Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 20.359
Kṛṣṇa Is Beyond Material Creation
“ ‘O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.’
What the purport teaches
- Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Absolute Truth beyond manifested and unmanifested material nature. This is accepted by all ācāryas.
- Kṛṣṇa always has a spiritual body and remembers everything about His previous appearances. He is beyond the material cosmic creation.
- Kṛṣṇa imparted Vedic knowledge into Brahmā’s heart, enabling him to create the universe. His remembrance of the past and His inspiration of Brahmā illustrate svarūpa-lakṣaṇa and taṭastha-lakṣaṇa.
Try this today
Spend one quiet minute meditating on Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth, beyond material creation.
Ask yourself
How does Kṛṣṇa’s position beyond material nature shape your understanding of Him?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.