Attracted by the Beauty of Kṛṣṇa - The Supreme Spiritual Magnet
The material world bombards the senses with temporary, fading aesthetics, but the Vedic literatures reveal a beauty that is eternal and absolute. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the ultimate cure for our attachment to mundane forms is to become captivated by the supreme, transcendental beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa. By purifying our vision and fixing our minds on His smiling face, lotus feet, and beautifully decorated Deities, we can easily break the shackles of conditioned life and enter the blissful reality of the spiritual sky.
The Captivating Beauty of Vṛndāvana
In the spiritual village of Vṛndāvana, the Lord's original form as a beautiful, cowherd boy is fully manifested. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the gopīs were helplessly drawn to His lotus eyes, smiling face, and the enchanting sound of His flute.
- All the gopis were by nature very much attracted to Krsna's beauty, and when they heard the vibration of His flute, they became apparently lustful to satisfy the senses of Krsna.
- Krsna was a beautiful boy, and they were attracted by the beauty of Krsna. They wanted Him as their husband, lover, to dance with them. That is the gopis.
- The damsels of Vraja, the gopis, being attracted by the beauty of Krsna, simply wanted to embrace Him and His arms, which are like serpents. Thus the gopis ultimately tasted the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord.
- The unmarried girls of Vrndavana were already attracted by the beauty of Krsna. They were, however, engaged in the worship of goddess Durga in the beginning of the Hemanta season (just prior to the winter season).
Curing the Disease of Material Attraction
The conditioned soul is bound by the shackles of material attraction, particularly toward the opposite sex. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that when the heart is genuinely captured by the beauty of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, all taste for mundane, fleshy forms immediately turns to disgust.
- When one is attracted by the transcendental beauty of Radha and Krsna, he is no longer attracted by material feminine beauty. That is the special significance of Radha-Krsna worship.
- Yamunacarya says, Since I have become attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krsna, when there is attraction for a woman or a memory of sex life with a woman, I at once spit on it, and my face turns in disgust.
- When we are attracted by Madana-mohana and the beauty of Krsna and His consorts, then the shackles of conditioned life, namely the beauty of a material woman, cannot attract us.
- Instead of being attracted by material beauty, if one is accustomed to be attracted by the beauty of Radharani and Krsna, then the statement of Bhagavad-gita, param drstva nivartate (Bhagavat-Gita 2.59), holds true.
Deity Worship and Realizing True Beauty
To help conditioned souls focus their minds, the process of Deity worship is essential. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that beautifully decorated Deities in the temple naturally draw our senses away from the false, temporary allurements of the material world.
- The Deity should be very nicely decorated so layman like us may be attracted by the beauty of Radha-Krsna. Gradually, he will forget to see any other beauty. This is the practice of indriyarthesu.
- Unless you become attracted by the beauty of Krsna, we must have to be satisfied by the beauty of . . . this false beauty of this material world.
- The real beauty is Krsna and Radha. One who is attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krsna cannot be attracted by the false beauty of this material world. That is the difference between a demon and a godly person or devotee.
- Emperor Bharata was so attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Krsna that even in his youthful life he gave up all kinds of attachments to family, children, friends, kingdom, etc., as though they were untouchable stools.
Attracting the Highest Personalities
Kṛṣṇa's physical form is so flawlessly magnificent that its attractive power extends to the highest reaches of the spiritual sky. The Vedic texts confirm that even Lord Vāsudeva and the great Nārāyaṇas are entirely captivated by His unmatched elegance.
- The beauty of Krsna is fully manifested in Vrndavana. As sixteen-years boy and playing flute, the beauty was so attractive that even Vasudeva Himself became attracted by the beauty.
- The Bhuma-purusa was also attracted by the beauty of Krsna, and He concocted this pastime just as a pretext to see Krsna.
- The minds of the Narayanas are attracted by the beauty of Krsna's body. In addition, the goddesses of fortune, who are the wives of the Narayanas and are the women described in the Vedas as most chaste, are also attracted by the wonderful Krsna's beauty.
- Tenth Canto is ninety chapters. That is Krsna's face, Krsna's beautiful face. Everyone is attracted by the smiling face of Krsna.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully demonstrates that the pursuit of beauty is not inherently wrong, but merely misdirected in the material realm. The conditioned soul's tragedy lies in being attracted to the temporary, decaying forms of this world. However, by actively transferring that attraction to the absolute, eternal beauty of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—the Supreme Spiritual Magnet—the soul immediately awakens to true transcendence. Whether through marveling at beautifully dressed temple Deities or hearing the enchanting descriptions of the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, fixing one's mind on Kṛṣṇa's smiling face effortlessly eradicates all material desires. As proven by the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, great emperors like Bharata, and even the exalted expansions of the spiritual sky, being hopelessly attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate, joyful perfection of eternal life.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Attracted By the Beauty of Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.