Supreme perfection

Expressions researched:
"supreme perfection"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

When a person born in a particularly righteous, aristocratic or sacred family is finally free from all contaminations, he attains the supreme perfection—Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

BG 6.45, Purport:

A person born in a particularly righteous, aristocratic or sacred family becomes conscious of his favorable condition for executing yoga practice. With determination, therefore, he begins his unfinished task, and thus he completely cleanses himself of all material contaminations. When he is finally free from all contaminations, he attains the supreme perfection—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfect stage of being freed of all contaminations. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.28):

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

"After many, many births of executing pious activities, when one is completely freed from all contaminations, and from all illusory dualities, one becomes engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord."

BG Chapters 13 - 18

BG 14.1, Translation:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the supreme perfection.

SB Canto 9

Kṛśāśva's son, Somadatta, performed an Aśvamedha sacrifice, and by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, he achieved the supreme perfection of going back home, back to Godhead.

SB 9.2 Summary:

The sons of Saṁyama were Devaja and Kṛśāśva. Kṛśāśva's son, Somadatta, performed an Aśvamedha sacrifice, and by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, he achieved the supreme perfection of going back home, back to Godhead.

SB 9.6.10, Translation:

Having been instructed by the great and learned brāhmaṇa Vasiṣṭha, who discoursed about the Absolute Truth, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku became renounced. By following the principles for a yogī, he certainly achieved the supreme perfection after giving up his material body.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 11.18.47, Translation:

Those who are followers of this varṇāśrama system accept religious principles according to authorized traditions of proper conduct. When such varṇāśrama duties are dedicated to Me in loving service, they award the supreme perfection of life.

SB 11.19.6, Translation:

Formerly, great sages, through the sacrifice of Vedic knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, worshiped Me within themselves, knowing Me to be the Supreme Lord of all sacrifice and the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Thus coming to Me, these sages achieved the supreme perfection.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

There are three different kinds of transcendental processes mentioned in Vedic literature by which one can understand and achieve that supreme perfection of the Absolute Truth.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 15:

There are three different kinds of transcendental processes mentioned in Vedic literature by which one can understand and achieve that supreme perfection of the Absolute Truth. They are called the process of knowledge, the process of mystic yoga, and the process of devotional service. The followers of these three processes realize the Absolute Truth in three different aspects. Those who follow the process of knowledge realize Him as impersonal Brahman; those who follow the process of yoga realize Him as the localized Supersoul; and those who follow the process of devotional service realize Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In other words, although the word Brahman indicates Kṛṣṇa and nothing else, still, according to the process that is followed, the Lord is realized in three different aspects.

Nectar of Instruction

Engagement in the devotional service of the Lord is the life and soul of the living entity. It is the desired goal and supreme perfection of human life. One has to become confident about this.

Nectar of Instruction 3, Purport:

Engagement in the devotional service of the Lord is the life and soul of the living entity. It is the desired goal and supreme perfection of human life. One has to become confident about this, and one also has to be confident that all activities other than devotional service—such as mental speculation, fruitive work or mystic endeavor—will never yield any enduring benefit. Complete confidence in the path of devotional service will enable one to attain his desired goal, but attempting to follow other paths will only succeed in making one restless. In the Seventh Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated: "One must be calmly convinced that those who have given up devotional service to engage in severe austerities for other purposes are not purified in their minds, despite their advanced austerities, because they have no information of the transcendental loving service of the Lord."

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Lord Kṛṣṇa's dealings with Rukmiṇī as a perfect husband are a perfect manifestation of the supreme perfection of the Personality of Godhead.

Krsna Book 60:

Lord Kṛṣṇa's dealings with Rukmiṇī as a perfect husband are a perfect manifestation of the supreme perfection of the Personality of Godhead. There are many philosophers who propound a concept of the Absolute Truth in which God cannot do this or that. They deny the incarnation of God, or the Supreme Absolute Truth in human form. But actually the fact is different: God cannot be subject to our imperfect sensual activities. He is the all-powerful, omnipresent Personality of Godhead, and by His supreme will He can not only create, maintain and annihilate the whole cosmic manifestation but also descend as an ordinary human being to execute the highest mission. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, whenever there are discrepancies in the discharge of human occupational duties, He descends. He is not forced to appear by any external agency, but He descends by His own internal potency in order to reestablish the standard functions of human activities and simultaneously annihilate the disturbing elements in the progressive march of human civilization. In accordance with this principle of the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descended in His eternal form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the dynasty of the Yadus.

"Anyone who attains the supreme perfection, being engaged in My personal devotional service in the eternal abode, reaches the highest perfection of human life and does not have to come back to the miserable material world."

