Maharishi Śuka continued, “In great astonishment, Brahma noticed Srikrishna who was accompanied by all the boys and the calves. Perplexed, he thought, ‘What is this? Krishna has created a far bigger illusion. What can be said of Srihari’s illusion which bewilders every one? The original cowherd boys of Brindavan together with their calves are happily sleeping on the cot created by me using my illusory powers, aren’t they?’

Ita ete ’tra kutratyā man-māyā-mohitetare

Tāvanta eva tatrābdaṁ krīḍanto viṣṇunā samam

Isn’t this absolutely weird? The boys and the calves who are fast asleep influenced by my illusion, are different from the boys and calves seen here. Who then are these boys? I am unable to comprehend the illusion created by Srikrishna”.

Swamiji explains: The creator Brahma is thinking, ‘Using my illusion I have in the past created some boys and calves whom I kidnapped and put into deep slumber in the cave. The boys and calves seen now in Brindavan are different from my creations. Feelings of ‘I-ness’ had emerged in Brahma’s mind. Isn’t it true that the Supreme Lord is the original creator who creates everything in the universe?

When feelings of ‘I-ness’ increase in the living entities created by Him, the Supreme Lord reforms them by plucking out such feelings from them. Currently, feelings of ‘I-ness’ had entered Brahma and the Lord was washing away this impurity from him. What Brahma considered to be a small prank, had turned into a serious matter. He was totally bewildered. The boys who were beside Krishna were different from his creations, nevertheless they perfectly resembled his creations. From where did these new creations arise? It was beyond his understanding. At times people are aware of the Lord’s capacities, yet they fail to understand them.

‘What is happening? Who are these boys? Who then are the boys in my custody? Are these creations real or are the boys who are in my custody real? Could it be that I mistakenly stole some illusory characters believing them to be real? No, I am aware that the boys I have hidden are really my creations. Then who are these boys?’- Brahma was perplexed. ‘Exactly the same number of boys are happily playing with Krishna. What is happening?’- Brahma was unable to think clearly.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Even after pondering over this for a very long time, Brahma failed to distinguish the real boys from the illusory creations.

Evaṁ sammohayan viṣṇuṁ vimohaṁ viśva-mohanam

Svayaiva māyayājo ’pi svayam eva vimohitaḥ

The illusion created by that Supreme Lord Srikrishna, who is beyond illusion, deludes the entire creation. The Lord doesn’t do anything. It is His illusionary energy that deludes everyone. The birthless Lord Brahma, who wanted to delude such Supreme Lord, was now deluded by the illusion he himself had initially created.

Just as darkness caused by snow cannot destroy the darkness caused by nightfall, the illusion created by Brahma failed in front of the illusion created by the Supreme Lord. Just as the darkness caused by snow merges into the darkness created by nightfall, his illusion merged into the Supreme illusion. Doesn’t the light emitted by a glow-worm fade in the presence of the bright Sun?”

If crores of glow-worms decide to subdue the illumination of the Sun and hence glow brightly during the day, will it have any effect? Even collectively they fail to subdue the illumination of the Sun.

“Just as the light emitted by glow-worm fades in the presence of the Sun and merges into its illumination, the illusion used by a smaller force against a greater force fades and merges into the illusion created by the greater force. The illusion of the supreme force gobbles up the illusion created by the weaker force”.

Brahma’s illusion was insignificant in the presence of the Lord’s illusion. Krishna’s illusion gobbled up Brahma’s illusion. Brahma wanted to play a magic prank on Krishna, nevertheless he failed. He had underestimated the Lord’s capacities.

Krishna Srihari