Sri Krishna’s Significant Role

Question: _Guru, when you speak about spiritual figures, you usually say Sri Krishna, Sri Rama, Lord Buddha and so on. About most of the other spiritual Masters, we know that they aspired for some time, and then they got realisation. But if you read books written by Krishna’s devotees, they say that he was fully realised right from his birth. Basically, when he was a small child, he was already fully conscious. My question is, was Krishna a regular human being who aspired and then as a result of spiritual practice became God-realised, or was he a projection of God who had never been a human being at all? _Sri Chinmoy: Sri Krishna was definitely a human being. As a human being, he played in Brindaban. But his realisation did not come after he was physically born. He came as a direct avatar of Lord Vishnu, a direct descendant from Vishnu. When he took human birth, in his case from the beginning he was showing miracle after miracle.

Sri Ramachandra did not show that. Sri Ramachandra grew up like a prince. Others like Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna, when they grew up, they were showing their divinity. But Sri Krishna right from the beginning was a direct avatar.

Again, they say Lord Buddha was also a direct descendant. These avatars are direct, but at the same time they go through earthly processes. Lord Buddha took human incarnation. He had a wife, he had a child – everything. These avatars are divine; during their meditation they know what they were, what they are. But in order to mix with humanity, they go through human processes. Otherwise, if they show constant miracles, humanity will say, “Oh, you are so great. We are no match for you.” Instead they come down to the human level – although they stay ahead a little so that they can inspire. Otherwise, if they show their full divinity, nobody will accept them, and humanity will say, “Oh, you are somebody else. You are God.”

Sri Krishna showed his divinity to only five persons. He had so many dear ones, but only to five persons he showed his full divinity. If the spiritual figures show their divinity in their highest form, nobody will accept them. They will see such a yawning gulf, saying: “He is on the top of the Himalayas, and I am not even at the foot.”

So these great spiritual figures were very wise. They led humanity little by little, step by step. That was their wisdom. When a child starts walking a little bit, then the mother goes slowly, just one step ahead. If the mother wanted, the mother could go so fast. The child would be helpless because the mother has so much capacity, so she takes just one step a little ahead. Of all the spiritual figures, Lord Krishna played a most significant role with his Bhagavad Gita, the Song Celestial. I do not think any spiritual book on earth can be compared with this small book. Other books are excellent, super excellent. But the basis, the foundation of Indian spirituality, religion, culture – everything – is the Bhagavad Gita, not even the Upanishads. Of course, there are things in the Gita from the Upanishads. But if there is only one book – one small book – that encompasses spirituality in all its magnitude, that is the Bhagavad Gita, the Song Celestial. No other book! Forgive me, there are quite a few other books, but they are no match for the Gita.

Each religion has books. Fortunately they are all translated into English. I am saying that no spiritual book can ever be compared with the Bhagavad Gita. Some people may not agree with me, but I know that the contribution of the Bhagavad Gita will have no comparison.

To come back to your question, from the beginning Sri Krishna was conscious. In so many ways Sri Krishna showed his divinity, which is unparalleled. Again, he played the role of a human being.

That is how he could lead humanity. Otherwise, if he showed miracles all the time in his highest, people would say, “Oh, you are beyond us, it is beyond our imagination.” So spiritual Masters go step by step, step by step.

10 March 2007, Aspiration-Ground, New York