God Is The Object - The Supreme Goal of All Worship
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the natural inclination of every living entity is to offer love and adoration to someone or something. In the material world, this propensity is misplaced on temporary, fallible objects. The Vedic literatures, however, direct our attention to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explaining that He alone is the true, eternal object of all glorification, sacrifice, and love.
The Only Worshipable Object
Humanity often directs its worship toward powerful natural forces or influential personalities. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while these may be potent manifestations of the Lord's energy, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself is the only actual object of worship.
- When the mother Vedas (sruti) is questioned as to whom to worship, she says that You are the only Lord and worshipable object. Similarly, the corollaries of the sruti-sastras, the smrti-sastras, give the same instructions, just like sisters.
- The actual object of glorification is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has created everything manifested before us. We have broadly discussed this fact from the beginning of the "janmady asya" sloka of this Bhagavatam.
- Different persons, societies and communities, etc., worship some of the potent manifestations of the Lord, wrongly accepting the powerful object as God.
The Object of Yoga and Sacrifice
All spiritual and religious processes are ultimately meant to connect the practitioner with the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that whether one performs elaborate Vedic sacrifices or practices mystic yoga, the Lord is the ultimate object and beneficiary of these endeavors.
- O Supreme Lord, You are actually the air, the earth, fire, sky and water. You are the objects of sense perception, the life airs, the five senses, the mind, consciousness and false ego. Indeed, You are everything, subtle and gross.
- Your bodily joints are symbols of various other sacrifices performed in twelve days. Therefore You are the object of all sacrifices called soma and asoma, and You are bound by yajnas only.
- The Lord is the supreme object of yoga and the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure; He reveals Himself only to His devotees and by the mercy of His devotees all can relish His intimate association.
The Object of Unconditional Devotion
Material affection is always tinged with personal desires and bodily designations. In contrast, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Bhagavān, acting as the Paramātmā in the heart, is the uncontaminated object of pure, unconditional love.
- He is not the object of affection by material tinges of body and mind, but He is the full, naked, uncontaminated object of affection for all living entities because He is the Supersoul, or Paramatma, within everyone's heart.
- The instruction given in Siksastak, "My Lord, whatever You like You can do, but unconditionally You are my only object of worship." That is pure devotion.
- Yogamaya is the name of the internal potency that makes the Lord forget Himself and become an object of love for His pure devotee in different transcendental mellows.
The Objective of Constant Remembrance
The goal of human life is to absorb the mind in the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that by constantly fixing one's consciousness on the Lord's personal forms and pastimes, the devotee attains the supreme objective of transcendental existence.
- By His ultimate personal feature He is the object of transcendental loving service by His fortunate associates the pure devotees.
- The Lord is also the recipient of all the adoration offered by His devotees, for whom He is the objective and the goal. For His devotees the Lord creates a favorable condition for developing a sense of transcendental love of Godhead.
- May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Naga and the Visnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions.
- After the creator of the entire universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, had spoken in this way in the presence of Prajapati Daksa, He immediately disappeared as if He were an object experienced in a dream.
Conclusion
The search for the perfect object of love and adoration ends at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that Bhagavān is not merely a theoretical concept, but the supreme, tangible object of all Vedic sacrifices, mystic yoga, and unalloyed devotion. Because the material objects of this world are temporary and fraught with anxiety, they can never fully satisfy the soul's deep yearning for connection. However, when the living entity redirects their natural affectionate propensity toward the supreme object—the Lord and His plenary expansions—they achieve absolute fulfillment. By unconditionally making the Lord the singular object of one's worship and constant remembrance, the pure devotee easily transcends the material realm and enters into eternal, loving reciprocation with the Supreme Person.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is The Object. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.