Nitai is real Manifestation, but not real Beauty. He is not Omnipotent or Strong by the help of any other entity. It is not possible to separate Omnipotence from Him. He is not devoid of power. The power of Baladeva is the distinctive power of Himself, the Manifestation of Krishna’s Ownself. Although in Baladeva the Proprietorship of power is predominant He still belongs properly to the category of Divine Power. Baladeva is just next to Krishna in the category of object of worship. In the Maha-Vaikuntha He is manifest as Vasudeva, Sankarsona, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. The topics of the fourth dimension lie beyond the threefold specification of the linear, superficial and cubical magnitudes of this world. The topics of the fifth dimension are still higher. They are words spoken by the Flute of Krishna. ‘Chere amie, He is the same beloved Krishna with whom I am united here in Kurukshetra. And Myself also am, indeed, the same Radha. This is the very same bliss of our meeting with one another. Yet My mind is longing for the woodlands on the sloping banks of the Kalindi with the fifth-scale music of the sweet Flute playing in the heart of the groves’. The Entity Narayana Who is the Conglomerate of the four-fold expansion of Sri Baladeva as Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, abides in the Maha-Vaikuntha, being the Primary manifestation of Baladeva. There is associated with Him a certain process which bears the Scriptural designation of ‘byuha’. The Object of worship has a five-fold nature of His own. Those who are well-versed in the subject of the five-fold ‘need’ know all these matters. We cannot obtain real enlightenment from anyone who is ignorant of the five-fold ‘need’. One cannot perform the function of the Guru if he does not possess the knowledge of the five-fold ‘need’.

Archavatara : - This is of eight kinds. The Archavatara (Descent in the form of the Archa or Visible Object of worship) makes His appearance in the world for the purpose of bestowing His mercy on unfortunate souls like ourselves i.e., on those who possess a stupid judgment. Krishna manifested His Divine Pastimes in this world in the Dwapara Age. But that Age is long, long past. Unfortunate souls as we are we were not privileged to come into the world at that period. We could not obtain the sight of Krishna for this reason. We do not know anything about Krishna. But what an amount of good the Archa of Krishna has been doing to us. This Archa is of all time. We are having the sight of Krishna even by being born after such an immense interval of time. Appearing in the form of the Archa Krishna has been arousing the serving impulse of our souls.

Antaryyami :- Godhead is present in every single entity formed of His marginal and deluding Potencies, in the form of internal Guide (Antaryyami) and is regulating us from within. ‘Iswara (Ruler, Regulator) abides in the heart, O Arjuna, causing the movement of all entities, set on these bodily appliances contrived for the purpose, by His deluding potency.’

Baibhaba :- This term points to the casual Appearances of the Divinity for specific purposes. ‘Whenever the proper function of souls is tainted, O Son of Bharata, and un-spiritual conduct comes to prevail, I cause the Appearance of Myself on every such occasion’. This and other Shlokas of similar import point to the Descents in the different Ages.

Byuha :- The four Byuhas viz., Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are one and the same Entity. By the sight of one quarter the whole Integer is seen. The estimation of this world is that based on the view of one quarter of the whole. This is partly intelligible by the Science of Trignometrical Mathematics of sphere. We can understand the degree of fullness of service of the servitor and the subjective psychology of the Object of worship.

Paratattva :- Vasudeva is the transcendental Entity. Baladeva is the super-transcendental Entity. The ultimate super-transcendental Entity is Krishna. Vishnu is the Principle of the Prime Source of the phenomenal world. He is comparable to the milk and Rudra to the curd. Curd is milk turned sour from its natural wholesome state, by the action of an acid substance. Vishnu is essentially incapable of transformation or perversion. The nature of Rudra corresponds to the perversion that appertains to my deluded idea of Vishnu. If we ascribe trans-formability to Vishnu, the particulars wherein such ascription affects my idea of the original non-transformable Entity, my view of the mutilated or distorted form of my defective conception of Vishnu brought about by this process, is the principle that is represented by Rudra.

Brahma :- Brahma is a reflected form of the Divinity analogous to the reflected image of the sun in different crystal receptacles. ‘Just as the sun makes his own energy be manifest to an extent in all the shining stones, in the same way, in the case of Brahma, in the matter of his power in regard to the globe of this mundane world, it is Govinda Whom I serve.’ Govinda is the Primal Person Whose reflected form is Brahma.

