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&amp;lt;h1 class=&amp;quot;menu-title&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Nectar of Devotion - Part I&amp;lt;/h1&amp;gt;
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Part Two
Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, 29th Chapter, 10th verse, Śrīla Kapiladeva, while instructing His mother, has given the following characteristics of pure devotional service: "My dear mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything-except to be engaged in that service.
They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me." There are five kinds of liberation, namely to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord.
A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation.
He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord.
That is the characteristic of pure devotion.
In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined.
Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rūpa Gosvāmī with evidences from different scriptures.
He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows:
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Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress.
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Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness.
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Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure.
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Pure devotional service is rarely achieved.
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Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation.
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Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, but pure devotional service attracts even Him.
This means that pure devotional service is even transcendentally stronger than Kṛṣṇa Himself, because it is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency.
Relief from Material Distress In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that one should surrender unto Him, giving up all other engagements.
The Lord also gives His word there that He will protect such surrendered souls from the reactions of all sinful activities.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the distresses from sinful activities are due both to the sins themselves and to sins committed in our past lives.
Generally, one commits sinful activities due to ignorance.
But ignorance is no excuse for evading the reaction-sinful activities.
Sinful activities are of two kinds: those which are mature and those which are not mature.
The sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment are called mature.
The many sinful activities stored within us for which we have not yet suffered are considered immature.
For example, a man may have committed criminal acts but not yet arrested for them.
Now, as soon as he is detected, arrest is awaiting him.
Similarly, for some of our sinful activities we are awaiting distresses in the future, and for others, which are mature, we are suffering at the present moment.
In this way there is a chain of sinful activities and their concomitant distresses, and the conditioned soul is suffering life after life due to these sins.
He is suffering in the present life the results of sinful activities from his past life, and he is meanwhile creating further sufferings for his future life.
Mature sinful activities are exhibited if one is suffering from some chronic disease, if one is suffering from some legal implication, if one is born in a low and degraded family, or if one is uneducated or very ugly.
There are many results of past sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment, and we may be suffering in the future due to our present sinful activities.
But all of these reactions to sinful deeds can immediately be stopped if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As evidence for this, Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, 14th Chapter, 18th verse.
This verse is in connection with Lord Kṛṣṇa's instruction to Uddhava, where He says, "My dear Uddhava, devotional service unto Me is just like a blazing fire which can burn into ashes unlimited fuel supplied to it." The purport is that as the blazing fire can burn any amount of fuel to ashes, so devotional service to the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can burn up all the fuel of sinful activities.
For example, in the Gītā Arjuna thought that fighting was a sinful activity, but Kṛṣṇa engaged him on the battlefield under His order, and so the fighting became devotional service.
Therefore, Arjuna was not subjected to any sinful reaction.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes another verse from the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 33rd Chapter, 6th verse, in which Devahūti addresses her son, Kapiladeva and says, "My dear Lord, there are nine different kinds of devotional service, beginning from hearing and chanting.
Anyone who hears about Your pastimes, who chants about Your glories, who offers You obeisances, who thinks of You and, in this way, executes any of the nine kinds of devotional service-even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters [the lowest grade of mankind]-becomes immediately qualified to perform sacrifices." As such, for anyone who is actually engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how is it possible that he has not become purified? It is not possible.
One who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service has without doubt become freed from all contaminations of material sinful activities.
Devotional service therefore has the power to actually nullify all kinds of reactions to sinful deeds.
A devotee is nevertheless always alert not to commit any sinful activities; this is his specific qualification as a devotee.
Thus the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by performing devotional service a person who was born even in a family of dog-eaters may become eligible to take part in the performance of the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas.
It is implicit in this statement that a person born into a family of dog-eaters is generally not fit for performing yajña, or sacrifice.
The priestly caste in charge of performing these ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas is called the brāhmaṇa order.
Unless one is a brāhmaṇa, he cannot perform these ceremonies.
A person is born in a brāhmaṇa family or in a family of dog-eaters due to his past activities.
If a person is born in a family of dog-eaters it means that his past activities are all sinful.
But if even such a person takes to the path of devotional service and begins to chant the holy names of the LordHare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-he is at once fit to perform the ritualistic ceremonies.
This means that his sinful reactions have immediately become neutralized.
It is stated in the Padma Purāṇa that there are four kinds of effects due to sinful activities, which are listed as follows: 1) the effect which is not yet fructified, 2) the effect which is lying as seed, 3) the effect which is already mature, and 4) the effect which is almost mature.
