Hare Krsna,
SB 10.13.54: The viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time. Their great glory was not even to be touched by the jñānīs engaged in studying the Upaniṣads.
I was wondering why the cowherd boys appeared as Visnu-murti forms to Lord Brahma. We know they are expansions of Krsna. Krsna expanded as the cowherd boys and calves. Why did Krsna manifest them as four-handed Visnu form and not self-same two-handed form of Krsna? What is the lesson that Ktsna is trying to teach us through this manifestation? I had to read Srila Prabhupada’s purport again and again to understand the deeper meaning. I even had to go back to the previous texts and purport to find the answer.
I think I found the answer in text 19.
SB 10.13.19: By His Vāsudeva feature, Kṛṣṇa simultaneously expanded Himself into the exact number of missing cowherd boys and calves, with their exact bodily features, their particular types of hands, legs and other limbs, their sticks, bugles and flutes, their lunch bags, their particular types of dress and ornaments placed in various ways, their names, ages and forms, and their special activities and characteristics. By expanding Himself in this way, beautiful Kṛṣṇa proved the statement samagra-jagad viṣṇumayam: “Lord Viṣṇu is all-pervading.”
There lies the answer. By expanding Himself in this way, beautiful Kṛṣṇa proved the statement samagra-jagad viṣṇumayam: “Lord Viṣṇu is all-pervading.”
Now the purport and the acarya commentaries on verse 54 makes sense.
Brahma Samhita 5.33 says:
advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
Krsna is advaitam – without a second; acyutam – He does not fall down from His original form as Kṛṣṇa; anādim – without a beginning; ananta-rūpam – He possesses unlimited forms; ādyaṁ – He is the beginning; purāṇa-puruṣaṁ - the most ancient person; nava-yauvanaṁ – a blooming youth.
“This is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sarvaṁ viṣṇumayaṁ jagat. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa thus proved that He is everything, that He can become everything, but that still He is personally different from everything (mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ). This is Kṛṣṇa, who is understood by acintya-bhedābheda-tattva philosophy. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate: Kṛṣṇa is always complete, and although He can create millions of universes, all of them full in all opulences, He remains as opulent as ever, without any change (advaitam).” (SB 10.13.19 Purport)
Since all the forms emanated from Krsna (who is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss), Lord Brahma realized that the Visnu-murtis are also the reservoir of all truth, knowledge and bliss. Brahmā realized that all the different forms of cows, boys and calves transformed into Viṣṇu forms were not transformed by mysticism of the type that a yogī or demigod can display by specific powers invested in him. The cows, calves and boys transformed into viṣṇu-mūrtis, or Viṣṇu forms, were not displays of viṣṇu-māyā, or Viṣṇu energy, but were Viṣṇu Himself.
In this way, Krsna proves that He is all-pervading. By this incident, Lord Brahmā was able to see how Kṛṣṇa maintains the entire universe in different ways. He manifests everything that everything is visible.
SB 10.13.55: Thus Lord Brahmā saw the Supreme Brahman, by whose energy this entire universe, with its moving and nonmoving living beings, is manifested. He also saw at the same time all the calves and boys as the Lord’s expansions.
The most important take-away for me is that none of these (Krsna’s forms, etc.) can be understood my mere śāstra jnāna – knowledge in the Vedas. vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau.
“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests His own form.” (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3)
Interesting it says that the Lord is not even obtained by ‘much hearing.’ Wow! Hard to believe when hearing and chanting are the main limbs of bhakti!
The Supreme Lord can be understood only by one who is favored or shown mercy by the Lord can understand Him. He can be understood only by devotional service.
“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.” (Bhāg. 1.2.12)
Not by mere hearing. But hearing equipped with bhakti (devotional service).
Through the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we are able to understand, to some extent, the Supreme Lord and everything related to Him. I love how Srila Prabhupada closes his purport on Text 54 with this advice and assurance:
“We should discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam daily as much as possible, and then everything will be clarified, for Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature (nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam). It was written by Vyāsadeva (mahā-muni-kṛte) when he was self-realized. Thus the more we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the more its knowledge becomes clear. Each and every verse is transcendental.”
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 