Krishna appears to protect
|
By His personal example Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. The Supreme Lord who is the Absolute Personality of Godhead is not knowable even by the greatest philosopher simply by mental speculation. He can be known by His devotees only by His mercy. In the Brahma Samhita it is said that the nondevotee philosopher who can go ahead in the speed of the mind or that of the velocity of the air and that also covering a space for hundred and crores of years will find the Absolute still far and far away from him. As described in the Upanishads the Absolute Personality of Godhead has His transcendental abode known as the Krishna loka where the Personality of Godhead is fixed up with His Pastimes. But by His inconceivable potency He can simultaneously reach in every part of the creative energy. In the Vishnu Puran the potency is compared with the light and heat of the fire. The fire can distribute its light and heat from one place and similarly the Absolute Personality of Godhead although fixed up in His transcendental abode, He diffuses His different energies. Such energies are innumerable but principally they are classified into three namely the internal potency, the marginal potency and the external potency. And in each and every one of them, there are hundreds and crores of sub-headings. The dominating demigods who are empowered to have a control over the administration of the natural phenomenon such as distribution of air, light, rains etc. all of them are classified in the marginal potency of the Absolute Person. The living beings or the human being are also products of the marginal potency of the Lord. The material world is the creation of the external potency of the Lord and the spiritual sky where the kingdom of God is situated is the manifestation of His internal potency. As such everywhere the different energies of the Supreme Lord is represented by His different potencies. Although there is no difference between Him and His energies, still one should not mistake energy as the Supreme Truth. So the Supreme Lord expands Himself by His different energies and one should not wrongly conclude that the Supreme Lord being thus distributed everywhere His very Personal existence has turned into Impersonal Brahma. Men are accustomed to conclude in the way of their own capacity of understanding. But the Supreme Lord is not subjected to such limited capacity of understanding. It is for this reason that the Upanishads warn us that nobody can approach the Lord by his limited potency. In the Bhagwat Geeta the Lord says that nobody even the great Rishis and Suras can know Him and what to speak of the Asuras who are already disqualified to understand the ways of the Lord. All these words mentioned in the 4th Mantra of the Ishopanisad suggest very clearly that the Absolute Truth is ultimately the Absolute Person otherwise there would have been no necessity of mentioning so many varied things in support of His Personal features. Individual parts and parcels of the potencies of the Lord although have all the symptoms of the Lord such parts and parcels have got limited spheres of activities and therefore they are all limited. The parts and parcels are never equal to the whole. Therefore the parts and parcel of the Lord cannot appreciate the full potency of the Lord. Foolish and ignorant living being who are parts and parcels of the Lord, under the influence of the material energy do try to make a conjecture in the transcendental position of the Lord. The Ishopanishad warns them not make any mental speculation to about the identity of the Lord. Try to know the Transcendence from the Superior source of the Vedas who is already in the know of the Transcendence. Every part is endowed with some particular energy to act accordingly and forgetfulness of this particular part of one's activities is called Maya. The Ishopanishad has therefore from the very beginning warned us that we should be careful to play the part designated by the Lord. This however does not mean the individual soul has no initiative of his own. Because he is the part and parcel of the Lord he must have the initiative part of the Lord. Proper use of the initiative part with good conscience to understand that everything is but the potency of the Lord Who is the Supreme of all other entities can lead one to the revival of his lost consciousness originated on account of his association with Maya or the external energy. The power is obtained from the Lord and therefore such particular power must be utilized to execute the will of the Lord and not otherwise. The Lord can be known in such submissive service attitude and perfect knowledge means to know the Lord in all His features, to know about His potencies and how such potencies are working by His will. These things are exclusively described by the Lord in the Bhagwat Geeta the essence of all the Upanishad.
(More...) The Supreme Personality of Godhead generally appears in various types of incarnations to give protection to the cows and brāhmaṇas. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, for the sake of protecting the cows, brahmanas, demigods, devotees, the Vedic literature, religious principles, and principles to fulfill the purpose of life, the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts the forms of incarnations.
(More...) The Supreme Personality of Godhead generally appears in various types of incarnations to give protection to the cows and brahmanas. The Lord is described as go-brahmana-hitaya ca; in other words, He is always eager to benefit the cows and brahmanas. When Lord Krsna appeared, He purposefully became a cowherd boy and showed personally how to give protection to the cows and calves. Similarly, He showed respect to Sudama Vipra, a real brahmana. From the Lord's personal activities, human society should learn how to give protection specifically to the brahmanas and cows. Then the protection of religious principles, fulfillment of the aim of life and protection of Vedic knowledge can be achieved. Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; and without brahminical culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled. The Lord, therefore, is described as go-brahmana-hitaya because His incarnation is only for the protection of the cows and brahmanas. Unfortunately, because in Kali-yuga there is no protection of the cows and brahminical culture, everything is in a precarious position. If human society wants to be exalted, the leaders of society must follow the instructions of Bhagavad-gita and give protection to the cows, the brahmanas and brahminical culture.
(More...) When Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet He became a cowherd boy to give protection to the cows. He was tending cows by His personal example. You will read in the Kṛṣṇa book how He was taking care of the cows It is the duty of the human being to give protection to the cow. Just like we offer Krsna our obeisances, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca: "Krsna, You are worshipable by the brahminical culture, brahmanya-devaya," not by others, "because You are go-brahmana-hitaya ca, You are well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas." Why Krsna is not said tiger? Why this prayer is devoid of tiger? Hitaya ca. Krsna is always, I mean to say, thinking how to protect the cows and the brahmanas. When Krsna appeared on this planet He became a cowherd boy to give protection to the cows. He was tending cows by His personal example. You will read in the Krsna book how He was taking care of the cows. Therefore go-brahmana-hitaya ca.
(More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?qg=357
|