Agreeing with Kṛṣṇa - The Essence of Bhakti
In the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest perfection of life is not to become one with the existence of God, but to become one with His desire. Śrīla Prabhupāda defines this state as "agreeing with Kṛṣṇa." While the material world is characterized by the living entity's attempt to act independently, spiritual life begins the moment one voluntarily harmonizes their will with the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Example of Arjuna
The Bhagavad-gītā is the ultimate study in agreeing with Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that initially, Arjuna had his own decision—he did not want to fight. However, the turning point of the dialogue was Arjuna's agreement to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. This change from personal desire to divine desire is the definition of bhakti.
- Arjuna's desire was not to fight, but Krsna's desire was to fight - just the opposite. Arjuna ultimately agreed to Krsna's desire: "Yes," karisye vacanam tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I will act according to Your desire." That is bhakti.
- Arjuna agrees to what Krsna says several times. Krsna is speaking to him just for his benefit, and Arjuna acknowledges that all this is happening to him by Krsna's grace.
- It was a family fight - so Arjuna was not willing to fight, but Krsna wanted to fight. And after learning from Him the essence of Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (BG 18.66), he agreed to fight. That is bhakti-yoga.
True Oneness
Śrīla Prabhupāda carefully distinguishes between the monistic concept of merging and the Vaiṣṇava concept of oneness. He teaches that true unity is a unity of interest. When the devotee agrees with the Lord's plan, there is no disunity, yet the individuality of both the servitor and the served remains intact.
- So long I deny Krsna, that is disunity, and as soon as I agree, "Krsna, yes," then this is unity. This is unity. Unity does not mean that Krsna and Arjuna become united, homogeneous.
- Lord Caitanya has taught us this feeling of oneness in His Siksastaka: Krsna may act freely, doing whatever He likes, but the devotee should always be in oneness or in agreement with His desires.
- When you agree to abide by the orders of Krsna, then your life is perfect. That is Krsna consciousness, that you have to agree. Krsna does not force; He says, "Do this like this," and if we agree, then we are Krsna conscious.
The Reciprocity of Love
The beauty of bhakti lies in its reciprocity. While the devotee agrees to Kṛṣṇa's order, Kṛṣṇa also agrees to the desires of His pure devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites touching examples, such as Kṛṣṇa agreeing to be bound by Mother Yaśodā or the Deity agreeing to walk as a witness, showing that the Lord is conquered by affection.
- Because of mother Yasoda's hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krsna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound - SB 10.9.18.
- The Deity said, "I will follow you, and you will know that I am following by the jingle of My leg bangles." The youth agreed, and in this way they left Vrndavana to go to the other town.
- Oh, is that all? - the king replied. "And what will you do with such a small piece of land?" "Though it may be small, it will suffice me," the boy (Krsna) smiled. Bali Maharaja agreed, and the boy dwarf took two steps and covered the entire universe.
The Cause of Discord
The suffering in the material world is traced back to a fundamental disagreement. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that when living entities refuse to accept Kṛṣṇa as the proprietor, they create a world of conflict. He argues that peace can only be established when we stop cheating Kṛṣṇa and agree to His supreme position.
- So here in this material world, we have disagreed to serve Krsna. Therefore the whole proposal is again agree to serve Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (BG 18.66). This is real philosophy.
- People will not agree. "Why should Krsna be the proprietor? Hitler should be the proprietor. Nixon ..." That is going on. Therefore you are in trouble.
- If you agree with the instruction of Krsna and God, the whole human society will be peace and prosperity.
Conclusion
Agreeing with Kṛṣṇa is the solution to the complexity of life. It transforms the struggle of existence into a life of grace and protection. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that by simply saying "Yes" to the Lord—like Arjuna, Bali Mahārāja, and other great souls—we align ourselves with the supreme reality and attain the highest success.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Agreeing with Kṛṣṇa. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience his teachings in their direct, verbatim form.