Suryya :- The sun travels along his orbit through the twelve signs of the zodiac. He is the form of a Sura or Deva. Time is his extraneous manifestation. ‘I bow to the Brahman of inconceivable manifested form, devoid of all quality, being quality’s own-self, the form which is the support of all this world.’

Ganesha :- He is the destroyer of all dangers and difficulties. The reader of the Lalitavistara is aware how powerful was the rule of this leader of the masses at one time in this land of Bharata. Ganesha is the giver of success of the utilitarian activities of the world, the object of worship of the Vaishya community who concern themselves with economic pursuits. In the sphere of the Vaishyas the function of the demos, the views of the masses or common run of the people, possesses the prevailing force.

Vishnu :- Vishnu is untransformable. He is all pervasive. He is Lord of the limiting energy. He is not served by the enjoying aptitude of the individual soul. The other devotees, who wield power over this world, are worshipped by the ideas that are conducive to material enjoyment. But the judgment of those who covet the worship of Vishnu, is expressed otherwise. ‘I have carried out the evil commands of lust and the other impulses of the senses in every way and at all time. But those masters have proved inexorable and have not been mollified by pity, or satiation, towards my sufferings. Lord of the Yadus, I have only just now found my better judgment and having renounced their service altogether, have come to Thee, the Refuge Who frees from all fear. May Thou employ me in Thy service.’

In regard to the one hundred and twenty-five questions that have been circulated by the Theistic Conference it will not be possible to discuss them one by one within the short period of nine days that are at the disposal of the Conference. We shall, therefore, content ourselves with the preliminary discussion of nine fundamental subjects and shall try to answer the one hundred and twenty-five questions in course of as many separate articles in the columns of our periodical publications. The answers that have been supplied by other people have been in many cases imperfect and, in many instances, unsound. They have failed to grasp properly the nature of the subject itself about which we have proposed to discuss. Our dissertation of these nine days has thus turned out to be an affair analogous to the attempt, in the legend, of accommodating the elephant within the bag. That the people will agree to spare two hours of their valuable time every day during even these nine days, is a good fortune that exceeds our most sanguine calculations based on actual experience. In these discourses it is the bare preliminary, or rather a catalogue of topics, that is being offered. They are sure to leave out many things that should have been said, and many contentions of mankind unanswered. On the other hand, on many occasions when an exhaustive discourse has been attempted, there have been found many persons to express the view that the discussion is not kept limited to the subject. Most persons are not in the position to give this subject a patient and dispassionate hearing. Not-with-standing all these inevitable drawbacks it should be a source of great good to all of us if we are enabled to publish to the world the principles of the revealed Scriptures to the extent that is practicable. As the limit of time of the programme is being exceeded it is necessary to stop here. I, therefore, make my bow to all who are present.

