In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life

In Search of the
Ultimate Goal of Life

Source: Handwritten Documents
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Published by His Holiness Swami B.G. Narasingha

While on tour of South India, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived on the banks of the river Godavari, where He met Sri Ramananda Raya, a great devotee of Sri Krsna. Lord Caitanya expressed a deep desire to hear about Sri Krsna from the lips of Ramananda Raya and requested that Ramananda recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life. Ramananda then replied: "If a person performs the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Krsna consciousness." Supporting his statement, Ramananda then cited a verse from the Visnu Purana ():

visnur aradhyate pantha
nanyat tat-dosa-karanam

"The Personality of Godhead Lord Visnu is worshiped by the proper performance of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas."