How To Deal With Separation From Krishna

“Maharaja Parikshit, the grandson of the Pandavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Krishna by imitating the worship of the family Deity.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.3.15)

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स वै भागवतो राजा
पाण्डवेयो महा-रथः
बाल-क्रीडनकैः क्रीडन्
कृष्ण-क्रीडां य आददे

sa vai bhāgavato rājā
pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ
bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan
kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade

“As a first-time parent, there are new experiences daily. Though I grew up around other children, though I spent time taking care of newborns and those learning to walk and talk, it is a completely separate ordeal when the responsibility is continuous.

“Twenty-four hours a day. Surveillance necessary even while you are asleep. I guess some people handle the pressure differently than others. I feel terrible ever leaving my child with someone else for an extended period of time. I feel as if I am cheating on the job, getting away with something I should not be doing.

“The pressure indeed mounts. Recently, I tried introducing my child to a friend. This person is of almost the exact same age. Different natures, for sure. The friend talks more. They are able to understand the language of adults better. They seem to be more behaved, but I’m sure every parent is overly critical in that area.

“My child had so much fun with their new friend. They played together, independent of adult supervision. They did not get into fights. In fact, they started to support one another. I became the bad person, seen as trying to impose law and order on a few occasions.

“The difficulty began after the friend departed. My child was so sad. They kept asking to play again. Yet this friend left, and they were not coming back for a while, as they live quite a distance away. My child was to the point of inconsolable. It was heartbreaking to watch.

“This got me to thinking. Someone must feel the same way when associating closely with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna. It is on the transcendental level, as Krishna has been their best well-wishing friend since time immemorial. It is like they have found their long-lost pal.

“How to deal with such pain? I would think that is a risk in immersing oneself too much in the bhakti culture. Why become so attached to someone you will miss so much?”

This mood of separation is known as vipralambha, and as exhibited by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu it is the height of the experience in spiritual life. The exemplary devotees are the gopis of Vrindavana, who had directly felt such heartache after Krishna left their presence and went to live as the king of Mathura.

While in the case of the child the separation pain cannot be mitigated to an acceptable level, when longing for the association of the Supreme Lord the contact is direct. In other words, contemplating God’s features and desperately desiring His presence are as good as having Him nearby.

This explains the magic to the chanting of the maha-mantra in an offenseless mood: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The more I chant, the more I will feel Krishna’s presence. The more I feel Him next to me, the stronger the attachment will be.

The attachment can come about simply through hearing. From the acharyas we learn that during his childhood years the great Maharaja Parikshit used to worship a deity of Krishna. At such a young age, a person is not mature enough to follow the rules and procedures seen in an official temple.

This lack of experience does not prohibit them from engaging in worship that is on an equal level. Keeping the doll is a great way to combat loneliness at a young age. In this case the doll is as good as the person itself, as Bhagavan is not an ordinary friend.

The entire bhakti culture has the practical and attainable objective of fostering this attachment, creating a meaningful longing, and fulfilling the desire to meet through connection in yoga, which lasts beyond the present lifetime.

In Closing:

Attachment growing fast,
A bond forever to last.

But dismay after meeting,
As those moments fleeting.

Now desperately to long,
Sense of hankering strong.

Both conditions as the same,
With Krishna in separation to gain.

Four Things My Dad Made Cool

“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.18)

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गुरुर् न स स्यात् स्व-जनो न स स्यात्
पिता न स स्याज् जननी न सा स्यात्
दैवं न तत् स्यान् न पतिश् च स स्यान्
न मोचयेद् यः समुपेत-मृत्युम्

gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt
pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt
daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān
na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum

When coming across the verse in Bhagavata Purana, it is natural for a person in a position of authority to look inside. A moment of reflection, to be honest in how well they have lived up to the awesome responsibility.

After all, the statement is rather clear. Do not become a father, a mother, a spiritual master, a king, or basically anyone in a position of authority, who leads by example, unless you can deliver your dependents. Deliver in this sense refers to release from the cycle of birth and death.

