Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.31.3
Mukti· LiberationThe Supreme Person Is the Ultimate Goal
“After practicing the yogāsana for mystic yoga, the Pracetās managed to control their life air, mind, words and external vision. Thus by the prāṇāyāma process they were completely relieved of material attachment. By remaining perpendicular, they could concentrate their minds on the uppermost Brahman. While they were practicing this prāṇāyāma, the great sage Nārada, who is worshiped both by demons and by demigods, came to see them.”
What the purport teaches
- The Absolute Truth is realized as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The personal feature is the ultimate goal of transcendence.
- Following Lord Śiva’s instructions, the Pracetās concentrated on the Śyāmasundara form of the Supreme Brahman. Their controlled minds were directed toward the Supreme Person.
- Nārada was welcomed and respected by both demons and demigods despite their mutual hostility. A perfect Vaiṣṇava should similarly be independent and unbiased.
Try this today
Spend a quiet minute remembering the Śyāmasundara form as the personal feature of the Supreme Brahman.
Ask yourself
Do I understand spiritual realization as reaching toward the Supreme Person, rather than only an impersonal reality?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.