When we approach God we may have a concern, “Does God care equally for everyone?”

Krishna’s benevolence towards even the demonic is seen in the Mahabharata when he personally goes to Duryodhana to seek peace on the most accommodating terms. However, when that evil-minded prince adamantly and arrogantly rejects the proposal, war becomes inevitable.

Even before the war, when Duryodhana and Arjuna both get a chance to approach Krishna, Krishna is ready to favor both of them. Their choices reveal their conceptions of Krishna. Whereas Arjuna eagerly chooses Krishna, Duryodhana equally eagerly chooses Krishna’s army.

Everyone is equal in God’s eyes, but God is not equal in everyone’s eyes. That means that different people value God differently. Duryodhana considered Krishna, who had said he would be a non-combatant, to be inconsequential. In contrast, Arjuna knew that Krishna is the source of all good fortune, all good strength and all good power. Thus, he chose Krishna.

The Bhagavad-gita (04.11) states that Krishna reciprocates according to how we approach him. He is equal not in the sense of being stone-like neutral, but in the sense of being personal and reciprocal. He wants to give his grace to everyone, but different people value different things about him. Some people value Krishna as an all-attractive, all-wise person. Such was Arjuna. Some people value Krishna for the gifts he can provide us. Such was Duryodhana. And some people don’t care for Krishna or his gifts – they think that they can on their own get whatever they want. Those are rank atheists.

Therefore, rather than worrying whether God will see us properly, we can focus on seeing God properly. When we let Gita wisdom educate our vision of him, we will find that God is wonderfully equal and supremely relishable.

Think it over:

  • How is Krishna’s equality seen in the Mahabharata?
  • How do different people see God differently?
  • How can Gita wisdom help us in approaching God?

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