Bhagavad-gita As It Is
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
CHAPTER SIX
Bg6.16
TEXT 16
naty-asnatas ’tu yogo ’sti
na caikantam anasnatah
na cati-svapna-silasya
jagrato naiva carjuna
na—never; ati—too much; asnatah—of one who eats so; tu—but; yogah—linking with the Supreme; asti—there is; na—nor; ca—also; ekantam—very low; anasnatah—abstaining from eating; na—nor; ca—also; ati—too much; svapna-silasya—of one who sleeps too much; jagratah—or one who keeps night watch too much; na—not; eva—ever; ca—and; arjuna—O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, O Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.
PURPORT
Regulation of diet and sleep is recommended herein for the yogis. Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for men to eat animals because there is an ample supply of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk. Such simple foodstuff is considered to be in the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad-gita. Animal food is for those in the mode of ignorance. Therefore, those who indulge in animal food, drinking, smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Krsna will suffer sinful reactions because of eating only polluted things. Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat. Anyone who eats for sense pleasure, or cooks for himself, not offering his food to Krsna, eats only sin. One who eats sin and eats more than is allotted to him cannot execute perfect yoga. It is best that one eat only the remnants of foodstuff offered to Krsna. A person in Krsna consciousness does not eat anything which is not first offered to Krsna. Therefore, only the Krsna conscious person can attain perfection in yoga practice. Nor can one who artificially abstains from eating, manufacturing his own personal process of fasting, practice yoga. The Krsna conscious person observes fasting as it is recommended in the scriptures. He does not fast or eat more than is required, and he is thus competent to perform yoga practice. One who eats more than required will dream very much while sleeping, and he must consequently sleep more than is required. One should not sleep more than six hours daily. One who sleeps more than six hours out of twenty-four is certainly influenced by the mode of ignorance. A person in the mode of ignorance is lazy and prone to sleep a great deal. Such a person cannot perform yoga. Bg6.17 TEXT 17 yuktahara-viharasya yukta-cestasya karmasu yukta-svapnavabodhasya yogo bhavati duhkha-ha yukta—regulated; ahara—eating; viharasya—recreation; yukta—regulated; cestasya—of one who works for maintenance; karmasu—in discharging duties; yukta—regulated; svapna-avabodhasya—regulated sleep and wakefulness; yogah—practice of yoga; bhavati—becomes; duhkha-ha—diminishing pains. TRANSLATION He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system. PURPORT Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating—which are demands of the body—can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasadam, sanctified food. Lord Krsna is offered, according to the Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way, a person in Krsna consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or which is not in the category of goodness. As far as sleeping is concerned, a Krsna conscious person is always alert in the discharge of his duties in Krsna consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary time spent sleeping is considered a great loss. A Krsna conscious person cannot bear to pass a minute of his life without being engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore, his sleeping is kept to a minimum. His ideal in this respect is Srila Rupa Gosvami, who was always engaged in the service of Krsna and who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and sometimes not even that. Thakura Haridasa would not even accept prasadam nor even sleep for a moment without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three hundred thousand names. As far as work is concerned, a Krsna conscious person does not do anything which is not connected with Krsna’s interest, and thus his work is always regulated and is untainted by sense gratification. Since there is no question of sense gratification, there is no material leisure for a person in Krsna consciousness. And because he is regulated in all his work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no material misery for him. Bg6.18 TEXT 18 yada viniyatam cittam atmany evavatisthate nisprhah sarva-kamebhyo yukta ity ucyate tada yada—when; viniyatam—particularly disciplined; cittam—the mind and its activities; atmani—in the Transcendence; eva—certainly; avatisthate—becomes situated; nisprhah—devoid of; sarva—all kinds of; kamebhyah—material desires; yuktah—well situated in yoga; iti—thus; ucyate—is said to be; tada—at that time. TRANSLATION When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in Transcendence—devoid of all material desires—he is said to have attained yoga. PURPORT The activities of the yogi are distinguished from those of an ordinary person by his characteristic cessation from all kinds of material desires—of which sex is the chief. A perfect yogi is so well disciplined in the activities of the mind that he can no longer be disturbed by any kind of material desire. This perfectional stage can automatically be attained