Deriding Kṛṣṇa - Avajānanti Māṁ Mūḍhāḥ
The descent of the Supreme Lord into the material world is the ultimate test of human intelligence. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while pure devotees relish the Lord's human-like pastimes, foolish scholars and atheists are completely bewildered, disastrously concluding that Kṛṣṇa is merely an ordinary mortal.
The Illusion of the Fools
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He does not change His spiritual nature, though He may act within human society. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that mundane philosophers, relying on their imperfect senses, mistakenly judge the Lord's eternal body to be a temporary product of material nature.
- Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
- He (Krsna) says in Bhagavad-gita that the foolish deride Him, considering Him a mortal being. He is not a mortal being, nor does He come before us with a body produced of material nature.
- When the Personality of Godhead descends in a human form, only fools and rascals deride Him. This actually occurred when Lord Krsna, Lord Rama and Lord Caitanya moved within human society as human beings.
- Brahma said, "My dear Lord Krsna, those who deride You, claiming that You have a material body like an ordinary man, are described in the Bhagavad-gita as demoniac and less intelligent."
The Arrogance of So-Called Scholars
Academic learning without devotional service only inflates the false ego. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how so-called scholars and commentators of the Bhagavad-gītā, lacking true spiritual insight, audaciously deride Kṛṣṇa's supreme dominion and misinterpret His divine instructions.
- Despite the transcendental qualities of Lord Krsna's body, its full bliss and knowledge, there are many so-called scholars and commentators of Bhagavad-gita who deride Krsna as an ordinary man.
- Because they (the so-called scholars) do not know that Krsna has so many transcendental qualifications, they deride Him.
- The Mayavadis deride the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such foolish persons, unable to understand the spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord, consider Krsna a product of this material nature.
- When rascals (mudhas) see that Krsna acts exactly like a human being, they deride the transcendental form of the Lord because they do not know the param bhavam, His transcendental form and activities.
The Fatal Consequence of Offense
Deriding the Supreme Lord is not a harmless error; it completely nullifies one's spiritual progress. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that anyone who envies Kṛṣṇa and treats Him as an ordinary human being guarantees the failure of all their pious and philosophical endeavors.
- Those who are engaged in fruitive, pious activities and who are ultimately hoping to be liberated from this material entanglement will never be successful either because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
- In this age of kali there are a number of Ravanas deriding the Godhood of Lord Krishna and Lord Ramachandra, and they will meet with the same result as it was done in the case of Ravana.
- Fools deride Me (Krsna) when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be. (BG 9.11) That such foolish and demoniac persons go to the hellish planets is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita.
- We cannot compare that Krsna's body and my body, this body, material, is the same. That is condemned in the Bhagavad-gita, avajananti mam mudha (BG 9.11): "Those who are fools, rascals, they deride at Me, thinking Me as ordinary human being."
The Devotee's Defense
While atheists mock the Lord, pure devotees recognize His supreme majesty and cannot tolerate blasphemy. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that true knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is attained only through the service attitude, which naturally inspires a devotee to fiercely defend the Lord's honor.
- Unaware of His transcendental potencies, the impersonalists deride the person of Lord Krsna, whereas the devotees, by dint of their service attitude, can understand Him as the Personality of Godhead.
- We should better take note of this particular verse (SB 3.29.21) from the Vaisnava acaryas like Jiva Gosvami instead of following the interpretation of unauthorized persons who deride Krsna.
- A foolish person may deride Him, but that is an ordinary person. Krsna is actually desired to be seen by demigods like Brahma and Siva in His two-armed form.
- Nakula continued, "If He (Krsna) is derided by anyone, I declare herewith as a Pandava that I will kick his helmet with my left foot, and I will strike him with my arrows, which are as good as Yamadanda, the sceptor of Yamaraja!"
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda profoundly exposes the fatal flaw of the empiric philosopher and the mundane academic: the audacity to measure the infinite Supreme Lord with finite, material senses. Lord Kṛṣṇa explicitly condemns this arrogance in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.11), labeling those who deride His human-like descent as mūḍhas (fools and rascals). Blinded by false prestige, these so-called scholars fail to perceive Kṛṣṇa's param bhāvam—His eternal, blissful, and completely spiritual form. By concluding that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary mortal or a product of material nature, they commit a severe spiritual offense that guarantees the frustration of all their pious and philosophical endeavors. However, the Absolute Truth cannot be understood by mundane speculation; it is revealed only through submissive devotional service. While the Māyāvādīs and atheists deride the Lord, the pure devotees—guided by the authorized paramparā—relish His transcendental pastimes and, like the heroic Pāṇḍavas, stand ever ready to passionately defend His supreme, absolute dominion over all that be.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Deriding Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.