Can We Offer Rai Mustard Seed to Lord Krishna?

Lord Krishna, the supreme entity, accepts all offerings with grace. His acceptance is not contingent upon the offering's complexity but rather on the emotion and sincerity behind it. Even a thali packed with delicacies and ego cannot instill a full hearted devotion. However, an offering as simple as one grain of rai (mustard) seed given with pure love is accepted with grace by Him.

For instance, Lord Krishna enjoyed mustard pulse saag in Vidura's home when food was scarce, illustrating His readiness to accept even simple offerings out of love and sincerity. Similarly, He showered Sudama with immense blessings until the end, in exchange for a mere three fists of rice, demonstrating His profound connection to His devotees irrespective of the offering size.

The Calculation of Universes and Planets

The Caitanya-caritāmta, a significant literature, elucidates the nature of the Lord's external potency, likening the total universes to a bucketful of mustard seeds. It is significant to note that each mustard seed is considered to represent a universe, highlighting the vast number of universes.

In one of the universes within which we reside, the sheer number of planets is beyond human capacity to count. Thus, imagining the overwhelming totality of all these universes, each comparable to a mustard seed, becomes nearly impossible. Each universe is an eternal, indestructible entity, unaffected by the inebrieties experienced in the material world.

The spiritual sky, a transcendent realm beyond the material influence, is perceived to contain at least three times the number of planets found in the material sky. These planets exist in a state of unalloyed goodness, where the bliss of brahmānanda, spiritual bliss, is fully and constantly present.

Transcendence and Bliss

Each planet in the spiritual sky is eternal and free from the disturbances and inebrieties of the material existence. The spiritual planets are inherently constituted in the mode of unalloyed goodness, promoting a state of unending joy and peace. In contrast, the material planets are subject to various changes and suffering due to the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.

The inhabitants of spiritual planets experience brahmānanda, a transcendental bliss that is a result of their association with the divine.

Conclusion

Lord Krishna's acceptance and the description of universes and planets as mustard seeds provide profound insights into our existence and the divine beyond. It encourages us to offer with love and devotion, recognizing that even the simplest of offerings can be significant to the divine. The spiritual realm, though vast and incomprehensible to our limited human understanding, is a place of eternal bliss, free from the suffering of the material world.

By embracing this knowledge, we can connect more deeply with the divine and find solace and joy in our lives.