It is also stated that all these four effects become immediately vanquished for those who surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and become engaged in His devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Those effects described as "almost mature" refer to the distress from which one is suffering at present, and the effects "lying as seed" means that in the core of the heart there is a certain stock of sinful desires which are like seeds.
The Sanskrit word kūṭam means that they are almost ready to produce the seed, or the effect of the seed.
An "immature effect" refers to the case where the seedling has not begun.
From this statement of Padma Purāṇa it is understood that material contamination is very subtle.
Its beginning, its fruition and results, and how one suffers such results in the form of distress, are part of a great chain.
When one catches some disease, it is often very difficult to ascertain the cause of the disease, where it originated, and how it is maturing.
The suffering of a disease, however, does not appear all of a sudden.
It actually takes time.
And, as in the medical field, for precaution's sake, the doctor injects a vaccination to prevent the growing of contamination, similarly, the practical injection to stop all the fructifications of the seeds of our sinful activities is simply engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In this connection, Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 2nd Chapter, 17th verse, about the story of Ajāmila, who began life as a fine and dutiful brāhmaṇa, but in his young manhood became wholly corrupted by a prostitute.
At the end of his wicked life, just by calling the name of "Nārāyaṇa [Kṛṣṇa]," he was saved despite so much sin.
Śukadeva points out that austerity, charity and the performance of ritualistic ceremonies for counteracting sinful activities are recommended processes, but that by performing them one cannot remove the sinful desire-seed from the heart, as was the case with Ajāmila in his youth.
This sinful desire-seed can be removed only by achieving Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And this can be accomplished very easily by chanting the mahā-mantra, or Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In other words, unless one adopts the path of devotional service, he cannot be one hundred percent clean from all the reactions of sinful activities.
By performing Vedic ritualistic activities, by giving money in charity and by undergoing austerity, one can temporarily become free from the reactions of sinful activities, but at the next moment he must again become engaged in sinful activities.
For example, a person suffering from venereal disease on account of excessive indulgence in sex life has to undergo some severe pain in medical treatment, and he is then cured for the time being.
But because he has not been able to remove the sex desire from his heart, he must again indulge in the same thing and become a victim of the same disease.
So medical treatment may give temporary relief from the distress of such venereal disease, but unless one is trained to understand that sex life is abominable, it is impossible to be saved from such repeated distress.
Similarly, the ritualistic performances, charity and austerity, which are recommended in the Vedas may temporarily stop one from acting in sinful ways, but as long as the heart is not clear, one will have to repeat sinful activities again and again.
Another example is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of the elephant who enters into a lake and takes a bath very seriously, cleansing his body thoroughly.
Then as soon as he comes onto shore he again takes some dust from the earth and throws it over his body.
Similarly, a person who is not trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot become completely free from the desire for sinful activities.
Neither the yoga process, nor philosophical speculations, nor fruitive activities can save one from the seeds of sinful desires.
Only by being engaged in devotional service can this be done.
There is another evidence in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, 22nd Chapter, 37th verse, wherein Sanat-kumāra says, "My dear King, the false ego of a human being is so strong that it keeps him in material existence as if tied up by a strong rope.
Only the devotees can cut off the knot of this strong rope very easily, by engaging themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Others, who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness but are trying to become great mystics or great ritual performers, cannot advance like the devotees.
Therefore, it is the duty of everyone to engage himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be freed from the tight knot of false ego and engagement in material activities." This tight knot of false ego is due to ignorance.
As long as one is ignorant about his identification, he is sure to act wrongly and thereby become entangled in material contamination.
This ignorance of factual knowledge can also be dissipated by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as is confirmed in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: "Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest enlightenment, and when such enlightenment is there, it is just like a blazing forest fire, killing all the inauspicious snakes of desire." The example is being given in this connection that when there is a forest fire the extensive blazing automatically kills all the snakes in the forest.
There are many, many snakes on the ground of the forest, and when a fire takes place, it burns the dried foliage, and the snakes are immediately attacked.
Animals who have four legs can flee from the fire or can at least try to flee, but the snakes are immediately killed.
Similarly, the blazing fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so strong that the snakes of ignorance are immediately killed.
Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is All-Auspicious Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness.
He says that actual auspiciousness means welfare activities for all the people of the world.
At the present moment groups of people are engaged in welfare activities in terms of society, community or nation.
There is even an attempt in the form of the United Nations for world-help activity.