That new child entering the world is a miracle. Out of nowhere they appear. On the spot, though with a visible cause of the union of the mother and father, no one knows where the individual was previously. The billions of years of known world history. The time prior to marriage and union with the spouse. Just where was this person? What were they doing? Were they even alive?

No use in attempting to trace out the definitive history. The opportunity is now. Break the cycle of birth and death. Make this appearance in the land of duality the last. Provide a roadmap for success, which though difficult, is not impossible.

A parent may feel that they are not up to the task. They fall short in so many areas of decency and good qualities. Perhaps they are not the teaching type. They are not good at instructing others, since they learned so much through experience and assimilating second and third-hand knowledge, such as by reading books.

In the simplest case, the person in authority can behave in a pious manner. Without ever uttering a word of instruction, without intentionally guiding the dependent along a specific path, they accomplish the goal assigned them by shastra.

1. Not smoking

“I can’t believe I would ask this of my father as a child, but I distinctly remember it. Perhaps I saw others engaging in the behavior. My father was the odd person out. He was in the medical profession, so maybe that was the excuse. At the same time, I had no idea the habit was unhealthy.

“I would constantly ask him why he doesn’t smoke. Why is he different from the others? He would offer the explanation that he tried smoking one time but that it burned his stomach. That never made much sense to me, but who was I to argue? I didn’t know any better. Anyway, because of his influence I never indulged in smoking.”

2. Not eating meat

“He never told me what to eat and what not to eat. He never interfered. Whatever I liked, he would give me. He would go out of his way to find food to satisfy my cravings. I didn’t realize until much later that such behavior is not common. It was an indication of his amazing love for me, which would garner criticism from others.

“When I became an adult, it was much easier to give up eating meat. My father never ate it; at least from what I saw. He seemed to be just fine. He was as happy as the next guy. He was healthy enough. He was not lacking anything in nutrition. Why not do the same?”

3. Maintaining a routine in spiritual life

“He would shower at a specific time each day. For a child growing up, bathing on a regular basis is not easy. It is a chore that requires constant reminders from the parents. It is an item to be bargained, along with cleaning the room. For instance, I promise to take a shower today if you will leave me alone tomorrow.

“Well, right after showering, my father would approach the small altar area we had set up in one of the bedrooms. He would light a few incense sticks, wave them in front of pictures of Divine figures, and recite a few prayers. I really knew nothing about the process, but I started to imitate. It made me feel so good, even though I didn’t know the purpose.”

4. Chanting the holy names

“My father would regularly chant the holy names. It was called the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He took us on a few weekend trips to a remote area that focused on this kind of lifestyle. Chanting the holy names, vegetarian eating, and simple living. I distinctly remember there was no television, and I was not happy about it.

“Well, later on in life I found a similar taste for the chanting. I thought that I had stumbled upon the tradition myself, only later to be reminded that I had already been exposed to the lifestyle through my childhood memories. My father was the catalyst, even though he never explained any of what he was doing. He spent not a second on instruction, but the lessons would last a lifetime.”

In Closing:

Memory forever to live,
Through life lessons to give.

Though not a word of instruction,
Or made elaborate production.

By father’s devotion to see,
Making impact on me.

From sinful behavior away,
Subtly guided on dharma’s way.

Was Vasudeva Possibly Hallucinating

“Vasudeva saw that wonderful child born as a baby with four hands, holding conchshell, club, disc, and lotus flower, decorated with the mark of Shrivatsa, wearing the jeweled necklace of kaustubha stone, dressed in yellow silk, appearing dazzling like a bright blackish cloud, wearing a helmet bedecked with the vaidurya stone, valuable bracelets, earrings and similar other ornaments all over His body and an abundance of hair on His head.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 3)

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Friend1: People are known to hallucinate, am I correct?

Friend2: Particularly when under the influence of chemicals that are known to induce such visions.

Friend1: Sort of like what you see in a dream, except you are awake. The hallucination is solid evidence that something is wrong. If you weren’t sure before, once you see something that doesn’t make sense, you know that you are not well.

