How Was Hanuman Able To Compose Sanskrit So Quickly

“He speaks clearly, joyfully, and with a pleasing glow on his face. The heroic Hanuman, son of the wind-god, does not appear to speak anything that is false.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama about Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 4.32)

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प्रसन्नमुखवर्णश्च व्यक्तं हृष्टश्च भाषते |
नानृतं वक्ष्यते वीरो हनुमान्मारुतात्मजः ||

prasannamukhavarṇaśca vyaktaṃ hṛṣṭaśca bhāṣate |
nānṛtaṃ vakṣyate vīro hanumānmārutātmajaḥ ||

Friend1: I heard an interesting incident from Chaitanya-lila the other day. These are the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His preacher manifestation. Appearing on this earth during the medieval period in India, the golden avatara to teach the highest rasa of the bhakti path.

Friend2: Madhurya. Beyond awe and reverence. Bhakti goes past the God-fearing posture. Then once you get into devotion, there are different levels.

Friend1: Rasas, which are like conjugal mellows. I’ve heard that one is not necessarily better than another.

Friend2: It is something like one person preferring to eat pizza and another wanting ice cream. Neither one is wrong. It is a matter of preference. Still, the acharyas, especially in the line of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, teach that madhurya brings the most enjoyment. The most intimate way to interact with the Supreme Lord.

Friend1: Exemplified by Shrimati Radharani, the eternal consort of God. Anyway, in this pastime there is a visiting pandita who can compose Sanskrit verses on a whim.

Friend2: You mean without writing a rough draft, editing and then publishing?

Friend1: Exactly. As you and I both know, Sanskrit is the oldest and purest language.

Friend2: The corresponding script is Devanagari, which translates to “city of the gods.”

Friend1: Just to write correct Sanskrit is difficult. In this case, we are talking about context. An appropriate object of worship. This pandita could recite the verses and Mahaprabhu could remember everything after hearing just a single time.

Friend2: Pretty amazing stuff.

Friend1: Especially if you juxtapose with the modern day. In my childhood, we would have so many phone numbers memorized. This was a necessity. Today, I hardly know anyone’s number.

Friend2: Because they are stored in the smartphone. It is part of the contact list.

Friend1: Would that explain how someone could previously speak extemporaneously in Sanskrit?

Friend2: It explains so many things. People could solve complex math equations without outside assistance. They could memorize and recite important verses from shastra. They did not have an online search engine handy.

Friend1: The incident reminds me of the first meeting of Hanuman with Rama.

Friend2: From the Ramayana?

Friend1: Yes. Hanuman’s mission was to find out who these two brothers were. Rama and Lakshmana were approaching the forest area in Kishkindha where the Vanara-king Sugriva was staying.

Friend2: And Sugriva was apprehensive that perhaps these warrior-featured men were sent by a rival to cause harm.

Friend1: Hanuman accepted the task to do reconnaissance. He put on a false guise and welcomed the two brothers. Yet he could not maintain the ruse for long. He began to praise Rama in the best poetry. The words were so impressive that Rama noted that only a high scholar could speak in such a way.

Friend2: Absolutely. Just another qualification to add to Hanuman’s many credentials.

Friend1: How was he able to do it, though?

Friend2: Umm, didn’t you just bring up the pandita during Mahaprabhu’s time? It shouldn’t surprise you that Hanuman can glorify God in such a way. Where there is a desire, there is the object of worship to fulfill. That is why we should choose the bhakti path. We get help. Bhagavan is an active participant, not a disinterested observer. He appreciates any effort we make, especially in the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

An active participant willing,
In bhakti process thrilling.

So that amazing ability to see,
Like Sanskrit scholar is he.

Hanuman when brothers meeting,
With extemporaneous greeting.

Chance for me through love in the heart,
Where perpetual fool made to look smart.

Never You Hear Discouraging Lies

“Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave protection to devotees and killed many demons in the course of His preaching work. He specifically mentioned that the Mayavadi philosophers are the greatest demons. Therefore He warned all others not to hear the Mayavada philosophy.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 17.53 Purport)

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Friend1: The Mayavada philosophy is so dangerous that the recommendation is to stay away from it, if possible.

Friend2: Can you explain what that philosophy is?

Friend1: Take the two terms individually. Maya is the illusory energy. Illusion. The literal translation is “that which is not.”

Friend2: What does the “that” refer to and what is it really supposed to be?

Friend1: Everything that we see around us. That hand. That leg. That skyscraper building. That pizza pie fresh out of the oven. Those things are not the Absolute Truth. They are not what they seem.

Friend2: What about me? Am I maya?

Friend1: When I identify in terms of body type, country of origin, facial features, skin color, occupational post, and such, then I am in maya. That is to say I am under the spell of illusion.

Friend2: I see.

Friend1: Vada refers to a conclusion. Mayavada is therefore the conclusion that everything is maya. Nothing is real.

Friend2: Interesting. Why is that a dangerous philosophy?

Friend1: Because there is something real behind the curtain, so to speak. I am not my body, but the experience within this form still exists. Something is animating that which is not Brahman. The individual is Brahman. There is confirmation in the Bhagavad-gita:

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं
स्वभावो ऽध्यात्मम् उच्यते
भूत-भावोद्भव-करो
विसर्गः कर्म-संज्ञितः

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

“The Supreme Lord said, The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called the self. Action pertaining to the development of these material bodies is called karma, or fruitive activities.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.3)

Friend2: If Mayavada says that everything is illusion, does that not include their philosophy, also? The words spoken. The exalted teachers. Are not they maya, as well?

Friend1: Precisely. You have identified the contradiction. This means that there must be an exception. There must be something beyond the illusion. When the Divine descends to this world, He is neither in maya nor affected by it. Only fools think in that way.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा
मानुषीं तनुम् आश्रितम्
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
मम भूत-महेश्वरम्

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

Friend2: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given the recommendation. Better to not hear the Mayavada philosophy. You will save yourself a lot of grief.

Friend1: That is what I wanted to ask about. Doesn’t that resemble cult-life to a degree? Blind faith. Stay within the community. Don’t stray too far, lest you risk eternal damnation.

Friend2: Something to the effect of, “Don’t listen to anything that will discourage your faith in the Almighty.”

Friend1: Exactly. I thought we were supposed to use our intelligence. Doesn’t that involve a careful and thorough analysis? Understand competing points of view. Look at the truth from all angles of vision and then make up your mind. Krishna gives Arjuna this choice:

इति ते ज्ञानम् आख्यातं
गुह्याद् गुह्यतरं मया
विमृश्यैतद् अशेषेण
यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु

iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ
guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa
yathecchasi tathā kuru

“Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.63)

Friend2: I am glad you bring that up. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu isn’t asking us to shut off our brains. He is advising us to stay away from cheaters. If there are two math teachers in a school and one of them is teaching that one plus one equals three, should I listen to them?

Friend1: Probably not, but what is the harm? I will figure out that they are wrong.

Friend2: Not necessarily. On the other hand, if you go to the right teacher, you will already learn the incorrect answer. You will be able to identify the flaws in the other teacher. It doesn’t work the other way around.

Friend1: Are you saying that I will already learn about Mayavada through the bhakti teachers?

Friend2: Look at the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna presents both the impersonal side and the personal. Arjuna poses the question directly, as to which path is better. The authorized way includes every kind of competing philosophy. You will not only hear that point of view, but you will also understand the reason someone could be cheating others. You will understand the underlying cause and thereby more easily avoid such a perilous fate for yourself.

In Closing:

Avoiding a perilous fate,
That everyone as God to state.

From Mayavada mistakenly to hear,
In worst kind of illusion fear.

Better if at start staying away,
Heed what Chaitanya has to say.

Since everything in bhakti included,
To learn even how others deluded.

If We Are All Just Chemicals Why Not Worship Krishna

“If, however, you think that the soul is perpetually born and always dies, still you have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.26)

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अथ चैनं नित्य-जातं
नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्
तथापि त्वं महा-बाहो
नैनं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

atha cainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ
nityaṁ vā manyase mṛtam
tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho
nainaṁ śocitum arhasi

Friend1: I hate to lump so many groups into the single category of “atheist.” I feel like it is offensive to those who are still inquisitive, but have yet to firmly reach a conclusion about the origins of the universe and how life will or will not continue moving forward.