The ancestry of Shree Krishna

The following account is found in the Bhagabatam. Shortly before the Appearance of Shree Krishna King Shurasena ruled and resided in Mathura. Under him Mathura became the capital of the Yadus. Vasudeva, father of Krishna, belonged to the family of King Shurasena. Vasudeva married Devaki, daughter of Devaka, of the clan of the Yadus. Kamsa was then on the throne of the Yadus. Kamsa was the son of Ugrasena. The father of Devaki was the uterine brother of Ugrasena. At the time of Devaki’s marriage Ugrasena was still living but was incarcerated by order of Kamsa. Kamsa was the son of Padmavati, Queen of Ugrasena, by the king of the Saubhas. Kamsa was not the legitimate heir to the throne. The real heir to the throne of the Yadus was the son of Devaki. The king of the Gopas, Nanda, was cousin of Vasudeva born of marriage of a step-brother of the father of Vasudeva with a Vaishya girl. Rohini, who was one of the consorts of Vasudeva, was then living in the home of Nanda for fear of Kamsa. As Kamsa was in the act of accompanying the bridegroom and bride acting as their charioteer in the marriage procession of Devaki and Vasudeva on the way to the home of the bridegroom, he heard a voice, that did not proceed from any visible person which made the announcement that Kamsa was to meet his death at the hands of the eighth issue, a son, born of the womb of Devaki. Kamsa was dissuaded from killing Devaki on the spot by the tactful appeal of Vasudeva who promised to make over to him every child born of Devaki to be dealt with at his discretion. But being apprised of the birth of Shree Krishna by the celestial sage Narada and of the fact that all the Gopas obeying Nanda and living under him in Braja, male and female, all the Brishnis led by Vasudeva, ladies of the Yadus such as Rohini, and other, - all these were devas, born on the earth in anticipation of the coming of his Enemy Who is no other than Vishnu Himself, prepared to co-operate with many of His Own adherents in bringing about his destruction and on being fully convinced of the truth of this, Kamsa threw Vasudeva and Devaki into prison and began to kill every issue of Devaki as soon as it was born. It is this which led Rohini to seek an asylum with chief Nanda in Braja. Kamsa killed one after another six sons that were successively born to Devaki, one every year. The seventh issue was transferred to the womb of Rohini by the baffling power of Krishna and was born as the son of the latter, the elder brother of Shree Krishna. Kamsa was given to understand that the seventh issue of Devaki had miscarried in the womb. The eighth Issue of Devaki, Shree Krishna, was taken to the home of Nanda and was exchanged there for a girl who had just then been born to Yasoda, lady of Nanda, and bringing away the girl to his prison exhibited her as Devaki’s eighth-born issue. As Kamsa attempted to slay her, this new-born babe eluded his grip and appearing in the sky in her real form of Mahamaya told Kamsa that his Enemy had certainly been born at some place and that it was perfectly useless for him to go on killing innocent babies. Shree Krishna resided in Braja for the space of eleven years. His Activities during this period constitute the subject matter of Shree Brindabana Leela.

There is an interminable controversy regarding the historical truth of the incidents related above. We have no intention of being a party to any such controversy. It may help the empiric historian in the wild-goose chase of the empiric truth and is also bound to give rise to conflicting decisions. This never-to-end-pastime-method may be pursued by its votaries for their particular purpose. But as we really intend to adopt only that method which will lead us to the Truth now and here we refrain purposely from any antiquarian discussion of the ordinary type on this subject. We think, on the contrary that it will be more profitable if we could devote the little time that is actually at our own and the readers’ disposal to the pursuit of a more effective but not less rational course in trying to find the relationship, if any, that may subsist between us and the subject.

Shree Krishna is Godhead Himself. This must be admitted by all who want to approach Him at all as required by the condition of the spiritual quest in which we are engaged. Those who will be inclined to make any reservation will miss the sight of Shree Krishna’s Divinity not partially but absolutely. The enquirer need bother himself only about the Absolute when he chooses to lend his ear to this narrative regarding the Absolute.

Shree Krishna is full of Activity. He is simultaneously present everywhere both inside and outside of everything and preserves at the same time His Individual distinctive Personality. But He is never less than Himself. He is never divested of the least particle of His Power and Paraphernalia. As He is never less than Full He is never exposed to the view of our present limited senses. How then, it may be asked, is it possible for Shree Krishna to have either birth or ancestry? How also can it be possible for One Who has reserved the right of not being exposed to the view of mortals, to become visible to the people of this world? These were the questions that were actually asked by Pariksit Maharaj to whom this narrative of the Bhagabatam was originally recited by Shree Shukadeva.

The reply of Shree Shukadeva was to the effect that the ‘Sound’ is identical with the substantive Entity. The ‘Sound’ can take the initiative in this case. It is the ‘Sound’ Who also guides the organ of speech of the narrator. The narrator is as much a learner as the hearer of the Divine Sound. The narrator is a more loyal hearer than the hearer who cannot narrate. Given sufficient time and undivided attention to the narrator of the Absolute the narrative itself will, in due course remove all the difficulties of both narrator and hearer. But both narrator and hearer must seek only to realise the Absolute.

