How Can Something Be Ferocious And Auspicious At The Same Time

“The hair on Narasimhadeva's head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.8.32)

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सटावधूता जलदाः परापतन्
ग्रहाश् च तद्-दृष्टि-विमुष्ट-रोचिषः
अम्भोधयः श्वास-हता विचुक्षुभुर्
निर्ह्राद-भीता दिगिभा विचुक्रुशुः

saṭāvadhūtā jaladāḥ parāpatan
grahāś ca tad-dṛṣṭi-vimuṣṭa-rociṣaḥ
ambhodhayaḥ śvāsa-hatā vicukṣubhur
nirhrāda-bhītā digibhā vicukruśuḥ

Friend1: I think many people have this reaction upon first visiting a Vishnu temple. They see the main deities on the altar, for sure.

Friend2: Who are like the revered occupants of the residence. They are the top authority, and at the same time they are compassion personified.

Friend1: Not worshiped merely out of fear.

Friend2: Tremendous love. The real definition of it, meaning that the outpouring of affection is not dependent on reciprocation. The lone desire or boon sought is to continue in that service, to which the Supreme Lord and His energy happily oblige.

Friend1: On the altar there may be other pictures arranged at the front or sides. Pictures of important personalities, like the spiritual master.

Friend2: And those appearing in the disciplic succession prior.

Friend1: Sometimes you get the image of Narasimhadeva. This is Bhagavan in the special incarnation of a half-man/half-lion. In that particular image He is tearing apart an adult male. The victim is on Narasimha’s lap. The weapon of choice is the nails on the hands.

Friend2: A great historical account to accompany the vision.

Friend1: Some people are taken aback. The image is a little gruesome. They acknowledge that God must sometimes punish bad people. The issue is with having the incident remembered and honored on a daily basis, especially through a painting placed on the altar.

Friend2: In the beginning we may not understand so many things. Talk to a seasoned veteran and they will say that the same image gives them comfort and support.

Friend1: Right. They refer to the ferocious form as auspicious. Try to resolve that for me. Ferocious and auspicious are generally on opposite sides. Narasimha’s is an awe-inspiring visage. Why would anyone consider that auspicious?

Friend2: So many ways to explain this. Imagine living in a city. You have just committed some sort of crime. It doesn’t have to be major. Something basic like parking your car in an illegal spot.

Friend1: Okay.

Friend2: When you see a police officer patrolling the vicinity, there is a little apprehension. The fear is because you will get caught on the parking violation.

Friend1: Absolutely. Same applies if you are driving on a highway and see a police car parked on the side. You know they are waiting to ticket passengers for speeding.

Friend2: Now take a different person but in the same scene. They are worried about safety during that time of night. When they see the same police officer, they become assured. They feel safe knowing that someone is there to protect against danger. You have one image, one person, but viewed differently based on the situation.

Friend1: Narasimhadeva is ferocious to those who are afraid of the consequences to sinful activity. He is auspicious to those who want protection against Daityas and the like.

Friend2: Or protection against any source of misery in this world. It could be a dreaded disease, a severe weather event, or harassment brought on by other people. The ferocious vision is necessary. Bhagavan was in that form specifically to deal with an empowered character who had committed the worst crimes against a five year old child. But it is understandable for people to be a little afraid. Even the demigods were not ready to approach Narasimha. Prahlada, on the other hand, had no problem speaking to Bhagavan. He sees God everywhere, and thus certainly also in the angry lion who had just killed Hiranyakashipu.

In Closing:

To sinful father ferocious,

To saintly son auspicious.

When eyes at altar’s direction,

Having this contradictory reflection.

Like when criminal police to see,

The innocent assured to be.

So Narasimha for all a blessing,

Prahlada without fear addressing.

Three Ways Hiranyakashipu Could Have Reacted To The Failure At Killing His Son

“My dear King Yudhishthira, when all the attempts of the demons to kill Prahlada Maharaja were futile, the King of the demons, Hiranyakashipu, being most fearful, began contriving other means to kill him.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.42)

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प्रयासे ’पहते तस्मिन्
दैत्येन्द्रः परिशङ्कितः
चकार तद्-वधोपायान्
निर्बन्धेन युधिष्ठिर

prayāse ’pahate tasmin
daityendraḥ pariśaṅkitaḥ
cakāra tad-vadhopāyān
nirbandhena yudhiṣṭhira

No turning back now. The decision was made. The rationale was there, too. This son was siding with the enemy. How bad was the person on the other side, to whom the allegiance was shown? Well, he had killed the father’s brother. The son was essentially aligning with the killer of his uncle.

Prahlada’s was a firm choice. Not something decided out of blind sentiment. This wasn’t the case of a naughty child trying to get a rise out of the parents. When a baby first learns to walk they may discover that stomping with the feet creates a loud sound. The father admonishes the child, understanding that other people live in the building, including in the apartment directly below.

Yet the child continues to stomp. Sometimes they give a quick look after pressing down their foot. They want to see if the mother or father will say anything. It’s a test. There is something described as the “terrible twos,” referencing the tendency to rebel against parental authority starting at around the second year of life.

Prahlada was convinced based on his own introspection. He received the suggestion from Narada Muni while within the womb of his mother. This information transfer had more potency than what would come later with the words of the royal teachers.

Hiranyakashipu could not tolerate his own son siding with the enemy, the Supreme Lord. Therefore, the orders descended loud and clear. The child had to be killed. One slight problem with the plan. Prahlada kept surviving every attack, and without much physical resistance, either. He simply sat in meditation of Vishnu.

1. Proud

One possible reaction from the father was pride. Hiranyakashipu had himself sacrificed to an extreme level to reach the position of king of the world. He supplicated the creator, Lord Brahma, and received boons sufficient for de-facto immortality. Of course, just one percent vulnerability is enough to nullify the condition.

Here the son was displaying his own potency. The royal guards could not kill him, despite using pointed weapons, burning oil, and large and heavy animals. Hiranyakashipu could have been proud:

“See, this is my son. If you had any doubt, look at how well he handles himself. This was merely a test. I knew it all along. One day he will conquer enemies using this fortitude. My anger was not real. I was acting!”

2. Inquisitive

This would actually come later. In the beginning, Hiranyakashipu could have asked what was going on:

“How is Prahlada able to withstand these attacks? There is something happening in the background. Maybe he can share his secret with me. I am interested to learn. Typically, the older generation passes down wisdom to the newcomers, but I am not one bound to etiquette. I can teach Prahlada how to rule a kingdom and he can teach me how to stay safe from enemy attack.”

3. Shamed

The father could have taken the occasion to step back and assess the situation objectively. He had made a terrible decision in trying to kill his innocent son. Parents do get fed up every now and then, especially if a child is crying uncontrollably in the middle of the night. Yet there is a big difference between thinking of something severe and actually carrying through with the thought.

Prahlada survived, so perhaps now was the time for remorse. It wasn’t too late. Of a saintly character, the son would have forgiven; instantly at that. He held no grudges, in the same way that the Supreme Lord does not harbor resentment at the countless souls who have forgotten Him since time immemorial.

Unfortunately for Hiranyakashipu, the reaction was focused on the initial objective: killing the son. Use even more force. Perhaps stronger weapons were required. The fever of material pursuit was alive within him. He could not see what was actually going on. In the end the last image would be that of gruesome death in the ferocious and auspicious vision of Narasimhadeva, the protector of Prahlada.

In Closing:

In ways could have reacted,

Like punishment order retracted.

Feeling proud of the son,

Portending triumphs to come.

Or stepping back soberly assess,

That this child the family to bless.

Sadly with same violence to stay,

Until ruthless form to display.

Two Ways To Understand A Higher Deity

“O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium every material manifestation enters into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency I again create.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.7)

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सर्व-भूतानि कौन्तेय
प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम्
कल्प-क्षये पुनस् तानि
कल्पादौ विसृजाम्य् अहम्

sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya
prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni
kalpādau visṛjāmy aham

First there are the parents. They are everything to you. They provide food, clothing and shelter. The father leaves in the morning for the office and returns in the evening. The mother stays at home and diligently watches. In many cases she might also depart on a daily basis to earn a living. Regardless, at least one authority figure is around to provide for the daily needs.

Later there are the teachers. They offer valuable instruction. Next is likely the boss at work. Higher is the head of state. In times past the people were known to pledge allegiance to his majesty, the king of the land. Even in foreign territories, like the colonies in America, the people were loyal to the crown for a long time.

A wise person goes one step further. Even if not specifically instructed by a knowledgeable spiritual guide, a tattva-darshi, they deep down understand the workings of cause-and-effect. That is to say something cannot manifest without some action first taken. Since the amazing world exists through the evidence of visual confirmation, there had to be some force behind the generation, a catalyst to the engine that is the ever-changing world.