Friend2: I understand where you are coming from, but shastra has simplified things for us. There are the two words, sura and asura. One is on the godly side. The other is against. Even if I am not actively engaged in service to the Divine, if I have fallen into illusion, I can be a sura as long as there is a basic acknowledgment.

Friend1: Right. I believe in God wholeheartedly, but I am prone to forgetting Him.

Friend2: Lack of a continuous consciousness.

Friend1: Anyway, there is a serious subgroup within the asuras that really doesn’t believe in anything beyond what they see. Their conclusion is that everyone is just chemicals. Stuff came together to bring about life. The same stuff will dissipate after death. Nothing more, nothing less.

Friend2: Yes. That isn’t a crazy conclusion to reach in the beginning. Once you start to apply a little intelligence, there are too many unresolved issues to continue with that theory.

Friend1: Especially the proof of intelligence everywhere throughout the creation. Repeatable experiments in science. Reliability of the sun, the moon, the clouds, the rain and so forth.

Friend2: Also, the variety in nature within the human population. If everyone were just chemicals, then those chemicals would produce the exact same individuals every single time. There wouldn’t be difference in eye color, height, behavior and so forth.

Friend1: Something else has to be determining that. The people who believe in the chemicals theory certainly will not see the value in devotional activities, such as chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend2: They will consider it a waste of time:

“Why are you worshiping some mythical person in the sky? Stay within reality. He is not going to save you. He doesn’t even exist. You are born. You live for some time. And then you die. That’s it.”

Friend1: Is all hope lost? Is there any way to get through to someone like that?

Friend2: There always is, because the very nature of the individual is service to the Divine. This is the true meaning of dharma. Even atheism of the likes we are discussing is a kind of worship.

Friend1: How so?

Friend2: It is paying homage to the illusory energy emanating from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By vehemently denying the existence of God, a person is proving just how capable the Almighty is at tricking someone. It is something like praising an actor for an expert performance in a film, where they had the audience believing that the character portrayed is real.

Friend1: Oh, I like that. In this way everyone is always connected to Shri Krishna, to some degree.

Friend2: As He says in the Bhagavad-gita, everyone follows Him in all respects:

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते
तांस् तथैव भजाम्य् अहम्
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते
मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

“All of them - as they surrender unto Me - I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

Don’t overlook the teachings in the beginning of that work. Krishna presented different justifications for Arjuna to continue in battle, to follow his prescribed duty of warrior.

Friend1: In the Bharata War.

Friend2: The idea was that even if Arjuna did not accept the truth about the soul, how it never dies, there was still no reason to lament. Transition to the chemicals argument. If you think that there is no God, that everyone just returns to dust after death, then what is lost in chanting the holy names? How are you hurting yourself by visiting a temple, worshiping the deity and listening to Hari-katha?

Friend1: You are not hurting yourself at all.

Friend2: Correct, and so from every angle devotion is the proper choice. Skeptic, believer, the inquisitive, the person looking for wealth – approach Krishna and be happy.

In Closing:

Even if knowledge yet to receive,
And in chemicals theory to believe.

That at random everything together coming,
And in end into dust only becoming.

No harm from devotional life still,
Time from holy names to fill.

And of higher philosophy a taste,
In all respects not a waste.

What If You Could Be Successful In Everything You Wanted

“It is said, ‘Man proposes, God disposes.’ Thus a person may desire many things, but unless these desires are fulfilled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot be fulfilled. Fulfillment of desire is called satya-sankalpa.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 8.16.22 Purport)

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Friend1: This is a commonly revisited topic, but I always feel the need for clarification. Maybe not so much an explanation, but some encouragement. Support so that I know what I am doing is correct, that there is hope; a light at the end of the tunnel.

Friend2: I take it you don’t want me to bring up the section in the Mahabharata where it advises to give up on hope entirely?

