HARE KRISHNA: THE KRISHNA TRILOGY
ISKCON or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was created in the
sixties by Abhay Charan De Prabhupada in New York.
Prabhupada wrote the three-volume work on Lord Krishna, called Krishna,
which was financed by the Beatle George Harrison. It is supposed to give an
authentic account of the life of Lord Krishna on earth.
The most shocking thing about the book is its matter of fact approach to
Krishna’s stupendous super-miracles. Krishna allegedly lifted a hill. His
expansion, another self, Lord Balarama, was going to pull a city into the River
Ganges with his plough (Vol 2, page 132). There is no evidence for these obvious
fairy-tales.
Krishna could decapitate enemies with his magic disc and he did that to a man he
thought was in possession of the Syamantaka Jewel only to end up confessing to
Balarama that this was a mistake for the man hadn’t got it (Vol 2, page 16).
This was evidently murder and what kind of God would make a mistake? Krishna is
unworthy of worship. But just a couple of pages later the silly Prabhupada
inconsistently asserted that “Krishna is the Supersoul in everyone and knows
everything going on in everyone’s heart” (page 18).
Krishna and Balarama were the same person but in different bodies at the same
time and yet Krishna complained that Balarama did not believe him when he said
that he jewel was with Akrura (Vol 2, page 18).
The Krishna scriptures claim that anybody who hears the story of the Jew will be
freed from bad karma and reach perfect peace in salvation (page 19). That is
like saying that anybody who hears the parable of Jesus about the pearl of great
price will inevitably and certainly be saved! This is not religion but magic.
What is more, the story is not even slightly edifying.
Krishna accepted the unscientific delusions of astrology for he used it to work
out the best time to marry Kalindi (Vol 2, page 27). God would not have needed
to go to the trouble. This Krishna is said to be self-sufficient because he is
the wonder of the universe! (page 29).
Far from being concerned about the poor Krishna took a huge dowry that included
900,000 chariots and 9000 elephants when he wed the princess Satya (page 32).
Krishna confessed that a man should be content with one wife though he had
16,000 wives (page 49). He said he could not please all of them. Even though he
was omnipotent and could divide himself into thousands of Krishnas! How
impossible!
He said he didn't know how to be well mannered to women (Vol 2, page 50). He
blamed his childhood in little village for that.
Krishna even told one of his wives that she could have marred better than him
(page 51). And we are called upon to hail that fallible weak human being as God!
He confessed that he could not help her for the next life at all and anther man
could do so (page 52). Krishna then went back on this and said he was joking
when he realised that his wife had taken him in earnest. But still he blackened
himself – albeit temporarily. He gave the impression that he did not even
realise that he was hurting her but he must have despite the subsequent
disavowal. He said he was sorry (page 54). Some God! This is what the Krishnas
rely on to get them into their Heaven.
Krishna did not really love his wives and had no need for even one wife (page
65). He had sex with them for the production of children only (page 66). A God
shouldn’t need to have sex at all to do this!
Krishna did not tell his brother Balarama that the killing of Rukmi was unfair
and murderous in case he would upset him (page 71). This god has no principles
and would preach morality with one eye on the opinion polls. He is a politically
correct hypocrite. Worse, Balarama was Krishna’s full or plenary expansion (page
155). And a plenary expansion is as powerful and omniscient as the original
Krishna (page 347).
Scandalously, the biggest disgrace to a family is a girl having sex outside
marriage! (page 77). That is what the Vedic culture says and Krishna claimed
that the Vedas were divinely inspired.
Krishna said that we should let evil brahmanas walk all over us (page 102). Yet
he said he was the friend of all. And he boasted of his supreme power, his
omnipotence, and of his unlimited causeless mercy (page 112). Then why can’t he
forgive bad karma?
Siva, a manifestation of Krishna, led Sudaksina to believe that he could murder
Krishna (page 116). Another manifestation, Balarama, was into drugs (page 120).
After we all have read it comes as a shock to read that “Krishna is always one,
and for him there is no differentiation” (page 148). This is immediately after
we are told that Krishna is Brahma and the other gods.
Then we are told that Krishna is his body and that his body is his soul and that
he can smell with his hands and see with his feet. This is meaningless and
confused. Why not simply say that Krishna is a partless spirit? A spirit cannot
be a body.
The story of one half of Jarasandra being born from one woman and another from
another and the two halves being put together by witchery and Krishna knowing
this and using to for the reason to have him killed by ripping him in two is
absurd beyond belief (page 179).
Krishna’s other self, Lord Balarama, killed Romaharsana by hitting him with a
blade of grass because God can change physical laws (page 225). Needless
miracles destroy reason and why don’t we see Krishna’s miracles now?
Krishna would be infinitely delighted when anybody offers him a morsel of rice
out of a bundle (page 251). He is so stupid that he is impressed by measly and
stingy offerings. It is not as if you can’t eat what food you offer yourself!
It is a lie to say that the Vedas are Krishna’s commands for they certainly do
not recognise him as supreme personality of Godhead or give him any importance.
Yet Prabhupada tells us that lie (page 264).
The water of the Ganges is alleged to have power to cleanse form sin (page 286).
With the law of karma, it is hard to believe that anybody who steals can just
wipe the slate clean by doing something so simple.
Telling the story of Krishna is Krishna (page 306). Even Krishna cannot be a
human action.
Krishna wants his devotees worshiped (page 320). Unless they are adored like him
he cannot accept any worship he gets.
Strangely “although everything is a transformation of the energy of Krishna, He
is not present everywhere. He is simultaneously present and not present. By His
energy He is present everywhere, but as the energetic He is not present
everywhere” (page 334). So, he is present everywhere only in the sense that he
acts everywhere and not because he is personally present everywhere. Spirit is
without composition and is its own energy. This completely contradicts what
Prabhupada said about Krishna being a spirit. Not surprisingly, it is letter
stated that Krishna is present everywhere (page 342). This is said in such a way
that what comes before is about disgestion and what comes after is on about
Krishna being present in the body. He just says he is everywhere to introduce us
to the idea of Krishna indwelling the body. So, they can’t say I am taking that
statement out of context and that Prabhupada didn’t mean that Krishna was
everywhere.
The spurious free will defence makes an appearance on page 368 as an excuse for
Krishna permitting suffering.
Altruism which is nothing more than hypocrisy and impossible is encouraged in
devotees when they are told to serve God for himself and not for themselves
(page 427).
Lust is attachment to material delights which is in opposition to Krishna
Consciousness. Yet the gopis lusted for Krishna which got them the highest
salvation (page 476). Another tiresome contradiction! The Krishnas would
probably say that it is bad to lust after people but it is good and right to
lust after God. But lust is lust and one would have to think of Krishna as a man
of flesh and blood to be able to do it and awaken the lust. Why not lust for God
and people? They are afraid to lust for people and things are transient but God
is permanent. Even Krishna himself did not lust for his wives for he is above
and beyond materialism.