Sri Krishna is the King of Knowledge

]]>

Add to Spiritual Diary

1/34

1

Sri Krishna is the King of Knowledge

Knowledge of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna is the King of Knowledge! raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam pratyaksavagamam dharmyam su-sukham kartum avyayam (BG 9.2)

2/34

2

raja-vidya–the king of education

raja-guhyam–the king of confidential knowledge; pavitram–the purest; idam–this; uttamam–transcendental; pratyaksa–directly experienced; avagamam–understood; dharmyam–the principle of religion; su-sukham–very happy; kartum–to execute; avyayam–everlasting.

3/34

3

This knowledge is the king of education

It’s the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

4/34

4

The Vedic scriptures

The Vedic scriptures are the spiritual literature of the ancient Indian culture. They consist of a huge collection of books written in the Sanskrit language that includes material (mundane), religious (ritualistic), and spiritual(monotheistic) knowledge.

5/34

5

The word “Vedic” is derived from

the Sanskrit word veda, meaning knowledge or revelation. According to Vedic history, these scriptures were written down about 5000 years ago. This date is not accepted in modern Indology, but the date is in fact not very important, because the knowledge in these scriptuires existed long before it was written down.

6/34

6

The Veda is understood by simply accepting

… what the Veda says about itself. This Vedic self-understanding may be amazing or even unbelievable to the modern reader, but the different opinions about the origin and history of the Vedic scriptures are due to a fundamental difference in world views between the followers of the Veda and modern mundane scholars.

7/34

7

According to the Indological world view-point

“Vedic Scripture” doesn’t even exist. Modern Indology says that the collection of books mentioned in this article is not a consistent body of knowledge but a mere accumulation of texts from different sources. But the Vedic scriptures maintain a completely different version-one of ancient cultures, timeless revelations, and divine incarnations.

8/34

8

The entire body of Vedic knowledge has a

systematic structure and a clearly-defined goal, being compiled by Vedic rishis (sages) headed by Vyasadeva- the literary incarnation of Lord Krishna. About 5000 years ago these sages systematically wrote down this knowledge to prevent it from being lost in the upcoming Kali-yuga, the Iron Age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the most fallen in the cycle of ages.

9/34

9

The structure of the Vedic scriptures

can be compared to a staircase with many steps, with specific scriptures corresponding to each step. The Vedic scriptures describe both the goal and the steps leading up to this goal. They are nonsectarian because they respect people of all “steps”, encouraging everyone to progress to the next step.

10/34

10

There is no converting or pushing in Vedas

Because everyone has to walk for himself. As the Vedic saying goes, “Even in a flock of birds, each bird has to fly for itself.” Individual evolution is not limited to one life. The Vedic understanding of reincarnation declares that the steps of this symbolical staircase can also be understood as lifetimes.

11/34

11

The almost proverbial “Hindu” tolerance

It’s based on a solid philosophical understanding and shouldn’t be confused with merging, indifference or “everything is one.” Superficially, the Vedic scriptures may appear to be unsystematic and even contradictory, but this impression can easily be reconciled by finding out how each step is connected with the goal.

12/34

12

The Four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama & Atharva

These four Vedas are usually labeled as the original Vedic scriptures. ● Rig means ritual, and this Veda contains mainly hymns and prayers (mantras) for the worship of the universal forces known as the demigods. ● Yajur means ceremony, and this Veda mainly describes how to perform the rituals.

13/34

13

Sama, Yajur

● Sama means singing, and this Veda contains many other mantras and strict rules how to chant these mantras according to mystic vibrations. ● Atharva means the priest who knows the secret lore, and this Veda describes many different kinds of worship and invocations. In a broader sense.

14/34

14

the Atharva also includes Ayurveda

The Ayur-Veda includes pharmacology and health discussions. The purpose of these teachings is to encourage one to understand that one is not an independent entity but a part of a universal body that depends on many higher forces.

15/34

15

What we learn from Vedas?

The most important lesson from these four Vedas is to accept higher authorities. By linking up with the divine forces through ritual and understanding, one profits materially and experiences peace and harmony.

16/34

16

The Vedanta-sutras

To provide a common ground of argument for all philosophical schools, the 560 condensed aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra define the Vedic truths in the most general terms. Therefore the commentaries to the Vedanta-sutras are voluminous. Viz., Athato brahma jignyasa अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा, means – ‘a deliberation on the nature of Brahman’

17/34

17

The first brahma sutra ‘athato brahma jijnasa’

It urges us to inquire about the Absolute Truth, and having discovered that the Absolute Truth is spiritual and Krishna, we will discover that we (and everyone else) are a part of Krishna also being spiritual – aham brahmasmi – then spiritual life starts, because we can investigate what is our relationship with Krishna,

18/34

18

sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana.

