The desire to teach without even understanding, assimilating, feeling and experiencing is one the greatest drawbacks of this age across all fields, but primarily in the world of religion.

Merely repeating the words of a teacher without context, relevance, and the substance of realization is not loyalty to the teacher but a disgrace to his ideas. It does not bring appreciation of the refined, but gathers a tribe of ruffians.

The primary idea of dharma is to build and sustain – “Dhāraṇād iti dharmaḥ”. However, the enthusiastic but blind tribes of today’s world, distort this idea, making it challenging to manage. Their newfound enthusiasm does not add value to the community,instead it causes the breakdown of communities. They want to stand out with some specialized identity, which is extreme and isolated.

The first principle of human existence is to find some reason to be collective in community. But unfortunately, when individuals become rigidly attached to an idea, particularly in matters of religion and politics, even parents may turn against their own children, and vice versa. Religious ideas without substance divide people instead of bringing them together.

The Vedic Mantras are extremely positive for all:

“Om sarve bhavantu sukhinaù sarve santu nirämayäh sarve bhadräni pasyantu mä kaçcid-duùkha-bhäg-bhavet. Om shanti shanti shantihi.”

This means:

𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.

Sri Mahadeva or Sri Krishna’s core philosophy is “magnanimity”. In Daksha Yagna, Parvati herself told her father about the magnanimity of great Shiva. Shiva, instead of finding faults, magnifies even the smallest good qualities in others.

Uddhava expressed same thoughts about Sri Krishna, who liberated Putana by giving her the benefit of doubt. She fed poison to Sri Krishna, but He only extracted milk from her, which represents the essence of her good qualities.

Disappointingly, naive but violent followers tend to focus more on differences than on unity in their vision of life. Such a vision is totally against the inclusive and unifying philosophy of Vedanta.

The exclusivity of worship is intended for personal reflection; it encourages individuals to evaluate their own spiritual practices rather than passing judgement on others based on their own standards.

The entire twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita defines who is dear to Sri Krishna. Interestingly, Sri Krishna focuses on general universal qualities that are dear to Him rather than promoting radical loyalty to Him. These same qualities can be admired by anyone who has a magnanimous vision.

Sadly, some philosophers present their god as jealous, autocratic, and in need of exclusive attention. They fail to teach divinity in nature, action, or relationships.

The Gita expands its vision of divinity far deeper and wider:

“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵.” ( BG 6.30 )

This verse from the Gita is more about the practitioner than about radically pushing one’s own idea of worship.

The idea of Ishwara always begins with a grand phenomenon. He is presented as Ishwara, the controller of all, the giver to all, and magnanimous to all. He is abstract and essential. No one can deny Him, and no one can give Him a specific name.

The Rasa sastras present more specific view, that Lord is full of emotions, He personally reciprocates in all different moods – Lover, affection, friendship, servitorship and being amazed by Him.

For example, eating or putting on clothes are general, but as one goes specific, the variety of food and clothing becomes increasingly limitless. Food is general, but the kind of food is specific. If the specific is forced upon all, it creates a bad taste and a bad shape.

As much as one forces, to that extent the heart, intelligence, and mind either submit out of fear or aggressively revolt against the force.

Entire Europe experienced a revolution of rebellions against the idea of a specific God that was politically and religiously forced upon them. It is now gripped with aggressive materialism and recklessness.

Sanatana Dharma harmonizes the specific and the general without pushing either one. In the Gita, Sri Krishna says:

“𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮.” ( BG 9.15 )

This verse is spoken after Sri Krishna explains how exclusive devotees worship Him:

“𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘺 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘔𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘔𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.” ( BG 9.14 )

These verses exactly contrast each other – one explains how His exclusive devotees worship Him, while the other refers to those who have many different ways of experiencing the Supreme. Sri Krishna does not compare, but simply conveys how reality exists in the world in regard to worship.

𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙟𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙣.

– Govinda Das (ISKCON Member)