Many devotees are convinced that by buying shop milk and then offering that milk to Krishna with love and devotion, this will benefit the abused cows whose milk has merged together. Yet other devotees would appreciate some scriptural evidence to support this claim.
By the time we have purchased a carton or drum of milk, it may contain the merged milk of say, 10, 30, 80 or more cows; who knows? When this milk is being offered, is it a difficult task for Krishna to keep track of, so that He has to overwhelm His intelligence to find out which of that merged milk belongs to which cow?
If this interesting topic is understood correctly it can lead us to understand some other mysteries, such as the semi-omniscient abilities of great souls like Vamsidasa Babaji and Gaura Kishor Dasa Babaji. This milk merger issue can be a catalyst to broaden our understanding of Krishna’s all-pervasiveness. Before coming to any conclusion on these matters however, one has to cease speculating about them, because this divides our quest for knowledge.
Divided
Divided knowledge is a combination of jnana-misra-bhakti and karma-misra bhakti. We may theoretically accept that Lord Vishnu can thread an elephant or camel blissfully through the eye of a needle, but certain academic or scientific conditioning may cause us to hold back. Seeking to verify this milk issue amid the kali-yuga abuse of cows can create similar musings. With these limitations in place, one has to resort to speculation.
A divided outlook fails to see the intimate connectivity of all things natural, even in the face of man-made interventions. “That knowledge by which one sees that in every different body there is a different type of living entity you should understand to be in the mode of passion.” (BG 18.21) Although someone’s outlook may not be as vivid as this verse describes, there can still be subtle elements of the same sort of thinking.
Undivided
In order to appreciate the efficacy of offering milk of cows destined to suffer, we need to see the oneness, or the same connectivity of all things, even if they are negative. This may appear to be somewhat impersonal in outlook, but this is required for understanding certain things. “Such impersonal knowledge is an aspect of self-realization.” (BG 18.20 purport)
To rise above the exploitative divided form of knowledge which finds it difficult to see the Hand of Krishna in everything, we need to ensure that, “That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness.” (BG 18.20)
Our own Little Hall-Form
How do we make sense of this undivided spiritual nature being present in innumerable divided forms? A nice example can be found in Bhagavad-Gita As It Is chapter 11 text 7; “O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body of Mine…Everything – moving and non-moving – is here completely, in one place.”
We can also refer to the Brahma Samhita verse 33, where Sri Govinda (Krishna) is called Ananta-rupam, “Whose form is endless…Yet He is a person possessing the beauty of a blooming youth.” This is as simple as saying that Krishna can be in one place yet everywhere at the same time. To be very near and far away at the same time is also appropriate.
We can cite a personal example by entering a Hall of Mirrors. We can stand in one place and move our arms and legs, and we shall see numerous multiple reflections of our arms, legs, heads, ears and faces in the many mirrors of the hall. It is as if expansions of our self are spread throughout the hall; like a Hall-Form. But this is where any comparison with the Lord or His Universal form stops.
Tiny is Unlimited
Divided knowledge can cause us to think that a cosmic object millions of light-years away, or a sub-atomic particle detectable by Nano technology, are both disconnected units of matter. They just exist. Failing to see again the connectivity with Krishna and His expansion, the Supersoul, will indicate how difficult it can be to reconcile this with a pool of merged milk taken from any number of cows. We could be underestimating the power of the Supersoul to keep track of things at offering time.
“Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, perceiving everything.” (BG 13.14) With man having the ability to manipulate the smallest units of matter, does this mean that they are just feeble and irrelevant atoms?
Insofar as they allow man to abuse nature and cows as they desire, they help facilitate putting their desires into physical action. This is the kindness of the Supersoul. Otherwise, they have unlimited power. “All the universes exist in Him (Krishna) and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time.” (Brahma Samhita 35) In the purport to this verse Srila Bhaktisiddhanta reiterates that the power of each atom possesses the Lord’s “fullness and entirety.”
By now we may already be deducing the logic that the merged milk we buy is full of potentially forceful atoms. But still, during offering time, how will Krishna acknowledge which drop of milk comes from which cow, so to benefit the poor creatures.
If we look back at the (BG 13.14) verse quoted a little earlier we should have noted how the Supersoul “perceives everything.” This combined with having the Lord’s “fullness and entirety,” should make it appear easy for Krishna, through the Supersoul, to acknowledge an offering of milk taken from questionable sources.
Seeing Power
Each time we sing the Govindam prayers as we greet Their Lordships during deity greeting, in the second verse of the Brahma Samhita song, we sing, “Pasyanti panti…” “Pasyanti…” means that Krishna (Govinda) “…eternally sees what is going on…” even in, “…infinite universes.” Do we remember how Lord Krishna invited a multitude of Lord Brahma’s from various other universes to come and see Him in one place at Dwaraka Dhama?
For Krishna to be aware of any situation happening trillions of light-years away at any time, is as easy as Himself touching His own arm or leg. If forensic experts can track DNA specimens from thousands of years past and identify biological traits, then what is the difficulty for Krishna to track down which milk belonged to which cow, through an all-knowing, full and entire expansion known as the Supersoul who perceives everything?
What matters in this age of faults called kali-yuga, is that the milk gets offered with love. Krishna does not need this milk. In spite of attempts to improve the rights of cows and the arguments made against purchasing shop milk, we also have to be practical. Krishna will more readily accept a practical offering of love or Bhakti, rather than a well-intentioned but divided offering meant specifically to help cows. Certainly cows need protection, but if this effort dilutes our love in offering milk to Krishna, we’ll not be helping the cows much this way either.
Mystic Abilities
As a devotee of Lord Krishna advances, the natural method of spiritualising the mind and body goes on. When a pure devotee comes from Goloka to our world to deliver us, his existence is already a sac-cid-ananda one, but he adapts his natural prowess and mystic abilities to suit a particular plan of the Lord. While following in the footsteps of these elevated souls, one gradually develops under their direction.
Before accepting a genuine spiritual master, then committing ourselves to his service, the connective, undivided power of the Supersoul acts. A sacred eternal bond is created, and wherever the spiritual master or disciple happens to be in this world or other, the Supersoul dramatically reduces any apparent material distance to nil. Again this connectivity is at work, but this time there is a deep personal bond.
To understand how he enters the heart of sincere disciples and inspires from within, we can refer to our hall of mirrors. If the guru were likened to one standing in front of all the mirrors, and the mirrors are like the disciples, then the influence of the guru acts in each reflection. Because in reality, the great distances of light-years are miniscule for a pure soul, just as it is for the Lord.
If such a pure soul is situated within the heart of the Lord, as Krishna fondly says, then this world appears as small as the space created by a calf’s hoofprint; “…by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience…” then it becomes easy as, “…one steps over a hoofprint of a calf.” (SB 10.2.30) And wherever a great soul goes he surcharges all the atoms of those places and turns them into Vaikuntha.
A normal mystic yogi is, “one who has controlled the mind, the Supersoul is already reached…” (BG 6.7I) But for a Krishna conscious person these attainments are natural. When there is perception that a goat in a faraway place is munching on a Tulasi plant, or there is a detection of desires and motivation in others, these semi-omniscient flashes again illustrate the same undivided connectivity.
Why is the emphasis upon the word undivided so important? Because Srila Prabhupada made it relevant. Undivided or – ananyam – means, “Without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge.” There are many mysteries of our disclipic succession and the universe that tempt us to speculate the divided way, and increase our chances of losing track.
“My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.” (BG 11.54)
Your servant, Kesava Krsna Dasa – GRS.