfare of others. The intention would matter because that then affects the quality of the meditation.

Friend1: Umm, but Dhruva Maharaja went to meditate with material desires and eventually was purified through contact with Vishnu.

Friend2: Yes, but Arjuna already met Vishnu. He was getting advice directly from Krishna, who is the same person meditated on by Dhruva. Following that path would have been ignorance. It would not be meditation really, since the consciousness was still materially focused.

Friend1: Interesting.

Friend2: But here is the more important truth to understand. Fighting in the war in the manner that Arjuna ended up doing is exactly the same as the meditation of which you speak. No difference.

Friend1: Really?

Friend2: Yes. That is the secret of bhakti-yoga. Others may not notice it. Arjuna is firing arrows, after all, while standing on a chariot. He is in the middle of chaos personified, a battlefield featuring millions of soldiers hostile to one another. That a person could perform meditation in such a setting proves that devotional service is for every kind of person, in every kind of situation. Consciousness is what counts, and the person who can always remain conscious of the Supreme Lord, through to the time of death, is assured liberation, which means eternal connection in yoga.

In Closing:

Putting in perspective the rest,

When describing yogi the best.

Krishna advice to Arjuna to find,

That he who with Lord always in mind.

So what harm then for weapons to drop,

And into forest meditation without stop?

Idea that the same when in war fighting,

Service to Krishna through wrong righting.

Three Ways Yudhishthira Was A Saintly King

“Maharaja Yudhishthira was the ideal and celebrated pious King of the world, and still he was greatly afraid after the execution of the Battle of Kurukshetra because of the mass killing in the fight, all of which was done only to install him on the throne. He therefore took all the responsibility for sins committed in the warfare, and to get rid of all these sins, he wanted to perform three sacrifices in which horses are offered at the altar.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.12.34 Purport)

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The famous paintings depicting scenes from the Bhagavad-gita show a confused, but capable warrior speaking with an authority figure on all matters of life, including the spiritual side. Question and answer, back and forth, with visual aids included, the transcript of the conversation turns into a Sanskrit work for the ages. In fact, the core teachings predate the population of earth.

“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.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.1)

The disciple in this case is Arjuna, one of the five Pandava brothers, who are the central characters to the historical work of epic length known as the Mahabharata. Arjuna is not the eldest, but he is considered the best fighter. Ability on the battlefield is a requirement in the situation, as two parties of considerable size are on the precipice of war.

The eldest of the Pandavas is of a saintly character. Though also a warrior in the upcoming battle, Yudhishthira played an additional role of ruler. Born of the god of justice, Dharmaraja, his saintly nature was not a matter of formality due to family lineage; there was supporting evidence through behavior.

1. He had a flawless character

Not someone who set up an illegal private email server in order to conduct personal and government business without any oversight from the proper authority figures. Not someone who accepted bribes from foreign governments funneled into a charitable organization, which was nothing more than a front for collecting donations for the purpose of influencing public policy.

Not someone who routinely disparaged others as part of the everyday business of politics. Not someone who held grudges against others over petty issues. Not someone who said one thing to the people in public and did something else entirely in the background.

Yudhishthira’s character was known to be flawless. Others could cheat him in this way, exploiting the behavior for their own benefit, but that did not change the ways of the eldest Pandava brother. This character was ideal for others to follow. Within the family the eldest brother is known as agraja, which means the one who others follow and take the example from. Within society, as the king Yudhishthira gave the best example for the common man to follow.

“Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.21)

2. He never spoke lies

Satyam, truthfulness, is considered a virtuous quality. That is to say the saintly class tends to side with honesty in most cases. This makes sense, because one of the hallmarks of criminals is telling lies. The burglar does not give warning before entering a building illegally. The aggressor using violence does not tell their victims what will happen going forward. The cheater does not like it if others behaved dishonestly with them, but they have no problem using deception to achieve their ends.

Yudhishthira was so committed to the truth that others could take advantage. The rival cousins, headed by Duryodhana, unjustly usurped the land that belonged to Yudhishthira and his brothers. The area was enough to give control over the entire world. Yudhishthira did nothing at first. He was too honest with himself to take violence that might be considered sinful.

