To understand Krishna, stand under Krishna

Can we finite beings ever understand infinite Krishna?

By our capacity, no. By Krishna’s grace, yes. Let’s see how.

Krishna is like the sun, whereas we are like tiny sparks. Just as a spark cannot find the sun by its own illumination, the finite can never understand the infinite by its own efforts.

Of course, the spark has luminosity that can illumine many other things. Similarly, we have intelligence that can illumine many material things. But we usually understand matter by standing above it, that is, by subjecting it to controlled experiments, as we do in material science. We subject matter to specific stimuli in monitored environments and, from the patterns of the results, infer the nature of matter.

This approach of standing above doesn’t work with Krishna. Why? Because he is above us – we can’t conduct controlled experiments on him.

Then how can we understand him scientifically? Through the spiritual science of bhakti-yoga.

Like material science, this science also involves controlled experiments. But unlike material science, these experiments are conducted on the subject, not the object; that is, on ourselves, not on Krishna. Bhakti-yoga urges us to stand under Krishna, being ready to mold our life and heart according to his will. By such submissive regulation and purification of our consciousness, we show him our desire to know him.  When Krishna is pleased by our devotional disposition, he grants us understanding, as the Gita (18.55) indicates. But we can’t control Krishna’s self-revelation, demanding that he reveal himself quickly because we are practicing bhakti strictly. Just as the sun rises by its own accord, Krishna reveals himself by his own sweet will.

Nonetheless, the required patience is supremely worthwhile, because Krishna’s eventual self-revelation doesn’t just illumine our head; it also attracts our heart to him, freeing us forever from miserable material existence.

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