74 The Nectar of Instruction
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his
body, that state he will attain without fail.”

At the time of death, the mind and intelligence of a living
entity create the subtle form of a certain type of body for the
next life. If the mind suddenly thinks of something not very
congenial, one has to take a corresponding birth in the next
life. On the other hand, if one can think of Krsna at the time
of death, he can be transferred to the spiritual world, Goloka
Vrndavana. This process of transmigration is very subtle;
therefore Srila Ripa Gosvami advises devotees to train their
minds in order that they will be unable to remember any-
thing other than Krsna. Similarly, the tongue should be
trained to speak only of Krsna and to taste only krsna-
prasdda. Srila Ripa Gosvami further advises, tisthan vraje:
one should live in Vrndavana or any part of Vrajabhimi.
Vrajabhimi, or the land of Vrndavana, is supposed to be
eighty-four krosas in area. One krosa equals two square
miles. When one makes Vrndavana his residence, he should
take shelter of an advanced devotee there. In this way one
should always think of Krsna and His pastimes. This is
further elucidated by Srila Rapa Gosvami in his Bhakti-
rasdmrta-sindhu (1.2.294):

krsnam smaran janam cdsya
prestham nija-samihitam
tat-tat-kathd-ratas cdsau
kuryad vasarh vraje sada
“A devotee should always reside in the transcendental realm
of Vraja and always engage in krsnam smaran janam cadsya
