How to understand that we can’t understand Krishna – then why do we study scripture?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how to understand that we can’t understand Krishna? Because most of the time when we hear classes, we feel as if we are understanding things.
Yes, if you are understanding, that is very good. There are two different things. There is, Prabhupada says in a third canto, Paraphora, that a devotee desires to see Krishna.
But a devotee does not demand to see Krishna. So, naturally, if we have devotion, we want to behold Krishna’s form and want to have saksha darshan of Krishna. That’s a natural spiritual desire for a devotee.
But a devotee does not demand that. He doesn’t say, Krishna, you have to come in front of me. Krishna is not around us.
So, that particular attitude, desiring but not demanding, that can be applied to vision of Krishna and that can be applied to comprehension of Krishna also. So, whenever we are studying scripture, whenever we are hearing classes, we should naturally desire to understand. That’s obviously true.
And Krishna is also concerned about understanding. At the end of the Bhagavad Gita in 18.72, Arjuna asks Krishna, Krishna says, Arjuna, have you understood? Have you heard attentively? Has your illusion been dispelled? So, Acharya explains that Krishna is so concerned that Arjuna understands that they say that Krishna is implying over here, if Arjuna, if you are not understood in section, tell me, I’ll repeat it. If you want, I’ll repeat the full Gita also.
So, Krishna is also concerned that we understand. But in that same message, Krishna also says that, actually, his form is inconceivable. But Krishna tells, Arjuna also says, My dear lord, your personality cannot be understood either by the gods or the demons.
He says, my dear lord, you alone understand yourself. No one else can understand you. But this is also a level of understanding.
So, if we study the scriptures carefully, if we study the Acharya’s commentaries, if we look at scriptures scrutinizingly, there will be a lot of intellectual stimulation that will come. And there will be things which we will understand and things which we will not understand. And then we connect with devotees, ask questions, we associate with learned devotees, we pray, and then understanding begins.
So, rather than saying understanding or not understanding, we can see that there are levels of understanding. And we get gradually deeper and deeper understanding. So, basic point is that if we understand, that’s wonderful.
But if sometimes, well, we are not able to understand certain things. So, when we understand also, we should not think that what I have is the definitive understanding. This is all, there is nothing more to understand.
No. Yes, I have understood at this level. But there is much much more to understand also.
So, we are grateful for the understanding that we have. We delight in the understanding that we get. But at the same time, we remain aware that there is much more to understand.
Ok.