In one famous incident Yudhishthira told a lie at the urging of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It was a sort of masked statement, one that could be understood in different ways. Though most often considered a blemish on his record of pure truthfulness, the behavior actually solidified his position. This is because Krishna is the Absolute Truth, and following His word never goes against dharma.

3. He upheld religious principles

It is one thing to be honest in personal dealings and to exhibit a good character yourself; Yudhishthira had the additional responsibility of leading others. In this role he had to uphold dharma in society. This is not easy, considering the tendency towards adharma due to the influence of kama, or material desire. Yudhishthira fulfilled this critical duty in many ways, including conducting massive yajnas, or sacrifices, for purification of both the leadership and the kingdom at large.

Most of all, Yudhishthira is considered saintly because he follows the Supreme Lord. He is a rajarshi, or ruler with the qualities of a rishi, which is a holy man. His exemplary character is described in detail in works like the Mahabharata and Shrimad Bhagavatam, which have been kindly passed down through the ages for the benefit of man, to help them escape the cycle of birth and death.

In Closing:

Yudhishthira from dharma descending,

But not just in title pretending.

Saintly in many ways to be,

Example for society to see.

In righteousness enemies felled,

And then dharma’s principles upheld.

Reason though most of all,

That Krishna the guide to call.

Dussehra 2018

“The mighty Rama, who possessed extraordinary strength, consecrating in accordance with the mantras prescribed in the Vedas, taking that great arrow – which was capable of removing the fears of the entire world and the Ikshvaku dynasty, capable of taking away the glory of His enemies, and conducive to His own happiness – fixed it on His bow.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kand, 108.13-14)

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The newborn continues to reach important milestones. While one day they are content playing on the floor mattress, jumping up and down and rolling over countless times, suddenly they realize that crawling can get them to wherever they want to go.

They venture out into unchartered territories, sometimes taking a quick peek back to see if the parents are watching. Maybe they know deep down that they shouldn’t be entering the kitchen. Those curtains in front of the patio door – perhaps they shouldn’t be pulled upon.

As they get older, the children see what the parents do on a daily basis. It is basic imitation. If a particular activity is sanctioned for the parents, why not also the child? Growing up in a house that follows traditions of the Vedas, one day the young one sees the parents celebrating something called Dussehra. They then pose several questions to the father, wanting further details. The visuals are enough to capture their interest, but there must be something behind the tradition.

1. What is it?

Also going by names such as Vijaya-dashami and Rama-vijayotsava, Dussehra is for commemorating the moment when Shri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, defeated the ten-headed king of Lanka, Ravana, once and for all. Victory is always a certainty for the Supreme Lord, who is known as Ajita, or unconquerable. The details are simply a matter of time; they will manifest when appropriate.

Dussehra marks such a moment, when after days of intense battling the conflict finally came to an end. The ten-headed one crashed to the ground, both literally and symbolically. The reign was over, and now Lanka would be ruled by a pious leader, Ravana’s younger brother Vibhishana.

2. Why celebrate this particular victory of good over evil?

In the more secular analysis, the celebration is for the triumph of good over evil. Rama represents good and Ravana evil. Rama abided by principles of dharma, which is righteousness, religiosity, duty, etc. Ravana was committed to adharma, which essentially represents the opposite. Though he expected others to respect his own property, Ravana did not extend the same courtesy to others. This is the foundation of adharma – act only in your self-interest, in duplicity, and never consider the impact on others.

Good triumphs over evil all the time. What is known as justice arrives at the appropriate moment and in the proper magnitude. This was taught by Shri Rama Himself, when one time battling an aggressor sent by Ravana to cause trouble.

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

Therefore Dussehra must be about more. It is the pure good, shuddha-sattva, gaining victory against maya and everything she is able to do. Her greatest accomplishment is to fool an otherwise intelligence species, the human being, into thinking that material comforts and the fruits of personal accomplishments will last forever. Time is the great devouring force, and in Ravana’s case the Supreme Lord decided to show the world that He is time itself.

