Our world is beset by various manias: filmstar-mania, sportstar-mania, musician-mania, to name a few. Some of us may have wondered: why do people spend so much of their hard-earned money, their precious time and especially their emotional energy on these ephemeral and fallible icons? Why can’t they see the irrationality and the profligacy of their mania?

Gita wisdom offers fascinating insights on this issue. The Bhagavad-gita (10.41) indicates that whatever we find attractive in the world derives its potency to attract from the all-attractive Supreme Lord, Krishna. This insight reveals the sense, the nonsense and the trans-sense of worldly mania:

The Sense: We recognize that the cause of maniac attraction is not the particular person, but the spark of Krishna that is manifesting through that person.

The Nonsense: We understand the futility and the tragedy of all worldly mania. A spark of fire can allure but never deliver the warmth available from the whole fire. Similarly, the temporary feats of worldly heroes can allure but never deliver the fulfillment of heart and upliftment of spirit available from the eternal and unlimited qualities of the supreme hero, Krishna.

The Trans-sense (The Transcendental Sense): We can become encouraged in our attempts to enhance our attraction for Krishna by contemplating thus: “If a tiny spark of Krishna has so much attractive potency, how much more attractive potency must Krishna have? If I just persevere in my devotional service and beseech Krishna’s mercy, soon he will remove all of my heart’s misdirected attractions which are like the rusts on iron that are preventing me from being drawn in by his magnetic all-attractiveness. When I become purified, I will be overpoweringly, irresistibly attracted to Krishna, and thereby attain life’s ultimate perfection.”

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Text 14

“O Kṛishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.”

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