One should investigate what is our relationship with Krishna – (sambandha), what is the process to understand it (abhidheya), and what is the goal of it (prayojana).

19/34

19

The Bhagavad-gita & the Srimad-Bhagavatam

The Vedic scriptures designate these sacred texts as the most important, essential revelations. They directly describe the nature, energy, and person of God, who is both the immanent (as Vishnu) and transcendent (as Krishna) source of everything, the cause of all causes, of both the impersonal and personal manifestations.

20/34

20

The song of the God & our relationship with Him

Bhagavad-gita (“the song of God”) are the words spoken by God, and Srimad-Bhagavatam (“Divine Revelation”) are the words about God spoken by His representatives. This implicit structure of the Vedic scriptures sheds new light on the entire Vedic tradition and deserves closer examination.

21/34

21

The goal of these scriptures is to lead us

to the Supreme, and it is not sufficient merely to study them theoretically. They imply practical consequences. Mere academic study of the Vedic scriptures can be compared to reading a cookbook or a musical composition. If we don’t come to the point of actually cooking or playing, we will have missed the goal

22/34

22

śrī bhagavān uvāca (BG 9.1)

idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave jānaṁ vijāna-sahitaṁ yaj jātvā mokṣyase ’śubhāt “The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.”

23/34

23

The opening words of the BG ( 9.1)

These indicate that the Supreme Godhead is speaking. Here Śrī Kṛṣṇa is referred to as Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulences, and vān means one who possesses. We have some conception of God, but in the Vedic literature there are definite descriptions and definitions of what is meant by God, and what is meant is described in one word—Bhagavān.

24/34

24

Bhagavān possesses all opulences

The totality of knowledge, wealth, power, beauty, fame and renunciation. When we find someone who possesses these opulences in full, we are to know that he is God. There are many rich, wise, famous, beautiful and powerful men, but no one man can claim to possess all of these opulences. Only Kṛṣṇa claims to possess them in totality.

25/34

25

BG 5.29: bhoktāraṁ yajna-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jnātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati “The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

26/34

26

Here Kṛṣṇa proclaims that

He is the enjoyer of all activities and the proprietor of all planets (sarva-loka-maheśvaram). An individual may possess a large tract of land, and he may be proud of his ownership, but Kṛṣṇa claims to possess all planetary systems. Kṛṣṇa also claims to be the friend of all living entities (suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām).

27/34

27

When a person understands that God is the

Proprietor of everything, the friend of everyone and the enjoyer of all, he becomes very peaceful. This is the actual peace formula. No one can have peace as long as he thinks, “I am the proprietor.” The land is here, and we come here and falsely claim ourselves to be proprietors of it. This philosophy of false proprietorship is not in line with Vedic injunctions.

28/34

28

Śrī Īśopaniṣad states that

“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord (īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ).” The truth of this statement is factual, but under illusion we are thinking that we are the proprietors. In actuality God owns everything, and therefore He is called the richest.

29/34

29

According to Bhagavad-gītā,

The topmost knowledge (rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam) is Kṛṣṇa consciousness because in Bhagavad-gītā we find that the symptom of one who is actually in knowledge is that he has surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa. As long as we go on speculating about God but do not surrender, it is understood that we have not attained the perfection of knowledge.

30/34

30

The perfection of knowledge is: (Bg. 7.19)

Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jnānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.”

31/34

31

We need to seek Mercy of Bhagwan Krishna

Simply knowing that we are not these material bodies is not sufficient; we must act according to the conviction that we are spiritual. Action based on this knowledge—spiritual activity—is work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This kind of knowledge may not seem to be so easily attainable, but it is made very easy by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

32/34

32

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Made this knowledge easily available through the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So chant this Mahamantra & feel every moment the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna.

33/34

33

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out that

The people are forgetful from time immemorial about their relationship with the Supreme Lord; therefore Kṛṣṇa has sent so many representatives to impart the scriptures to man. We should take advantage of these, especially of Bhagwatam, Bhagavad-gītā, which is the prime scripture for the modern world.

34/34

34

Kṛṣṇa’s relationship with His creation (BG 9.4)

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” (Courtesy: Srila Prabhupada)

Stories you may want to read