3. Why invoke a weapon that came from Brahma?

The culminating yuddha, or military conflict, described in the Ramayana is between two large armies. Rama’s side consists of monkeys and bears, and Ravana’s of black-magic enhanced Rakshasas, who are like man-eating ogres. There are terrific and capable fighters on both sides, and they each get to show their worth.

At the end it is Rama and Ravana fighting against each other. This conflict is difficult, but only because the Supreme Lord allows it to be. In the end He summons a weapon handed to Him by Agastya Rishi. This arrow is originally from Lord Brahma, the creator. Rama empowers the weapon by using a mantra, and once released it is the end for Ravana.

Rama does not require the use of such a weapon. Nor does He need mantras to empower anything. His actions in the manifest world illustrate key principles that mankind should follow. Using Brahma’s arrow pays respect to the creator, who is a spiritual master in his own right. The same Brahma was worshiped by Ravana to rise to power, and now the benefactor has shown that his benedictions paired with Divine strength are no match for material rewards used in the mindset of adharma.

4. Why worship the sun-god?

Rama received the weapon from Agastya, who had urged Rama to first worship the sun-god. The Supreme Lord in that incarnation appeared in the solar dynasty, a family of rulers who started with Vivasvan. The act thus paid honor to the people who previously appeared in the family.

Many spiritual traditions show a similar level of respect to the sun. Without the heat and light it provides man would not be able to survive on earth. An empowered being, everyone benefits from its presence – both good and bad alike.

5. Why so many celebrations for Shri Rama?

There is Rama Navami, which is like Rama’s birthday. There is Diwali, which celebrates the Supreme Lord’s return home to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana. There is Dussehra, also, and so the child is sure to wonder why there are several celebrations on the calendar for a single person.

God the person does not require our service. The celebrations in His honor are not necessary for His happiness and wellbeing. Every tradition passed on from authority is for our benefit, for purifying our consciousness. Rama is so kind that He allows for every day to be an utsava, a celebration in His honor. This is most easily accomplished through harinama-sankirtana, chanting the holy names of God together with others.

In Closing:

Father showing lamp of ghee,

Celebration small child to see.

Naturally to wonder the reason,

Why Dussehra in this season?

To good winning over evil more,

About Rama and His victory to ensure.

How sun-god and Brahma respecting,

To help us, worship never expecting.

How Is It Possible For The Greatest To Expand Into Everyone

"As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You have taken birth from my abdomen. O my Lord, how is that possible for the supreme one, who has in His belly all the cosmic manifestation? The answer is that it is possible, for at the end of the millennium You lie down on a leaf of a banyan tree, and just like a small baby, You lick the toe of Your lotus foot." (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.33.4)

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Friend1: God is great. That is the general idea.

Friend2: Of the believers.

Friend1: Sure. Even the non-believers, if they were to think of what the concept of God is, greatness would likely be the first vision.

Friend2: Better than everyone else. Exhibiting superior ability in every area where an exercise can make a determination.

Friend1: Staying above, in the heavenly region, looking down on everyone else.

Friend2: Situated in the highest position.

Friend1: The Vedas even confirm this to a degree. There is the concept of Vishnu living in the spiritual land of Vaikuntha.

Friend2: The permanent heaven, different and distinct from svarga-loka, the heavenly planets of the material world.

Friend1: Material meaning destructible.

Friend2: Temporary. Not that different from earth, but featuring enhanced living conditions.

Friend1: Vishnu is above everyone else. He lies down in rest, with Lakshmi Devi, the goddess of fortune massaging His lotus feet.

Friend2: Through an act widely understood to be involuntary, He creates, maintains and destroys innumerable universes.

Friend1: Breathing. Inhaling and exhaling. The universes are greatness personified. The largest collection of matter, with component objects and living entities.

Friend2: And Vishnu enters into each universe to serve as the maintainer. He further expands to reside with every living being, large and small.

