I was talking to one of the devotees yesterday. This devotee is an auto-mechanic and a very good one at that. However, he is not a qualified engineer, so his knowledge about the computerized systems in the latest autos is very limited. Since we were on the subject of automobiles, he remarked : “hats off to the man who invented electronics, its just some sand chips and steel wires and everything is inside there. No one can understand how it works inside.” He was quite wonderstruck and I was too, more so because I am not a “scientific man” so to speak. The way electronic gadgets work has always been a source of fascination to me from a very early age. However, this brought my thoughts to a related subject – the creation at large. No doubt, the electronic gadgets are great help to us. In fact, kali-yuga is the ‘iron age’ – so many machines around us and we have become very dependent on them.
But, consider the creation of the Lord. The nature, the beauty and the perfection of Lord’s creation. The variety and the uniqueness of each and every created being. Isn’t it wonderful !!! And nobody can understand how it all comes about….
yad yad vibhutimat sattvam, srimad urjitam eva ca
tat tad evavagaccha tvam, mama tejom’sa sambhavam
“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Bhagavad Gita, 10.41)
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Krsna’s opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Krsna’s opulence. (Purport)
Everything is but a manifestation of Krishna’s opulence. Our secret of success lies in being able to understand and see things as such. Unlike the man-made machines which more often than not let us down in some way or the other, the manifested creation of the Lord is very much different. In fact every human being is very much dependent on what the Lord is supplying through His agency of the material nature – prakrti. Without the supply of basic elements by prakrti, no invention is possible for even the most so-called intelligent man. Alas, our failure stems from the fact that we refuse to acknowledge this simple, straightforward truth. Krsna comments in the Bhagavad Gita :
prakrteh kriyamanani, gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara vimudhatma, kartaham iti manyate
“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (Bhagavad Gita, 3.27)
Can the advanced intelligence of man produce the kind of varied wonderful scent produced by the different flowers that we find in nature ? Of course, not… This is just one simple thing – its something we take for granted, in fact. But its an impossible task for the intelligent man !!!
punyo gandhah prthivyäm ca
tejascäsmi vibhävasau
jévanamsarva-bhütesu
tapas cäsmi tapasvisu
“I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.” (Bhagavad Gita, 7.9)
Punya means that which is not decomposed; punya is original. Everything in the material world has a certain flavor or fragrance, as the flavor and fragrance in a flower, or in the earth, in water, in fire, in air, etc. The uncontaminated flavor, the original flavor, which permeates everything, is Krsna. Similarly, everything has a particular original taste, and this taste can be changed by the mixture of chemicals. So everything original has some smell, some fragrance, and some taste. Vibhävasu means fire. Without fire we cannot run factories, we cannot cook, etc., and that fire is Krsna. The heat in the fire is Krsna. According to Vedic medicine, indigestion is due to a low temperature in the belly. So even for digestion fire is needed. In Krsna consciousness we become aware that earth, water, fire, air and every active principle, all chemicals and all material elements are due to Krsna. The duration of man’s life is also due to Krsna. Therefore by the grace of Krsna, man can prolong his life or diminish it. So Krsna consciousness is active in every sphere. (Purport)
But, consider the creation of the Lord. The nature, the beauty and the perfection of Lord’s creation. The variety and the uniqueness of each and every created being. Isn’t it wonderful !!! And nobody can understand how it all comes about….
yad yad vibhutimat sattvam, srimad urjitam eva ca
tat tad evavagaccha tvam, mama tejom’sa sambhavam
“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.” (Bhagavad Gita, 10.41)
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Krsna’s opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Krsna’s opulence. (Purport)
Everything is but a manifestation of Krishna’s opulence. Our secret of success lies in being able to understand and see things as such. Unlike the man-made machines which more often than not let us down in some way or the other, the manifested creation of the Lord is very much different. In fact every human being is very much dependent on what the Lord is supplying through His agency of the material nature – prakrti. Without the supply of basic elements by prakrti, no invention is possible for even the most so-called intelligent man. Alas, our failure stems from the fact that we refuse to acknowledge this simple, straightforward truth. Krsna comments in the Bhagavad Gita :
prakrteh kriyamanani, gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara vimudhatma, kartaham iti manyate
“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (Bhagavad Gita, 3.27)
Can the advanced intelligence of man produce the kind of varied wonderful scent produced by the different flowers that we find in nature ? Of course, not… This is just one simple thing – its something we take for granted, in fact. But its an impossible task for the intelligent man !!!
punyo gandhah prthivyäm ca
tejascäsmi vibhävasau
jévanamsarva-bhütesu
tapas cäsmi tapasvisu
“I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.” (Bhagavad Gita, 7.9)
Punya means that which is not decomposed; punya is original. Everything in the material world has a certain flavor or fragrance, as the flavor and fragrance in a flower, or in the earth, in water, in fire, in air, etc. The uncontaminated flavor, the original flavor, which permeates everything, is Krsna. Similarly, everything has a particular original taste, and this taste can be changed by the mixture of chemicals. So everything original has some smell, some fragrance, and some taste. Vibhävasu means fire. Without fire we cannot run factories, we cannot cook, etc., and that fire is Krsna. The heat in the fire is Krsna. According to Vedic medicine, indigestion is due to a low temperature in the belly. So even for digestion fire is needed. In Krsna consciousness we become aware that earth, water, fire, air and every active principle, all chemicals and all material elements are due to Krsna. The duration of man’s life is also due to Krsna. Therefore by the grace of Krsna, man can prolong his life or diminish it. So Krsna consciousness is active in every sphere. (Purport)
We always hear that the pure devotee is able to see Krsna in everything, everywhere and many times we wonder how !!! The above verse and Srila Prabhupada's purport seems to answer that question very effectively indeed....
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