Lord Krishna Is The Supreme Incarnation( Written By Chinmayee Mohanty)

Chapter -60

Lord Krishna says Arjun, you seat yourself in the boat of knowledge and cross over it.Pure knowledge is the most wonderful thing to possess and that knowledge will be revealed to you from within whom you attain purity of heart .Pure knowledge will not come from the outside it will come from the inside and those who engage in devotion and purify themselves I seat in their hearts and destroy their ignorance with the torch light of knowledge.So there  is one knowledge which we get from the outside and there is one knowledge which we get from the inside that knowledge which awakens from inside through realisation .Strive to attain pure knowledge that is the purpose of our human form of life .So Arjun don't delay in the process of bhakti who knows what  will happen tomorrow?

In this world there is nothing as purifying as divine knowledge . Who has attained purity of mind through prolonged practice of Yog receives such knowledge within the heart in due course of time. Here how Lord Krishna established faith in the knowledge.  He is giving by revealing to Him that this is an eternal science which He had previously instructed to the Sun God as well He further inspired Arjun to have faith in the names , forms,virtues, pastimes of God by keeping divine sentiments thereby getting a basis to do bhakti or devotion .Then He explained the process of yagna and there are various kinds of yagnas or sacrifices that people engage in.The perfection of yagna is to do it as a sacrifice to God .This yagna leads to purification and enlightenment. . In order to get knowledge Shri Krishna asked Arjun to approach Guru  . In this case Lord Krishna Himself is the Guru of Arjun and Arjun's problem is solved .If we make Shri Krishna as our Guru that is not possible because Arjun was in Avtar kaal and Lord Krishna was in front of him.So he was able to accept Him as his Guru .Now this is not Avtar kaal we need a saint through which we can receive this knowledge because when we go in this path there are lots of doubts will arise how will we resolve these doubts?We need somebody who is in in front who can resolve our doubts . So we need a live teacher who can explain these truths to us .Lord Krishna says Arjun when you receive that knowledge then by virtue of that knowledge  we will cut aside all sins we will become free from sins we will get beyond all miseries and seated on the boat of knowledge we will be able to cross over this vast ocean of life and death .This material world is like an ocean  nobody thinks one day I will die.  Once Yaksh asked Yudhishthir what is most astonishing  in this world? Yudhishthir said the most astonishing that at every moment people are dying others are watching but they are thinking I will not die he died.  Nobody is conscious of the fact that this human life is dead end. In death we all have to go one day and when will that death come who knows?It may come at the next moment .When Hiranyakashup asked Prahllad you are five years old and you are doing bhakti,, bhakti should be done in old age .That is what the materialistic people say who don't understand the spiritual knowledge.Prahllad said father what is the definition of old age? Somebody who is close to death is old. How do you know what is my life span? I may die tomorrow so I am also old and bhakti should never be delayed.Prahllad said the human birth is very rare but it is temporary it can be snatched away at any time that's why don't delay in  the process of bhakti  who knows what will happen tomorrow? Shri Krishna said Arjun you seat yourself in the boat of knowledge and you cross over it .Pure knowledge is the most wonderful thing to possess and that knowledge will be revealed to you from within when you attain purity of heart Lord Krishna says Arjun those who engage in devotion and purify themselves I seat in their hearts and destroy their ignorance with the  torch light of knowledge.The soul is divine energy but it has got covered so when the covering is removed automatically the knowledge of the soul shines forth . That pure knowledge will come from within and it is the purest of things.Strive to attain the pure knowledge that is the purpose of human birth. So this human form has got this speciality of knowledge which animals don't have and the purpose of the human form is to exercise that power and receive the divine knowledge.The human  form is getting true knowledge. So we should find the right Guru and true knowledge.Guru will give the theoretical knowledge we will do it practically and we will get the enlightenment from within which Lord Krishna is talking about.Knowledge has the power to purify ,elevate , liberate and unite a person with God. So it is supremely sublime and pure but a distinction needs to be made between two kinds of knowledge one is theoretical information and the other is practical realisation.