Friend1: I’m glad you mentioned that. So the concept of Vishnu is at the highest aggregate level. The Supersoul, the expansion residing inside of you and me, is at the most granular level.

Friend2: You’ll be happy to know that atomic theory is not a discovery of modern science. It was previously explained thousands of years ago, before anyone can remember. The Supersoul is also in paramanu, or the atom. Without the Supersoul nothing could exist. Just as the atom is the basic building block of life, so Vishnu as the Supersoul is within every object. He is present at every space, making Him the supreme witness.

Friend1: Okay, so the greatness part is easy to understand. Not difficult to accept. The Supersoul might be a tough ask.

Friend2: Who is asking?

Friend1: People who are interested in spiritual life. Those who want to know more about the scientific aspect to genuine religion, as presented in the Vedas.

Friend2: Why is it difficult to accept, though?

Friend1: Because greatness is easy to notice. We see an amazing mountain range. We observe the large cloud approaching, ready to drop a massive amount of rain. We see satellite images from outer space.

Friend2: And there are no such images of the Supersoul.

Friend1: Exactly. Individual soul, jivatma, is itself impossible to perceive with an instrument, as it is known to be the size of the tip of a piece of hair divided into ten thousand parts.

Friend2: Yes, and just one of those parts. We know the soul based on the existence of life, and the same concept applies to the Supersoul. Not every individual soul operating in the same kind of body sees the same results to actions.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: I decided to get up in the morning. Rise out of bed to start the day. While many millions of people make the same decision and witness the same outcome of success, there are some who do not. They cannot rise. The body type does not allow it. That body is actually a product of nature, which is under the direction of the Supersoul. In this way the individual soul is seated as on a machine.

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

Friend1: I accept that, but again it’s not so easy to notice.

Friend2: Take advantage of the difficulty.

Friend1: What does that mean?

Friend2: Use the presence of the Supersoul as a way to further appreciate God. This is what Devahuti did. She had the great fortune of receiving a personal expansion of God in her womb. Imagine that, God appearing within your own family. The one who is unborn, aja, and without a beginning, anadi, has decided to enter this world through the birth process.

Friend1: Kapiladeva?

Friend2: Yes. And so Devahuti remarked that it wasn’t so amazing for Bhagavan to do this, since He is known to lie on a banyan leaf at the time of universal dissolution. Markandeya Rishi once got to witness what occurs at the end of a cycle of creation, when no one else is left in the world. He saw a small child, Lord Vishnu, lying on a leaf of a banyan tree, sucking His toe. Within that child’s stomach was the entire universe. Greatness simultaneously paired with a small form. This is the magic of the Supreme Lord. He is perfect in every direction.

In Closing:

As Vishnu over universes to command,

But how as Supersoul to expand?

The great easy to perceive,

But the invisible hard to believe.

Proof from outcomes uniform not,

Variation though same form got.

Devahuti by this feature not amazed,

Since at dissolution on banyan leaf stays.

Four Books Unavailable At The Local Library During Hanuman’s Time

“Hearing those wonderful words from the best of monkeys, Maithili’s every limb was thrilled with joy. She then spoke to Hanuman as follows: ‘O Hanuman, how can you desire to carry me such a great distance? Verily I think this is due to your apishness, O chief of the monkeys.’” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.28-29)

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The subscription library system came about in the eighteenth century, an idea from a wise Colonial who would later become one of the founding fathers to a nation. Books were in short supply. Not every person could afford to purchase. Why not keep just a few copies in a single place and allow members to borrow them for a period of time? This way everyone in the community could benefit from the presence of books.

Those works are nothing more than recorded thoughts and observations; the same communication accomplished previously through aural reception. Descending knowledge works in this way. Accept from a higher authority and then pass down to future generations. The knowledge flows downwards instead of having to gain personal experience in order to assemble a knowledgebase.

Shri Hanuman was the leader in a difficult mission many thousands of years ago. Not the acknowledged leader to his group, but to the people assigning it was known that if there were to be success Hanuman would likely be the only person to deliver it.

