"Krishna replied, 'This universe, though 500 million leagues in extent, is very small; hence you have four heads only. Other universes are a thousand million, a lakh kror, or even a kror kror leagues in extent, and their Brahmas have heads proportioned to these sizes. Thus do I uphold the whole system of universes. Even my one fold divinity cannot be measured. Who will measure my three-fold divinity?' So saying Krishna dismissed Brahma. The divine form of Krishna cannot be explained. The phrase Supreme Lord has another deep meaning: the term tri means the three regions of Krishna, viz., Gokul (named Golok), Mathura, and Dwáráka. In these three He always dwells naturally. These three places are full of His inner complete divinity. Of these three Krishna Himself is the lord. The guardians of directions in all the aforesaid universes, and the eternal guardians of creation in Ananta and Vaikuntha, all bow to Krishna's seat, touching it with the jewel of their crowns. In His own chit power Krishna dwells ever. This property of chit-power is called the six divine attributes; it is also styled Lakshmi in the form of supreme bliss. Hence, the Vedas declare Krishna to be God Himself. I cannot plunge in the boundless nectar-oceah of Krishna's divine power, but have touched only a drop of it". The Master paused for a while, and after composing Himself continued to teach Sanátan. [Text, canto 21.]
CHAPTER XX
Discourse on Devotion as the Aim
[The Master continued His address to Sanátan thus]:
"The Vedas teach that Krishna is the sole Essence. Now let me speak of the signs of the aim (abhidheya), from which one can get Krishna and the treasure of Krishna's love. All the Shastras speak of faith in Krishna as the aim. Hence the sages declare,
'We know for certain that thou, O Lord, art our refuge, because the mode of thy worship that Mother Shruti lays down in answer to our questions, is also indicated by Sister Smritis and Brother Purans'.
"This truth is taught by the Monist school that Krishna is God Himself; He dwells in the form of the Swarup power; spreading out in the forms of swámsha and bibhinnámsha, He disports Himself in Ananta, Vaikuntha, and Brahmanda. The four-sided incarnations are His swámsha extension. The created world is the example of His bibhinnámsha power. Such creatures are of two classes, viz., one ever liberated, the other ever fettered to the world. The ever liberated are ever eager for Krishna's feet; they are named Krishna's followers and they enjoy the bliss of serving Him. The ever fettered are ever excluded from Krishna, and ever feel the sufferings of Hell; the Fury, Illusion, ever torments them for that reason; the three internal agonies scourge them; they are kicked at by Lust, Anger [and other deadly sins] whose slaves they are. If in the course of their life's wanderings they meet with a saint as their healer, his teaching like a charm exorcizes the demon (Illusion) out of them; then they feel bhakti for Krishna and come to Him. Faith in Krishna is the supreme end (abhidheya). Worthless are the fruits of other kinds of devotion, such as work, yog, and knowledge,—in comparison with the bliss of bhakti; the former cannot give us Krishna unless we have bhakti in Him. Vide Bhágabat I. v. 12 and II. iv. 16. Knowledge dissociated from bhakti cannot give salvation; but a man devoted to Krishna can gain salvation without knowledge. Vide Bhágabat, X. xiv. 4 and the Gitá, vii. 14.
"Creation, the eternal slave of Krishna, forgot this fact; hence Illusion tied a rope round its neck. If a creature adores Krishna and serves his guru, he is released from the meshes of Illusion and attains to Krishna's feet. If, while observing the rules of his caste, a man does not adore Krishna, he will be plunged in hell in spite of his doing his caste-duties. Vide Bhágabat, XI. v. 2 & 3. The votary of knowledge imagines that he has attained to the condition of one liberated even in earthly life; but in truth his mind cannot be purified without faith in Krishna. Vide Bhágabat, X. ii. 26. Krishna is like the Sun, while Illusion is as darkness; hence Illusion has no power to remain where Krishna is. Vide Bhágabat, II. v. 13. Even if a man prays once saying Krishna I am thine, he is saved by Krishna from the bonds of Illusion. If the seeker after enjoyment, salvation and attainment (siddhi), is wise, he adores Krishna with deep bhakti. Vide Bhágabat, II. iii. 10. If a man adores Krishna in longing for other [material] gains, He gives the votary His own feet unasked, arguing, 'In adoring me he is soliciting for material joys. What a great fool is he, in thus begging for poison instead of nectar! I am wiser, why then should I grant this fool [his coveted] earthly pleasures? Let me give him the nectar of my feet, so that he may forget earthly joys'. Vide Bhágabat, V. xix. 28. If a man adores Krishna even for fleshly lusts, he [soon] longs to abandon his desires and become a slave of Krishna. In going through this worldly life, some are fortunate enough to gain salvation; just as a log of wood drifting down the current now and then lands on the bank. Vide Bhágabat, X. xxxviii. 4. By good luck some men's bondage to the world is about to be severed, [when] they are emancipated by the society of holy men, and are inspired with devotion to Krishna. Vide Bhágabat X. ii. 35. If Krishna favours any blessed man, He teaches him as his guru seated in the heart. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xxix. 6. If in the company of holy men a man feels inclined towards bhakti in Krishna, he gets love, the fruit of bhakti, and is freed from the world. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xx. 8. Save through the favour of the noble a man cannot feel bhakti in anything; not to speak of his gaining devotion to Krishna, he is not even freed from bondage to the world. Vide Bhágabat, V. xx. 12 and VII. v. 25. All Shastras recommend the companionship of the holy. As soon as such society is resorted to, it gives success in everything. Vide Bhágabat, I. xvii. 13. The gracious Krishna, in addressing Arjun [in the Gitá], has laid down instructions for the salvation of mankind. Vide the Gitá, xviii. 64 and 65.
"God had first commanded the Vedic religion, work, yog, and knowledge. After these had been observed, He finally commanded bhakti, which must, therefore, be superior [to the former]. If, in accordance with this [latest] dispensation, a devotee feels shraddhá, he leaves all works and adores Krishna. Vide Bhágabat, XI. xx. 9. The term shraddhá means firm and unquestioning faith. If one adores Krishna, it is equivalent to his doing all the prescribed ceremonies [of religion]. Vide Bhágabat, IV. xxxi. 12.
"Men who have shraddhá are qualified for bhakti, and are ranked as superior, average, and inferior, according to the quality of their shraddhá. He whose shraddhá is confirmed by listening to the reasoning contained in the Shástras is a superior 'entitled to bhakti', and he is liberated from the world. He whose shraddhá is strong in spite of his ignorance of shástric arguments, is an average 'entitled to bhakti'; he, too, is very fortunate. He whose shraddhá requires a visible object [of adoration] is an inferior 'entitled to bhakti'; in time he will advance to the stage of a superior bhakta. There are different grades of bhakti, according to differences of ardour and passion, as has been described in the eleventh skanda of the Bhágabat, (XI. ii. 43-45).