Understanding the inconceivable
One of the ideas we are forced to face when we study the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is that there are many things we can’t understand. The universe we live is more complex we would like to admit.
One of the ideas we are forced to face when we study the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is that there are many things we can’t understand. For example, in the first canto, it’s described how Maharaja Parīkṣit met Kali, Dharma, and Bhūmi. One can question how such a meeting could be possible since none of the three are persons. Kali-yuga is an age, just like Satya-yuga or Treta-yuga. Dharma is a concept, just like justice or greed, and the Earth is a planet. How could the three of them be present in physical forms in the same place, and how could a human being (whoever powerful) be able to meet them?
When faced with such descriptions is important not to fall into the same mistake as the frog in the well, an allegory that Prabhupāda mentioned several times. Just like the frog in the well was trying to calculate the size of the ocean based on the measurement of his minute well, we shouldn’t think we can understand the workings of the Universe based on our limited experience, since such an attempt will be futile.
The model of the Universe described in the Vedas is not only incredibly complex but also multidimensional, with the concept of the reality of beings at different stages of spiritual development being radically different. Many of us have difficulty even understanding the four-dimensional reality we live in (three dimensions plus time), which results in all the speculation about flat Earth and so on, so what to say about understanding all these high dimensions?
One example of this is that the Vedas explain that all kinds of material manifestations, qualities, and energies have a predominating deity. Just like different forces of nature are controlled by demigods like Indra, Surya, and Vāyu, qualities like envy, dishonesty, and even death have their predominating deities, living entities who are elected as controllers of such energies. We can imagine such predominating deities as beings similar to the demigods in nature.
Just as the wind doesn’t have a form, but the demigod who controls it does, the age of Kali in itself doesn’t have a form, but is controlled by Kali, who does. Similarly, the concept of dharma has its controller, just as our planet also has. These are all subtle entities that can’t be seen by ordinary people, but that can be met by an elevated personality like Maharaja Parīkṣit.
In the first canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it is narrated that Maharaja Parīkṣit was able to tour the other realms of Jambūdvīpa, which are inaccessible to ordinary human beings. This shows that he had access to higher dimensions that we don’t have access to nowadays. This explains how he could have this meeting with Kali, Dharma, and Bhūmi, seeing them in their personal forms and interacting with them.
Other pastimes can be even harder to understand, like, for example, how Dhruva Maharaja could stay without breathing and moving for such long periods, or how Hiraṇyakaśipu could continue living even after his body was completely eaten by ants, keeping his vital air circulating around his bones. Certainly, such feats are not possible for a human being of our time, but we should keep in mind that such great personalities from past ages could do many things we are not capable of, by using techniques that are unknown to us.
For example, one of the mystical perfections an advanced yogi can obtain is the ability to grab objects from distant places using his hands. A yogi could thus grab an apple from a tree in England even though he is seated in India. To us, such descriptions sound absolutely ludicrous, but just because we can’t understand how it can be possible, doesn’t mean there weren’t people who could do it.
In general, mystical powers come from access to higher dimensions, which is, in turn, obtained by direct or indirect realization of God and His energies. Just like a fan works by being connected to the powerhouse through an electrical outlet, a yogi can canalize a small fragment of Kṛṣṇa’s energy by being connected with Him. Just like Kṛṣṇa could bring together unlimited Brahmas who are situated in different universes, a yogi can bring close to him distant things, so he can grab them with his hand.
Even in our day and age, we can see that talented people can do things normal people can’t, like play musical instruments, write books on delicate subjects, climb mountains, create delicate works of art, and perform other amazing feats. Sometimes, such abilities may look like magic to a layman. In the same way, normal human beings can’t see the demigods, what to say about going to the celestial planets to meet them and fight demons, but Arjuna was able to do it. He was also able to fight Lord Śiva, to say nothing about his use of mystical weapons. Just like him, many other highly elevated historical personalities were able to do many things that normal people can’t.
Similarly, the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam includes many other passages we can’t easily understand, like very description of the model of the universe given in the fifth canto, and the supernatural pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the 10th canto. Māyāvādis conclude that God doesn’t have a form because they can’t reconcile the concept of Bhagavān being perfect and unlimited with the idea of Him having a form, but Vaiṣnavas can understand how it works based on the idea that Kṛṣṇa has a form that is different in nature from the forms we have. The reason Vaiṣnavas can reach a higher level of understanding is that they follow the appropriate process of obtaining spiritual knowledge and realization, while Māyāvādis just create a philosophy out of their own speculation.
By understanding that there are many things we don’t know, we can appreciate the descriptions of different places and events in the scriptures, even though we may not perfectly understand them. By cultivating this attitude, we can gradually advance in our spiritual realization, and by continuing to hear from authorities, we may gradually come to understand it.
We can see that Śrīla Prabhupāda was frequently emphasizing that the descriptions of the Puranas should be taken as historical facts, and not as just allegories, hinting at this important realization. One may misuse it by trying to create a cult of it, but if we can find the right measure between inquisitiveness, questioning, and acceptance, we can go quite far in our comprehension of these topics.
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