Any question like the above viz., that Shree Krishna cannot do this thing or that thing without necessarily losing His Absolute quality, is a begging of the question. He can be everything without losing anything. The Birth of Shree Krishna and His Appearance on the plane of this world, are not incomparable with the fact that He fully reserves the right of not being exposed to the view of the limited senses of mortals. The Descent of the Transcendental does not mean His conversion to the limited. Shree Krishna appears in this world as He is, but I cannot know Him if I suppose that I see Him with my limited senses. The difficulty is always with myself and never with Him. I shall be a fool if I choose to over-estimate the capacity of my senses by relying on their erring assurance. I can see and not really see Shree Krishna at one and the same time. But when I really see Him I see Him as He is, with all His Power and Paraphernalia.

I am then privileged to see that He is a Person with ancestry and every other particular, of which the unwholesome and deluding correspondences only are reflected in this phenomenal world. I then see the Reality and cease to quarrel with Him on the allegation that He is not the deluding shadow of Himself. Of course I do not see Shree Krishna as soon as I hear about Him from the lips of a sadhu. But that I fail to see Him is due to my fault and not to His non-appearance. In my impatience, due to the absence of any real desire to find His service, I do not care to listen with the view to be really enlightened regarding the same.

I am no advocate of the metaphorical method. The Scriptures are in favour of allowing the Truth to speak for Himself. That is the only way of having access to the Truth. This method combines the essence of all the partial methods minus their preventing features. It, there, also provides the true historical quality but without excluding the other aspects, as the empiric historical method is bound to do. As for example the empiric method of historical investigation always apprehends the possibility of erroneous observation of an occurrence even on the part of an actual and careful observer. This apprehension should be logically and really inapplicable to this case. But its corresponding feature of real value need not be supposed to be absent. All exquisiteness is present in the full, because real measure in the Absolute without the co-presence of any limiting contrary principle.

The whole position hinges on the question of the categorical difference between the mundane and the spiritual. This difference is also necessarily such that it cannot really be grasped by one who has no access to the higher plane. The description of the ancestry of Shree Krishna is comparable to the exposition of the movements and positions of the moon in the heavens by supposing her to be moving behind the branches of a tree. There is in both cases a difference of planes which always keeps even the vocabulary employed in the description by the actual observer at an infinite distance from the phenomena described.

In the case of Shree Krishna His Appearance in the world can be described only by means of vocabulary of this world but He is an Entity Who is located wholly above the mundane plane. He has, as a matter of fact no birth, no parents, no ancestors, no relationships in the world. But He is still capable of appearing in this world in the manner that is somewhat analogous to the appearance of the sun behind the tree, or in the East of the observer from this world. In the way that the sun is sometimes described as being born of the quarter of the East, Shree Krishna’s Appearance in this world may be described in terms of mundane parentage and relationships. Shree Krishna is really nobody’s Son in the worldly sense. But He is also the Son of Vasudeva and Devaki. The enlightened commentators take every occasion to caution the reader against supposing Shree Krishna as being the seminal descendant of the line of the Yadus. He only chooses to make His Appearance under the figure of mundane birth. He did not recognise His affinity with the Yadus of History and took the precaution of putting this beyond the possibility of suspicion by bringing about the extermination of the historical Yadus when He chose to disappear from the view of the people of this world.

But neither must it be supposed that Shree Krishna is not served by parental affection on the plane of the Absolute by His eternal parents. This parenthood of the servants of Shree Krishna is identical with the entity that is called in the Scriptures by the term Vasudeva, which means the perfectly pure spiritual essence. In the pure cognition of the soul where there is no deformed relativity that is in the state of perfect transcendental purity Shree Krishna manifests His eternal appearance. This parenthood is communicable to a receiving soul by the servant who has realised it. There is no question of seminal birth although there is always, in the case of His Appearance to the view of the people of this world, the apparent process of mundane birth to delude those who are anxious to be so deluded. But the branches of the tree must not be supposed by any person, on the apparent testimony of his erring senses, as being any nearer to the moon than they really are. Those who persist in thinking of the moon as existing in close proximity to the branches have to thank only themselves for their failure to arrive at a true knowledge of the nature of the real moon.

The empiric historian is, therefore, not required to testify to the truth regarding the ancestry of Shree Krishna, because such a witness can only describe the branches while what is needed is a description of the moon which he persists in declaring to be a ball of light of a few inches diameter. The admission of the evidence of such a person will only make the confusion hopeless.