To be transfixed is to be captivated, mesmerized, absorbed. The purpose and perfection of devotion is to be transfixed by our love for Krishna.

Pure devotees, those who are thus transfixed, are described in the Bhagavad-gita (12.08): their mind is absorbed in him, their intelligence is immersed in him – indeed, they live in him.

Most of us, however, are light years away from being thus transfixed. Nonetheless, we needn’t lose hope; we can still be fixed in Krishna. The next verse (12.09) states that by the disciplined practice of bhakti-yoga, we all can cultivate an attraction for him. For such disciplined practice, we need to power our devotion with conviction, at least till it is powered by attraction to Krishna. We use our intelligence to convince ourselves of the Gita insight that Krishna is the source of the attractiveness of everything that attracts us. On understanding this, we resist letting ourselves get attracted to worldly things and strive to get attracted to Krishna by practicing bhakti-yoga. This time-honored process purifies our desires, redirecting them from the world to Krishna.

How does this purification happen? Iron filings are naturally attracted to a magnet. But if they aren’t, then that’s because of the rust around the filings. When the rust is removed, they become attracted to the magnet. Similarly, we are pure souls, but are presently covered by various impurities. When we strive to connect ourselves with Krishna, that connection with the all-pure Supreme removes the rust of impurities from our consciousness. To stay fixed through this purification, when our mind wavers due to its fickleness, we need intellectual conviction.

By thus practicing bhakti-yoga with conviction and experiencing the resulting purification, we will rise from being fixed in Krishna to being transfixed by him – to being absorbed in him, transcendentally, ecstatically, perennially.


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