Friend2: It can occur during an exceptional fever, as well. The body temperature rises to such an extreme that you are not sure what is up and what is down, which way to go, what time it is, or what you are doing in this world.

Friend1: We have established that hallucinations do occur. Let’s travel back in time, to the period described in Bhagavata Purana. You have the transcendental janma of Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Friend2: Who arrived in a prison, of all places.

Friend1: To the loving parents, Vasudeva and Devaki. This was the Yadu-vamsha, and so Krishna would be known by such names as Yaduvara and Yadunandana.

Friend2: He would soon rescue those parents, who were otherwise in distress. They were held in the prison against their will, by the King of Mathura, Kamsa.

Friend1: We have the descriptions of the vision of the four-handed Narayana. This is how the father, Vasudeva, saw Krishna at the time of birth.

Friend2: A confirmation of Divinity. Leaving no room for speculation or error. Every indication was there. The four hands, the ornaments in the right place, the mark on the chest, the dazzling beauty, and the proper color cloth around the waist.

Friend1: It is an image that carries forward to this day. You have the parents offering their obeisances to the newborn, who is actually Narayana, the Supreme Lord. The manner of the arrival confirms that the birth of the Almighty is not ordinary.

Friend2: When we take birth, the clock starts ticking. The death watch ticks down. It is only a matter of time, though no one is entirely sure of their number. In between, we have our activities, karma. Everything is based on a material existence. Purusha and prakriti together. Jivatma associated with maya.

Friend1: For Krishna it is different.

Friend2: He never associates with maya. He is the controller of the various energies, and they are non-different from Him, in a sense. At the same time, He is not a component to any other object or person’s existence. It is the other way around; everything is in Him.

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)

Friend1: Alright, so one question I had is how did Vasudeva know that what he was seeing was real? Why did he not consider it a hallucination?

Friend2: Of course someone is bound to think that. It is not every day that you see a newborn child as the four-handed Narayana.

Friend1: Exactly. It could have been a trick by one of the asuras that was friends with Kamsa. It could have been stress-related, from being in prison for so long.

Friend2: The key is that everything was exactly as it should be. This person showed every indication of Narayana. He also spoke, giving a brief history of the parents in their previous lives. That is vital information that no one else can provide with complete accuracy. We think that when a person dies everything leaves with them, that it seems like they were never here in the first place.

Friend1: People say that you survive through the memories of others, how you impacted their lives, and so forth.

Friend2: That is certainly true. It is the evidence that you were here, but one day everyone who has memories of you will themselves pass on. The single, perfect witness is Narayana, who expands to reside in the heart of every living entity. He told the parents that they were pure devotees and that this appearance as their son was the fruit of their pious deeds.

Friend1: In other words, it sort of made sense that Krishna would be their child. It was not a big shock that Narayana was in that jail-cell as a baby.

Friend2: There was the akasha-vani, as well. Remember, that was the reason the parents were in jail to begin with. A voice from the sky told Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth child would be his doom. Krishna was that eighth child. Everything fell into place. More important than seeing God is serving Him, and that is exactly the path Vasudeva chose in the aftermath. He was not simply stunned into submission and silence. He carried through on directions, against all odds and without fear.

In Closing:

Accepting directions clear,
Executing without fear.

Not into silence to stun,
By amazing vision to come.

The arrival certainly was real,
Prior the akasha-vani to reveal.

Now Narayana in person seeing,
Parents blessed by power freeing.

Aren't Devotees Also Entangled By Work

“A person in Krishna consciousness and a person not in Krishna consciousness are differentiated by different desires. A Krishna conscious person does not do anything which is not conducive to development of Krishna consciousness. He may even act exactly like the ignorant person, who is too much attached to material activities, but one is engaged in such activities for the satisfaction of his sense gratification, whereas the other is engaged for the satisfaction of Krishna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 3.25 Purport)

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“I love how His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, using the authority of the Vedas as support, provides the proper understanding for karma. It has become a popular term, otherwise. It helps to explain the unexplainable. Sometimes it is magical, even, as if having the perfect justification or cause, not explained in any other way.