by persons in Krsna consciousness, as is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.18–20): sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanavarnane “King Ambarisa first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; then, one after another, he engaged his words in describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in mopping the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the activities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flower offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage and the temple of the Lord, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord and his desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcendental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee.” This transcendental stage may be inexpressible subjectively by the followers of the impersonalist path, but it becomes very easy and practical for a person in Krsna consciousness, as is apparent in the above description of the engagements of Maharaja Ambarisa. Unless the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord by constant remembrance, such transcendental engagements are not practical. In the devotional service of the Lord, therefore, these prescribed activities are called arcana, or engaging all the senses in the service of the Lord. The senses and the mind require engagements. Simple abnegation is not practical. Therefore, for people in general—especially those who are not in the renounced order of life—transcendental engagement of the senses and the mind as described above is the perfect process for transcendental achievement, which is called yukta in the Bhagavad-gita. Bg6.19 TEXT 19 yatha dipo nivata-stho nengate sopama smrta yogino yata-cittasya yunjato yogam atmanah yatha—as; dipah—a lamp; nivatasthah—in a place without wind; na—does not; ingate—waver; sa upama—compared to that; smrta—likened; yoginah—of the yogi; yata-cittasya—whose mind is controlled; yunjatah—constantly engaged in; yogam—meditation; atmanah—on Transcendence. TRANSLATION As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent Self. PURPORT A truly Krsna conscious person, always absorbed in Transcendence, in constant undisturbed meditation on his worshipable Lord, is as steady as a lamp in a windless place. Bg6.20-23 TEXTS 20–23 yatroparamate cittam niruddham yoga-sevaya yatra caivatmanatmanam pasyann atmani tusyati sukham atyantikam yat tad buddhi-grahyam atindriyam vetti yatra na caivayam sthitas calati tattvatah yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vicalyate tam vidyad duhkha-samyoga- viyogam yoga-samjnitam yatra—in that state of affairs; uparamate—when one feels transcendental happiness; cittam—mental activities; niruddham—restrained from matter; yoga-sevaya—by performance of yoga; yatra—in that; ca—also; eva—certainly; atmana—by the pure mind; atmanam—self; pasyan—realizing the position; atmani—in the self; tusyati—becomes satisfied; sukham—happiness; atyantikam—supreme; yat—in which; tat—that; buddhi—intelligence; grahyam—acceptable; atindriyam—transcendental; vetti—knows; yatra—wherein; na—never; ca—also; eva—certainly; ayam—in this; sthitah—situated; calati—moves; tattvatah—from the truth; yam—that which; labdhva—by attainment; ca—also; aparam—any other; labham—gain; manyate—does not mind; na—never; adhikam—more than that; tatah—from that; yasmin—in which; sthitah—being situated; na—never; duhkhena—by miseries; gurunapi—even though very difficult; vicalyate—becomes shaken; tam—that; vidyat—you must know; duhkha-samyoga—miseries of material contact; viyogam—extermination; yoga-samjnitam—trance in yoga. TRANSLATION The stage of perfection is called trance, or samadhi, when one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one’s ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. PURPORT By practice of yoga one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the yoga principle. And after this, one becomes situated in trance, or samadhi which means that the yogi realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patanjali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and the monists think this to be liberation, but they do not understand the real purpose of the Patanjali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Patanjali system, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure out of fear of jeopardizing the theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower is not accepted by the nondualist, but in this verse transcendental pleasure—realized through transcendental senses—is accepted. And this is corroborated by the Patanjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The great sage declares in his Yoga-sutras: purusartha-sunyanam gunanam pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupa-pratistha va citi-saktir iti. This citi-sakti, or internal potency, is transcendental. Purusartha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This “oneness with the Supreme” is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Patanjali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpana-marjanam, or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This “clearance” is actually liberation, or bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam. The theory of nirvana—also preliminary—corresponds with this principle. In the Bhagavatam this is called svarupena vyavasthitih. The Bhagavad-gita also confirms this situation in this verse. After nirvana, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service of the Lord, known as Krsna consciousness. In the words of the Bhagavatam, svarupena vyavasthitih: this is the “real life of the living entity.” Maya, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. Patanjali also accepts this by his words kaivalyam svarupa-pratistha va citi-saktir iti. This citi-sakti or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This is confirmed in the Vedanta-sutras as anandamayo ’bhyasat. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Bhaktiyoga will be vividly described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. In the yoga system, as described in this chapter, there are two kinds of samadhi, called samprajnata-samadhi and asamprajnata-samadhi. When one becomes situated in the transcendental position by various philosophical researches, it is called samprajnata-samadhi. In the asamprajnata-samadhi there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasure, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. When the yogi is once situated in that transcendental position, he is never shaken from it. Unless the yogi is able to reach this position, he is unsuccessful. Today’s so-called yoga practice, which involves various sense pleasures, is contradictory. A yogi indulging in sex and intoxication is a mockery. Even those yogis who are attracted by the siddhis (perfections) in the process of yoga are not perfectly situated. If the yogis are attracted by the by-products of yoga, then they cannot attain the stage of perfection, as is stated in this verse. Persons, therefore, indulging in the make-show practice of gymnastic feats or siddhis should know that the aim of yoga is lost in that way. The best practice of yoga in this age is Krsna consciousness, which is not baffling. A Krsna conscious person is so happy in his occupation that he does not aspire after any other happiness. There are many impediments, especially in this age of hypocrisy, to practicing hatha-yoga, dhyana-yoga, and jnana-yoga, but there is no such problem in executing karma-yoga or bhakti-yoga. As long as the material body exists, one has to meet the demands of the body, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But a person who is in pure bhakti-yoga or in Krsna consciousness does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of the body. Rather, he accepts the bare necessities of life, making the best use of a bad bargain, and enjoys transcendental happiness in Krsna consciousness. He is callous toward incidental occurrences—such as accidents, disease, scarcity and even the death of a most dear relative—but he is always alert to execute his duties in Krsna consciousness or bhakti-yoga. Accidents never deviate him from his duty. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, agamapayino ’nityas tams titiksasva bharata. He endures all such incidental occurences because he knows that they come and go and do not affect his duties. In this way he achieves the highest perfection in yoga practice. Bg6.24 TEXT 24 sa niscayena yoktavyo yogo ’nirvinna-cetasa sankalpa-prabhavan kamams tyaktva sarvan asesatah manasaivendriya-gramam viniyamya samantatah sah—that yoga system; niscayena—with firm determination; yoktavyah—must be practiced; yogah—in such practice; anirvinna-cetasa—without deviation; sankalpa—material desires; prabhavan—born of; kaman—sense gratification; tyaktva—giving up; sarvan—all; asesatah—completely; manasa—by the mind; eva—certainly; indriya-gramam—the full set of senses; viniyamya—regulating; samantatah—from all sides. TRANSLATION One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of false ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind. PURPORT The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perserverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner. Regarding bhakti-yoga, Rupa Gosvami says: utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat tat karma-pravartanat “The process of bhakti-yoga can be executed successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness.” As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked the ocean to return her eggs lest he himself take up the work of the sparrow. The ocean was frightened at this, and returned the eggs. Thus the sparrow became happy by the grace of Garuda. Similarly, the practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Krsna consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves. Bg6.25 TEXT 25 sanaih sanair uparamed buddhya dhrti-grhitaya atma-samstham manah krtva na kincid api cintayet sanaih—gradually; sanaih—step by step; uparamet—hesitated; buddhya—by intelligence; dhrti-grhitaya—carrying the conviction; atma-samstham—placed in transcendence; manah—mind; krtva—doing so; na—nothing; kincit—anything else; api—even; cintayet—be thinking of. TRANSLATION Gradually, step by step, with full conviction, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing else. PURPORT By proper conviction and intelligence one should gradually cease sense activities. This is called pratyahara. The mind, being controlled by conviction, meditation, and cessation of the senses, should be situated in trance, or samadhi. At that time there is no longer any danger of becoming engaged in the material conception of life. In other words, although one is involved with matter as long as the material body exists, one should not think about sense gratification. One should think of no pleasure aside from the pleasure of the Supreme Self. This state is easily attained by directly practicing Krsna consciousness. Bg6.26 TEXT 26 yato yato niscalati manas cancalam asthiram tatas tato niyamyaitad atmany eva vasam nayet yatah—whatever; yatah—wherever; niscalati—verily agitated; manah—the mind; cancalam—flickering; asthiram—unsteady; tatah—from there; tatah—and thereafter; niyamya—regulating; etat—this; atmani—in the self; eva—certainly; vasam—control; nayet—must bring in. TRANSLATION From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self. PURPORT The nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogi has to control the mind; the mind should not control him. One who controls the mind (and therefore the senses as well) is called gosvami, or svami, and one who is controlled by the mind is called godasa, or the servant of the senses. A gosvami knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hrsikesa or the supreme owner of the senses—Krsna. Serving Krsna with purified senses is called Krsna consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice. Bg6.27 TEXT 27 prasanta-manasam hy enam yoginam sukham uttamam upaiti santa-rajasam brahma-bhutam akalmasam prasanta—mind fixed on the lotus feet of Krsna; manasam—of one whose mind is so fixed; hi—certainly; enam—this; yoginam—the yogi; sukham—happiness; uttamam—the highest; upaiti—attains; santa-rajasam—pacified passion; brahma-bhutam—liberated by identification with the Absolute; akalmasam—freed from all past sinful reaction. TRANSLATION The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest happiness. By virtue of his identity with Brahman, he is liberated; his mind is peaceful, his passions are quieted, and he is freed from sin. PURPORT Brahma-bhuta is the state of being free from material contamination and situated in the transcendental service of the Lord. Mad-bhaktim labhate param (Bg. 18.54). One cannot remain in the quality of Brahman, the Absolute, until one’s mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. To be always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, or to remain in Krsna consciousness, is to be factually liberated from the mode of passion and all material contamination. Bg6.28 TEXT 28 yunjann evam sadatmanam yogi vigata-kalmasah sukhena brahma-samsparsam atyantam sukham asnute yunjan—thus being engaged in yoga practice; evam—thus; sada—always; atmanam—self; yogi—one who is in touch with the Supreme Self; vigata—is freed from; kalmasah—all material contamination; sukhena—in transcendental happiness; brahma-samsparsam—being in constant touch with the Supreme; atyantam—highest; sukham—happiness; asnute—attains. TRANSLATION Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogi achieves the highest perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness. PURPORT Self-realization means knowing one’s constitutional position in relationship to the Supreme. The individual soul is part and parcel of the Supreme, and his position is to render transcendental service to the Lord. This transcendental contact with the Supreme is called brahma-samsparsa. Bg6.29 TEXT 29 sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam sarva-bhutani catmani iksate yoga-yuktatma sarvatra sama-darsanah sarva-bhuta-stham—situated in all beings; atmanam—the Supersoul; sarva—all; bhutani—entities; ca—also; atmani—in the Self; iksate—does see; yoga-yukta-atma—one who is dovetailed in Krsna consciousness; sarvatra—everywhere; sama-darsanah—seeing equally. TRANSLATION A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere. PURPORT A Krsna conscious yogi is the perfect seer because he sees Krsna, the Supreme, situated in everyone’s heart as Supersoul (Paramatma). Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati. The Lord in His Paramatma feature is situated within both the heart of the dog and that of a brahmana. The perfect yogi knows that the Lord is eternally transcendental and is not materially affected by His presence in either a dog or a brahmana. That is the supreme neutrality of the Lord. The individual soul is also situated in the individual heart, but he is not present in all hearts. That is the distinction between the individual soul and the Supersoul. One who is not factually in the practice of yoga cannot see so clearly. A Krsna conscious person can see Krsna in the heart of both the believer and nonbeliever. In the smrti this is confirmed as follows: atatatvac ca matrtvad atma hi paramo harih. The Lord, being the source of all beings, is like the mother and the maintainer. As the mother is neutral to all different kinds of children, the Supreme Father (or Mother) is also. Consequently the Supersoul is always in every living being. Outwardly, also, every living being is situated in the energy of the Lord. As will be explained in the Seventh Chapter, the Lord has, primarily, two energies—the spiritual (or superior) and the material (or inferior). The living entity, although part of the superior energy, is conditioned by the inferior energy; the living entity is always in the Lord’s energy. Every living entity is situated in Him in one way or another. The