Can We See the Lord?

Date: 2011-04-22 Author: Vaijayantimala devi dasi

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble pranams! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!

"Can we see God?" is the question in the mind of everyone. In the case of the devotees, this is a loving yearning from the heart and in the case of others, it is a challenge. But we should also know the qualification required to see the Lord. This is very wonderfully revealed in the pastime of the deliverance of the Yamala Arjuna trees. In this pastime, we see that Nalakuvera and Manigriva, the sons of Kuvera, because of material opulence become so extravagant and senseless that one day they were enjoying with naked girls in a lake shamelessly and suddenly Narada muni passed by that way. But they were so maddened by their wealth and false prestige that even though they saw Narada muni present, they remained naked. Narada muni in order to relieve them of their false prestige cursed them to become trees. Even though it is a curse, the punishment awarded by the Vaishnavas is also a kind of mercy as can be seen from the words of Narada muni in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.10.20-22:

Nonetheless, after they become trees and until they are released, by my mercy they will have remembrance of their past sinful activities. Moreover, by my special favour, after the expiry of one hundred years by the measurement of the demigods, they will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, face to face, and thus revive their real position as devotees.

In order to fulfil the truthfulness of the words of the greatest devotee Narada, Krishna who was tied in the mortar, slowly went to the spot where the arjuna trees were standing. There Krishna spoke to Himself the following wonderful verse in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.10.25.

devarṣir me priyatamo yad imau dhanadātmajau tat tathā sādhayiṣyāmi yad gītaṁ tan mahātmanā

Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have nothing to do with them, Devarshi Narada is My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to face with them, I must do so for their deliverance.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport: "Nalakuvara and Manigriva actually had nothing to do with devotional service or seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, for this is not an ordinary opportunity. It is not that because one is very rich or learned or was born in an aristocratic family one will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. This is impossible. But in this case, because Narada Muni desired that Nalakuvara and Manigriva see Vasudeva face to face, the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to fulfil the words of His very dear devotee Narada Muni. If one seeks the favour of a devotee instead of directly asking favours from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is very easily successful. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has therefore recommended: vaishnava thakura tomaara kukkura bhuliyaa aanaha more, krishna se tomaara krishna dite paara. One should desire to become like a dog in strictly following a devotee. Krishna is in the hand of a devotee. adurlabham aatma-bhaktau. Thus without the favor of a devotee, one cannot directly approach Krishna, what to speak of engaging in His service."

Here in the verse, Krishna uses the word saadhayishyaami which Srila Prabhupada super excellently gives the word to word equivalent as "I shall execute (because Narada Muni wanted Me to come face to face with the yamala- arjuna, I shall do so)." All the living entities being eternal servitors of the Lord are supposed to be always saying to the Lord, "aham saadhayishyaami"- "I shall execute all your orders" because Krishna is our supreme master. That is why we are called kinkaras or servants. The word kinkara in Sanskrit comes from the word kim karomi which means the servant’s duty is to always ask the master "What shall I do for you" meaning I shall execute your orders. But here we find that Krishna has reversed the role and He is telling "saadhayishyaami". Who can be more merciful, accessible and dear to us than our Lord?

From this pastime, we can learn that the qualification to see the Lord face to face and that is to take shelter of the pure devotee of the Lord.

The following is a pastime from the life of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Maharaj, the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada. One day Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Maharaj was standing in Sri Caitanya Math in front of the deities Gandharvika Giridhari without his spectacles. One of his disciples said, “Should I get your spectacles so that you can see the deities and have proper darshan”. He replied that "Seeing Krishna is not that easy with these spectacles. We should not be trying to see Krishna when we stand before the deities we should be meditating on how we can develop the qualities and the characteristics by which Krishna will really be pleased to see us. Then Krishna actually reveals Himself to us". So when Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Maharaj was behind the Garuda Sthamba his logic was, it was for Krishna’s pleasure - “Krishna won't be pleased to see me but He will be pleased to see Garuda because Garuda is a Parama Vaishnava. Lord Jagannath would certainly be looking at Garuda because of his surrender in devotion. So if I am standing just behind Garuda, He will see me too. But He will see me behind His devotee and then He may be pleased with me”.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaj’s instruction is always that we should not try to see Krishna but we should serve in such a manner that Krishna is pleased to see us and it is definite that Krishna is pleased to see us under the shelter of a pure Vaishnava and that is the only qualification required.

Thank you very much. Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev, Vaijayantimala devi dasi Abu Dhabi.