Kṛṣṇa Attracts the Mind of All
The mind is constantly searching for pleasure, beauty, and love. In the material world, this search is directed toward temporary objects, but the satisfaction remains fleeting. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the ultimate object of the mind's search is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. His name literally means "All-Attractive." Kṛṣṇa possesses such unlimited beauty and sweetness that He captures the minds of everyone—from the most conditioned souls to the most elevated, self-realized sages.
The Enchanter of Cupid
In the material world, Cupid (Madana) is the agitator of the mind, piercing the hearts of living entities with his arrows of lust. However, Kṛṣṇa’s beauty is so overwhelming that He attracts the mind of Cupid himself. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is known as Madana-mohana, the enchanter of Cupid. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Kṛṣṇa's beauty, adorned with a gentle smile and dancing eyes, conquers the minds of all, forcing them to give up all other lower attractions.
- He (Krsna) is known, therefore, as Madana-mohana, or one who attracts the mind of even Cupid.
- Krsna is the owner of these five arrows, and with His Cupid-like beauty He conquers the minds of the gopis.
- Standing there with His flute to His lips, Krsna, who enchants millions upon millions of Cupids, attracted the eyes and minds of all the world with His unlimited beauty.
Attracting the Self-Realized
It is not only emotional or sentimental persons who are attracted to Kṛṣṇa. Even the ātmārāmas, those who are self-satisfied and completely detached from material life, are captivated by Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites the example of the four Kumāras. These great sages were impersonalists, meditating on the Brahman effulgence. However, when the breeze carrying the aroma of Tulasi leaves from Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet entered their nostrils, their minds were changed. This proves that Kṛṣṇa’s attraction is transcendental, penetrating even the shield of liberation.
- Even the aroma of the leaves attracts the minds of self-realized persons.
- Consequently Lord Krsna's qualities attract even the minds of self-realized persons from the bliss of self-realization.
- The minds of the four boy sages were attracted to the lotus feet of Krsna.
The Whirlwind of the Flute
For the devotees, specifically the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa’s attraction is their very life. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses a poetic metaphor to describe the effect of Kṛṣṇa’s flute: it is like a whirlwind, and the minds of the gopīs are like dry leaves. Once caught in the sound vibration of the flute, their minds are swept away and they fall helplessly at Kṛṣṇa’s feet, never to rise again to material consciousness. Even when physically separated, their minds remain locked in an embrace with the Lord.
- The vibration of Krsna's flute is like a whirlwind, and the flickering minds of the gopis are like straws and dry leaves.
- Lord Krsna even attracts the mind of the goddess of fortune simply by vibrating His transcendental flute.
- The queens of Dvaraka immediately embraced Him within their minds.
Conclusion
The mind’s nature is to be attracted. We cannot stop the mind from loving; we can only change the object of affection. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that by allowing the mind to be attracted to Kṛṣṇa—through hearing His pastimes and chanting His names—we are not entering into illusion but escaping it. Attraction to Kṛṣṇa is the purifying force that frees the heart from the contamination of lust and restores the soul to its original, blissful position.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Krsna Attracting Minds. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.