Text 40] Prahlada, the Best Among Exalted Devotees 321

adayah—Siéupala, Dantavakra and others; sétmyam—the same form;
hareh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-cintaya—by con-
stantly thinking of Him; yayuwh—returned home, back to Godhead.

TRANSLATION

By devotional service, pure devotees who incessantly think of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead receive bodies similar to His.
This is known as sarapya-mukti. Although Sisupala, Dantavakra
and other kings thought of Krsna as an enemy, they also achieved
the same result.

PURPORT

In Caitanya-caritamrta, in connection with Lord Caitanya’s instruc-
tions to Sanatana Gosvami, it is explained that a devotee should exter-
nally execute his routine devotional service in a regular way but should
always inwardly think of the particular mellow in which he is attracted to
the service of the Lord. This constant thought of the Lord makes the de-
votee eligible to return home, back to Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-
gita (4.9), tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti: after giving up his
body, a devotee does not again receive a material body, but goes back to
Godhead and receives a spiritual body resembling those of the Lord’s
eternal associates whose activities he followed. However the devotee likes
to serve the Lord, he may constantly think of the Lord’s associates—the
cowherd boys, the gopis, the Lord’s father and mother, His servants and
the trees, land, animals, plants and water in the Lord’s abode. Because of
constantly thinking of these features, one acquires a transcendental posi-
tion. Kings like Sigupala, Dantavakra, Karnsa, Paundraka, Narakasura
and Salva were all similarly delivered. This is confirmed by
Madhvacarya:

paundrake narake caiva
Salve kamse ca rukmini
avistads tu harer bhaktds

tad-bhaktya harim apire

Paundraka, Narakasura, Salva and Karnsa were all inimical toward the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because all these kings constantly
thought of Him, they achieved the same liberation—sdriipya-mukti. The