“Let me describe further. We see someone do something wrong. We witness it personally. Perhaps we are not overly offended since we are not on the receiving end; we are not the victims. We still feel a sense of shock, that the offender would stoop so low as to carry out their wicked plot.

“Everything is left there, as we think this person has gotten away with it. Then, sometime later, the exact same thing happens to them. The offender becomes the victim. They never saw it coming. We can only laugh. We also marvel at the rebound effect. Without having consulted scripture in any detail, the people witnessing the series of events attribute the result to karma. They think that the person had it coming, that the laws of nature provided the proper punishment.

“The acharya explains that karma is action. Action and reaction, to be more precise. To be even clearer, karma is activity that has consequences pertaining to the future development of a material body. That raises more questions, as we didn’t know that body types could fall into categories. There is a corresponding type known as spiritual. Karma has no influence over a spiritual body.

“This naturally leads to the situation of two people doing identical things. The behavior looks like karma, but the spiritual leader says that the person engaged in devotional service is karma-free. Their activity, though identical, has no future consequence relating to a material body. I think I understand, but could you provide further clarification, for anyone who might be confused? They might see it as a neat play on words, a way for a fake guru to escape punishment for indecent behavior.”

There are many examples that could be used to explain the difference. You have one person driving on a highway, exceeding the posted speed limit. They are in danger of losing control of the vehicle, striking another person, and also being chased by the police.

Another person, in the same make and model of vehicle, is also exceeding the speed limit. Except they are with law enforcement. They are driving this fast in order to deliver justice. Maybe they are chasing a runaway convict. They might be trying to catch someone who has run a red light or who is otherwise a menace to society.

The first person is liable for punishment, while the second is not. We can use the kitchen for another example. Two people are engaged in preparing a meal. They are making the exact same dish. One person is interested in satisfying their taste buds, while the other is cooking to please the Supreme Lord. They will present in front of a deity, following an authorized process, and then distribute what remains to others in the household and possibly the community.

The first person is vulnerable to further attachment to sense gratification. This is an automatic ticket to rebirth, to the development of a future body. It is quintessential karma. The second person is not increasing their attachment. Though they are following identical behavior, the mindset is different. They are increasing their love and devotion for God the person.

This dichotomy applies across all spectrums of activity. One person sings songs that appeal to their emotions and the difficult moments in life. A different song for a different mood, while another person is always happy to sing the glories of the one who is limitless in His mercy, who is attractive in every way, who can liberate simply through sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Devotion free of karma considered,
By link to Krishna delivered.

Whereas another of action the same,
But fixed a future reaction to attain.

To the body the changes related,
Truth by acharyas stated.

In daily life similar exceptions,
Wise choose bhakti’s protection.

Why Not Show The Narayana Vision To Kamsa

“Vasudeva saw that wonderful child born as a baby with four hands, holding conchshell, club, disc, and lotus flower, decorated with the mark of Shrivatsa, wearing the jeweled necklace of kaustubha stone, dressed in yellow silk, appearing dazzling like a bright blackish cloud, wearing a helmet bedecked with the vaidurya stone, valuable bracelets, earrings and similar other ornaments all over His body and an abundance of hair on His head.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 3)

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Friend1: I think it is amazing that Vasudeva got to see the vision of Narayana directly, when Shri Krishna was born.

Friend2: The transcendental janma and karma. The birth and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are divyam.

Friend1: I accept the information on authority, but what does it mean exactly?

Friend2: Well, take the same two terms and apply them outside of that realm. For instance, the janma and karma for you and me.

Friend1: Right, so our births are not Divine, but they are miracles, nonetheless. This spark of spirit flies in from nowhere and animates a tiny body. The same spark is in there for maybe one hundred years. Then, one day it vanishes. Back into the ether. No one knows to where it has gone. We can never communicate with that person again, no matter how much we try.