1. The Almighty Architect

This is the beginning of the project. Phase one. Buildings don’t come together through random collision. Take that furniture which arrived in the mail this morning. Open the package, throw away the instructions and let the parts just sit there. Then see how long it takes before the furniture gets assembled properly.

You will have to wait forever. A knowledgeable person may be able to complete the task without the instructions, but the work has to be undertaken regardless. The pieces were composed through intelligence. In the same way, a creative mind was necessary for the creation to come into existence.

The architect had to see into the future. They had to know the different dependencies, how the species could survive through heat, light, rain, earth and the like. They had to devise means of communication and also ways to further the overall condition.

2. The Master Builder

With development projects the two phases involve separate groups of people. There is the architect who draws up the plans. They have an idea of what the end result will look like. Then there are the builders. They get to work at implementing the plans.

The Supreme Lord is so potent that He takes care of both. He is the amazing architect and also the master builder. Not that He gets into the fine details, taking hammer to nail, but He oversees everything that goes on. It is through His efforts that the universes come into being.

These two names for a higher deity can emerge through mental speculation, through use of the intelligence gifted to man. For further clarity there is the authority of the Vedas. We learn that the Supreme Lord indeed conceives and creates, but He does so effortlessly.

How easy is it for Him? Imagine lying down in rest. Not from exhaustion. No worry about the tasks to complete the next day. Total relaxation. Then from every outgoing breath so many universes come to be. Within each of them is another architect, manager, builder, maintainer, and even a destroyer. When the breath gets drawn back in, everything that was previously created gets annihilated.

In this way the cycle continues, for too many years to fathom. The idea is that the material world is temporary. Neither is it truly representative of the artistic abilities of the highest deity. He can create at the grandest scale, and He enjoys without cessation. The souls emerging from Him are destined to enjoy in the same way, but the shift in mentality only occurs through a purification of consciousness, for which the human birth is most conducive.

In Closing:

Human birth most conducive,

For praising Supreme effusive.

Not in temporary to stay,

Vedas guiding the way.

So that more than speculation knowing,

That effect from initial cause going.

Master builder always enjoying,

Souls meant with Him joining.

Couldn’t Someone Get The Wrong Idea About Meditation From Prahlada

“The demons [Rakshasas], the servants of Hiranyakashipu, thus began striking the tender parts of Prahlada Maharaja's body with their tridents. The demons all had fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, and they appeared extremely threatening. Making a tumultuous sound, shouting, ‘Chop him up! Pierce him!’ they began striking Prahlada Maharaja, who sat silently, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.39-40)

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नैरृतास् ते समादिष्टा
भर्त्रा वै शूल-पाणयः
तिग्म-दंष्ट्र-करालास्यास्
ताम्र-श्मश्रु-शिरोरुहाः
नदन्तो भैरवं नादं
छिन्धि भिन्धीति वादिनः
आसीनं चाहनञ् शूलैः
प्रह्रादं सर्व-मर्मसु

nairṛtās te samādiṣṭā
bhartrā vai śūla-pāṇayaḥ
tigma-daṁṣṭra-karālāsyās
tāmra-śmaśru-śiroruhāḥ
nadanto bhairavaṁ nādaṁ
chindhi bhindhīti vādinaḥ
āsīnaṁ cāhanañ śūlaiḥ
prahrādaṁ sarva-marmasu

Friend1: I am going to get right into my question today.

Friend2: Thank you.

Friend1: There is this verse from the Shrimad Bhagavatam that describes the type of people who initially attacked Prahlada Maharaja, the son of Hiranyakashipu.

Friend2: You mean like when the king ordered them to? When he got fed up of hearing about devotional service from the son?

Friend1: Yes. The servants were like Rakshasas, man-eating ogres. They had fearful faces and sharp teeth. Long beards to fill out the characteristic image of a villain.

Friend2: That would certainly do it.

Friend1: They attacked with tridents. They went after the tender parts of Prahlada’s body.

Friend2: Why mess around? Assure success. Never mind that the target is only five years old. He is not fighting back, either.

Friend1: That is at the heart of my question today. Prahlada sat silently and meditated on the Supreme Lord. We both know the outcome.

Friend2: The attackers failed. Prahlada succeeded. Well, he wasn’t necessarily trying to win anything. He got to continue in his meditation. This is the mercy of Vishnu, the all-pervading personal aspect of the Divine.

Friend1: My question is that might not someone get the wrong idea about meditation.

