Wholly Dependent on the Supreme Lord
To be wholly dependent on the Supreme Lord means to place one's life, intelligence, service, and hope under Kṛṣṇa's shelter. In these teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda shows that perfection is not achieved by partial religion or divided attention, but by complete dedication to the Lord. Knowledge, talent, hearing, chanting, and even the instruments of modern life can become purified when they are wholly applied in Kṛṣṇa's service. Such dependence is the natural position of the soul and the doorway to real spiritual security.
Complete Dependence Is the Strength of Devotion
A devotee's dependence on the Lord is not passive helplessness; it is active faith rooted in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa's protection. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa remained fixed when threatened because his shelter was wholly in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda also points to the great devotees who give up material conceptions and depend solely on Kṛṣṇa. Such surrender makes the soul fearless because the devotee no longer rests life on temporary material supports.
- The proof is that when Durvasa Muni created a demon to kill Maharaja Ambarisa, the King stayed fixed in his place, praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and depending solely and wholly on Him.
- In the later age also there have been many mahatmas of this type, and they also gave up all karma-kandiya conceptions of life' solely and wholly depending on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna.
- This teaching is imparted by the Lord Himself in the pages of the Bhagavad-gita, in which it is clearly described that the Lord (Sri Krsna) is everything, and that to surrender unto Him solely and wholly makes one the most perfectly pious man.
Knowledge and Talent Must Serve the Lord
All branches of human knowledge become complete when they are used in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, and every other field should be wholly and solely applied for the Lord. This does not reject knowledge; it gives knowledge its proper center and highest purpose. Even modern tools can become spiritualized when they are used for producing Kṛṣṇa conscious literature and service.
- All the sages and devotees of the Lord have recommended that the subject matter of art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology and all other branches of knowledge should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the Lord.
- The subject matter of art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology and all other branches of knowledge should be wholly and solely applied in the service of the Lord.
- He (the materialist) certainly never thought of using the dictaphone in God's service, but we are using this dictaphone to write Krsna conscious literature. Of course, the manufacture of the dictaphone is wholly within the energy of Krsna.
- Our endeavor, our energy, should be used solely and wholly for understanding what is Bhagavata-dharma, or Krsna consciousness, not for anything else. It may be very revolutionary, but this is a fact.
The Lord Is Wholly Spiritual
The Supreme Lord is not a material being with a temporary body. Śrīla Prabhupāda distinguishes between a doll made of matter, a human being who combines material and spiritual energies, and God, who consists wholly of spiritual energy. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, His senses and actions are not limited like ours; His hearing, eating, and tasting are spiritually identical. Understanding this wholly spiritual nature protects one from reducing the Lord to a material conception.
- Consider three identities: God, a man, and a doll. The doll consists of material energy, the man is a combination of material and spiritual energy, and God consists wholly of spiritual energy. The doll is all matter, internally and externally.
- This point should be emphasized: because of His (Krsna's) absolute position, His hearing is wholly identical with His eating and tasting.
- As Paramatma, or Supersoul, He (the Lord) is situated in everyone's heart, always giving everyone the chance of good counsel. Thus everyone should take the opportunity and render transcendental loving service to Him wholly and solely.
Material Absorption Misuses the Whole Life
The word “wholly” can also describe misdirected absorption. One may be wholly engaged in eating, sleeping, mating, defending, or bodily maintenance, and still miss the purpose of human life. Material civilization may depend wholly on artificial arrangements, but such dependence cannot satisfy the soul. The real need is to redirect total absorption from matter to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, where one's energy becomes spiritually meaningful.
- At the present moment there is a great necessity for brahmanas, because almost everyone is a sudra, for almost everyone is wholly engaged in maintaining the body, eating, sleeping, mating and defending - all symptoms of animals and sudras.
- In this connection, Sukadeva Gosvami speaks in the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2nd Chapter, 17th verse, about the story of Ajamila, who began life as a fine and dutiful brahmana but in his young manhood became wholly corrupted by a prostitute.
- The modern life of civilization depends wholly on electricity and petrol and both of them are artificial for man.
- If human society unlawfully claims that the property of the universe, either partially or wholly, belongs to mankind, all of human society will be cursed as a society of thieves and will be punished by the laws of nature.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda through his teachings and personal example shows that the soul becomes safe and fulfilled when dependence is placed wholly on the Supreme Lord. Knowledge, talent, service, and energy should be wholly applied in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because everything belongs to and rests upon Kṛṣṇa. Material absorption may also be total, but it leads to corruption, artificial dependence, and forgetfulness of the soul. Real wholeness is therefore complete surrender, complete service, and complete confidence in the Lord's protection.
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 Wholly. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.