Krsna Book 87:

The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that the devotee always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no anxieties for his maintenance or protection. Being constantly absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he ultimately achieves the highest perfection. While in material existence, he lives very peacefully and blissfully, without cares and anxieties, and after quitting this body he goes back home, back to Godhead. The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, "My supreme abode is a transcendental place from which, having gone, one never returns to this material world. Anyone who attains the supreme perfection, being engaged in My personal devotional service in the eternal abode, reaches the highest perfection of human life and does not have to come back to the miserable material world."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Try to understand, that, the Supreme Lord, God is pure. And His kingdom is also pure. And anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Devotee: "A person born in a particular righteous, aristocratic or sacred family becomes conscious of his favorable condition for executing yoga practice. With determination, therefore, he begins his unfinished task, and thus he completely cleanses himself of all material contaminations. When he is finally free of all contaminations, he attains the supreme perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: It is, try to understand, that, the Supreme Lord, God is pure. And His kingdom is also pure. And anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure. That is very natural. That if you want to enter into some particular society, you must qualify yourself. Qualification is to go back to home, back to Godhead, the qualification is that you should not be materially contaminated. And what is that material contamination? The material contamination is sense gratification. Unrestricted sense gratification. That is material contamination. So you have to make yourself free from material contamination. Then you become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That process of being freed or being washed of all material contamination, is yoga system. Yoga system does not mean that you sit down for fifteen minutes for so-called meditation and you continue all your material contamination. Just like if you want to be cured from a certain type of disease, you have to follow the regulation made by the physician. Similarly, in this chapter the process of yoga practice is recommended, how you have to do it. So that means if you execute these prescribed methods, then you become freed from material contamination. Then you are actually situated for linking up, for making connection with the Supreme. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So to become priya, very dear to Kṛṣṇa, is very easy. That is siddhi, perfection. Labdhvā harau bhaktim upaiti siddhim. Perfection, highest perfection: to become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection, highest perfection, supreme perfection.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

So to become priya, very dear to Kṛṣṇa, is very easy. That is siddhi, perfection. Labdhvā harau bhaktim upaiti siddhim. Perfection, highest perfection: to become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You become dear to Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection, highest perfection, supreme perfection. So such easy thing, and such highest perfection. Why people should not accept this?

The supreme perfection attained in the Satya-yuga by meditation was possible in the next yuga, Tretā-yuga, by performing sacrifices.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

This is the injunction of the śāstra, that in the Satya-yuga people used to live for 100,000's of years. At that time you could meditate upon for sixty thousand years. Still, forty thousand years you can live perfectly. But it is not possible now. Therefore the supreme perfection attained in the Satya-yuga by meditation was possible in the next yuga, Tretā-yuga, by performing sacrifices. Tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. Dvāpare paricaryāyām. In the next age, by worshiping Deity, paricaryāyām. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt: the same result you will get. Because Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to be fixed up in meditation or to perform very costly yajñas or to perform worship of the Deity.

General Lectures

"Anyone, even if he is born in the pāpa-yoni, the pāpa-yoni, kirāta, hūṇa, if he takes shelter of Me, then he also gets the supreme perfection."

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So not only those who are highly elevated brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... Śūdras... Less than śūdra, they are called kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśā, ābhīra, yavanāḥ, khasādayaḥ. They also can be purified if they take shelter of a pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ ca...,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striya vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

(BG 9.32)

Means that "Anyone, even if he is born in the pāpa-yoni, the pāpa-yoni, kirāta, hūṇa, if he takes shelter of Me, then he also gets the supreme perfection." Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Now it is the duty of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa to expand this progressive march toward devotional service. Otherwise, how the pāpa-yoni will learn? This is para upakāra.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

The aim of human life is parāṁ gatim. Parāṁ gatim means the supreme perfection.

Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: The aim of human life is parāṁ gatim. Parāṁ gatim means the supreme perfection. Gatim means progress, and parām means the supreme. Our life is progressive. By evolution we have come to this human form of life through many forms of life.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

I beg to submit herewith that by the Grace of Sri Krishna through His mercy personified—my spiritual master, I have realized it most thoroughly that going "Back to Godhead" is the highest privilege of mankind and that is the supreme perfection of human life.

Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union -- Delhi 21 November, 1956:

I beg to submit herewith that by the Grace of Sri Krishna through His mercy personified—my spiritual master, I have realized it most thoroughly that going "Back to Godhead" is the highest privilege of mankind and that is the supreme perfection of human life.

1972 Correspondence

The more we sell books, the more we advance in KC, and the more we help others to have solid information how they may take advantage of their human form of life and achieve the supreme perfection.

Letter to Kulasekhara -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

I am glad to hear that you are distributing nicely books and magazines. The more we sell books, the more we advance in KC, and the more we help others to have solid information how they may take advantage of their human form of life and achieve the supreme perfection. So I want that you should now increase very greatly this selling of books and literatures. I have heard that in San Francisco they are selling daily not less than 75 Krsna Books. So I am very much encouraged to hear this. Now take this spirit of transcendental rivalry and consult with Dayananda and the others there in England to be the first-rate book-sellers.

