The texts reveal a tendency in which Krishna, using his supreme power, deliberately hides his true intentions and acts through deceit.

Divine Deception: Krishna’s Strategic Masking of Truth

The texts reveal a tendency in which Krishna, using his supreme power, deliberately hides his true intentions and acts through deceit. For example, one source states:

"Then, at the beginning of Kali Yuga, in order to deceive those hostile toward the followers of the religion, the Lord appeared in the province of Gaia as Lord Buddha, son of Aijana… Preaching, he asserted that he did not believe in the dogmas of the Vedas… He deceived atheists who followed his principles because they did not believe in God but instead unconditionally believed in Lord Buddha, who himself was the embodiment of God… ... But he pretended to reject [Vedic philosophy]…" (source: link txt, page: 2)

This quote indicates that Krishna, appearing in another guise, was deliberately misleading certain groups of people with specific beliefs. Thus, his power manifested through the ability to disguise his true design, using deception as a tool for transforming perspectives.

Furthermore, commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita further emphasize this theme, stressing that:

"Of deceptions I am dice gambling, I am the brilliance of the glittering, I am victory, I am adventure, I am the power of the mighty. COMMENTARY: In the universe there exist many types of deceivers. Among all forms of deception, dice gambling stands above all, and therefore it represents Krishna. Krishna, being the Supreme, can be more treacherous than any ordinary person." (source: link txt)

Here, it is emphasized that even if such deception is perceived as fraud, it is an expression of the highest divine strategy. That is, on one hand, Krishna’s actions can be seen as manifestations of deceit, which in the traditional sense may undermine trust. On the other hand, the use of such tactics implies that truth and the ultimate reality may be grasped not only through direct revelation but also through complex processes of deception aimed at transforming the consciousness of believers.

Thus, according to the text, Krishna empowers his authority by masking his true intentions and misleading even those who are initially skeptical. This approach, despite its apparent ambiguity, affects faith in the following way: it compels one to critically examine both the phenomena of deception and the manifestations of the highest truth, demanding that believers delve deeper into what is genuine and what is mere illusion. This creates an ambiguous effect, where some may perceive such behavior as a betrayal of the principles of sincerity, while others view it as a complex yet necessary strategy for achieving higher knowledge.

Supporting citation(s):
"Then, at the beginning of Kali Yuga, in order to deceive those hostile toward the followers of the religion, the Lord appeared in the province of Gaia as Lord Buddha, son of Aijana… Preaching, he asserted that he did not believe in the dogmas of the Vedas… He deceived atheists who followed his principles because they did not believe in God but instead unconditionally believed in Lord Buddha, who himself was the embodiment of God… ... But he pretended to reject it…" (source: link txt, page: 2)

"Of deceptions I am dice gambling, I am the brilliance of the glittering, I am victory, I am adventure, I am the power of the mighty. COMMENTARY: In the universe there exist many types of deceivers. Among all forms of deception, dice gambling stands above all, and therefore it represents Krishna. Krishna, being the Supreme, can be more treacherous than any ordinary person." (source: link txt)