Friend1: Oh man, that’s funny. I’m sure that has to do with material success. A good transition, actually. The issue I raise is for people firmly entrenched in the modern mode of progress. How to convince them of the need for trying spiritual life?

Friend2: Every person should make that inquiry. It is the boon of the human birth. Intelligence is enhanced for that reason only.

Friend1: And not for planning how to stock up on food, water, heating, provisions for a rainy day, etc. I get it. I want others to have the same realization, and not for depressing their outlook on the future. On the contrary, the world of devotion brings endless possibilities, daily renewing enthusiasm.

Friend2: Think of the people considered most advanced in spiritual life, who have made the most progress.

Friend1: Sannyasis?

Friend2: Yes. They live completely renounced. By rule, they are not allowed to stock up for the future. Not more than one day’s worth of food.

Friend1: Alright, but if I highlight the life of a sannyasi, wouldn’t that scare people even more? We’re trying to get them to shift towards the spiritual side. If they think they will lose everything and have to become beggars, where is the appeal?

Friend2: The thing is, it is a natural transition.

Friend1: What is?

Friend2: From material to spiritual?

Friend1: How so? What about the hoarding mentality?

Friend2: Eventually the bhoga turns into tyaga. Too much enjoyment leading to withdrawal. Eating at the same restaurant every day. Going to the same office for work. Eventually, you want out.

Friend1: Yeah, but then they just jump to another category of material life.

Friend2: That’s what I am saying. Instead, go to spiritual life at the beginning. Imagine the situation of being successful in whatever endeavor you wanted.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Take all the desires at present. Happy family life. Sufficient wealth and education. Plenty of opportunity for enjoyment. What would happen if you had success in every one of those areas?

Friend1: That is a great question. I don’t know.

Friend2: You should know. You have to know. The human birth starts with that premise. It is the success of all previous animalistic desires. You have to think of it as getting protection from nature and the great benefactor in the spiritual sky.

Friend1: God?

Friend2: He is the wealthiest person. I am His child. So are you. So is every living thing. We have a claim to that wealth. This means that there is no reason to fear poverty.

Friend1: Things don’t always work out that way. Real life isn’t so simple.

Friend2: But it is. We are vikalpa, as His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains. Our desires do not become true one hundred percent of the time. This is why God is known as satya-sankalpa. Anyway, imagine if you had complete success. Then you would turn to spiritual life. The leaders in the bhakti tradition simply ask to speed up the process. Don’t wait until you see success and feel empty in the aftermath. Take the initiative now. Athato brahma-jijnasa.

Friend1: “Now is the time for inquiring into Brahman.”

Friend2: The Absolute Truth. The spiritual energy. I will eventually get disgusted with material successes. That is guaranteed to happen. Better to save time in that area. Don’t wait until you have more than you need. Take the plunge now. It will benefit you both in this life and the next.

In Closing:

What if always success?
And not failure to depress.

Still feeling empty inside,
Desire for spiritual guide.

Acharya saying right now instead,
Save time rather than later be led.

Of spiritual identity discern,
And in Almighty’s direction turn.

Three More Opposite Conditions And How They Apply To God

“Neither the demigods nor any exalted personalities were there helping Rama, for He acted alone. You should not entertain any doubt on this matter. Indeed, Rama shot feathered arrows, plated with gold, which turned into five-headed serpents that devoured all the Rakshasas. The Rakshasas were oppressed with fear, and wherever they went and wherever they turned, they saw Rama in front of them. In this way, O spotless one, have your Rakshasas been destroyed in the forest of Janasthana by Rama.” (Akampana speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 31.18-19)

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नैव देवा महात्मानो नात्र कार्या विचारणा।
शरा रामेण तूत्सृष्टा रुक्मपुङ्खाः पतत्रिणः।।
सर्पाः पञ्चानना भूत्वा भक्षयन्ति स्म राक्षसान्।
येन येन च गच्छन्ति राक्षसा भयकर्शिताः।
तेन तेन स्म पश्यन्ति राममेवाग्रतः स्थितम्।
इत्थं विनाशितं तेन जनस्थानं तवानघ।।

naiva devā mahātmāno nātra kāryā vicāraṇā।
śarā rāmeṇa tūtsṛṣṭā rukmapuṅkhāḥ patatriṇaḥ।।
sarpāḥ pañcānanā bhūtvā bhakṣayanti sma rākṣasān।
yena yena ca gacchanti rākṣasā bhayakarśitāḥ।
tena tena sma paśyanti rāmamevāgrataḥ sthitam।
itthaṃ vināśitaṃ tena janasthānaṃ tavānagha।।

The father continues flipping through the small block book with their child. Not much interest yet from the youngster. They are more concerned with identifying the colors of the objects than reading the words on the page.