yogi sees equally because he sees that all living entities, although in different situations according to the results of fruitive work, in all circumstances remain the servants of God. While in the material energy, the living entity serves the material senses; and while in spiritual energy, he serves the Supreme Lord directly. In either case the living entity is the servant of God. This vision of equality is perfect in a person in Krsna consciousness. Bg6.30 TEXT 30 yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi pasyati tasyaham na pranasyami sa ca me na pranasyati yah—whoever; mam—Me; pasyati—sees; sarvatra—everywhere; sarvam—everything; ca—and; mayi—in Me; pasyati—he sees; tasya—his; aham—I; na—not; pranasyami—am lost; sah—he; ca—also; me—to Me; na—nor; pranasyati—is lost. TRANSLATION For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. PURPORT A person in Krsna consciousness certainly sees Lord Krsna everywhere, and he sees everything in Krsna. Such a person may appear to see all separate manifestations of the material nature, but in each and every instance he is conscious of Krsna, knowing that everything is the manifestation of Krsna’s energy. Nothing can exist without Krsna, and Krsna is the Lord of everything—this is the basic principle of Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is the development of love of Krsna—a position transcendental even to material liberation. It is the stage beyond self-realization at which the devotee becomes one with Krsna in the sense that Krsna becomes everything for the devotee, and the devotee becomes full in loving Krsna. An intimate relationship between the Lord and the devotee then exists. In that stage, the living entity attains his immortality. Nor is the Personality of Godhead ever out of the sight of the devotee. To merge in Krsna is spiritual annihilation. A devotee takes no such risk. It is stated in the Brahma-samhita: premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena “I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara situated within the heart of the devotee." (Bs. 5.38) At this stage, Lord Krsna never disappears from the sight of the devotee, nor does the devotee ever lose sight of the Lord. In the case of a yogi who sees the Lord as Paramatma within the heart, the same applies. Such a yogi turns into a pure devotee and cannot bear to live for a moment with out seeing the Lord within himself. Bg6.31 TEXT 31 sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo mam bhajaty ekatvam asthitah sarvatha vartamano ’pi sa yogi mayi vartate sarva-bhuta-sthitam—situated in everyone’s heart; yah—he who; mam—unto Me; bhajati—serves in devotional service; ekatvam—oneness; asthitah—thus situated; sarvatha—in all respects; vartamanah—being situated; api—in spite of; sah—he; yogi—transcendentalist; mayi—unto Me; vartate—remains. TRANSLATION The yogi who knows that I and the Supersoul within all creatures are one worships Me and remains always in Me in all circumstances. PURPORT A yogi who is practicing meditation on the Supersoul sees within himself the plenary portion of Krsna as Visnu—with four hands, holding conchshell, wheel, club and lotus flower. The yogi should know that Visnu is not different from Krsna. Krsna in this form of Supersoul is situated in everyone’s heart. Furthermore, there is no difference between the innumerable Supersouls present in the innumerable hearts of living entities. Nor is there a difference between a Krsna conscious person always engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsna and a perfect yogi engaged in meditation on the Supersoul. The yogi in Krsna consciousness—even though he may be engaged in various activities while in material existence—remains always situated in Krsna. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu of Srila Rupa Gosvami: nikhilesu avasthasu jivanmukta sa ucyate. A devotee of the Lord, always acting in Krsna consciousness, is automatically liberated. In the Narada-pancaratra this is confirmed in this way: dik-kalady-anavacchinne krsne ceto vidhaya ca “By concentrating one’s attention on the transcendental form of Krsna, who is all-pervading and beyond time and space, one becomes absorbed in thinking of Krsna and then attains the happy state of transcendental association with Him.” Krsna consciousness is the highest stage of trance in yoga practice. This very understanding that Krsna is present as Paramatma in everyone’s heart makes the yogi faultless. The Vedas confirm this inconceivable potency of the Lord as follows: eko ’pi san bahudha yo ’vabhati “Visnu is one, and yet He is certainly all-pervading. By His inconceivable potency, in spite of His one form, He is present everywhere. As the sun, He appears in many places at once.”
karau harer mandira-marjanadisu srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye
mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsau tad-bhrtyagatra-sparse ’nga-sangamam
ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe srimat tulasya rasanam tad-arpite
padau hareh ksetra-padanusarpane siro hrsikesa-padabhivandane
kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya yathottama-sloka-janasraya ratih
sanga-tyagat satovrtteh sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
tanmayo bhavati ksipram jivo brahmani yojayet.
aisvaryad rupam ekam ca suryavad bahudheyate.