Question: Pranam guruji, My name is **** ****. I reside in upstate NY, USA. I got your email address from internet. Please pardon me for writing to you this way, but I had a question and didn’t know who else could answer it other than actual devotee like yourself. I have been reading Bhagvad gita (Bhagvad Gita as it is) written by Srilad Prabhupada and would like to advance in spirituality and someday raise myself by the mercy of Lord Krishna on Spiritual platform. My question is from one of the verses from gita.
“Although the Supremesoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours(annihilates) and develops all” (Bhagavd Gita As It Is, Srilad Prabhupada, chapter 13th Text 17.)
If Lord Krisna annihilates everything, why does he create it again? And if He created it in the first place, what is the need to annihilate everything? In the process of annihilation, he brings back everything to Him which is our ultimate goal..going back to Him. Why would he then create things moving, non-moving living or non-living again?
I would greatly appreciate if you could help me understand this philosophy. Thank you. Hare Krishna, **** ****.
Answer: My Dear **** ****, You are welcome to write whenever you feel like.
I am happy you are studying Bhagavad Gita. If you are really interested & sincere you will definitely make progress in Spiritual life. But, you will have to put the teachings of Gita into action.
It is the nature of things to be born & die and reborn again. It is a circle or a ‘dharmachakra’ as called in our Scriptures. Unless something dies, new thing can not be born. Moreover, suppose, if the body grows hundred years & still remains, as you know that body will loose the power of all sense organs. That means, one can not see, or hear, etc. What is the use of that body existing ? So, the body dies & the soul within takes another fresh body and continues. This is called as annihilation. Not that God will come & destroy the whole universe. The same law applies to all living & non-living beings.
Moreover, the question of ‘how & what’ will not arise within the framework of universe. Since, you are also a part of the universe, unless you go beyond this universe, by realizing the Lord, this will be an observed question. For example, when you are dreaming, you can not question for yourself – why you are dreaming. You will take it as a real as long as you are dreaming. Only when you get up you know that it was only a dream and not real. Similarly, when you realize the God, you will understand, what a child’s play this universe is.
RESPONSE to the Above REPLY:
Pranam, Hare Krishna!
Thank you for sparing some time and replying my question. Yes, along with reading Gita, I have also started to put its teaching in action such as; completely stopped using foul language, stopped eating meat–which destroys the disciple’s “mercy” quality. I have stopped consuming alcohol and working on other forms of intoxication such as consuming tea, coffee and smoking–which destroys austerity. Stopped unnecessary emotional attachments with material objects. It is a start and slowly I know I will lose all the bad qualities which would keep me from realizing self.
Along with gita, I also read Six Systems of Vedic Philosophy… I mean not the whole thing yet, but I downloaded the essentials from Iskcon.org site just to get an overview of what it is like before I start reading actual philosophies.
Well about my question, I didn’t actually mean that. I meant, in Gita it is explained that our 4 yugs that we experience is one day of Lord Brahma and at the end of His day, everything is annihilated and once again created…that is what I meant. Why is our Human and other non-living existence depended on the life of Lord Brahma? What about people in the last yug who are spiritual and aware of their self? What happens to them? Are they sent back? If so, do they come with the knowledge they already acquired in their previous birth? Once again, thank you for shedding light and explaining clearing my doubts. Hoping to hear from you soon Swami. Sincerely, ****.
REPLY to the Above Response:
My Dear **** ****, The human & other non-living existence does not completely depend upon the life of Brahma. Brahma allots life according to the previous Karma of every being. If you are spiritual at the time of one Yuga, in the next life, you will be born in such a place where you can continue your spiritual practices. They definitely come back with the Knowledge they had acquired in the previous birth.
To give you a small example, there are some prodigies who from their young age, excel in certain fields. It is due to the enormous knowledge they had stored in their previous lives.