During that ancient time period there were no libraries, or published books for that matter. If there had been, certainly some important titles were not in stock. That is to say Hanuman was not blessed with specific descending knowledge in written form to help him overcome several obstacles.

1. How To Jump Across Oceans For Dummies

This book would have been helpful during a critical moment in the mission. The orders came from Sugriva, the king of Vanaras in the forest area known as Kishkindha. Hanuman worked for Sugriva, who was in an alliance with the prince of Ayodhya, Shri Rama. The directive was to search the globe for Rama’s missing wife, Sita Devi.

The many Vanaras under Sugriva divided into groups. Hanuman’s group came upon valuable information, namely Sita’s location. Then a torturous problem arose. A physical barrier. A large ocean, separating the shore from the island of Lanka, where Sita had been taken against her will.

Fortunately, Jambavan was there to remind Hanuman of amazing abilities gifted to him at birth. Hanuman could change his shape at will, to either large or small. Assuming a large stature, the valiant warrior then took a giant leap from a mountaintop.

2. How To Travel In A City Of Ogres Undetected For Dummies

The single leap was enough. Hanuman made it across the ocean. A reference book would have helped, but there was none available. Of course the issues did not end there. Hanuman now had to enter Lanka and search through it undetected. As a monkey-type person, he would certainly be conspicuous in a city of man-eating ogres.

Hanuman had only his intelligence on which to rely. He decided to again change his shape, this time to one resembling a cat. In a much smaller form he was able to search the entire city, even entering various palaces belonging to the king, the ten-headed Ravana.

3. How To Handle Failure In An Important Task For Dummies

Though essentially a hired worker, everything was done out of love. Hanuman had known Rama for only a brief period of time, but a single meeting was enough to elicit a strong sense of duty. He wanted to see Rama happy. He wanted to reunite the Divine pair.

Leaping across an ocean was amazing. Searching for so long amidst the enemy was also impressive. But for a long time success did not come. It would have been nice to get encouraging words from a book on how to keep the faith. Maintain an optimistic outlook, when in truth the future looks bleak.

Again Hanuman had to rely on himself, and after careful deliberation he decided to proceed. Quitting wouldn’t help anyone, and without taking action there would be zero chance for success. Where there is life there is hope.

4. How To Handle Insults From Someone You Care About For Dummies

He eventually found Sita, who was in a grove of Ashoka trees, suffering terribly due to the forced separation from her husband. Her body was emaciated from grief, and she was understandably skeptical of anyone approaching her. Certainly a monkey-figure, who was not native to the area, would raise suspicions.

Hanuman had to again figure out something important on his own. He had to find a way to win Sita’s trust, to convince her that Rama was on His way to rescue her. He succeeded yet again, but in his enthusiasm over success he proposed to bring Sita back to Rama by himself.

The initial response to this kind gesture was a personal insult. Sita dismissed the idea, saying that perhaps Hanuman’s monkey nature was showing through this ill-conceived plan. After you’ve worked so hard, risked your life, suffered through self-doubt and the falling hourglass of time, you meet success and then get insulted by the person for whom the effort is dedicated.

How to proceed? Get angry? Keep your cool? Respond with biting words of your own? No reference book to help him, Hanuman maintained a level-head, understanding the situation. In the future, the love of Sita and Rama towards him would be well-known, beyond any doubt.

It was the devotion to Rama that kept him going. There were no reference books available, but the Supersoul was with him the entire time, guiding him. This personal intervention arrives only in the bhakti path, as material desires do not catch the interest of the Supreme Lord. For such matters karma is there to handle the appropriate and timely delivery of results. For the devotees, Bhagavan provides what they lack and maintains what they have.

In Closing:

Certain library books not in stock,

Like dealing with ocean’s obstacle shock.

Crossing over in single leap how,

Or searching in ogre-city now?

For Hanuman going it all alone,

Aided only by what previously known.

But helping Shri Rama was entire time,

Facilitating that devoted servant to shine.

