Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa beautifully narrates:🔗

An arrogant scholar was very proud of his learning. He was a great Advaitic (non-dualitistic) scholar and did not believe in the various forms of God. Then, God came to him one day. The mother goddess appeared before him in all Her splendor. She came as the primal energy, Parāśakti. The scholar was in a swoon for a long time. When he woke up, he shouted, 'Ka, Ka, Ka.' He could not fully pronounce 'Kāli,' the name of the goddess whom he had seen. Words cannot describe the Divine! Scholars argue endlessly about the nature of puruṣa, the various aspects of puruṣa, the difference between prakṛti and puruṣa. It strengthens their ego. When the Divine presents itself before them, they cannot recognize or cognize what they see.

Impress upon the students that Krishna is Puruṣa, the ultimate energy from which all emanates. This primal energy manifests in different ways, as perishable and imperishable. Understanding that all of creation is Krishna liberates us.

• 1. What is the difference between instinct, intellect and intuition?
• 2. The greatest joy lies within, not outside. True or False?
• 3. Explain the attributes of primal energy, according to Krishna?
• 4. What is the Sāṅkhya philosophy on purusha?
• 5. What are the two aspects of primal energy?