Jagannatha Ashtakam 2 – Spiritual vision goes beyond abstraction to transcendental specification

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you. Hare Krishna.
So here, the vision of Krishna which was outlined in the previous verse is now being focused on. The previous verse described how Krishna is relishing the beauty of the lotus-like faces of the gopis in the banks of Kalindi. Now that Lord, what he was doing is described in the previous verse.
Now how he looks like, that is described in this verse. So, Krishna’s quintessential characteristic is his playing a flute, especially when he is in Vrindavan. Now another characteristic of Krishna is that he has peacock feather on his head.
Dukkulam and Netrante. So, he is wearing a pitambara. And Netrante, Netrante with his eyes.
So, eyes are stretched on. Sahachari kataaksha with his head. So, he is bestowing kataaksha.
Aksha is eyes, kata is side glance. So, he is bestowing his side glance upon his associates. The same associates who were described in the previous verse.
That is the gopis. Sada Shreemad Vrindavan. And constantly in that Shreemad, in that opulent, supremely opulent dham of Vrindavan, Leela Pasati, Leela Parichayo.
He recites and he is revealing the transcendental pastimes that have performed over there. He is revealing those pastimes here in this world for all people to know. Sada Shreemad Vrindavan Pasati Leela Parichayo.
So, now let’s look at this vision of Krishna which is described further. So, sometimes some commentators while talking about Krishna, they try to give a metaphorical meaning of why does Krishna have a peacock feather, why does Krishna have a flute. Now, we don’t need metaphorical interpretations if we are in love with the person.
There is love for the person and there is love for the concept. So, God is not just a conception. God is a person.
And by trying to give metaphorical meanings for everything within the conception, we try to make the conception more attractive. Now, in principle, it’s not wrong if there are some pastimes which have been revealed or there are some acharyas who have given some specific explanations of certain features of Krishna, then that can certainly be narrated. But the important point is to recognize that Krishna is a specific person.
And then there is, in understanding, there are two aspects, there is abstraction and there is specification. Abstraction means that we move from the specific to the general. And specification means we move from the general to the specific.
So, in the spiritual journey, we move from the abstract, from specific, we see forms in this world and then we are attracted to these forms. So, from those we move upward, upward, upward. So, from the abstract, the specification, we move towards the abstract conception.
What is that? That actually all the forms are temporary over here. And beyond these temporary forms, there is something eternal. And that eternal is spiritual.
Bhagavad Gita says that there is the imperishable spiritual nature that is there underlying all things. So, that is the spiritual aspect. So, we move from the specific material things to the generic or abstract spiritual conception of the impersonal absolute.
So, that is moving upward in the hierarchy of conception, of cognition, of perception. But beyond that, again we move from the abstract to the specific. So, the spiritual realm is not just abstraction of impersonal all-pervading spiritual substance, spiritual light, but beyond that there is a specification also.
Specification means that, yes, there is the all-pervading spiritual light, but that all-pervading spiritual light manifests as an all-attractive person. And that manifestation is the highest manifestation. So, that is why the Bhagavad Gita can also describe, that that same Lord who is manifested as the impersonal Brahman is actually manifested as the all-attractive person, Krishna.
So, here we don’t need, if we are in love with the person, then we don’t need to go beyond the specification again to some kind of abstraction. So, for those who are in love with Krishna, coming from specification to abstraction is going down, it’s not going up. Now, for the Gopis, when they see Krishna’s bodily features, they are reminded of various things.
They are reminded of various pastimes which Krishna has performed and how specific features may have played certain roles in certain pastimes. That is wonderful. So, in that sense, if certain stories are there behind certain specific features, those stories can be told.
But the important point is to recognize that we don’t want to go beyond Krishna to anything else. There is no truth higher than what Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita 7.7. So, he has beautiful, he plays a very sweet flute, he has beautiful peacock feather in his head, and he is wearing Pitambar. And it is this vision that a devotee relishes.
And that is what is being described over here. And as he is glancing, Sadashri Madhvranda, he is glancing, So, in this world, side glance is considered to be very attractive. A side glance can captivate a person.
And generally, a side glance, a direct glance has a significance. When we want to speak something which is truthful, or when we want to hear somebody speak the truth, then we expect that person to speak, to look in the eye and speak, or we want to look in the eye of the other person and speak. So, when there is a direct truth to be spoken, at that time, there is the direct eye-to-eye contact that is there.
But when something is to be conveyed discreetly, something is to be conveyed with affection, with intimacy, but with also with discretion, so then there is a side glance. So, the whole conversation can happen through glances. And the side glance that is spoken over here, that is, Krishna is glancing at the gopis.
Now, why is he glancing sidewise? He can glance directly also. And significantly, it was said in the previous verse that actually he is drinking the beauty of the gopis. So, if he is drinking the beauty of the lotus face of the gopis, then isn’t he glancing at them directly? Is he glancing sidewise at them? Yes, he does both.
When Krishna is there with the gopis in private, that means when they are meeting for performing the rasa leela or something like that, when Krishna and gopis have exclusive audience of each other, then there is direct glance. But at other times, the relationship is discreet because Krishna does not directly reject the social conventions of his times. And the gopis are relating with him, not in swakhiya, but in parakhiya.
The gopis are not his wedded wives. And it’s why their relationship has to be kept low profile and discreet. And yet, within that relationship, there is suspense, there is thrill, there is excitement.
And that is what is talked about. That is the wealth of the meaning that is conveyed through the idea of side glance, kataksha. So, through that side glance, he is bestowing what? He is bestowing the affection of his heart.
And that affection conquers the hearts of his devotees. And such is the Lord Jagannath, who is being adored in this beautiful form, which will be outlined in subsequent verses. Thank you.
Hare Krishna.