You still can’t help but see the correlation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Described in great detail in the Vedic tradition, through both direct words offered and the beautiful descriptions and accounts of those who know Him well, the idea is not to leave man in the dark.

In other words, use every bit of intelligence for furthering this highest pursuit. Go beyond basic faith and blind allegiance. Become thoroughly convinced that He is the person to worship, that He will have the best interests in mind moving forward, and that He will never abandon those who wish to remain by His side.

1. Full and empty

The scene in the book is of two animals at the beach. On one side a playful giraffe is holding a bucket that is full of sand. On the other a friendly looking frog has a similar bucket, but it is empty. We see the same conditions with drinking glasses. One person’s is full, and another’s is empty. They are both at a party and from that single image we infer what happened moments prior and what is likely to occur in the next few minutes.

With application to Bhagavan, He is full of attributes. Whatever glorious traits we can think of, He possesses them in full. In fact, the very name Bhagavan means that He possesses every fortune, bhaga, to the fullest extent and simultaneously.

There is no concern over contradictory features or interference. For instance, being the wealthiest person ordinarily might cause issues with renunciation. A beautiful person does not necessarily have to become very intelligent to survive in the world. How can the most famous person remain humble in the face of constant adulation?

Bhagavan is also empty in the sense that He can be featureless. This is the nirguna aspect. Saguna and nirguna are merely ways of viewing an individual who is beyond our comprehension. In the attribute-less sense, God pervades the entire universe. This is also a form, but considered avyakta, or unseen.

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं
जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना
मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि
न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.4)

2. In front of and behind

The quarterback in the game of American football sees the play in front of him. He knows to which direction the receivers are running. He can try to anticipate the linebackers from the defense blitzing. Yet there is also the possibility of someone coming from behind. That is the strategy employed by the coach of the defenders. They hope to make a tackle from behind and strip the ball away.

Bhagavan is in front of me when I visit the temple. He is standing on the altar in the archa-vigraha. This is the worshipable object. Not that God is reduced to stone or brass. Not that He can be controlled by our hands. He is simply kind enough to appear in a way that I can understand and worship Him, so that I may be free of ignorance.

Just because He is in front of me doesn’t mean that He is not behind me, as well. The Rakshasas of Lanka once received visual evidence of this. Fourteen-thousand against one. Hardly a fair fight. These were the odds against Shri Rama, a human-like incarnation of the Supreme Lord whose heroic exploits are described in many Vedic texts, including the Ramayana.

Rama emerged victorious. He used only the bow and arrow, but these weapons were not ordinary. The arrows chased the attacking Rakshasas, who were like man-eating ogres, wherever they went. Like heat-seeking missiles, Akampana and company could find no relief. Wherever they turned they saw these arrows, which gave the face of five-headed serpents. They could not escape from Rama, who was simply defending Himself and His family.

3. Asleep and awake

It is an amazing process. No one can be entirely sure when the transition takes place. It certainly occurs, though, as once a person is asleep it becomes something like the default condition. As difficult as it was to fall asleep, with so much stress from daily life, the same individual does not feel like waking up in the morning.

The most obvious difference between the two states is the interaction of the senses. It is like everything gets withdrawn during the state of sleeping. Someone could be right next to me talking and I wouldn’t hear them. They could touch my body and I wouldn’t feel them. The Vedic science explains that the individual takes shelter of the subtle body during sleep. Mind, intelligence and ego command the situation, with the gross body set aside for the time being.

Bhagavan is so amazing that during the time of sleep He can accomplish so much. This is known as creative sleep, yoga-nidra. From the involuntary activity of breathing in and out, so many universes get created and then destroyed.

