Kṛṣṇa As a Leader - The Supreme Authority Over All Beings
In the modern world, there are many competing ideologies and political figures, but Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the fundamental principle of human society is leadership. Everyone follows someone. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement presents Śrī Kṛṣṇa not merely as a mythological deity, but as the supreme, eternal leader of all living beings. This article examines the inevitability of accepting authority, the definition of Kṛṣṇa as the sarva-lokaika-nāyakaḥ, and His multifaceted leadership in both the material and spiritual worlds.
Lenin vs. Kṛṣṇa: The Necessity of Authority
Śrīla Prabhupāda often used a comparative argument to explain the validity of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to skeptics, particularly communists. In a conversation with a professor in Moscow, he argued that there is philosophically no difference in the process of following: the communist accepts Lenin as the supreme leader, and the devotee accepts Kṛṣṇa. The difference lies only in the personality being followed. This highlights that no one is independent; everyone requires a leader.
- I put this question to Professor Kotovsky, that "What is the difference between your philosophy and our philosophy? You are Leninist; you are following the leader Lenin, and we are following the leader Krsna. So where is the difference in philosophy?"
- After all, we have to follow leader. So your leader is Lenin. And my leader is Krsna. So where is the difference between the process? You have to accept some authority.
- This Krsna consciousness movement means we strictly follow Krsna. Our leader is Krsna. So everyone requires a leader. I have talked many times that "Leader must be followed."
Sarva-lokaika-nāyakaḥ: The Universal Leader
Etymologically, Kṛṣṇa is identified as the supreme leader in the Vedic texts. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the letter "A" (a-kāra) in the sacred syllable omkāra refers to Kṛṣṇa as the nāyaka—the leader. He is sarva-lokaika-nāyakaḥ, meaning the sole leader of all planets and all living entities. Unlike worldly politicians who must undergo discipline or elections to become leaders, Kṛṣṇa is the leader eternally, independent of anyone's vote or approval.
- Omkara is a combination of the letters a, u and m. A-karenocyate krsnah: the letter a (a-kara) refers to Krsna, who is sarva-lokaika-nayakah, the master of all living entities and planets, material and spiritual. Nayaka means leader. He is the supreme leader.
- The Supreme Lord is the leader of the entire range of living entities, and no one can be equal to or greater than Him.
- There must be one leader. The supreme leader is Krsna. Leader of the leader.
Leadership in Vṛndāvana and Kurukṣetra
Kṛṣṇa’s leadership is dynamic, adapting to the relationship He has with His devotees. In Vṛndāvana, He is the charming leader of the cowherd boys and the gopīs. Śrīla Prabhupāda compares Him to an independent elephant leader entering the water with female elephants. Yet, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He assumes the role of the leader of the kṣatriyas, guiding Arjuna in the duty of protection. In every role, whether as a prince or a cowherd, He remains the central authority.
- As an independent leader among elephants enters the water with its female elephants, Krsna, who is transcendental to the Vedic principles of morality, entered the water of the Yamuna with the gopis.
- Lord Krsna is engaged on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed.
- He (Lord Krsna) is eternally a cowherd boy at Vrndavana, He is eternally the leader of the Battle of Kuruksetra, and He is eternally the opulent prince of Dvaraka and the lover of the damsels of Vrndavana.
Conclusion
The world is full of misleaders who cannot deliver their followers from birth and death. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that the only true leader is Kṛṣṇa and His bona fide representative. By accepting Kṛṣṇa as a leader, one is guided by the perfect knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, ensuring success in both this life and the next. As Śrīla Prabhupāda states: "The only leader is Krishna and one who is Krishna Conscious. Others are simply misleaders."
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