09.13 – Krishna is not only the anchor to which we connect, but also the anchor by which we connect

A boat in an ocean keeps bobbing due to the unending waves. To stay steady, it needs an anchor.

Similarly, the waves of unending dualities – heat and cold; pleasure and pain; honor and dishonor – keep our mind perpetually restless. To steady it, we need an anchor.

The best anchor is Krishna. To understand why, let’s consider two related meanings of the word “anchor.” As a noun, it refers to the heavy object to which the boat is fixed. As a verb, it refers to the act of fixing a boat to a heavy object.

Krishna is the ultimate anchor in both senses of the word, as can be inferred from the Bhagavad-gita (09.13). Here’s how.

Krishna being the supreme unchanging reality is never affected by any material change, as indicated in the verse by the describers bhutadim (the source of everything) and avyayam (imperishable, unaffected by time). Thus, he is the best anchor to stabilize our mind.

Moreover, Krishna is not an insentient object or an indifferent principle; he is a living, caring person. When we try to fix the mind on him, he doesn’t passively watch us struggling to reach him. He extends himself towards us – and extends himself far more than we extend ourselves towards him. This he does through his internal potency which this verse refers to as daivim prakrtim (divine energy). Krishna is nondifferent from his energies – especially his internal energy which manifests the love and grace of his heart. Through this energy, he infuses us with devotion, thereby enabling our mind to naturally gravitate towards him (bhajanty ananya manaso).

Thus is Krishna the best anchor for the mind – as the best destination for thought and the best expressway to that destination.

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O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.