Kṛṣṇa is Situated Within Our Heart - The Ultimate Friend and Director
Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the profound and intimate relationship every soul shares with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Far from being a distant creator, Lord Kṛṣṇa resides directly within the heart of every living entity as the Paramātmā (Supersoul). From this localized position, He perfectly orchestrates the material and spiritual journeys of the conditioned souls, acting simultaneously as the supreme witness, the fulfiller of desires, and the inner guide leading sincere seekers back to Godhead.
The Supreme Witness in All Beings
As the Paramātmā, Kṛṣṇa is the silent, ever-present witness to all thoughts and activities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that understanding this all-pervading feature of the Lord is the perfection of spiritual vision and the true essence of the yoga system.
- A Krsna conscious yogi is the perfect seer because he sees Krsna, the Supreme, situated in everyone's heart as Supersoul (Paramatma). Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati.
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.61), isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese'rjuna tisthati: The Supreme Lord is situated in the heart of all living entities, O Arjuna.
- Krsna, being situated in everyone's heart, is the supreme witness.
- The antar-yami, the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, is the controller of all living entities. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15), wherein Lord Krsna says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah - I am situated in everyone’s heart.
The Source of Remembrance and Forgetfulness
All psychological functions depend on the sanction of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that memory, cognitive understanding, and even forgetfulness are directed by Kṛṣṇa from within the heart, allowing the living entity to act according to their past karma and present desires.
- Because He is sitting there (in the heart), therefore all kinds of remembrance, smrti, knowledge and forgetfulness. These things are functions of the mind.
- Lord Krsna says, "I am situated in everyone's heart, and only due to Me one remembers, forgets and is cognizant, etc. Through all the Vedas I am to be known because I am the compiler of the Vedas, and I am the teacher of the Vedanta."
- In Bhagavad-gita (15.15), Krsna says that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart (sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca). As mentioned herein (SB 5.11.11), Supersoul (ksetrajna) is directing everything.
- There is really nothing uninspiring for a highly advanced devotee. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He is situated in everyone's heart and that He helps the living entity forget and remember. By the grace of the Lord, the devotee gets inspiration.
Fulfilling Desires and Supplying Facilities
Like two birds sitting on the same tree, the individual soul desires while the Supersoul observes and fulfills. Śrīla Prabhupāda details how Kṛṣṇa, as our ultimate friend, provides all necessities of life and orchestrates material nature to grant us the facilities we seek, whether for sense gratification or spiritual elevation.
- Krsna is the supreme witness sitting within the heart, and He not only notes what one is thinking and doing, but He also gives the living entity facility. If one wants to do something in order to satisfy his senses, Krsna gives all facility.
- He (Krsna) is sitting in your heart, He is supplying you all necessities, He is giving you sunlight, He is giving you moonlight, He is giving you seasonal rains, fruits, flowers, grains, and you are so ungrateful that you do not acknowledge.
- Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart, and if one desires something, Krsna fulfills one’s desire.
- You wanted a body like this - nature has supplied it under the direction of prakrti. Krsna is sitting within you; He knows what you want and He gives you the facility, "Take it." And He orders nature, or His energy. That's all.
The Inner Guide to the Spiritual Master
When a conditioned soul becomes frustrated with material life and sincerely desires spiritual salvation, Kṛṣṇa takes active steps to help them. Acting as the caitya-guru (the inner director), the Lord gives the seeker the intelligence and the opportunity to meet His external representative, the bona fide spiritual master.
- If one sincerely searches for spiritual salvation, then Krsna, being situated in everyone's heart, gives him the intelligence to find a suitable spiritual master.
- If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Krsna consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Krsna, who is situated in everyone’s heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master. This is called guru-krsna-prasada.
- Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart, and the spiritual master is His direct external representative. Thus Krsna is situated antar-bahih, within and without.
- The spiritual master is the representative of Krsna, and He, Krsna, is sitting within your heart. And as you are anxious, your degree of anxiety will be helped by Krsna by sending similar quality of spiritual master.
Conclusion
Understanding that Lord Kṛṣṇa is situated within our heart is central to the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It shifts our perspective from viewing God as a distant entity to recognizing Him as our most intimate friend and constant companion. As the Paramātmā, Kṛṣṇa neutrally supplies the facilities for our material desires, but the moment we turn to Him with a sincere desire for spiritual progress, He acts as our inner guide. By providing us with the necessary intelligence and leading us to the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master, the Lord beautifully orchestrates our return journey back home, back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Kṛṣṇa Is Situated Within Our Heart. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.