While He is awake He deals with Rakshasas sent from Lanka by the leader named Ravana. He listens to our prayers in the temple and at home. He plays with His dear associates in the spiritual land of Vrindavana, and He is always attentive to the needs of His devotees.

In Closing:

To our needs attentive,
For bhakti incentive.

That whether asleep or awake,
Resolution to issue can make.

Like Rama arrows to bow fitting,
In seeking enemies not quitting.

Or Vishnu universes creating,
Later effortlessly devastating.

Three Questions About The Angry God Image

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)

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एवं परम्परा-प्राप्तम्
इमं राजर्षयो विदुः
स कालेनेह महता
योगो नष्टः परन्तप

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

The Vedic tradition is based on parampara. A succession of relationships, between teacher and disciple. Passing on the information from the most authorized source. No deviations; hopefully. No cheaters within the line. No dangerous curiosity to twist and shape the sacred gift for furthering personal, temporary goals.

If there should happen to be a weak link in the chain, there is no reason to panic. The origin either descends Himself or sends a bona fide representative to restart the process. This was explained to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

On the other side is mental speculation. The ascending process of knowledge, where you start with nothing and keep adding on through research work; something like building a tower to reach a certain height. Since even one hundred years of existence in the intelligent human form is nothing compared to the infinite time and space related to the universe, this path yields little success in the endeavor to understand the most complex subject matter.

And so it is not surprising that one of the images resulting from mental speculation is the angry God. His location is above, away from the sinners in this mortal realm. Not only is He upset, but based on the facial features He is well-advanced in years.

The rational person has some questions about this image. They are not sold on the equivalence to Divinity, as there appear to be some irreconcilable gaps.

1. If God is an old man, with a long white beard, doesn’t that make Him susceptible to time?

He is supposed to be different from you and me. He is in the heavenly realm for a reason. Juxtaposed to our current state, He is in a superior way of living. One of the defects of our present area is the debilitating influence of time, known as kala in Sanskrit.

The star athlete does not remain the best in their field. Eventually, they have to leave. Someone else takes their place. The reason is the deterioration of the body. The form is constantly changing. From boyhood to youth to adulthood, the individual inside is the same, while everything else transforms to the point of being unrecognizable.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

Old age is one indication. It is a warning sign. The end is near. The body is on the verge of ceasing to function entirely. Enough years have passed that a shift to something else is imminent.

If the angry God looking down at us is also old, is that not a major defect? How can the Almighty have this flaw? Why the long beard? Perhaps it is an indication of wisdom, but one of the properties of Divinity is eternal existence. This means that old age should not be a factor. God is not old compared to anything since He has always been around.

2. Isn’t He flawed to a degree, especially if He is upset at what He sees occurring on earth?

It is easy to tell that I am not God. I simply cannot get whatever it is I want at every point in time. There is failure. Humans are vulnerable to error. There are four principal defects, in fact: committing mistakes, imperfect senses, cheating, and being easily illusioned.

Even in the rare cases of a human being achieving the perfection of yoga known as prapti, there is still a before and after. Namely, the yogi had some point in time when they weren’t one. They did not have the prapti-siddhi at birth; they had to acquire it.

God should always be in the superior position. He should never be frustrated in desire. If He is upset at a particular situation, He should have the ability to remedy the situation immediately. Whenever He wants. Wherever He wants to go. To whomever He decides to distribute His causeless mercy.

3. If that were truly the image of God, wouldn’t He be able to remedy the situation without much effort?

If the angry God is upset at my behavior, if He views me in a disapproving manner, He should surely fix the situation immediately. Moreover, He wouldn’t give me only one chance at redemption. Just one life. Just one experience. Surrender and be saved. Forget and be condemned to hell forever. It doesn’t make sense.

…

Compare with the authorized image of the Divine as Padmanabha. He lies down to rest. Through breathing He creates and destroys the universes. He is not agitated in this slightest, though this is the most important work. He is atmarama, or completely satisfied in the self.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

At the same time, He is kind enough to accept the service of dear associates like Lakshmi Devi and Lord Brahma. Padmanabha is always beautiful and worshiped in opulence. In His non-different form of Krishna, God is known as nava-yauvanam. This means “always youthful.” God is indeed all-attractive, and through parampara we get the chance to connect with Him and always be in His favor, though He never releases us entirely on our own.