Friend2: Krishna’s janma is Divine because He is not forced into the situation. He is not compelled by the laws of nature to appear within a certain womb. The same applies to His karma. His activities do not affect the future development of a material body, precisely because Krishna’s body is also spiritual.

Friend1: Which we can see in the vision of the four-handed Narayana. It is something special to behold. Vasudeva is not an ordinary person.

Friend2: The same is true of Devaki, the mother.

Friend1: Why didn’t Kamsa receive that vision? Wouldn’t that have convinced him?

Friend2: Of what?

Friend1: That the voice had been telling the truth, that Devaki’s eighth child would be his doom. He would know for certain that there is a God and that God has oversight for activities and their appropriate consequences.

Friend2: Remember, this vision is special. It is not hastily distributed. Though the same Narayana is already inside of the heart of every living thing, He is rarely perceived that way. We require special training, the eyes of shastra in conjunction with the clear vision sculpted by the spiritual master, in order to see God.

Friend1: I understand, but Vasudeva had the direct vision. Why not show the same to Kamsa? That is all I am asking.

Friend2: Kamsa could not see the soul inside of the body. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have murdered the newborn children previously appearing from Devaki’s womb. He could not perceive all-devouring time, which has guaranteed a certain destiny for each person. He could not see the hand of God everywhere else in life, in his own ascent to power, in his maintaining authority over others, in sustaining the universe, and so on.

Friend1: You are basically saying that the vision would have gone to waste.

Friend2: No point to it. He would see Narayana in a different way. The same child born to those beloved parents, Vasudeva and Devaki, was seen as the darling butter-thief by the residents of Gokula. To the cowherd boys of Vrindavana He was the hero who devoured the forest fire. To the damsels of Vraja He was the all-attractive paramour who danced with them under the full moon.

Friend1: And to Kamsa?

Friend2: All-devouring death in the form of Krishna’s fist. As they surrendered, so they were rewarded. Everyone follows Krishna’s path 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)

Vasudeva had been a devotee for a long time. He was properly rewarded with Narayana appearing as his son. It was not left up to speculation, either. There was visual confirmation. No mistaking it. This means that efforts in devotion never go to waste. At the most unexpected time, the transcendental effulgence will shine.

In Closing:

Though Kamsa ignorantly rejected,
That vision to parents unexpected.

Of Narayana the one,
As their eighth had come.

If shown to leader the same,
Nothing tangible to gain.

Since not even the soul could see,
In every case inimical was he.

Three Reasons Vasudeva Could Have Given Up On Life

“Vasudeva saw that wonderful child born as a baby with four hands, holding conchshell, club, disc, and lotus flower, decorated with the mark of Shrivatsa, wearing the jeweled necklace of kaustubha stone, dressed in yellow silk, appearing dazzling like a bright blackish cloud, wearing a helmet bedecked with the vaidurya stone, valuable bracelets, earrings and similar other ornaments all over His body and an abundance of hair on His head.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 3)

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1. Marriage day ruined

Hopefully there is some planning involved. Barring intervention from a tyrannical government, which views fellow human beings as a set of germs to be avoided at all costs, in the ideal case there is a large ceremony. Friends and family invited, given sufficient notification. As people lead busy lives and ration out their vacation time, the couple to be married might send multiple notifications. One for saving the date, and another for the actual invitation.

They want a perfect day. Everyone looking great. Plenty of food and drink. Joyous music. A family reunion of sorts, as who knows when everyone will be together in one place again? They hire a photographer to capture the moments. In the future, they can look back on the day fondly, keeping the memories forever.

Unfortunately for Vasudeva, his marriage day was spoiled by the cousin-brother of his new wife. As fate would have it, a voice from the sky arrived on the scene and warned Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth child would be his doom.

What terrible luck for Vasudeva? Why did this have to happen to him? Why couldn’t he have had a normal marriage ceremony, like everyone else? He had to rise to the occasion and think on his feet. Kamsa was ready to kill Devaki on the spot, so shaken was he by the message of destiny. Fortunately, Vasudeva managed to convince Kamsa to not go through with the heinous idea.

