Krishna’s mercy enables us to find him – and to find him fulfillingThe world we live in is like a maze. It offers us so many alternatives of what we can do, so many promises of what will give us enjoyment, so many glamorized stereotypes of what we should become. Amidst all the resulting outer and inner pressures, it is so easy to get lost.

It is Krishna’s mercy that reveals the way out of this maze. That grace enables us to realize that he is life’s ultimate goal and that devotion to him is the best means to that goal.

Those who take shelter of Krishna’s divine energy get such fulfillment that their mind becomes undeviatingly fixed in him.

Even after we find Krishna, that’s not the end of our quest – it’s just the end of the beginning of our quest. Thereafter, we need to practice bhakti-yoga steadily to make our attraction to him focused, strong and pure. During this stage of practice, we may lose Krishna, that is, give up our Krishna-connection, if we don’t find him fulfilling. If we feel that we are not getting any joy in devotional service, we may well turn away from him back to the world in search of pleasure.

It is Krishna’s mercy alone that enables us to find taste in devotion. That mercy manifests as his merciful internal energy, Srimati Radharani. She is the personification of devotional service and the reservoir of devotional pleasure. The Bhagavad-gita (09.13) indicates that those who take shelter of her get such fulfillment that their mind becomes undeviatingly fixed in Krishna (ananya-manaso).

What does taking shelter of the internal energy mean?

The next verse (09.14) answers: practicing determined devotion.

What if our determination is presently weak?

By using all of that tender determination in serving Krishna, we can still express the sincerity of our desire for devotion. Reciprocating with our determination, he will by his mercy fill our heart gradually with supreme satisfaction.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 09 Text 13

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