The transfer of knowledge requires faith not blind faith but well thought out well rationalised reasoned  faith in the proper place . Whenever we place our faith that is how our life will become .After many many lifetimes the soul develops this faith that it is worthwhile to go into satsang .Lord Krishna says Arjun from that faith you will get  perfect peace .Why? Knowledge will destroy all the stress ,tension ,everything .Why? It will change our perspective . What is the indication that our perspective is higher? The indication is Param Shantim .We will feel perfect peace then no matter what happens our peace will not be destroyed  .Having increased Arjun's yearning for knowledge Lord Krishna gives one condition there in order to get this knowledge Arjun you will have to have shradha or faith. The transfer of knowledge requires faith without faith imparting knowledge is impossible.In spiritual side we don't need to surrender our intellect faith is a very  big thing.According to Kathoponishad if you have true faith you will attain God.  We all know that God is Almighty  ,ghat ghat vasi,Antaryami but do we have faith?If we have faith we will attain God. So faith develops slowly we walk by faith not by sight . After many many lifetimes the soul develops this faith that it is worthwhile to go into satsang. So this faith wherever we place it that will determine the direction of our life. In this world there are millions of sources are trying to pull our faith  .So what is worthy of our faith?To have this firm decision in the knowledge of the scriptures and the instructions of the guru these are coming from the transcendental platform so they are free of the materialistic defects they are truly worthy of our faith. So when we place that element of faith there on God through the mediums of Shastra and guru then our path starts getting illuminated with divine knowledge.So that faith automatically opens up the pathway to true knowledge.Shankaracharya's one disciple Sanand developed that firm faith and automatically the knowledge of the scriptures got revealed in his heart Sanand was illiterate and Shankaracharya was teaching Vedant he would just sit in class and look at him but he couldn't understand . One day he was washing his guru's clothes on the other side of the river it was time for the class all the disciple said please begin Shankaracharya said but Sanand is not here let's wait for him .Disciples said but he is illiterate he can't even understand what you say Shankaracharya said that's all right but he listens  with very great faith.  So Shankaracharya just to show the power of faith he called him Sanand and Sanand on the other side of the river heard his Guru he immediately ran and he didn't realise there is river in front of him and he put his feet on the water and under his feet the lotus flowers kept on blooming so he put his feet on them and he crossed over the other side so when he came he offered his pranam to his guru and from his mouth praises of the guru in sophisticated Sanskrit started emanating to the astonishment of the other disciples .  Later on because of the lotus flowers had bloomed under his feet he became Known as Padmapada he was one of the four main disciples of Shankaracharya.So by virtue of that faith he got the knowledge . According to Upanishads to that soul who has got staunch faith in God and his guru all the meaning of the shastras automatically get illumined in the heart.But this faith can also be very dangerous if faith is placed in the wrong place it can lead us to hell .That's why blind faith can be the most dangerous thing so when we place our faith we should be careful .Where should we place our faith?We should be careful to accept someone as our Guru ensure that person  has the ability to take us to the transcendental platform then we place our faith and in Shastras there is no doubt  Bhagvad Gita means perfect knowledge ,Vedas means perfect knowledge .By virtue of growing up in that Vedic culture that faith comes naturally.Without faith if we think we will get knowledge we are in for disappointment. If we have in challenging mood divine knowledge will elude us. Divine knowledge has a process of being imparted and one of the features of that process Lord Krishna says Arjun  don't have  blind faith but faith well though out well rationalised reasoned faith in the proper place will lead you to knowledge.  From that faith you will get perfect peace because this knowledge will give you permanent peace.Then no matter what happens your peace will not be destroyed .That knowledge will bestow such kind of perfect peace eternally that will be true knowledge .

Lord Krishna introduces the concept of faith in the context of knowledge.Not all spiritual truths are immediately perceptible some of them are only be experienced after having attained sufficient elevation on the path.If we only accept what we can presently verify or comprehend we will be bereft of the higher spiritual secrets.Faith helps us accept what we can't understand at present .