Ours is an age of rights; we recognize that every individual has certain inviolable rights.  As our rights consciousness expands, it is befitting that we recognize Krishna’s rights. His right that has the most bearing on our relationship with him is his right to conceal or reveal himself according to his will.

We often disrespect this right of Krishna when we make premature demands from him on the devotional path. Soon after we start studying his sacred scriptures, we demand prompt and clear understanding. Soon after we start chanting his holy names, we demand swift and steady taste.

While making these demands, we forget our own disqualifications that the:

  • Perceptions of our senses are finite,
  • Conceptions of our mind are fallible
  • Convictions of our intelligence are fragile
  • Commitments of our heart are fickle

When we have all these disqualifications, isn’t our demand for insight and taste presumptuous? No wonder our presumptuousness makes Krishna exercise his right to conceal himself, as he indicates in the Bhagavad-gita (07.25).

Meditating on our disqualifications engenders humility. By acknowledging Krishna’s rights, we recognize his supremacy – and his personality, that is, his self-existence as a person with his individual preferences.

In this world, we can come close to a person only when we recognize their likes and dislikes, and modify our behavior accordingly.  The same principle applies when we approach Krishna.

Of course, Krishna is much more than an ordinary person; he is extraordinarily, supremely merciful. That’s why, despite all our disqualifications, he has given us some understanding of his message and some taste in his remembrance. Meditating on his mercy engenders gratitude.

When we approach Krishna with humility and gratitude, he exerts his right to reveal himself, and grants us both penetrating insight and captivating taste.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 07 Text 25

“I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.”

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