' 86 THE PATH OF PERFECTION | - Perception of the Supersoul 87
night is of the same duration. His month consists of thirty such ent in the innumerable hearts of living entities. For example,
days and nights, and his year of twelve months. After one hundred there is only one sun in the sky, but this sun may be reflected in
such years, when Brahma dies, the devastation or annihilation millions of buckets of water. Or, one may ask millions and trillions
takes place, this means that the energy manifested by the of people, ‘‘Where is the sun?” And each will say, “‘Over my
Supreme Lord is again wound up in Himself. That is, the Maha- head.”’ The sun is one, but it is reflected countless times. Accord-
Visnu inhales. Then again, when there is need to manifest the cos- ing to the Vedas, the living entities are innumerable; there is no
mic world, it is done by His will: ‘‘Although I am one, I shall possibility of counting them. Just as the sun can be reflected in
become many.”’ This is the Vedic aphorism. He expands Himself countless buckets of water, Visnu, the Supreme Personality of
in this material energy, and the whole cosmic manifestation again Godhead, can live in each and everyone’s heart. It is this form that

| takes place. is Krsna’s plenary portion, and it is this form on which the yogi
| Since the entire creation and annihilation of the material uni- concentrates.
verses depend on the exhaling and inhaling of the Maha-Visnu, One who is engaged in Krsna consciousness is already a perfect
we can hardly imagine the magnitude of that Maha-Visnu. And yogi. In fact, there is no difference between a Krsna conscious
yet it is said here that this Maha-Visnu is but a plenary portion of devotee always engaged in the transcendental loving service of
the plenary portion of Krsna, who is the original Govinda. The Krsna and a perfect yogiengaged in meditation on the Supersoul.
Maha-Visnu enters into each universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, There is no difference between a yogi in samadhi (in a trance
and Garbhodakasayi Visnu further expands as Ksirodakasayi meditating on the Visnu form) and a Krsna conscious person
Visnu, and it is this Visnu form that enters into the heart of every engaged in different activities. The devotee—even though en-
living entity. In this way, Visnu is manifest throughout the cre- gaged in various activities while in material existence—remains
ation. Thus the yogis concentrate their minds on the Ksirodakasayi always situated in Krsna. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-rasamrta-
Visnu form within the heart. As stated in the last chapter of sindhu of Srila Rapa Gosvami: nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivan-muktah
Bhagavad-gitad (18.61), sa ucyate. A devotee of the Lord, always acting in Krsna con-
. sciousness, is automatically liberated. This is also confirmed in the
iSvarah sarva-bhutanam Fourteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
yantrarudhani mayaya bhakti-yogena sevate
Sa gunan samatityaitan
‘“‘The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are ;
seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” ‘*One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall
Thus, according to the yogic process, the yogi finds out where down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of ma-
the Ksirodakasayi Visnu is seated within the heart, and when he terial nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”
finds this form there, he concentrates on Him. The yogi should Thus the devotee engaged in unalloyed devotional service has
know that this Visnu is not different from Krsna. Krsna in this already transcended the material modes of nature. Being situated
form of Supersoul is situated in everyone’s heart. Furthermore, on the Brahman platform means being liberated. There are three
there is no difference between the innumerable Supersouls pres- platforms: the bodily, or sensual; the mental; and the spiritual.
i