Friend2: What idea would that be? That you should meditate starting at five years of age and forego schooling?

Friend1: Not quite. Someone might be led to believe that by meditating on Vishnu you can survive attacks to the body.

Friend2: You can’t? How did Prahlada do it, then?

Friend1: You know what I mean. They will think that it is some kind of magic trick. A way to show others the powers of mysticism.

Friend2: Actually, you are on to something there, but you might not know it.

Friend1: What is that?

Friend2: There are exhibitions with the purpose of fooling people. Expert yogis can do amazing things. They can appear and disappear at will. They can produce an object, like an apple, out of thin air. People can easily get fooled into thinking that mystic yoga is the way towards transcendence. They may even mistake the yogi for God Himself.

Friend1: I see what you are saying, but stay with my original premise for a moment. By studying the Prahlada story, would not someone conclude that bhakti-yoga will make them immune from attack?

Friend2: Well, let me ask you something. Is Prahlada Maharaja still king today?

Friend1: No.

Friend2: Where is he?

Friend1: He must have returned to the spiritual world.

Friend2: Then? He survived the attacks from the Rakshasas, but he still left this world at some point. I understand your concern, but there is actually no harm from getting the mistaken idea.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: Even if I take up bhakti-yoga with ulterior motives, such as gaining power over the material elements, the key component must be there. The devotion to Vishnu, or God the person, is what brings the potency. Actually, there isn’t even an advanced ability. The idea is that Bhagavan Himself protects. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Goswami Tulsidas have remarked similarly, that a person who takes up bhakti acquires all siddhis, or perfections, of yoga without effort.

पय अहार फल खाइ जपु राम नाम षट मास|
सकल सुमण्गल सिद्धि सब करतल तुलसीदास ||

paya ahāra phala khāi japu rāma nāma ṣaṭa māsa|
sakala sumaṇgala siddhi saba karatala tulasīdāsa ||

“Subsisting on fruits and milk, chant Shri Rama’s holy name for six months. Tulsidas says that by following this formula all auspiciousness and every perfection will arrive in the palm of your hand.” (Dohavali, 5)

Extra endeavor is not required. You or I may not be able to withstand the attacks that Prahlada did, but if our devotion is sincere then no one will be able to remove it.

In Closing:

Whichever avenue to choose,

No one able to remove.

Since by Vishnu protected,

Like against weapons projected.

Towards Prahlada proceeded,

But the Rakshasas defeated.

By meditation not breaking,

Bhakti power unshaking.

Three Ways Hiranyakashipu’s Attendants Appeared Threatening

“The demons [Rakshasas], the servants of Hiranyakashipu, thus began striking the tender parts of Prahlada Maharaja's body with their tridents. The demons all had fearful faces, sharp teeth and reddish, coppery beards and hair, and they appeared extremely threatening. Making a tumultuous sound, shouting, ‘Chop him up! Pierce him!’ they began striking Prahlada Maharaja, who sat silently, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.39-40)

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नैरृतास् ते समादिष्टा
भर्त्रा वै शूल-पाणयः
तिग्म-दंष्ट्र-करालास्यास्
ताम्र-श्मश्रु-शिरोरुहाः
नदन्तो भैरवं नादं
छिन्धि भिन्धीति वादिनः
आसीनं चाहनञ् शूलैः
प्रह्रादं सर्व-मर्मसु

nairṛtās te samādiṣṭā
bhartrā vai śūla-pāṇayaḥ
tigma-daṁṣṭra-karālāsyās
tāmra-śmaśru-śiroruhāḥ

nadanto bhairavaṁ nādaṁ
chindhi bhindhīti vādinaḥ
āsīnaṁ cāhanañ śūlaiḥ
prahrādaṁ sarva-marmasu

It was not enough that the orders for attack went out. Hiranyakashipu considered the son Prahlada to be an enemy. The child, though only five years of age, had made his allegiance clear. He was on the side of the suras, the demigods. Their leader is Vishnu, who is also known as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Vishnu as a concept is the detail behind the abstract. Every rational and mature person has some idea of God. Even in the sense of strict denial of the existence, they at least know that which they are denying to exist. Some see Him as an old man residing above the clouds, looking down disapprovingly at the sinful population on earth.

Others understand Him as an energy that pervades the entire space. Heat, light, electricity, magnetism – these are energies of a similar potency found within nature that no one can produce from nothing. No one can point out the origin. This gives way to understanding the Almighty.