2. Stuck in prison

Saved for the moment, the asura-class never relinquishes the thought of impending death. They know that everything will be finished at that time. Since they have ignored dharma or perhaps intentionally violated it, there isn’t much to look forward to in the afterlife. They have the desperate hope that the afterlife will never manifest; that they can manage to live forever.

To thwart destiny declared by the akasha-vani, Kamsa decided to imprison the newlyweds. Vasudeva and Devaki were stuck in jail. What had they done wrong? Why were they being punished? With family like this, who needs enemies?

3. Loss of children

To make matters worse, Kamsa proceeded to kill every child born to Devaki. Imagine the difficulty surrounding childbirth. The many months of carrying the child in the womb, with the changes brought about in eating and sleeping habits, tolerating painful situations – all for naught. Everything was erased in an instant, as Kamsa carried out abortion in clear view of the world. No one could mistake what he did, by throwing the infants against a stone slab.

…

With so much going wrong for him, it would be understandable if Vasudeva gave up on life. What had dharma really gotten him? Kamsa was king of Mathura. The worst of the worst was leading society; they were in the ultimate position of power.

No one is above God, who is the ultimate controller of destiny. The voice had been telling the truth. The eighth child would arrive to the devoted couple, and it would be the Supreme Lord Himself. Vasudeva had visual evidence in the amazing sight of Narayana, the husband of Lakshmi Devi.

All of the indications were there. No mistaking it, this child was God Himself. It was a good thing Vasudeva did not give up on life. The difficulties made the connection to Narayana stronger. In that time of hardship the couple maintained their saintly character. They did not hold a grudge against Kamsa, for they knew that people can be quickly led astray by greed and fear.

If Vasudeva and Devaki can withstand such tragedies and still thrive to the point of receiving Vishnu as their son, who is the rescuer of the fallen, who is the thorn in the side of the asuras, then who am I to complain about hardships? I am so fortunate to have heard their story, to remember it on a daily basis, and to keep Narayana close through the sounds of His names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

So fortunate am I,
That not much to try.

But Narayana still to see,
So merciful is He.

Hardships to Vasudeva compare,
Locked with wife in prison there.

But to dharma principles holding.
And Krishna’s janma beholding.

Five Images From Vedic Culture That Might Be A Tough Sell

“Vasudeva saw that wonderful child born as a baby with four hands, holding conchshell, club, disc, and lotus flower, decorated with the mark of Shrivatsa, wearing the jeweled necklace of kaustubha stone, dressed in yellow silk, appearing dazzling like a bright blackish cloud, wearing a helmet bedecked with the vaidurya stone, valuable bracelets, earrings and similar other ornaments all over His body and an abundance of hair on His head.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 3)

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“I am sure you have heard this explanation before. It seems rational enough, at least to me. You have these people who study different cultures. They create a sort of comparison sheet. They check to see what is the same between the various groups. What is different? They might notice similarities in, say, worship of the sun. One group refers to the sun by a certain name, another group with their own name, but the level of reverence is practically identical.

“The explanation I’m alluding to is that a lot of the mythology, for lack of a better word, is based on a primitive understanding. Without the tools of modern science at their disposal, people came up with stories to explain the various phenomena of nature.

“For instance, they didn’t understand the concept of a planet, so they made up a deity who took the form of a planet. They didn’t understand how eclipses work, so they passed on a story about one planet eating another.

“While we generally don’t criticize people of the past for thinking this way, we acknowledge that today we have better explanations. Nothing about an origin, mind you, but at least there is a scientific explanation for things like earthquakes, cloud formation, eclipses, and so forth.

“I think what is unique about Vedic culture is that the majority of the people within it still hold on to the old explanations. I know there is a substantive reason for this, that there is so much other accompanying information that is relevant today more than ever, but doesn’t that present a predicament? Aren’t some of the images a tough sell to the sophisticated person educated in modern times?”

