10.41: The Sense, the Nonsense and the Trans-Sense of Worldly Mania

Our world is beset by various manias: filmstar-mania, sportstar-mania, musician-mania, to name a few. Some of us may have wondered: why do people spend so much of their hard-earned money, their precious time and especially their emotional energy on these ephemeral and fallible icons? Why can’t they see the irrationality and profligacy of their indulgences?

Gita wisdom helps us see such mania in new light. The Bhagavad-gita (10.41) indicates that whatever we find attractive in the world derives its potency to attract from Krishna. This insight reveals the sense, the nonsense and the trans-sense of worldly mania:

The Sense: We recognize the cause of maniac attraction is not the particular person, but the spark of the all-attractive Supreme Lord that is manifesting through that person.

The Nonsense: We understand the futility and the tragedy of all worldly mania because, just as a spark of fire can allure but never deliver the warmth available from the whole fire, the temporary feats of worldly heroes can allure but never deliver the fulfillment of heart and upliftment of spirit available from the eternal and unlimited qualities of the supreme hero, Krishna.

The Trans-sense (The Transcendental Sense): We can become encouraged in our attempts to enhance our attraction for Krishna by contemplating, “If a tiny spark of Krishna has so much attractive potency, how much more attractive potency will Krishna have? If I just persevere in my devotional service and beseech Krishna’s mercy, soon he will quell all of my heart’s misdirected attractions that are like the rusts on iron that are preventing me from being drawn in by his magnetic all-attractiveness. Then I will be overpoweringly, irresistibly attracted to Krishna – and thus attain the ultimate perfection of life.”