When we are in the public eye, especially with critics present, we frequently become self-conscious. Even when we are in a private room, if we come to know that it has hidden surveillance cameras, we tend to feel uneasy.
So when we learn from the Bhagavad-gita (13.23) about the ultimate surveillance agent, Krishna, present in our heart, watching our every motion and even our every emotion, we may feel almost paranoid.
Thankfully, Krishna’s primary purpose in being present in our heart is not surveillance, but benevolence. He is not there as a policeman to catch us when we do wrong. He has entrusted that responsibility to other gods, his assistants in the cosmic administration. These serve as witnesses for the universal karma-based system of justice.
Krishna is not a policeman out to lay down the law, but a parent out to lift up his stumbling children with his love.
Of course, Krishna is the supreme witness, being ever-present and ever-vigilant. But his purpose in witnessing is to help, to catch us when we fall, to lift us up by giving us wisdom and inspiration. He does so externally through guru-sadhu-shastra and internally through inspiration that takes us closer to him, as he indicates in the Gita (10.10)
Thus, he is not a policeman out to lay down the law, but a parent out to lift up his stumbling children with his love. Understanding his benevolent intention can hearten us in our struggle against our lower nature that causes us to slip and fall. We are weak, but Krishna is supremely strong; and he can and will compensate for our weaknesses, as he assures in the Gita (09.22), provided we just strive to be conscious of him. Gradually, by the combination of our diligence and his benevolence, our falls will become less and less frequent – till we eventually march firmly onwards and upwards to him.
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The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna is often referred to as ‘suhrdam’ – the friend of all. Srila Prabhupada also translated that word sometimes into a ‘well-wisher friend.’ Despite all our digressions from the Lord He will give us relief from all our sufferings the instant we simply surrender unto Him. In that same caring mode of Lord Sri Krishna Srila Prabhupada signed all his letters with: ‘Your ever well-wisher.’
That cop’s all like, “kid, I told you you can’t sell books here anymore”.
Nice article, and the above comment too.