1. A talking monkey who can leap over oceans and carry a mountain in his hands

His name is Hanuman. He is likely the most popular deity within Vedic culture, as there are different branches and offshoots depending on region and inherited traditions within the family. Shri Hanuman is like a great unifier; universal respect, adoration and affection for him.

He is in the peculiar physical body of a monkey. The Sanskrit word is Vanara, which refers to a forest dweller, but other Sanskrit words are also used to describe the form. Hari and kapi can refer to monkeys, and so it is not in dispute the type of form Hanuman carries in the manifest world.

The Vanaras of the period of time described in the Ramayana show hints of civilized life. Hanuman, for instance, can speak Sanskrit and engage in diplomacy for the benefit of Sugriva, the king of Vanaras in Kishkindha.

Hanuman’s defining characteristic is his pure devotion for the Supreme Lord. Hanuman worships Rama, who is an avatara of the singular Almighty, the one God worshiped by the entire universe since time immemorial.

Because of his pure devotion, Hanuman has exceptional abilities. He can leap over oceans, for instance. He can change his size at will, becoming small in an instant and also larger than a tree, if needed. In one famous image, he is carrying a mountain in one hand. This is to rush to the scene of a rescue, with no time to lose in search of a specific herb within that giant mass of land.

2. Someone with poison stuck in their throat

This image is of Lord Shiva. In many sections of Vedic literature he is referred to as the Supreme Lord Himself. He is sort of identical to the person worshiped by Hanuman, but manifesting differently within this world. He accepts the specific duty of destroying the entire creation at the appropriate time.

Lord Shiva is also known as Mahadeva, or the great god. He has peculiar features and characteristics. He is known to stay around crematoriums. Ghosts and spirits work under his direction, and he smears ashes on his body.

Mahadeva is the most renounced, and so he has no issue taking on difficult tasks in the service of others. He maintains poison within his throat, as a means of helping the gods in their battles with the demons, the asura class.

3. An elephant god

Ganesha is another popular deity within the Vedic tradition. His image and likeness are fixtures in business establishments and also homes. He is known to remove obstacles from the path of the people who worship him.

Ganesha is the devoted son of Mahadeva and Parvati Devi. There is a unique story to him receiving an elephant head, but that did not change his disposition or his great qualities. Ganesha has the notable distinction of being worshiped first in every important Vedic ritual.

4. A crow teaching an eagle about topics life and death

Passed forward through the wonderful poem of Goswami Tulsidas known as Ramacharitamanasa, we have the conversation between the crow named Kaka and the eagle named Garuda. Both are devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they are happy to be seated in the position of meditation.

Kaka is the teacher. He tells the tale of Rama’s appearance and lila in this world. Garuda listens attentively. This real-life exchange also symbolizes the importance of the guru-disciple relationship and the ideal behavior of each participant.

5. A blue-complexioned figure who has four hands and is wonderfully adorned

This is the vision of Narayana, who is also known as Vishnu. This is one image for the Almighty. Contrary to what speculation might conclude, God is neither old nor tired. He is so beautiful that a person is mesmerized at the sight.

The vision of Narayana confirms Divinity, as Vasudeva saw this image of the Supreme Lord in his newborn child named Krishna. Vasudeva and his wife, Devaki, were devoted to Narayana for several lifetimes, and the fruit of that dedicated worship was receiving God Himself as their beloved son.

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These images might be a tough sell to the uninitiated, but as we can see the explanations are deep and expansive. There is much more to these personalities than a single picture can show. The glories of Narayana’s devotees are too great to be spoken or written down in a single millennium, so we can only imagine how wonderful God Himself is, along with His teachings preserved to the modern day.

In Closing:

Perhaps a tough sell,
But images much to tell.

Like Hanuman’s amazing strength,
Ganesha’s glories of immeasurable length.

Mahadeva in service ready,
Even holding poison steady.

That limitless qualities of Divine showing,
With time the greatness only growing.