Shloka 45
The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā
युवां मां पुत्रभावेन ब्रह्मभावेन चासकृत् । चिन्तयन्तौ कृतस्नेहौ यास्येथे मद्गतिं पराम् ॥ ४५ ॥
yuvāṁ māṁ putra-bhāvena brahma-bhāvena cāsakṛt cintayantau kṛta-snehau yāsyethe mad-gatiṁ parām
You both should constantly think of Me with affection as your son, yet always know Me to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By such loving, unbroken remembrance, you will attain the highest perfection—returning to the Lord’s own abode.
This instruction by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His father and mother, who are eternally connected with Him, is especially intended for persons eager to return home, back to Godhead. One should never think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ordinary human being, as nondevotees do. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, personally appeared and left His instructions for the benefit of all human society, but fools and rascals unfortunately think of Him as an ordinary human being and twist the instructions of Bhagavad-gītā for the satisfaction of their senses. Practically everyone commenting on Bhagavad-gītā interprets it for sense gratification. It has become especially fashionable for modern scholars and politicians to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as if it were something fictitious, and by their wrong interpretations they are spoiling their own careers and the careers of others. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is fighting against this principle of regarding Kṛṣṇa as a fictitious person and of accepting that there was no Battle of Kurukṣetra, that everything is symbolic, and that nothing in Bhagavad-gītā is true. In any case, if one truly wants to be successful, one can do so by reading the text of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially stressed the instructions of Bhagavad-gītā: yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa. If one wants to achieve the highest success in life, one must accept Bhagavad-gītā as spoken by the Supreme Lord. By accepting Bhagavad-gītā in this way, all of human society can become perfect and happy.
FAQs
This verse says that repeatedly remembering Krishna—whether with parental affection (as one’s child) or with philosophical reverence (as Brahman)—leads the devotee to His supreme destination.
After appearing to them at His birth, Krishna reassures Devaki and Vasudeva that their constant contemplation and love for Him—formed over many lives—will grant them the highest spiritual attainment.
Keep steady remembrance of Krishna through daily japa, kirtana, and reading Bhagavatam—cultivating either intimate devotion or contemplative reverence—so the mind naturally turns to Him in all circumstances.