“But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.42)
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अथ वा बहुनैतेन
किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन
विष्टभ्याहम् इदं कृत्स्नम्
एकांशेन स्थितो जगत्
atha vā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
“I came across something recently that I found interesting. It was in an online discussion forum. I am well aware of how out of control those can get, but this was in the context of the medical community reversing course on the use of face coverings to prevent the spread of contagious illness.
“What happened is that one of the top scientists got exposed. Through internal communications leaked to the public, it was learned that the scientist himself did not think that the coverings were effective. This is newsworthy considering that he has been one of the more vocal proponents for their use. In effect, there is a difference between what he says to the public and what he actually thinks from the scientific perspective.
“In this online discussion, someone commented that science is nothing more than man’s attempt to decode God’s creation. I found that so interesting because it really is true. I had never heard someone phrase it that way before, but it pays such a high compliment to the Almighty.
“Everything is already there. I know that the Sanskrit equivalent is pradhana. This is the unmanifest material substance. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is past, present and future, glances over the pradhana. This instigates a chain reaction which ultimately leads to the many universes and their component populations of living beings, large and small, moving and nonmoving.
“A person may argue that while God is certainly the origin, there is no harm in trying to study His creation. Even if scientists are merely trying to decode what is already there, just see the benefit extracted. Mankind has come a long way since the primitive stages, when it wasn’t even aware of so many aspects that science brings to us today.
“Is it really necessary, though? Has anything really changed? What has man gained from discovering many puzzle pieces? Everyone still dies. People are still suffering. Is there a balance that is necessary in a conversation like this?”
Shri Krishna explains that the detailed knowledge of the creation and the universes, both at the collective and individual levels, is not really necessary. This is in terms of understanding in a separate way, such as appreciating the beautiful flowers of spring, the bright full moon of autumn, and the naturally occurring waterfalls.
It is not that we should be ignorant of the world around us. There is no need to close our eyes and hide in a closet. Rather, knowing that the Supreme Lord is everywhere is enough. Shri Krishna, the all-attractive one, is responsible for everything. I can search out who, what, where, when and why about various aspects of the creation, but this information will not make a lasting positive impact.
The connection to Krishna will. Hearing about Him on a daily basis is like drinking refreshing nectar from a pot that is self-serving. It refills on its own; no outside intervention required. This puts a new perspective on the repeating days. Rather than dreading the upcoming future of hard work, fatigue, and never-ending responsibilities, I welcome the opportunity to again savor the transcendental taste made possible through the connection to the origin of everything.
There is no harm in being curious about the world in which we live. It is not a strike against us to be inquisitive about how things work, where they came from, and what will occur in the future. The key is to remember the center of everything. The Supreme Lord is the source, and the more we discover about His amazing creation, the more conduits we have to appreciation, which can expand to an infinite degree.
In Closing:
Objects of nature not alone,
That magically as brilliant known.
From a creator first coming,
From seed to maturity becoming.
Better to understand Him complete,
Otherwise time our discovery to defeat.
When knowing Shri Krishna so,
Endless appreciation to flow.
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