60 . THE PATH OF PERFECTION

‘‘When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental ac-
tivities and becomes situated in Transcendence —devoid of all ma-
terial desires—he is said to have attained yoga.”’ (Bg. 6.18)

The perfection of yoga means keeping the mind in a state of
equilibrium. Materially speaking, this is impossible. After reading
a mundane novel once, you will not want to read it again, but you
can read Bhagavad-gita four times a day and still not tire of it. You
may chant someone’s name a half an hour, or sing a mundane
song three or four times, but before long this becomes tiresome.
Hare Krsna; however, can be chanted day and night, and one will
never tire of it. Therefore it is only through transcendental vibra-
tion that the mind can be kept in a state of equilibrium. When
one’s mental activities are thus stabilized, one is said to have at-
tained yoga.

The perfectional stage of yoga was exhibited by King Am-
barisa, who utilized all his senses in the service of the Lord. As
stated in Srimad-Bhdgavatam (9.4.18-20),

sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor
vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane

karau harer mandira-marjandadisu
Srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye

mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsau
tad-bhrtya-gatra-sparse ’hga-sangamam

ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe
Srimat-tulasya rasanam tad-arpite

padau hareh ksetra-padanusarpane
Siro hrsikesa-padabhivandane

kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya
yathottamasloka-janasraya ratih

‘*King Ambarisa first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of
Lord Krsna; then, one after another, he engaged his words in de-
scribing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in
mopping the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the ac-

Moderation in Yoga 61

tivities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of
the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his
sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flowers offered to
the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasileaf offered at the temple
of the Lord, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his
desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcen-
dental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee.”

This, then, is the perfection of yoga devoid of all material
desire. If all our desires are for Krsna, there is no scope for ma-
terial desire. All material desire is automatically finished. We
don’t have to try to concentrate artificially. All perfection is there
in Krsna consciousness because it is on the spiritual platform.
Being on the spiritual platform, this supreme yoga is eternal,
blissful, and full of knowledge. Therefore there are no misgivings
or material impediments.