Prahlada understood the personal side to this amazing force. Vishnu the person resides in the spiritual land of Vaikuntha. This place, as the name suggests, is free of anxieties. The residents are at peace since they get to associate with Vishnu in their preferred mood of exchange. There is no hankering for wealth, beauty and fame. There is no lamentation at lacking any of those features. The lone desire is to please God the person, and for this there is ample opportunity.

The mood of Vaikuntha descended to the great devotee named Prahlada. The son of a Daitya king was as worry-free as the residents of Vishnu’s spiritual abode. He could not be made to turn his back on the preference since birth, despite the threatening nature of the father’s attendants.

1. Fearful faces

The Daityas were a demon clan. Both in terms of a race and also inherent qualities, they were a menace to society. They created their own community of cheaters, cheated and those driven by the senses. Hiranyakashipu was their leader, and so the people working for him were similar in nature.

One kind of demon is known as Rakshasa. This is like a man-eating ogre. They get an appropriate visage to complement the behavior. In other words, their faces are fearful. This is what Prahlada saw prior to the attacks. The combatants were not suggesting any leniency or kindness.

2. Sharp teeth

As a Rakshasa is a man-eater, they need appropriate teeth in order to enjoy their preferred delicacy. The servants showed their sharp teeth, indicating a willingness to kill. There would be no mercy in these attacks. The people employed by the king were made for this kind of work.

3. Reddish, coppery beards and hair

It is only natural that a person with a beard is considered more threatening, especially if they are of evil intent to begin with. Remove the facial hair and a person automatically looks less menacing. The long hair also indicates a lack of cleanliness. These Rakshasas had the look to accompany the nature.

The specific targets were the tender parts of Prahlada’s body. Hit the child where it would hurt the most. His response was to sit quietly and meditate. The dichotomy was striking. Sharp, powerful weapons and soft, delicate parts of the body. The side of Vishnu won the encounter, as Prahlada was not harmed.

In Closing:

Attackers coming at him,

Rakshasas of visages grim.

Reddish beards and hair,

With evil-intent to scare.

But Prahlada just quietly sitting,

Despite his soft body hitting.

Not harmed from strike,

In peace to Vaikuntha alike.

Three Positions From Which Hiranyakashipu Attacked Prahlada

“Hiranyakashipu planned a campaign to kill Prahlada Maharaja. He would kill his son by administering poison to him while he was eating, by making him sit in boiling oil, or by throwing him under the feet of an elephant while he was lying down. Thus Hiranyakashipu decided to kill his innocent child, who was only five years old, simply because the boy had become a devotee of the Lord. This is the attitude of nondevotees toward devotees.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.38 Purport)

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The anger was at such a high level that the father did not want to take a chance with waiting for an opportune moment. Interestingly, the comparison was made to a muni dealing with uncontrolled senses. Hiranyakashipu said that Prahlada was such an enemy to the community.

It was, in fact, the father who could not control his senses. At the same time, there was no interest in spiritual advancement the way the muni tries. The wise person studies Vedanta philosophy and then makes an effort to implement the principles. Teaching others is not enough. Receiving honorary titles based on a system of credentialed institutions is insufficient for actually advancing the consciousness.

In that sense Hiranyakashipu was degraded. He could not see clearly, and he was ready to attack the five-year old son while in any position.

1. While eating

Who actually prefers to be bothered while eating? There is the physical issue with responding to questions. If there is food in the mouth, how will a person be able to speak properly? Moreover, laughing, crying and other emotions during the important time of swallowing and digesting food can cause major problems.

Hiranyakashipu attacked Prahlada during this moment by feeding him poison. It should have been an easy task. There should not have been a question of success. The child was ready to eat, after all. The innocent Prahlada would not suspect anything. He would continue to consume whatever was served to him.

2. While sitting

A powerful and capable warrior like Hiranyakashipu should have at least known the rules of combat. The ethical thing to do is engage an enemy face-to-face. There should be weapons on both sides. If the combatant loses their chariot and has to move on foot, then the other side is supposed to follow the same. A chivalrous fighter prefers to win in an even match.

Yet Hiranyakashipu attacked Prahlada while the son was sitting. He placed the innocent child in a pit of boiling oil. Who would be able to watch such a thing? This was like a composed scene from a superhero comic book, except the victim was the five-year old son of the perpetrator.

3. While lying down

This position is associated with rest. If you are lying down, you are not really a threat to anyone. Perhaps in the modern day someone could be speaking on the phone or working on a tablet computer while resting in bed, but during Prahlada’s time there was no threat.