In Closing:

Never entirely to release,
Where connection with Him to cease.

Knowing Him parampara through,
Of body fresh and new.

Never to angry and old compared,
Where disapprovingly stared.

Full of compassion and kindness,
Devotion clearing my blindness.

Doesn't The Teaching About Not Being The Doer Take Away Credit

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

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प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

Friend1: Outcomes are not entirely under my control. Go from something as complex as stock trading.

Friend2: Picking the winners and losers. Guessing how the price will change over time.

Friend1: Which can involve thousands of trades. You’re trying to predict how a collection of people will react to a host of stimuli.

Friend2: Market news. Price fluctuations. Volume increases. Earnings reports.

Friend1: Industry changes. Imagine investing in a newspaper thirty or forty years ago. Or in anything that involved paper. Today the business world is trying to get rid of paper entirely. What seemed like a good investment at the time would now lose you money.

Friend2: Then you have the people on the other end, the ones who short stocks.

Friend1: They bet on the price going down; another way of gambling. Anyway, the principle I am about to reference applies to the small scale, as well. Deciding to speak a word. Imagine being on stage. A performance at a playhouse. It is so easy to utter words, but tonight it is difficult.

Friend2: Stage-fright.

Friend1: Which means that even something simple is not guaranteed to manifest; no matter the expectations based on past success.

Friend2: Yes, and so what is this principle you are referencing?

Friend1: That we are not the doer. The truth is from the Bhagavad-gita. Shri Krishna gives the credit to the material nature, prakriti. The three modes of nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] must first comply. Only then does sankalpa reach a state of satya.

Friend2: Absolutely. Such an important truth to know. Takes a lot of the pressure off. Should also shift the focus towards spiritual life. I cannot be everything. I cannot win every battle. There is never a “sure thing.”

Friend1: I get that and I agree. It is important to learn. At the same time, I was thinking of the other side today.

Friend2: What is that?

Friend1: Aren’t we taking credit away from people who do succeed? I mean I get that nature must first comply, but people do put in the effort. If I get saved from a burning building by a firefighter, should I not thank them?

Friend2: Of course you should.

Friend1: You see what I mean, though. Even Arjuna. He was told to act as an instrument. Do the work for Krishna and be an instrument in the outcome arranged by destiny:

तस्मात् त्वम् उत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वम् एव
निमित्त-मात्रं भव सव्य-साचिन्

tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.33)

Friend2: Arjuna would get the credit, though. He is revered today as one of the greatest bow-warriors to ever grace this earth.

Friend1: Right, but the outcomes were not under his control. Material nature complied. Shri Krishna was in the background arranging everything.

Friend2: Yes, and so what is the issue?

Friend1: You see this with devotees, too. They do some amazing work, like start a temple or distribute literature at a massive scale. An envious person can come along and put down that effort.

“Oh, that was just Krishna acting through them. They are nothing special.”

Friend2: Even if that is the case, then at least that person received Krishna’s favor. They were qualified enough to be chosen by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for important work.

Friend1: I don’t know. To me there is a vulnerability here to discouraging the output of effort.

Friend2: It doesn’t have to be at all. Man proposes, God disposes. Make the effort, at least. Try chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Work at following the four regulative principles. Be a good person to your fellow man and try to rescue him from the despair caused by ignorance and illusion.

Friend1: I am not guaranteed of success, though.

Friend2: In devotional life, you indeed are. Not that you will necessarily become a world-travelling preacher with thousands of followers. But you will please Krishna. He will appreciate your efforts. He will ensure that your devotion does not perish. That is the promise spoken through the disciple Arjuna.

In Closing:

Instruction to Arjuna told,
That to declare it bold.

Devotional life never to succumb,
By time’s efforts to be undone.

Since Krishna to reinforce,
Chartering proper course.

So that not the doer to be,
But auspicious outcome to see.