Prahlāda Mahārāja is the vivid example of a great person fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Madhya 8.274) it is said:
- sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe, nā dekhe tāra mūrti
- sarvatra haya nija iṣṭa-deva-sphūrti
A fully Kṛṣṇa conscious person, although situated in this material world, does not see anything but Kṛṣṇa, anywhere and everywhere. This is the sign of a mahā-bhāgavata. The mahā-bhāgavata sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere because of his attitude of pure love for Kṛṣṇa. As confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (BS 5.38):
- premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
- santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
- yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee." An exalted devotee, or mahātmā, who is rarely to be seen, remains fully conscious of Kṛṣṇa and constantly sees the Lord within the core of his heart. It is sometimes said that when one is influenced by evil stars like Saturn, Rāhu or Ketu, he cannot make advancement in any prospective activity. In just the opposite way, Prahlāda Mahārāja was influenced by Kṛṣṇa, the supreme planet, and thus he could not think of the material world and live without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the sign of a mahā-bhāgavata. Even if one is an enemy of Kṛṣṇa, a mahā-bhāgavata sees him to be also engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Another crude example is that everything appears yellow to the jaundiced eye. Similarly, to a mahā-bhāgavata, everyone but himself appears to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.
Prahlāda Mahārāja is the approved mahā-bhāgavata, the supreme devotee. In the previous verse it was stated that he had natural attachment (naisargikī ratiḥ). The symptoms of such natural attachment for Kṛṣṇa are described in this verse. Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was only a boy, he had no interest in playing. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.2.42), viraktir anyatra ca: the symptom of perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that one loses interest in all material activities. For a small boy to give up playing is impossible, but Prahlāda Mahārāja, being situated in first-class devotional service, was always absorbed in a trance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just as a materialistic person is always absorbed in thoughts of material gain, a mahā-bhāgavata like Prahlāda Mahārāja is always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa.