Svarūpeṇa Vyavasthitiḥ - Constitutional Position
The central instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā is man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Always think of Me and become My devotee." Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this constant thinking of Kṛṣṇa is the secret to conquering the material energy. Unlike abstract meditation, thinking of Kṛṣṇa involves active absorption in His names, forms, qualities, and pastimes, which purifies the existence of the devotee and elevates them to the spiritual platform.
The Topmost Yoga (Samādhi)
Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies the person who constantly thinks of Kṛṣṇa as the greatest of all yogis. While others may struggle with mechanical yoga practices to control the mind, a devotee easily achieves samādhi (trance) by letting the mind flow naturally toward Kṛṣṇa. This absorption is so potent that it allows the devotee to overcome physiological and psychological barriers such as sleep and ignorance.
- Krsna says, - Of all yogis, the one who is constantly thinking of Me within himself, meditating upon Me within the heart, is the first-class yogi.
- The topmost yogi is he who constantly thinks of Krsna within himself and chants the glories of the Lord. This system of bhakti-yoga has been existing from time immemorial and is now continuing in this Krsna consciousness movement.
- A devotee of Krsna can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Krsna constantly. This is called Krsna consciousness, or samadhi.
- Bhagavad-gita states in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter that the greatest yogi is he who constantly thinks of Krsna within himself, or he who is Krsna conscious.
Spiritual Transformation
The nature of our future body is determined by our mental state at the time of death. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the analogy of a caterpillar thinking of a butterfly to illustrate how constant thinking of Kṛṣṇa transforms the living entity. By keeping the mind fixed on the Lord, one washes away material contamination and attains a spiritual body similar to Kṛṣṇa's.
- The caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly & so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly think of Krsna, it is certain that at the end of our lives we'll have the same bodily constitution as Krsna.
- By thinking of Me (Krsna) constantly with love and affection, you (Devaki and Vasudeva) will achieve the highest perfection: returning home, back to Godhead.
- Na punah kalpate rajan samsaro jnana-sambhavah. This verse also guarantees that devotees who constantly think of Krsna in a particular relationship will never return to this material world.
- Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky, which is ruled over by the Supreme Narayana, Lord Krsna. This is attained only by those who meditate upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation.
Examples of Perfect Absorption
The scriptures are filled with examples of great souls who were constantly absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the gopīs, who thought of Kṛṣṇa day and night in His absence; Akrūra, who meditated on Kṛṣṇa's lotus eyes while traveling to Vṛndāvana; and Sudāmā Vipra, whose gratitude kept him in constant trance. Their examples show that one can think of Kṛṣṇa in various loving relationships.
- Being greatly disturbed by the absence of Krsna, they (the gopis) simply thought all day and night about His pastimes and thus derived some consolation.
- Akrura himself was a great devotee of the Lord (Krsna), while going to Vrndavana he began to pray to the Lord. Devotees are always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna, and Akrura was constantly thinking of Lord Krsna's lotus eyes.
- He (Sudama) realized how kind Lord Krsna was to him, and he was always in trance, constantly thinking of Krsna. By such constant association with Lord Krsna, whatever darkness of material contamination remained within his heart was completely cleared away.
- Pariksit Maharaja because of his many obligations to Krsna, intelligently decided to think of Krsna constantly during the last days of his life.
Inimical vs. Favorable Thinking
Thinking of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that it brings results even if done unfavorably. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that demons like Śiśupāla and Kaṁsa thought of Kṛṣṇa constantly out of envy or fear and were liberated. However, the unique position of a devotee is that they think of Kṛṣṇa with love, which qualifies them for the highest destination—returning to Godhead—rather than just impersonal salvation.
- Krsna's enemies think, "Here is Krsna, my enemy. I have to kill Him." They think of Krsna in His actual form, and thus they attain salvation. Devotees, therefore, who constantly think of Krsna's form, are certainly liberated.
- Sisupala and others who were very much envious of Krsna and who constantly thought of Krsna became free from envy.
- A devotee, of course, by his knowledge and tapasya, becomes free from fear and anger and becomes a pure devotee. Similarly, an enemy, although thinking of Krsna inimically, thinks of Him constantly and also becomes purified.
Purification of the Heart
Constant thought of Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate cleansing process for the consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the heart is often filled with the dust of material contamination, manifested as fear, anger, and darkness. By constantly engaging the mind in thoughts of the Lord, one performs ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam—cleansing the mirror of the mind—and becomes free from these disturbances.
- Then (when one constantly thinks of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna) one's mind will certainly be cleansed, ceto-darpana-marjanam.
- He (Sudama) realized how kind Lord Krsna was to him, and he was always in trance, constantly thinking of Krsna. By such constant association with Lord Krsna, whatever darkness of material contamination remained within his heart was completely cleared away.
- A devotee, of course, by his knowledge and tapasya, becomes free from fear and anger and becomes a pure devotee. Similarly, an enemy, although thinking of Krsna inimically, thinks of Him constantly and also becomes purified.
Application in Daily Life
For those living in the material world, Śrīla Prabhupāda advises a balanced approach: working dutifully while keeping the mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa. Freedom is not the cessation of work but keeping constantly in touch with the Supreme Spirit. For neophytes, this begins with engaging the senses in service, which gradually evolves into internal remembrance.
- We have to work, just like others, and at the same time think of Krishna constantly. Outsiders should be educated to know that we are the most humble service of the human society.
- Freedom is achieved when we are in constantly touch with the supreme spirit, Krsna. That supreme spirit is Krsna. So this assembly which we are trying to conduct is just to keep in touch constantly with Krsna.
- When one actually becomes advanced through such engagements, then he may not work physically, but he is always engaged within by constantly thinking of Krsna. In the preliminary stage, one is always advised to engage one's senses in the service of Krsna.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to help everyone, regardless of their position, to develop the habit of thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Whether one is a scholar, a worker, or a king like Parīkṣit, the perfection of life is achieved when the mind is constantly absorbed in the lotus feet of 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 Constitutional Position. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience his teachings in their direct, verbatim form.