To any avid reader of books written on the philosophies of Sanātana Dharma, Sanjay Dixit's "Krishna Gopeshvara" is not unknown.
The first of the proposed Krishna Trilogy, this book deals with aspects of Dharma in much depth, as it narrates to us the story of Krishna, right from his birth to his journey to Mathura and the subsequent victory over Kamsa. The story, however, is not depicted as that of a God incarnate, but as that of a highly intellectual, witty and profoundly philosophical human. Readers of the Shiva Trilogy would be indubitably familiar with such a depiction.
One may not comprehend all the philosophy one would be exposed to as one sifts through the pages, each adding to the reader's knowledge in its unique way. One would be required to read, re-read and research into the concepts of Brāhman (Self), Viveka (wisdom), Buddhi (intellect), Ātma (consciousness), Paramātma (Supreme Consciousness) and so on, in order to comprehend the meanings behind the philosophy in the book in its entirety.
A one-time reading, however, also clarifies quite a lot and adds to one's knowledge. The story is largely written as historical fiction, yet does not undermine the deeply enriching spirituality of Sanātana Dharma. Upon reading the book, one would, especially as a history enthusiast, be constrained to link the events in the book to actual events in Indian history. The growth of a totalitarian cult and its intention to capture all of Āryavarta by eradicating Sanātana Dharma would remind one of not just the fascism of Hitler, but the Islamic invasions of India as well. Even as a young lad of twelve, Krishna presents deeply thoughtful arguments in the fields of philosophy, law and justice and affairs of the State. His analytical statements compel the reader to arrive at answers regarding the reasons behind the steady downfall of the great civilization that Bharatvarsha once was. The formidable gross national power of modern India notwithstanding, the civilization has certainly lost a significant part of its past prestige.
The fundamental philosophy of Krishna is simple: Rāshtra Dharma (national duty) is supreme and supersedes all other forms of Dharma, particularly Svadharma (duty of the self). Dharma is relative to the circumstances and one needs a sufficiently high level of consciousness to make the correct decision.
Krishna also states, categorically, that any totalitarian ideology that seeks to impose its will on the masses through oppression must be destroyed. It is important to note that the crux of the story is a clash of narratives -- the all-encompassing Sanātana Dharma versus the totalitarian, unintelligent and oppressive Kutil Dharma (fictional, yet accurate in its depiction of savagery that befits the asuras). Special emphasis is laid on the very factor that has built Sanatana Dharma: Shāstrartha (debate and discussion). It is no secret that for centuries, the citizenry of Bharatvarsha had prized acquirement of knowledge and wisdom the most. Shāstrartha with one's guru was routine, but that with a famed guru of another gurukul was considered a great prestige. This, needless to say, shows how advanced Sanātani culture was.
The most striking feature, to my mind, is the depiction of Rādhā as an adept Yogini, as opposed to a hopeless romantic. She is complementary to Krishna. Their relationship is not bound by the human constructs of friends, but by recognition of each other as manifestation of cosmic energy. Radha plays an important role in helping Krishna escalate his levels of consciousness and evolve as a being.
The story is not merely about Krishna. It is about Dharma (duty), Karma (physical action) and Kriya (action through energy). For someone interested in philosophy, the book shall make a compelling read.
I end with a shloka that has been given by the author of the book himself, which accurately depicts the Gopeshvara phase of Krishna's life. It is a modified version of the last shloka in the Bhagavad Geeta:
यत्र गोपेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र राधा योगिनी।
तत्र मुक्तिरानन्दं ध्रुवाप्रीतिर्मतिर्मम।।
"Wherever there is Gopeshvara Krishna and wherever there is the Yogini, Radha, there is liberation and bliss, and a steady blissful love, in my opinion."
📷