5. The Glory of God
It is impossible for anyone to fully describe the nature and glory of the Lord. In fact the best description of the Lord is that ‘He is beyond comprehension’. However, some of the aspects of the Lord find expression in the Gita and they are covered in this chapter. Gita also points to the source of divine knowledge and the methodology to gain true knowledge through which one can attempt self realization. The divine presence of the Lord’s consort, Sri Lakshmi (or Maya) also finds elucidation in the Gita. An attempt is made in this chapter to address the above mentioned issues.
5.1 The Lord’s Infinite Auspicious Attributes
Q: How does one describe God?
A: As God possesses infinite, auspicious attributes, it is impossible for anyone to completely describe God’s glory. Some of the important attributes of God are:
God is supreme and always superior to all other souls, and inert matter in all of the universe at all times
God has no beginning, no end and has always existed and will always exist
God pervades all of the universe at all times
God resides in all souls and is the source of life and energy in all objects in all of the universe at all times
God’s attributes are infinite and each attribute is infinite both in content and extent
God has infinite forms and each one is complete in all sense
God possesses seemingly contradictory attributes such as being smaller than the smallest object in the universe and also larger than the largest object in the universe
God if perfect and without defects
God is absolutely independent
God has unlimited powers (Omnipotent)
God is present everywhere (Omnipresent)
God knows everything (Omniscient)
God has no negative qualities such as hatred, partiality etc
God is completely independent and controls everything in the universe
God is always just and right
All letters, all sounds, all words refer to God only
Even souls who have attained final deliverance (Nirvaana) are under the control of God
God can advance or retard time at His will. He can expand or shrink space at His will
God creates the universe, sustains it and destroys it in an eternal cycle
God offers protection to individual souls without any expectation of return
Q: How can the same Lord take on different forms simultaneously, each supposedly being complete in all respects?
A: This is explained through an attribute called Visesha
(a differentiating or a particularizing agency).The concept of Visesha provides a philosophical framework for explaining the relationship between an object and its attributes. Visesha performs the function ordinarily performed by difference enabling us to differentiate. For example, when we perceive a mango, we also perceive its colour and size. However, the colour and size are not different from the mango. There is identification of colour and size with the mango as we do not perceive colour alone or size alone. The existence of the attribute Visesha allows us to distinguish between the colour and the size which are actually identical with the mango. Similarly, the Lord and His attributes (and forms) are identical with His self and with the concept of Visesha one is able to differentiate Lord from His actions and attributes.
Q: Can one truly understand God completely?
A: No. One in a thousand makes an attempt to truly understand God and among them, one in a thousand gets some understanding. No one can completely comprehend God’s infinite attributes.
5.2 The Source of Divine Knowledge
Q: Where can one find information on God’s attributes?
A: The Lord is knowable through the scriptures (‘Vedas’). Since, the Lord has infinite auspicious attributes, it also means that the scriptures are all infinite, and have no bounds. In the same vein, since the Lord has neither beginning nor end, this also means that the scriptures also have no beginning and no end. This further leads one to conclude that the Vedas are hence not composed by anyone, but have always existed, will always exist and are an infinite series. Even though only a finite amount of infinite Vedas are available, the knowledge about the Lord that can be found in them is still correct, but never complete.
Q: Individual souls experience many births. God Almighty also incarnates Himself many times? What are the differences in these rebirths?
A: God reincarnates Himself at will, while individual souls are not aware of their various births and have no choice in the form they are born as it is naturally chosen by God. Individual souls get a physical body by coming in contact with primordial matter which is controlled by God. The Almighty appears in human form many times, but does not Himself have such a physical body as He has a transcendental body, which is beyond ordinary nature.
5.3 The Lord’s Activities
Q: It is evident that God reincarnates Himself at different times in history. On what basis does He choose the time to reincarnate and for what purpose?
A: While God does not need any reason or time to reincarnate Himself, in general, he appears in human forms whenever there is significant diminishing of righteous forces and ascent of unjust and wrongful influences in the society. Often He incarnates in a human looking form and leads a life by example to act as a role model for the population. Just as a mother who is teaching walking to her baby walks very slowly to allow the child to learn, similarly the Lord appears in human form and acts similarly to set an example to mankind. In some incarnations such as Lord Rama, He sets an example for others by showing the way to lead an ideal life. In other incarnations, such as Lord Krishna, He focuses on teaching to guide people on ways to lead an ideal life. As Krishna, the Lord taught Bhagavad Gita to Prince Arjuna (and to the rest of humanity) and also taught Uddhava Gita to another Prince called Uddhava.
Q: Does the Lord incarnate Himself at specific predetermined times?
A: No. The Lord Himself decides the right time to appear on this earth to provide guidance to people. In many instances, the Lord instructs other deities such Vayu, Indra, Agni etc, to incarnate themselves and guide the people based on need. Only in extreme circumstances where there is a complete breakdown of morals in the society and very high influence of evil forces threatening the very existence of righteous forces, the Lord reincarnates Himself to set the house in order.
Q: Does God ever get attached to any of His objects of creation?
A: Just as the sky which is omnipresent does not alter its characteristics by coming in contact with physical objects, God creates all objects in the universe, and gives bodies to souls but does not Himself get attached or entangled with any of His creations.
5.4 The Lord’s Consort
Q: Is there any other soul which has as much pervasiveness and has as much powers as God in all of universe?
A: The Lord’s consort (referred to as Lakshmi) is always with the Lord at all times and in all places and hence is as pervasive as the Lord, but she also operates under the control of the Lord. Just like the Lord, Lakshmi also has a transcendental, non physical body. The entire universe is supported by Lakshmi, who derives her powers from the Lord.
5.5 The Universe of Individual Souls
Q: How many souls are there in the universe and how are they organized?
A: There are infinite numbers of souls in the universe who are granted different physical bodies by the Lord at different times to enable them to move towards self realization. All these souls are under the control of the Lord and His consort Lakshmi. The souls differ in their learning capacities, knowledge, their prescribed duties etc. The supreme among them is the God of Life, Vayu Deva, who controls breathing in all living organisms through the powers granted to him by the Lord.
5.6 Takeaways
The Almighty Lord has infinite, auspicious attributes and the human mind is not capable of comprehending His greatness
One has to resort to the scriptures such as the Vedas to get some idea of the Lord’s attributes
The scriptures whose primary purpose is to describe the Lord are infinite, have no beginning or end and are not composed by anyone. They always existed, and always will
The Lord’s consort, Sri Lakshmi has always been and will always be with the Lord at all times and in all places
There are infinite individual souls moving at different velocities in their quest towards self realization
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