If Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, what is the source of Kṛṣṇa?
No matter how much we research, we can’t find a cause for Kṛṣṇa. He is just beginningless. How is it possible?
You can receive new articles directly in your inbox. Subscription is free; donations are welcome.
Everything in this world has a cause. My cause is my father and mother, and their causes are their fathers and mothers. A car has its cause in the people who produced it, and the universe itself has Brahmā as its cause. By following this process, we eventually come to Kṛṣṇa, who is the cause of everything.
One may then employ the same logic in trying to understand Kṛṣṇa and ask, if Kṛṣṇa is the cause of everything that exists, what is the cause of Kṛṣṇa?
This question, however, resists this framework. No matter how much we research, we can’t find a cause for Kṛṣṇa. He is just beginningless. How is it possible?
The point is that only material things have a creation. Everything that is material exists under the influence of material time and follows a cycle of creation, existence, and destruction. There is, however, another world, where everything is eternal, without a beginning or an end. That’s the spiritual realm. Not just Kṛṣṇa, but in fact everything that exists is eternal. We are eternal, the spiritual planets are eternal, and the relationships there are eternal. This material world exists as a simple reflection of this spiritual realm. Just as a reflection is a temporary, inverted image of a real object, everything that exists in this material world is a reflection of some eternal spiritual manifestation. The mistake we make is to identify with the reflection instead of with the real object. When we do that, we find ourselves in a strange temporary world, where everything has a beginning and an end, and from this platform, we question how Kṛṣṇa can be eternal.
Brahmā examines this question in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, stating that there is no cause beyond Kṛṣṇa. The process of finding the cause of different causes ends when we reach Kṛṣṇa. He is supreme, and there is nothing beyond Him. He himself, the most qualified being in this universe, went through this process and now shares his conclusions:
“At the beginning of creation there are penance, myself [Brahmā] and the Prajāpatis, the great sages who generate; then, during the maintenance of the creation, there are Lord Viṣṇu, the demigods with controlling powers, and the kings of different planets. But at the end there is irreligion, and then Lord Śiva and the atheists full of anger, etc. All of them are different representative manifestations of the energy of the supreme power, the Lord.” (SB 2.7.39)
Attractive as it may be for us, who are attracted by the material energy, the cosmic manifestation is just a temporary show that has the goal of giving us a chance of liberation from the clutches of Māyā. The universe is created starting with Brahmā, and from him, great sages appear to gradually populate the universe with demigods, human beings, etc. To help them attain the goal of life, Kṛṣṇa then appears as different incarnations to teach devotional service. However, when time passes, and the souls don’t take the opportunity, Lord Śiva and His associates take charge of the process of destruction.
Brahmā thus continues his description:
“Who can describe completely the prowess of Viṣṇu? Even the scientist, who might have counted the particles of the atoms of the universe, cannot do so. Because it is He only who, in His form of Trivikram, moved His leg effortlessly beyond the topmost planet, Satyaloka, up to the neutral state of the three modes of material nature. And all were moved.
Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the omnipotent Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after us, know about Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely Śeṣa, has not been able to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing the qualities of the Lord with ten hundred faces.
But anyone who is specifically favored by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, due to unalloyed surrender unto the service of the Lord, can overcome the insurmountable ocean of illusion and can understand the Lord. But those who are attached to this body, which is meant to be eaten at the end by dogs and jackals, cannot do so.” (SB 2.7.40-42)
Who is Lord Śeṣa?
He is the incarnation of the Lord who lives at the bottom of the universe and is absorbed in constantly describing the glories of the Lord. However, although he has glorified the Lord for billions of years with his millions of heads, he still can’t find an end to them. By the mercy of the Lord, even the most sinful persons can become liberated by surrendering to Krsna’s devotees and following their footsteps.
Kṛṣṇa is uncontaminated and without material distinctions. He is the cause of all causes, and the illusory energy can’t stand before Him. When we approach Him, Māyā automatically stops acting over us. As Lord Brahma states:
“In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the mind, mental speculation or meditation, as performed by the jñānīs and yogīs. One gives up such processes, as the heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble to dig a well.”
Just like digging a well to get water will sound ludicrous to Indra, who controls the rain, mental control or mystical perfections are automatically attained by a pure devotee who fully dedicates himself to the service of the Lord.
We may think that this platform is inaccessible to us, but this is actually our real nature. The only problem is that now we are identifying with the material reflection. When we purify ourselves of this misconception, this eternal nature of service to Kṛṣṇa again surfaces.
Because our situation in this age is so lamentable and we face so many challenges, Kṛṣṇa appears as Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu to give us an easy process to help us regain this eternal spiritual consciousness. By His grace, it does not matter how contaminated we may be now: everything becomes possible. He is merciful to us and rewards us at every small step, different from previous ages, where people lived in a favorable environment and would be punished for any small mistake.
Kṛṣṇa Himself describes this compassionate mood in the Bhagavad-gītā, and this compassion is even more pronounced in Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
“Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes. O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination. How much more this is so of the righteous brāhmaṇas, the devotees and the saintly kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service unto Me. Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Bg 9.30-31)
The first point described by Kṛṣṇa is that even if one can’t follow everything perfectly or falls from regulative principles, he is not rejected. As long as he remains sincere in chanting and worshiping Him, He overlooks these limitations and offers his devotee mercy so he can gradually overcome his shortcomings. As exemplified by the history of Ajāmila, even in the most dire circumstances, a devotee is always protected. In our age, everyone is a śūdra, and therefore Kṛṣṇa reassures us that even the most degraded people can get His shelter regardless of material position.
This is even more directly explained by Krsna in the Gītā on 6.40:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Son of Pṛthā, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.”
In the Sanskrit, Kṛṣṇa uses the word kalyāṇa-kṛt to describe devotional activities, which means “one who is engaged in auspicious activities”. Devotional service is the most auspicious activity. Such a devotee who is engaged in this way, even if faults, is fully protected by the Lord: naiveha nāmutra, vināśas tasya. Even though he is living in the material world, his devotional service never faces destruction, neither in this life nor in the next life. The word “durgatim” indicates that a devotee never faces degradation. His devotional service may be covered for some time due to mistakes or sinful activities, but as soon as he returns to the right path, this contamination is very quickly washed away, just like a diamond put into the mud can be cleaned easily by just washing it with water.
This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can also choose a paid subscription to support this work.
You can also receive the updates on WhatsApp or Telegram.
If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here.
Thank you!