SB 2.9.34: Reacting to Tragedy

(written on April 11, 2020)

Notes on the Verse:

• Anything that appears to not have any relation to the Lord is illusion

• This illusion is actually one of the energies of the Lord

• Everything exists in relation with the Supreme Personality

  • Dauvi hyeshsa guna mayi mama maya duratyaya… (7:14)

• Whenever there is forgetfulness of the prime relation with the Lord and when things are accepted as real without relation to the Lord, that is called the product of the illusory energy

• Because nothing exists without God, even the illusory energy is also an energy of the Lord

• Yogamaya: dovetailing everything in relation to the Lord

• Daivimaya/Mahamaya: the wrong conception that something is not related to God

• Both these mayas are connected to the Lord because nothing can exist without Him

• Mahamaya is not false, it is illusory

  • Ex. thinking a rope is a snake is illusion

  • The rope is not false, but accepting that the rope is a snake is illusion

• Illusion: misconceiving something for another thing

• This illusory conception is a reflection of the reality in the darkness of ignorance

• The independence we think we have is not real independence

  • We thinking we are under control is an illusion and therefore proves that the Lord is the supreme controller

  • It is a reflection of the actual independence of the Lord

• Those who are unintelligent are subject to this illusory energy

  • They believe that the material creation is separate and unrelated to God and hence they come up with mundane theories to prove the material nature

  • No matter how much these scientists study and how many theories they create about life, in the end, it is all illusion, because they do not understand the basic principle that nothing exists without God

  • Hence, a doctor cannot bring a body back to life, and a psychologist cannot bring back to function of the mind, no matter how much they know about the bodily functions

  • “In the end all the intellectual gymnastics are illusion and nothing else”

• Illusory energy has two phases:

  • Throwing: living entities are thrown into the darkness of ignorance

  • Covering: covers the eyes of the unintelligent living entities and making them forget to relationship with God

• Unlike the man with the poor fund of knowledge, a sane man understands these qualities of the illusory energy and knows that the illusory energy belongs to Krsna and therefore renders devotional service

• God can only be seen by the light of God himself and not by any man-made speculations which are born from the illusory energy

  • This light of God is his internal energy (Radharani)

  • Only through the mercy of Radharani can we see the Lord face to face

Answer to the question:

The basis of Krsna consciousness is that the Lord is everything. In Bhagavad Gita, Krsna says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.” Everything, from the beginning, middle and end of the material manifestation are all maintained and created by the Lord. Anything in existence is the energy of the Lord. Even the incorrect conception that something is not related to God is an illusory energy of the Lord. Therefore, understanding this knowledge we must render devotional service unto the Lord.

During a time of tragedy, it is hard for people to relate the coronavirus to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is due to the fact that as unintelligent people, we come under the influence of the Lord’s illusory energy (maha-maya). Mahamaya covers our eyes and makes us forget the fact that we and everything else in existence are actually energies of the Lord. We must understand this fact so that we may come out of illusion and then begin to perform devotional service to the Supreme Lord to whom we are eternal servitors. Especially during the time of such a pandemic, we must double down on our Krsna consciousness to dispel all fears. Srila Prabhupada gives a very apt example of the effects of surrendering to the Lord in the purport of SB 2.9.34. He explains how when one is in a dark room, the fear of scorpions and poisonous insects remains because we are under illusion. However, when we surrender to the Lord, it is like bringing a light into the room. Immediately, everything is clear and the fear of such insects is completely dispelled. Similarly, when we are surrendered to the Lord during the time of despair and tragedy, like the coronavirus, then we are no longer gripped by fear. This is because the Lord is the cause of all causes and therefore He has complete power to protect his devotees.

But we should also understand that we should definitely follow the material precautions necessary to stay safe during the outbreak.