Chameleon

"Chameleon" is a creature in nature who can change his body color at will. It looks sometimes lavender in color, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all. Here is a story regarding that chameleon & why someone called God as chameleon.

"In ancient times, in a rustic village of India, there was a little park where people used to come in their spare time. Villagers used to spend their idle time over there & used to sit and chat with each other. The path to this park lay alongside the forest. On the edge of the path there was a large, well-known Kadamba tree. One day a city-dweller came to the village, passed by the tree, and saw a peculiar lizard climbing on the trunk of that tree. When he reached the park he told the others sitting there, "I just saw a Green lizard on that old Kadamba tree!"

"Oh," said one man, "I know that lizard. I've seen it there several times -- but it's not Green-colored, it's Yellow."

"No, no, not Yellow," said another, "it is Cream colored." Then others chimed in: "We have seen it -- it is lavender (gray, etc.). Each person had a different picture of the lizard.

They decided to go to the tree to find the animal and settle the argument. Over there what they found was a Sadhu (Saint) from the forest, sitting in meditation under that Kadamba tree. The villagers questioned him about the animal. The saint answered, "I know all about that creature, who lives on this tree," he answered. "It is a Chameleon" (a creature who is able to change his body color at will). "It is sometimes lavender, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all."

Saint further said, "God, too is like that Chameleon, taking on different qualities and appearances, and then again He has none."

Different people in this world follow different religions & have different faiths in regard to God. Different religions of the world depict God in different forms. In Hinduism God is depicted as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma etc. while in some sects of Hinduism, God is depicted as formless God too. In Christianity God is depicted as Jesus Christ who is said to be the Son of God. Sikhism & Muslim sects mostly believe in a formless God. So different minded people of the world see God in different forms or formless God too.

God is almighty & He is free to take any form. He Himself is Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva & Lord Brahma. He Himself is Rama God too. He Himself is Allah, Jesus also. So as per one's faith He appears in that form & that's the reason that above said saint called God as chameleon.

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten Lord Sri Krishna himself declares about His different forms & attributes which you can read here.

In fact God himself is the creator of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Him.

"aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."

Jai Sri Krishna

Don't Judge the God Vaguely

"Once a person came to a city & asked another person standing at the crossroads: "Sir, Can you let me know the house of Mr. Sharma?" "That person pointed in front & said, look at that house, in front of which a Cow is standing. That is the house of Mr. Sharma," The first person went away. He returned after a few days and was bewildered to find that now no Cow was standing in front of the house. He again asked a person: "Pl. tell me which is the house of Mr. Sharma?" That person replied: "See that house with number 23, which is yellow in color, is two story's built & which is built in marble stone - that is Mr. Sharma's house." Since that time he never had any confusion & never forgot the house of Mr. Sharma."

Similarly the great ancient scriptures speak of God as the Supreme Origin of the universe. But this is not enough. For, there are times when there is no creation at all but God still exists. Hence this is not a one line definition of God. So we cannot define the God vaguely that God is such & such. God is having infinite qualities which cannot be described in a few lines. That's the reason that some look on the God as amazing, some describe Him as amazing, and some hear of God as amazing, while others, even after hearing about Him, cannot understand Him at all.

Bhagwat Gita describes the God as unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. God is never born nor dies at any time. God is manifest & un-manifest both i.e. He is there before the creation & also present during the creation. He is omniscient (knows everything), omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), imperishable & indestructible. He is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. He is having supernatural powers. He is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. So here are some of the qualities of God described.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe these qualities of God.

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My un-manifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"avyaktadini bhutani
vyakta-madhyani bharata
avyakta-nidhanany eva
tatra ka paridevana" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 28)

"Sri Krishna said: All created beings are un-manifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and un-manifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?"

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

 "Sri Krishna said: Understand that just as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, so do all created beings rest in Me (Universal Soul)."

So above are described few qualities of God as told in Bhagwat Gita. Yet these are few only while God is having Infinite in nature & Infinite in qualities. So let's bow to & pray to such an Infinite God.

Jai Sri Krishna