While in that harmless position, some elephants came to trample the child. The size mismatch is drastic. Who would be able to survive such an attack? What five-year old son would be worthy of such punishment from the father?

No matter how hard he tried, Hiranyakashipu kept failing. Prahlada’s survival is symbolic of the all-pervading nature of Vishnu, who is the person the father really hated. A person may remain staunch in their denial of an all-powerful figure who is the origin of everything. They may continue to deny that a higher authority exists and is managing every aspect of the creation.

Despite their denials, Vishnu will remain in every time and every space. Hiranyakashipu attacked the son while he was in different positions, but in each case Vishnu was there to protect. The Supreme Lord would soon emerge from a most unexpected place to show the true potency of God.

In Closing:

Destined for meeting on the verge,

From most unexpected to emerge.

In that column already there,

But Hiranyakashipu unaware.

Reason for attacking repeated,

Against Prahlada innocently seated.

And too during meal-giving time,

But Daitya only failure to find.

Four Energies That Are A Variation Of A Common Theme

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.6)

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न तद् भासयते सूर्यो
न शशाङ्को न पावकः
यद् गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते
तद् धाम परमं मम

na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

“Maybe they are the same thing. A singular energy, but manifesting in variety. If man could unlock this secret, gain some clarity on this specific issue, then so much advancement awaits. We could go beyond the limitations that exist at present.”

This was the theory of many in the scientific community some three hundred years ago, when interested parties conducted experiments on their own and shared their results with other like-minded people. Something like the open-source concept of modern-day software development, there was no desire to profit off of invention.

1. Light

Man cannot survive long in the darkness. Indeed, something is considered dark when there is an absence of light. Therefore, light is the active principle. Its presence determines other states. Even if someone can maneuver their way through a dark room, it is only because they have seen everything prior, when there was light. A person finding themselves in a new place full of darkness cannot make their way out until some light emerges.

2. Heat

Fortunately, there is the amazing sun to account for both. It dissipates an endless amount of light and heat. There is no external fuel source, maintenance schedule, or concern over failure in operation. The sun has been in its place before anyone can remember and no one sees it going anywhere anytime soon.

Heat and light are also the properties of fire. Therefore, the sun is considered to be a giant object of fire, though no one has confirmation from up close. Man would not be able to survive the severe temperatures when arriving within close vicinity.

3. Electricity

You can get heat and light from fire, but what about electricity? From where does it emanate? A noted statesmen living in the American colonies during the eighteenth century had a theory that the electricity produced from hobby experiments was the same as seen in lightning. The same energy, but on a different scale, produced in a different way. Developing an experiment with a kite and a key, he turned out to be correct.

4. Magnetism

No one can explain it. Put two objects together and they will attract. There is no way to change the situation. Reverse the ends and try the same. The objects will naturally repel. This is magnetism, and it is an energy that pervades the creation.

From reading the Bhagavad-gita, which summarizes Vedic teachings, we learn that these energies are indeed similar. They are an aspect of the material creation. There are five gross elements and three subtle.

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego - altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

These energies make the material world function, so to speak. They are produced by the creator and they run through the entire sphere. That is to say heat and light can be found everywhere, even under the water. Though fire cannot be produced there, the sun’s rays can penetrate enough to allow plant life to grow.

More amazing, however, is the source of the energies. Known through different concepts based on the time, circumstance and tradition, in the Bhagavad-gita we learn that His spiritual abode does not require external energy. There is no need for electricity or a sun. Magnetism, thunder, lightning and the like pale in comparison to the awesome potency found within the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

His transcendental body is so effulgent that it provides natural lighting. The energy is within the energetic. He is more powerful than the sun, as He has no date of origin or date of expiration.

The issue may be raised that such knowledge is not useful to people living in the material world. Knowing that God has every energy within Him does not help me to utilize aspects of nature for furthering the human condition.

Actually, such knowledge is the most important. It puts material living into the proper perspective. Moreover, the increased appreciation for Krishna that results helps to purify the consciousness, which is the highest objective. That steady and peaceful state allows for living in any condition, while it simultaneously guarantees ascension to the imperishable realm after death.

In Closing:

To further man’s condition,

Science of revising edition.

With this experiment and that,

But never understanding exact.

Where the energies having a source,

Who greater than sun in force.

Knowledge for man most needing,

Who otherwise in dark proceeding.