Four Analogies Used In The Bhagavad-Gita

“O mighty-armed Krishna, does not such a man, being deviated from the path of Transcendence, perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.38)

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The material world bears similarities to the spiritual world. Something like the saying, “Man is made in the image of God,” so the manifest space consisting of higher, middle and lower planetary systems resembles the imperishable and forever unmanifest planetary system in many ways.

“That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.21)

How to properly explain unmanifest versus manifest? How to understand the difference between the negation of perceivable attributes and the existence of unlimited attributes, which are inconceivable in nature?

The teachers of the Vedic science take advantage of the similarities. They make heavy use of analogies to present complex topics in a more digestible format. This practice descends from the top; the Supreme Lord Himself teaches in this manner, as there are many analogies found in His famous conversation with the bow-warrior named Arjuna.

1. Changing clothes

Have we lived before? If so, then where? In what form? Why can’t we remember? Reincarnation certainly has a mystical aspect to it. In some ways it is comforting to know that this life is not the only one. At the same time, if we have lived before and can’t remember all the details, it stands to reason that in the future we will have another life and have forgotten everything from this one.

Shri Krishna introduces the topic of reincarnation fairly quickly in the discussion. In the beginning He mentions to Arjuna that the body is always changing. The juxtaposition is the great fear: death. As Shri Rama says in the Ramayana, for a person who has achieved maturity in life, there is no greater fear than death.

“As a ripe fruit has no other fear than to fall, so a man who is born has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

Arjuna should not fear death precisely because the spirit soul inside is never killed. Only the body changes. No need to consider the future as of yet to understand the concept. See how reincarnation happens already. Since the time of birth the body has continued to change. In the same way, the final change will be at death. The transformation is like putting on clothes and then taking them off.

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

2. The seasons

Birth and death are covered, but what about in between? How to handle the ups and downs of daily life? How to proceed forward when feeling depressed? How to find true happiness, that isn’t dependent on outside factors?

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

Shri Krishna says that happiness and sadness are due to sense perception only. The meaning is that the soul is not affected. Moreover, the contradictory pair arrive seemingly without effort, on a kind of schedule. The analogy is to winter and summer. No one seeks out the bitter cold in the winter months. No one prefers the intense heat and humidity of summer. A wise person tolerates both, however. The same should be done with happiness and sadness.

3. The inverted tree

We know that the material world is a reflection of the spiritual world based on the mention of the inverted tree. Krishna says that this tree’s roots are upwards. The branches flow downward and then in different directions. The leaves represent various aspects of nature, with so many corresponding departments of knowledge.

The obvious place to find an inverted tree is the water. Sitting by a pond on a clear day, looking at the water shows the tree in an upside down way. Thus the analogy is to a reflection, where the tree exists in the proper orientation, in the same way that the spiritual world is the actual root of existence. The various leaves of this tree are merely different ways to stay occupied in a temporary existence, forgetting the eternal service of bhakti-yoga.

4. The riven cloud

Arjuna is a disciple with considerable intelligence. Though a military man, he was qualified to receive the teachings from Krishna, who is the adi-guru, or original teacher. Arjuna makes use of analogies in his questions.

At one stage he asks about the progress of a spiritual seeker. If someone were to genuinely search for the root of the inverted tree, to climb their way back to the spiritual world, so to speak, what happens if they fail to succeed in this lifetime? What happens to their progress?

The worry is that everything will disintegrate, like the riven cloud. Once that object breaks up, the wind carries the component pieces away. How to even find everything to put back together? Similarly, if the spirit soul travels to a new body in the next life, does everything they learned previously get erased?

Krishna addresses the concerns. While material acquisition does not follow from life to life, any genuine effort in yoga never goes to waste. The progress gets maintained through an auspicious birth in the next life. The unsuccessful yogi appears in a family of clean and pure-minded people. Or they are in a family blessed by shri [opulence], so that there are no distractions with respect to maintaining life.

The body disintegrates, but any time spent in bhakti-yoga accumulates a steady balance of spiritual credits, sukriti, that pay dividends in the future. For this reason alone bhakti-yoga makes more sense than any other path in life, either material or spiritual. Just one utterance of the holy name, just one attempt made to understand life through the lens of analogies provided by Krishna and His representatives, goes a long way.