I also had trouble with some of my Godbrothers, but I never let it affect my service, because when one becomes fixed-up in devotional service he never allows anyone else or any condition at all to hamper his service to Krishna or discourage him in any way. So you must become convinced like this too, by preaching constantly and having Sankirtana, and you will very quickly attain the supreme perfection of life.

Letter to Rudra, Radhika -- Calcutta 20 February, 1972:

You have described how you once fell down because you saw discrepancies in our philosophy. Actually, our philosophy is perfect, but because there were discrepancies in your mind at that time you may have thought something wrongly about our philosophy—that is one of Maya's favorite tricks for convincing us to stop our Spiritual life and enjoy her. So if ever you have questions or serious doubts about philosophy you may ask the GBC or myself. And so far your telling me that some other devotees discouraged you in the past, I also had trouble with some of my Godbrothers, but I never let it affect my service, because when one becomes fixed-up in devotional service he never allows anyone else or any condition at all to hamper his service to Krishna or discourage him in any way. So you must become convinced like this too, by preaching constantly and having Sankirtana, and you will very quickly attain the supreme perfection of life. As for your question about celibacy, if you want to remain celibate for life, I have no objection.

Because you are making so many new devotees and distributing so many books and magazines, therefore I can understand that your routine work is being kept to the highest standard and that preaching work is going on well. This I can very much appreciate. Now never let it slacken or neglect our regular program, and always you will be successful in spreading this sublime movement of Lord Caitanya's, and very soon you will yourself approach the supreme perfection of life.

Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Calcutta 21 February, 1972:

Because you are making so many new devotees and distributing so many books and magazines, therefore I can understand that your routine work is being kept to the highest standard and that preaching work is going on well. This I can very much appreciate. Now never let it slacken or neglect our regular program, and always you will be successful in spreading this sublime movement of Lord Caitanya's, and very soon you will yourself approach the supreme perfection of life.

The first qualification to attain the supreme perfection of your life: enthusiasm.

Letter to Hariprasada -- Bombay 23 December, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 14, 1972, and I am so much encouraged by your report of the Hyderabad activities, and I think that that place will be most important preaching centre for India, because I have noted that you are all so much eager and enthusiastic to serve Krishna. That is the first qualification to attain the supreme perfection of your life: enthusiasm. If there is always keen enthusiasm for serving Krishna, and if there is also patience and determination, then everything will be successful. So try to every day chant as much as possible Hare Krishna Mantra, read our books regularly, and engage your energy for this business of building temple, making Life Members, like that, and then you will always remain enthusiastic, and gradually more and more you will feel yourself advance in Krishna Consciousness. In this way, you may know it for certain that you will meet Krishna face-to-face very soon.

You have got now the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is not accident that you have got your spiritual master, so take advantage by following always in his footsteps and very quickly you will attain the supreme perfection of your life.

Letter to Janajanmadhih (Jeffrey Balawajder), Anadi (Alann Hayes), Araudra (Auda Gen) -- Bombay 27 December, 1972:

You have got now the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is not accident that you have got your spiritual master, so take advantage by following always in his footsteps and very quickly you will attain the supreme perfection of your life. That is done by trying always to please your spiritual master, being engaged 24 hours in Krishna's business of spreading this Krishna Consciousness Movement all over the world, helping me however best you are able to do it according to your individual capacity. Then you will be freed from maya's clutches and go with me back to home, back to Godhead.

1973 Correspondence

"There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

"There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna. And how is that? If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna Consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna, that is Krishna's pet dog.

So I am pet dog of my Guru Maharaja, and you have helped him so nicely to push on the message of Lord Krishna or Krishna Consciousness Movement, and I am very much pleased by your serious and sincere attitude, so you will get all the full blessings of my Guru Maharaja, that you may know for certain.

1977 Correspondence

Omkara is there, and one may chant Omkara and achieve impersonal realization. But we are Vaisnavas and we are seeking the supreme perfection. Therefore we are chanting the supreme Name—Krsna.

Letter to Nandarani, Unknown -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

What is the real meaning of Omkara?

It is explained clearly in the twenty-first chapter of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya that the sound representation of Omkara is non-different than Krsna. Omkara is one of Krsna's innumerable incarnations and as such Omkara is completely transcendental. The impersonalist, however, has a tendency to place more emphasis on Omkara and less on the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Lord Caitanya appeared specifically to teach personal love of God through the chanting of the supreme Name of Krsna. For purification we need concern ourselves with no other teachings than those of Lord Caitanya; and what He taught was that in this age of Kali there is no other way to achieve God-realization than by chanting the Holy Names Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Omkara is there, and one may chant Omkara and achieve impersonal realization. But we are Vaisnavas and we are seeking the supreme perfection. Therefore we are chanting the supreme Name—Krsna.