Krishna: Source of the Impersonal Brahman

 

Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita (14.27) that the all-pervading impersonal brahman effulgence also comes from Him: brahmano hi pratisthaham "I am the basis of the imper­sonal  Brahman."

 

This is confirmed in the Brahma-Samhita:

 

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotishv-ashesha-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam

tad brahma nishkalam anantam ashesha-bhutam govindam adi-purusham tarn aham bhajami

 

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanishads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of

the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth."

 

There is sometimes a misconception that Krishna is undoubt-e<% the source of all the demigods, but ultimately He comes from e lrnpersonal Brahman. But those having such an idea are called  as unintelligent by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (7.24)

 

avyaktam vyaktim apannam manyante mam abuddayah

 param bhavam ajananto mamavyayam anuttam

 

"Unintelligent men. who do not know Me perfectly, think that I. the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small  know ledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imper­ishable and supreme."

 

Even the Upanishads which are sometimes thought of to sup­port the doctrine of impersonalism, clearly explain that behind the impersonal light there is the Personality of Godhead. For example  the Ishopanishad (15) says,

 

hiranmayena patrena   satyasyapihitam mukham

tat tvam pusann apavrnu   satya-dharmaya drstaye

 

 "O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is cov­ered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee."

Thus Krishna does not come from the Brahman; the Brahman comes from Him.