In Closing:

Since material the spiritual resembling,

Vedic teachers analogies assembling.

From Shri Krishna practice descending,

To benefit souls with nature contending.

Like in pond seeing tree inverted,

That reflection of original perverted.

Like riven cloud yogi’s progress to abate?

But Lord in same position to reinstate.

The Creation And Its Instruction Manual

“All the instructions of Bhagavad-gita are intended to awaken this pure consciousness, and therefore we find at the last stage of the Gita's instructions that Krishna is asking Arjuna whether he is now in purified consciousness. Purified consciousness means acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. This is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Introduction)

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Friend1: What would you say to the people who complain that God threw us into this land to fend for ourselves, without any guidance?

Friend2: How would you reach that conclusion?

Friend1: Just see how much of a struggle there is. Difficult questions to answer on a daily basis. How should we treat our neighbor who is making too much noise? Should we cut off that friend who is annoying and offensive from time to time? That relative who made a lifestyle choice that we strongly disagree with - how should that be handled?

Friend2: You are saying that there is no guidance from above?

Friend1: Trial and error. Scientific studies. Experience from past generations.

Friend2: That is ascending knowledge.

Friend1: Which means?

Friend2: Basing everything solely on experience. Observation and experiment, which are the foundation of science. When you hear someone refer to “overwhelming scientific evidence,” make sure they are able to produce results from actual experiments, with strict controls. Otherwise, their evidence is not even underwhelming; it’s nonexistent.

Friend1: You mean there has to be the presence of a stimuli on one side and the absence of one on the other.

Friend2: If I want to see the impact of drinking coffee, the most basic test will have one group of coffee drinkers and one group that doesn’t take it.

Friend1: Makes sense to me.

Friend2: Okay, but with some contentious issues today there are no such experiments. The proponents of a specific stance say that it is too risky to test any significant population for the absence of a particular treatment.

Friend1: Wow, that’s silly. So we should just accept what they say blindly?

Friend2: That is what they want. Anyway, so there are defects even with the scientific method. You can’t account for every variable in an environment. Moreover, you can’t go back infinitely into history to study everything that has ever happened to people.

Friend1: You are making my point. God put us in this world and our only option is to speculate.

Friend2: One nice comparison I heard recently is that the Vedas are like the instruction manual for the creation.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: If you produce a new product, it usually comes with an instruction manual. Even software has a guide of some sort, a help system.

Friend1: A software development kit. Some people can actually figure out on their own, though. They install the air conditioner without looking at the manual. They learn how to use the television through trial and error.

Friend2: Yes, there is no doubt that man has come very far in terms of material comfort through figuring things out on their own. The issue to me is that this doesn’t represent real progress.

Friend1: What does, then?

Friend2: Peace. Is the generation with smartphones more at peace than that which preceded them? Does the existence of advanced medical treatment today mean that people are in generally better health than previous time periods?

Friend1: I don’t think so. Everyone is upset all the time. They have so many ailments, starting from childhood. There is a pill for every ill, and no one seems concerned about the long term impact of such treatment.

Friend2: Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Puranas, the Upanishads - these are different versions of the same instruction manual, tailored to different audiences, of varying levels of intelligence. In summary, there is something for everyone.

Friend1: But how would those ancient texts be applicable to today?

Friend2: That is the test for authenticity. See if they make an impact. The principles presented are timeless. Birth and death, the material nature, the devouring tendency of lust combined with wrath, the variety in species, the influence of personal desire, the position of the soul with respect to other souls, the difference in nature of the Supreme Soul, His personal side, the way to worship Him, the path towards escaping repeated birth and death - the instruction manual is for every time period of life, for every kind of person.

In Closing:

With new technology construction,

Accompanying manual for instruction.

Like SDK with smartphone use extending,

Give birth to applications unending.

So God not into this world to throw,

Without some way for Him to know.

Vedas and branches guidebooks to read,

Towards transcendence to lead.