“This is it. We better get the job done tonight. We don’t want to go to a deciding game tomorrow. We are up in the series today. Though we are down going into the bottom of the ninth inning, we have to make a rally. Otherwise we will have to face their top pitcher again tomorrow. In this best of seven games series, thus far we have lost only twice. Through five games, we have won three, so we are on the verge of clinching.
“The only two games we have lost were against the same starting pitcher. He will likely win the award for best pitcher of the year after the playoffs are over. We couldn’t figure out where his pitches were going. We thought that perhaps he was cheating. We asked the umpire to check the baseballs that he was throwing. For sure he was scuffing the ball, which gives the pitches more movement, and in his case allowed his pitches to sink even further. A batter in baseball has to make a read very quickly. In a split second they have to determine what kind of pitch is thrown by looking at the stitches on the baseball. Then they have to guess where the ball will end up. After processing all this in a matter of a moment, they must then decide whether or not they want to swing.
Indeed, this is the nature of competition, extending beyond sports as well. When we apply for a job, we don’t poll the community to see if there are other worthy candidates. There may be many others who are more fit for the position, but if they don’t seize the opportunity to apply, our chances for getting hired increase.
In some cases there is only a vacancy because the previous employee left the scene. Perhaps they got into an argument with the boss. Perhaps they were offered more money elsewhere. Whatever the case, their loss becomes our gain.
This is not the case with the Supreme Lord. One way to understand Him is to know that He is the only being who has no tendency to cheat [though if He does decide to cheat for fun, He is the best at it]. He does not have imperfect senses. He is never illusioned and He never makes mistakes. This makes Him different from every other living entity and also superior to them. As the Supreme Lord is the smartest, He can find the most opportune moment for victory without expending much effort. If He wants to defeat us in something, He can just wait until our guard is down and then pounce. And yet that is not how He behaves. He allows us to display our full range of ability, to engage our complete arsenal. Only then does He give us our defeat, illustrating our inferior nature.
But despite the best effort made, there is always defeat. In Sanskrit the victorious force is known as kalah. This translates to both time and death. Time is what destroys. Though today we may be perfectly healthy, as time passes the body will start to deteriorate. Simply taking a walk will cause soreness in the hip and joints. Eating past a certain hour of the night will lead to bad dreams and hours of tossing and turning. Eventually the body is discarded, like the shedding of clothes. This is all due to kalah, which has yet to lose.
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)
By allowing us to use everything in our power to try to win over time, the Supreme Lord remains above suspicion. During infancy we are helpless. Someone else could easily destroy us. If our parents don’t protect us, we may not live for very long. Indeed, even with all the protection in the world, there is the chance that we might not make it into adulthood; such are the ways of karma. Still, in the challenge to God, the living entities get independence. They are given the chance to try to win against God. If this weren’t the case, there would be no such thing as scientific advancement. There would be no such thing as medicine.
Illustrating the cheating tendency in man, Hiranyaksha verbally attacked while Varahadeva was occupied in a higher task. The demon tried to earn a cheap victory. Varahadeva then allowed Hiranyaksha to use every weapon in his arsenal. Every ability and strength the demon was proud of was on the table. There was nothing Varahadeva was afraid of. After absorbing every possible attack from the demon, Varahadeva finally killed him.
In Closing:
“So much strength you have got,
Chance for your defeat there is not.
With everything you have come,
I’ll let you fight until you’ve won.”
Supreme Lord to asura this chance gave,
Hiranyaksha no weapons to save.
Despite all effort, Varahadeva to stand tall,
Always victorious, God superior to all.
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