Question: Krishna is All attractive. As practicing devotee I can understand that He is all attractive only thru theoretical knowledge not by practical realization. Even during His own appearance on this earth 5000 years ago only hand full of them were attracted to Him that they were willing to sacrifice even their own life for Krishna and not every one of them. Again that hand full of devotees who got attracted for Krishna were His “Realized” eternal associates. Thru their feeling of attraction we “may” understand their mood or not at all depending upon the depth of our spiritual practices. How can a lay man like me understand or realize or feel that Krishna is all attractive. I am not convinced by word that He’s all attractive. Gopi’s were ready to die for Him because they know the value of “All attractive features of Lord Sri Krishna”. When I speak to someone about Krishna, like others, I quote the term “All attractive” not that out of realization but because I heard often someone say that. If I have to speak to someone about Krishna I feel I should speak about those things that I’ve realized because I am feeling comfortable of expressing my feelings. Otherwise I feel just words even though if it is of purely about Krishna.
Answer by Romapada Swami: The name Krishna literally means all-attractive. Though it is not possible to experience spiritual pastimes or to see the form of the Supreme with ordinary senses, by spiritualizing our senses by the practice of bhakti yoga we can reach the platform of perceiving the Supreme at every moment.
It is stated in Brahma Samhita (BS 38):
premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
In the purport, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur states that, “ When Krsna manifested Himself in Vraja, both the devotees and nondevotees saw Him with this very eye; but only the devotees cherished Him, eternally present in Vraja, as the priceless jewel of their heart. Nowadays also the devotees see Him in Vraja in their hearts, saturated with devotion although they do not see Him with their eyes. The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the jiva. The form of Krsna is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion. When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhava-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Krsna, which enables him to see Krsna face to face. The phrase “in their hearts” means Krsna is visible in proportion as their hearts are purified by the practice of devotion. The sum and substance of this sloka is that the form of Krsna, who is Syamasundara, Natavara (Best Dancer), Muralidhara (Holder of the Flute) and Tribhanga (Triple-bending), is not a mental concoction but is transcendental, and is visible with the eye of the soul of the devotee under trance”.
So one should practice one’s sadhana very strictly and diligently. Srila Prabhupada said anyone can preach, if they hear attentively from a bonafide speaker in disciplic succession and simply repeat what he has heard, without concoction. Realization comes gradually, as the heart becomes cleansed. Remain patient, as that purification takes place by the bhakti process.
