Krishna reveals a degree proportionate to one’s surrender. It is not that Krishna always appears the same for all people.
Lord Shiva tells about his own state of pure Krishna consciousness:
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditaṁ
yad īyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ
sattve ca tasmin bhagavān vāsudevo
hy adhokṣajo me namasā vidhīyate
(SB 4.3.23)
“When one is situated in pure goodness, which is called vasudeva, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, who is beyond the perception of the senses, becomes manifest in the heart.”
We approach Krishna in various ways. But does Krishna reveal Himself to us as He is? Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā:
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
(BG 4.11)
“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.”
No Revelation
When demons see Krishna, they can only see a shadow form of Him. Otherwise, how could they maintain their animosity even after seeing the reservoir of all pleasure?
Many people also have their own whimsical understanding of Krishna consciousness. How can Krishna reveal Himself without covering to such people?
Mode of Goodness Covering
In this covering, one tries one’s best to understand Krishna. Mode of goodness is a good stage from where we can jump to the stage of pure goodness.
One in mode of goodness may try to touch Krishna with intelligence or with the idea to attain peace. The characteristics of mode of goodness are sukham and jñānam.
Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had this type of covering. Although he was a great scholar, he could not understand Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Lord. Only when he humbled himself and got the grace of the Lord could he recognize Him. Then Mahāprabhu revealed His six-armed ṣaḍ-bhuja form.
Mode of Passion Covering
People in this mode touch Krishna with their desires. They consider God a tool to fulfil their aspirations.
Their vision of Krishna is no more than a powerful person who can fulfil their ambitions. They are hardly interested in serving Krishna; they simply want to utilise Him.
Dhruva Mahārāja was covered with this type of lens before doing his tapasya. When he obtained the vision of the Supreme Lord, he transcended the modes, and Krishna revealed Himself to Dhruva without covering. Dhruva then became completely mesmerised by the Lord’s beauty.
Purūrava had a denser covering of passion. He had the darshan of Krishna, but still asked for union with Urvaśī. His strong covering disabled him from seeing the transcendental nature of Krishna.
Mode of Ignorance Covering
Krishna is Himself present in His deity form. He is not different from His deity.
When a person is in the mode of ignorance, he simply says Krishna is made up of marble, wood, or stone. His consciousness does not go beyond matter. He is consumed by matter.
Actually, mode of ignorance and no revelation are quite similar. Dakṣa performed his tapasya in the mode of ignorance. He was so heavily clouded by his anarthas that even after getting Krishna’s darshan, he was not transformed.
Process for Revelation
Krishna repeatedly urges Arjuna to go beyond the three modes, from where one can understand everything in the right perspective. He says:
traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā
nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān
(BG 2.45)
“The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.”
He also tells Arjuna that only by the process of bhakti can one go beyond the modes:
mām ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)
“One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”
The South Indian brāhmaṇa received Krishna’s revelation not by intelligence. He was actually bereft of material learning, being illiterate. But his humility and devotion enabled him to get the grace of the Supreme Lord. Mahāprabhu revealed Himself to him without covering.
In the same way, when we regularly chant, hear and read, the effects of the modes wane, and Krishna becomes pleased to reveal Himself without covering.
