Category:Appreciating Krsna
Theme Analysis
Appreciating Kṛṣṇa is the natural function of the soul, but it manifests differently according to one's spiritual advancement. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that everyone, even the demons, appreciates Kṛṣṇa in some way—wrestlers appreciate His strength with fear, while non-devotees appreciate Him as death. However, true appreciation begins with the awakening of love. The empiricists and yogīs cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa because He is covered by the curtain of yogamāyā, but the devotees, whose eyes are anointed with love, see Him everywhere. The highest level of appreciation is found in Vṛndāvana, where the gopīs appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s beauty more than anyone else, even more than Mother Yaśodā, whose maternal affection sometimes prevents her from appreciating His opulences. Ultimately, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that we must purify our blunt material senses through sevā (service) to truly appreciate Kṛṣṇa's name, form, and pastimes.
- Subjective Perception: As stated in the Gītā (ye yathā māṁ prapadyante), Kṛṣṇa is appreciated according to the individual's surrender. To the wrestler He is a thunderbolt; to the gopīs, He is Cupid.
- The Barrier of Material Senses: Blunt material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa. He is Adhokṣaja, beyond sense perception, and reveals Himself only to those who are sevonmukha (inclined to serve).
- Degrees of Intimacy: Appreciation evolves from neutral awe (śānta-rasa) to active service (dāsya), friendship (sakhya), parental affection (vātsalya), and finally conjugal love (mādhurya).
- Aesthetic Appreciation: Kṛṣṇa is the greatest artist. A devotee appreciates His artistic craftsmanship in creation, whereas a mūdha (fool) explains it away.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Appreciating Kṛṣṇa - From Fear to Love.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
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Pages in category "Appreciating Krsna"
The following 70 pages are in this category, out of 70 total.
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- Actually the whole world is full of Krsna's singing, but it is appreciated in different ways by different kinds of living entities. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham (BG 4.11)
- Actually they (impersonalists) do not believe in Krsna but consider all these names to be material vibrations. Not being able to appreciate the holy name of the Lord, they simply utter indirect names like Brahman, atma and caitanya
- After stringing the bow in the presence of the crowd, He drew it and broke it at the middle into two parts, exactly as an elephant breaks sugarcane in the field. Everyone present appreciated Krsna's power
- Akrura continued, "All people can appreciate the incarnations and pastimes of Your (Krsna's) Lordship and eternally glorify Your activities"
- Appreciating Your opulence, devotees generally declare that You are always subjugated by their feelings
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- Because of her pure maternal love, mother Yasoda thought that this wonderful child playing so many tricks must have had some disease. She did not appreciate the wonders shown by her child; rather, she wanted to close her eyes
- Being village girls, they (the gopis) were not very much attracted to the field of Kuruksetra, where Krsna was present with elephants, horses and royal dress. Indeed, they did not very much appreciate Krsna in that atmosphere
- Bhismadeva appreciated the all-merciful attitude of the Lord because He did not leave Arjuna alone, although He was disturbed by the sharpened arrows of Bhismadeva, nor was He reluctant to come before Bhisma's deathbed
- Bilvamangala Thakura actually entered into the transcendental pastimes of Lord Krsna. He has recorded his transcendental experiences and appreciation in the book known as Krsna-karnamrta
- Brahma said, "O my Lord, O all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supersoul, controller of all mystic powers, no one can appreciate Your transcendental pastimes as they are exhibited within these three worlds"
- By following scriptural injunctions one may enhance his appreciation for the glories of the Lord, but there is no chance for one to enter into personal dealings with Him
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- He (Krsna) did not feel any surprise that the Kesi demon was killed so easily, but the demigods in the sky were amazed, and out of their great appreciation they offered Krsna greetings by showering flowers
- His childhood companions would also be struck with wonder, and when they came back home they would narrate the story to their parents, and everyone would appreciate the qualities of their Krsna
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- I am just like a peon carrying the message of Lord Krsna and Lord Krsna's message, being perfect, it will be appreciated everywhere in any part of the universe
- If those who are attached to demigod worship fortunately associate with the devotees, their dormant devotional service and appreciation of the Lord's qualities gradually awaken. In this way they also engage in Krsna's devotional service
- If we follow the direction of Krsna, how to appreciate Him, then naturally and surely we shall come to the point to understand Krsna, although He is all-expansive
- If you actually become a devotee and develop the consciousness of love for Krsna, then God will be appreciated, God will be seen
- Is there any contradiction in such statements (of SB 3.2.17)? Vasudeva, due to his great appreciation for Krsna, wanted to give Him protection. He never thought that Krsna was the Supreme Lord and could protect Himself; he thought of Krsna as his son
- It is cited herein by the Lord that during his daytime Brahma would see Him as Lord Sri Krsna. He would appreciate how the Lord expanded Himself into all the calves during His childhood at Vrndavana
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- Jnana is not stereotyped. There is varieties of jnana. Just like in Vrndavana, there is jnana, but there is varieties. Somebody wants to love Krsna as servant. Somebody wants to love Krsna as friend. Somebody wants to appreciate Krsna's opulence
- Just like I do not see God. Then what do you see? Your seeing power is very limited. Why don't you accept that? So He's not appreciable by limited senses. Therefore His name is Adhoksaja
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- Maharaja Pariksit very much appreciated Krsna's activities for many other reasons. Not only was his grandfather saved by Krsna, but he himself also was saved by Krsna
- Many archeological discoveries have been made there (in Mathura), and many people from foreign countries are beginning to appreciate Krsna’s birthplace
- Material senses cannot appreciate Krsna's holy name, form, qualities and pastimes
