Krishna is not just a portion of knowledge; he is its pre-condition and its perfection

The sun is one of the objects we see, but it is also the object by which we see all other objects. Without sunlight, we can’t see anything.

Krishna is like the supreme sun. Some people think of him as a portion of knowledge – they see him as a part of the cultural or religious or historical knowledge about India. While this conception of Krishna may be a starting point, it is rudimentary and fragmentary; it is blind to his position as the Absolute Truth. Krishna is the source of everything, including knowledge. The Bhagavad-gita (15.15) states that he dwells in the heart and gives knowledge to everyone.

Without Krishna’s arrangement, we can’t know anything about anything. Why? Because we are spiritual beings who intrinsically have nothing to do with matter. As matter is alien to us, by ourselves we can’t even perceive matter, leave alone gain functional knowledge about it. Krishna being the controller of both matter and spirit acts as the ontological and epistemological link between them. He is thus like the supreme sun whose illumination is essential for all cognition. Even atheists can’t make their truth claims about God’s non-existence without God’s pre-existence. That’s how Krishna is the pre-condition for any knowledge of any kind.

Moreover, Krishna is the perfection of all knowledge. Different kinds of knowledge grant different benefits. But only knowledge about the Supreme Being grants the supreme benefit. When we know Krishna truly, we understand his unfailing, unflinching love for us. We also understand how he has provided the things of the world as resources for our material well-being and spiritual growth. This inspires us to mold our life as a devotional offering and thereby paves our way to life eternal in Krishna’s world of love.

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