KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 15 Mar 2012

Krishna: Love unparalleled

Krishna's wisdom, humility and love are unparalleled. You see from any angle, there is a totality, a uniqueness, in Krishna's personality. This indicates that your innermost has these qualities just like a ray of sun which has all colours.

Once Queen Kunti, mother of the Pandavas, told Krishna, "I wish I had more troubles. You were always with me when I had troubles. Nothing can equal the joy of your company. I can trade all the pleasures of the world for a moment of your Presence."

Krishna gave her more knowledge of the Being: "I am in you as you. There is not a place in this world where I am not. People think of me as a physical body and they do not really know my nature. Body is made up of these eight aspects: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and ego. I am the ninth -- beyond all this. I am all-pervading. Though I am in the body, I am not the body. Though I am working through the mind, I am not the mind. I am much more than what you perceive. I am present in your heart as you and anytime you need me, I am there. You can always count on me".

Saints fell in love with Krishna. The dispassionate would be drawn to him. Krishna means that which is attractive. The very core of your Being is such, the bliss and joy of the Self is like that. It just draws everything. The symbolism in Krishna's birth is beautiful. Devaki as the body and Vasudev as prana or breath came together to bring forth Krishna.

Krishna is always depicted as the Blue God. It means that the body is so transparent, almost as if it was not there. Whatever is infinity is represented by blue. The sky is blue, and so is the ocean. Krishna says in the Gita: "People do not know my true nature. Nobody knows." In all his life only three people knew his true form -- Yashoda, Arjuna and his childhood friend Uddhava. Krishna says: "People think of me as a physical embodiment, as a body. I am not the body; I am the Consciousness which is present in everything, everywhere... I am the sweetness in sugar, the light in the moon, the heat in the sun". He expresses himself as 'all-permeating'.

Krishna always stands with one foot firmly on the ground, the other foot crossed over, as though it is touching, but not really touching. It is elsewhere. That is called the 'tribhangy' pose, implying perfect balance.

Krishna was makhan chor, stealer of butter. Butter is from milk. Milk is fermented to get curd and the curd is churned to get butter. Life is a process of churning. Your mind is being churned by so many things, events, happenings, and instances.

Finally what comes up is butter which is the saintliness in you. And Krishna steals the butter, the saintliness. It means he loves this mind which is like butter, which is not hard. This means infinity is coming towards you, loves you so much that it steals you at any cost. He seeks you out, wherever you are.

Janmashtami is the day when you enliven the virat swaroop – the cosmic vision -- of Krishna in your own consciousness, once again. Letting your true nature manifest in your day-to-day life is the real secret of Krishna's birth.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||