The Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity 13-2: Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday 02, May 2026, 06:40.
Books: 
Bhagavad Gita
The Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity 13-2: Swami Krishnananda.
An Exposition of the First Six Chapters of the Bhagavadgita
Discourse 13: The Supremely Friendly Power:2.
Swami Krishnananda.

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Human capacity has a touch of egoism behind it. Our confidence that we can do something is not dissociated from an element of self-confidence, which is identifiable with our bodily individuality. Instances which are galore in the epics and the Puranas make out that God does help, but only when His help is necessary. It is necessary to feel the unavoidable presence of the Almighty in a given circumstance. If we feel that His presence may not be necessary, then that incarnation may not take place.

Do you sometimes feel that His presence is not necessary, that you can manage by yourself? Though this may look a fantastic position to maintain, a totally indefensible position that a man can sometimes get on even without the help of God, such a thing is not possible, and no sensible person will agree to that. But in spite of our logically and philosophically not agreeing to our own capacity independent of God's interference, the ego has its own say. There is a power of the ego which is indescribable, and it has to fail. The pride of man is humbled throughout human history. Great potentates are pushed down to the bowels of the Earth by the forces of nature, and the mightiest power on Earth is pounded down to dust today or tomorrow, but this is not easily cognised by the adamant mind of the human being. There is a kind of strength of arms, strength of personality, strength of money and strength of physique which one oftentimes assumes, which really is a chimera, which is really not there. It appears to be there for reasons beyond human understanding.

Now, while it is true that God operates even in conditions which are not cognised by the human mind, and that every operation is an operation by God only, yet it is consciously felt only when the ego opens up its gates. That conscious feeling of the coming of God into our practical life is the Avatara of God, the Incarnation, though in a way we may say there is an Incarnation every moment of time, like the rays of the Sun perpetually bathing the Earth. For the Earth there is no sunrise and sunset. All the twenty-four hours of the day the Earth receives the light of the Sun this way or that way, so there is no moment when God can forget His creation. He need not have time to come for help in respect of every event that is taking place in the world, but the value of the assistance that one can avail of from God depends much on the extent of our being able to recognise the presence of God. An unknown God is no God for us. An unconscious help is no help. It becomes conscious assistance when the ego is able to receive this inflow of assistance coming from super-human sources. Miraculously we shall be saved.

So there need be no diffidence on the part of Arjuna or any one of us that it is a hard job for us. Is this possible? Who can penetrate through this thick veil of the three gunas, which is as vast as the sky itself? No difficulty is there. 

Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham; paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge (BG 4.7-8): 

For the establishment of the righteousness of the kingdom of God, God Himself comes. He does not send his assistants or secretaries. There is a direct coming of the Almighty Himself. He does not send His page, or a policeman; He Himself comes.

There is a humorous story. It seems Birbal, the court jester of Emperor Akbar, was telling this kind of story: God Himself comes; He does not send an assistant. Akbar smiled, it seems, about this kind of Indian story of God Himself coming for doing even a little thing. “What kind of God do you have? He has a mighty retinue; He can send his angels or a celestial army. For a little thing, He Himself comes.”

The whole universe wants you. You can imagine the whole universe wanting you. What could be that affection? Every particle, every grain of sand, every atom is wanting you. It loves you. It clings to you. It weeps for you. It is your friend. What could be the extent of that love which the whole universe will evince in respect of you if that can be appreciated and understood? And what is your puny love when you sit in a corner wanting to love God, the Almighty? Where comes your little love? You are a little, tiny dust particle, as it were, in this vast spread of God's creation, and your love for that, what does it mean? What does it amount to in comparison with the total love of the whole creation for you? God's love is immeasurable, and man's puny ego cannot appreciate it.

“So Arjuna, I am here, ready to take care of everyone, and I am quite aware when that support from Me is necessary,” said Sri Krishna. It is not necessary to call God for everything because He is not merely omnipotent, He is also omniscient. It is not merely that God is capable of doing everything; He also knows what is to be done at what time. And there is a further touch to it: He is everywhere. So there is no question of calling and reminding, etc. That which is everywhere, and also knows everything, need not be beckoned or summoned or told anything, “Please do this.” We have only to open our hearts in gratitude. What kind of gratitude can we show to God? We look like nobodies before that mighty Presence.

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