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- Only those who are on the transcendental platform of love of God, who out of love engage in devotional service, can appreciate the transcendental beauty of Krsna. Such beauty is the essence of all opulences and is only appreciated in Goloka Vrndavana
- Others, who were in the marginal position, being neither friends nor enemies but slightly in love of Godhead by appreciating the beauty of His face, were at once promoted to the spiritual planets, the Vaikunthas
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- Simply by appreciating the dealings of the Lord with His pure devotees, one can attain salvation
- Special natural appreciation of the descriptions of a particular pastime of Godhead indicates the constitutional position of a living entity
- Srutadeva said, "For a nondevotee, You (Krsna) are appreciated only as ultimate death"
- Srutadeva said, "Only a devotee can immediately appreciate Your (Krsna) existence within his heart, whereas for a person who has only a bodily concept of life and is engaged in sense gratification, You always remain covered by the curtain of yogamaya"
- Srutadeva said, "We can appreciate that not only today have You (Krsna) given me Your audience, but You are associating with all the living entities as Paramatma since the beginning of creation"
- Stated in the sastras that it is not possible to appreciate or understand Krsna with our blunt material senses
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- The beauty of Krsna's face was much more appreciated by the gopis than by His friends the cowherd boys or even by Yasoda Mata, who was also interested in decorating the face of Krsna
- The boys could understand that by drinking the water of the Yamuna they had died and that the merciful glance of Krsna had restored their lives. Thus they appreciated the mystic power of Krsna, who is known as Yogesvara, the master of all mystic yogis
- The Brahma-samhita (Bs 5.38) says: Although Krsna's transcendental form is presented as black, devotees who are in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead appreciate the Lord as Syamasundara, having a very beautiful blackish form
- The denizens of heaven were very much pleased, and they offered their respects by chanting in glorification of the Lord and showering Him with flowers, accepting the victory with great appreciation
- The gopis said, "In the beginning we appreciated your workmanship in giving us these eyes to see the beautiful face of Krsna, but now, just like a foolish creature, you are taking away our eyes by not letting us see Krsna here anymore"
- The living beings can appreciate the qualities of the Lord as the ultimate goal, but they cannot attain the status quo of such equality
- The Lord (Krsna) is also known as Giridhari or Girivara-dhari. Because Krsna, for the sake of His devotees, lifted Govardhana Hill, the devotees appreciate the Lord's inconceivable strength
- The Nagapatnis said, "We can partially understand that You (Krsna) are within our hearts as the witness of all our activities, but it is very difficult to appreciate Your presence, although every one of us can do so to some extent"
- The relationship between mother Yasoda and Krsna is one of pure maternal love. In that love, mother Yasoda did not very much appreciate the display of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's opulences
- The S. P. of God, who is known as the son of Yasoda and Nanda, is never so completely known to the yogis & speculators. But He is easily available to His devotees. Nor is He appreciated as the supreme reservoir of all pleasure by the yogis & speculators
- The smarta-brahmanas, who were simply sacrificial-minded, could not understand the dictation of the transcendental devotees of the Lord. They could not even appreciate the begging of the Supreme Lord, Krsna and Balarama
- The symptoms of the kaisora age are already described, and it is at this age that devotees generally most appreciate Krsna. Krsna with Radharani is worshiped as Kisora-kisori
- There is a process to appreciate whether Krsna, or God, has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible
- These blunt senses, they cannot appreciate what is Krsna. Yogamaya-samavrtah. He's covered. To the nondevotees, He is covered. To the devotees - sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva (CC Madhya 17.136) - He reveals: Yes, I am here like this
- Those warriors who appreciated the lotus feet of the Lord (Krsna) and saw His face at the front had their dormant love of God awakened, and thus they were transferred at once to Vaikunthaloka not to the impersonal state of brahmajyoti as was Sisupala
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- We all have some relationship with Krsna, but presently that is covered. Therefore we have to revive it. Simple appreciation of the Supreme is called santa-rasa
- We are all artist, but when we appreciate the greatest artist, Krsna, then our life is successful. Otherwise, whatever we are doing we are being defeated unless we come to the point to appreciate the greatest artist who has created all this arrangement
- We are appreciating immediately Krsna's craftsmanship, artistic sense, and we are glorifying. So that should be done by everyone. But the mudhas, they will not do that. They'll explain away. They'll never admit God's hand, intelligence, brain is there
- We cannot actually see one another. How, then, can we hope to see God? It is stated: atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih (CC Madhya 17.136). - Material senses cannot appreciate Krsna's holy name, form, qualities and pastimes
- When all the cowherd men had very attentively heard the statements of Gargacarya through Nanda Maharaja, they better appreciated the wonderful activities of Krsna and became very jubilant and satisfied
- When He (Krsna) exhibits Himself in fullness, He is appreciated by great learned scholars as most perfect. When He exhibits Himself in lesser degrees, He is called very perfect. And when He exhibits still less, He is called perfect
- When Krsna was present in the sacrificial arena of His enemy King Kamsa, the wrestlers present, although appreciating the softness of the body of Sri Krsna, were afraid and perturbed when they thought of engaging with Him in battle
- When one appreciates the Supreme fully, he wishes to render some service, and that is called dasya. When one becomes more intimate, he becomes a friend of Krsna's, and that is called sakhya
- When one is advanced in devotional service, it will be easier (to see the Lord in His arca form), and he will appreciate the Lord's presence in these tangible forms
- When the warriors from the other side of the battlefield saw Lord Krsna at the front, they appreciated His beauty, & their dormant instinct of love of God was awakened. Sisupala saw the Lord also, but he saw Him as his enemy, & his love was not awakened
- With our blunt material senses it is not possible to appreciate or to understand sri-krsna-namadi - Krsna, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, His abode, so many things. Krsna is not alone, but Krsna begins from the name