Establishing Relationship with Kṛṣṇa

The fundamental mission of human life is to revive the dormant relationship between the soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is designed to help individuals break their servitude to māyā and reestablish themselves as loving servants of the Lord. This process is not a theoretical speculation but a practical science involving the spiritual master, the Deity, and the purification of the heart.

Role of Guru and Deity

The path to Kṛṣṇa is not accessible through independent effort. It requires the mercy of a representative. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the relationship is established by connecting oneself with a bona fide spiritual master. Furthermore, the worship of the Deity—specifically Madana-mohana—is essential for realizing this relationship, known as sambandha.

• This relationship (relationship with Krsna) is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master who is the direct representative of Krsna in disciplic succession.
• To know Krsna is to know one's self, and to know one's self is to know one's relationship with Krsna. Since this relationship can be learned by worshiping the Madana-mohana vigraha, Krsnadasa Kaviraja first establishes his relationship with Him.
• In the (Kama-gayatri) mantra klim kama-devaya vidmahe puspa-banaya dhimahi tan no ’nangah pracodayat, Krsna is called Kama-deva, Puspa-bana and Ananga. Kama-deva is Madana-mohana, the Deity who establishes our relationship with Krsna.

Varieties of Rasa

Kṛṣṇa is not a static force; He is a person who enjoys relationships in twelve different mellows, or rasas. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is prepared to relate with the living entity in any capacity—as a master, friend, child, or lover. This variety makes the exchange of love dynamic and perfect.

• We can become a direct servant of Krsna, or in the highest stages we can become Krsna's father, mother or lover. Krsna is prepared to establish a loving relationship with all living entities.
• Real master is Krsna. So in this way, if we establish our relationship with Krsna as..., either as husband or lover or master or friend or son or father, it is perfect. It is perfect. We have to go to that stage.
• You can establish relationship with Krsna any way. There are twelve kinds of rasas, humor.

Warning Against Imitation

While the higher relationships of conjugal love are glorious, they must not be imitated by those who are still conditioned by material lust. Śrīla Prabhupāda strongly warns against the prakṛta-sahajiyā mentality—the attempt to establish an intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa while maintaining abominable material habits. True relationship is proven by character, not just sentiment.

• In the premature stage it is sometimes found that a lusty, conditioned person will artificially try to establish some relationship with Krsna in conjugal love. The result of this is that one becomes prakrta-sahajiya.
• Although a prakrta-sahajiya may be very anxious to establish a relationship with Krsna in conjugal love, their conditioned life in the material world is still most abominable.
• A person who has actually established his relationship with Krsna can no longer act on the material plane, and his personal character cannot be criticized.

Universal Brotherhood

The establishment of one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the key to social harmony. When one connects with the center, they are automatically connected to all other parts of the whole. This is the only platform upon which real universal love can be established.

• When one marries, he automatically establishes a relationship with the spouse's family. Similarly, if we reestablish our original relationship with Krsna, we'll establish our true relationship with everyone else. That is the ground for real universal love.
• If we reestablish our relationship, or our original relationship with Krsna, and Krsna is for everyone, therefore I become for everyone. That is real universal love.

Conclusion

To know oneself is to know one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This revival is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. By sincerely following the process of bhakti and avoiding artificial imitation, any soul can return to their original, eternal position of service to the Lord.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Establishing Relationship with Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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