But due to the shortcomings of limited national activities, such a general mass welfare program for the whole world is not practically possible.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is so nice that it can render the highest benefit to the entire human race.
Everyone can be attracted by this movement, and everyone can feel the result.
Therefore, Rūpa Gosvāmī and other learned scholars agree that a broad propaganda program for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of devotional service all over the world is the highest humanitarian welfare activity.
How the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can attract the attention of the whole world and how each and every man can feel pleasure in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: "A person who is engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be understood to be doing the best service to the whole world and to be pleasing everyone in the world.
In addition to human society, he is pleasing even the trees and animals because they also become attracted by such a movement." A practical example of this was shown by Lord Caitanya when He was traveling through the forests of Jharikhanda in central India for spreading His saṅkīrtana movement.
The tigers, the elephants, the deer and all the other wild animals joined Him and were participating, in their own ways, by dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods.
It is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 18th Chapter, 12thverse, "My dear King, persons who have unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and are without any duplicity can develop all the good qualities of the demigods.
On account of a devotee's high grade of Kṛṣṇa consciousness even the demigods like to live with him, and therefore it can be understood that the qualities of the demigods have developed within his body." On the other hand, a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no good qualities.
He may be highly educated from the academic point of view, but in the actual field of his activities he can be seen to be baser than the animals.
Even though a person is highly educated academically, if he cannot go beyond the sphere of mental activities then he is sure to perform only material activities and thus remain impure.
There are so many persons in the modern world who have been highly educated in the materialistic universities, but it is seen that they cannot take up the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and develop the high qualities of the demigods.
For example, a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy, even if he is not very well educated by the university standard, can immediately give up all illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication; whereas those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although very highly educated, are often drunkards, meat-eaters, sex-mongers and gamblers.
These are practical proofs of how a Kṛṣṇa conscious person becomes highly developed in good qualities, whereas a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot do so.
We experience that even a young boy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unattached to cinemas, nightclubs, naked dance shows, restaurants, liquor shops, etc.
He becomes completely freed.
He saves his valuable time from being extravagantly spent in the way of smoking, drinking, attending the theater and dancing.
One who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness usually cannot sit silently even for half an hour.
The yoga system teaches that if you become silent you will realize that you are God.
This system may be all right for materialistic persons, but how long will they be able to keep themselves silent? Artificially, they may sit down for so-called meditation, but immediately after their yogic performance they will engage themselves again in such activities as illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and many other nonsensical things.
But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person gradually elevates himself without endeavoring for this so-called silent meditation.
Simply because he is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he automatically gives up all this nonsense and develops a high character.
One develops the highest character by becoming a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
The conclusion is that no one can truly have any good qualities if he is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Happiness in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness.
He has divided happiness into three categories, which are: 1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, 2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman and 3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the Tantra-śāstra Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: "My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself at the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees." Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal.
But the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary.
There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman.
It has been seen that great māyāvādī (impersonalist) sannyāsīs-very highly educated and almost realized souls-may sometimes take to political activities or to social welfare activities.
The reason is that they actually do not derive any ultimate transcendental happiness in the impersonal understanding and therefore must come down to the material platform and take to such mundane affairs.
There are many instances, especially in India, where these māyāvādī sannyāsīs descend to the material platform again.
But a person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform.
However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can be compared with the spiritual activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogīs are eight in number.
Aṇimā-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone.
Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc.
So, aṇimā-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science.
Similarly, all of the yoga-siddhis, or perfections, are material arts.
For example, in one yoga-siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water.
That is also being performed by modern scientists.
They are flying in the air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water.
After comparing all these mystic yoga-siddhis to materialistic perfections it is found that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections.
So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection.
A German scholar once said that the socalled yoga perfections have already been achieved by the modern scientists, and so he was not concerned with them.
He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service.
Of course, in the categories of mystic perfection there are certain processes which the material scientists have not yet been able to develop.
For instance, a mystic yogī can enter into the sun planet simply by using the rays of the sunshine.
This perfection is called laghimā.
Similarly, a yogī can touch the moon with his finger.
Though the modern astronauts go to the moon with the help of spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a person with mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the moon with his finger.
This siddhi is called prāpti, or acquisition.
With this prāpti-siddhi, the perfect mystic yogī can not only touch the moon planet, but he can extend his hand anywhere and take whatever he likes.
He may be sitting thousands of miles away from a certain place, and if he likes he can take fruit from a garden there.
This is prāpti-siddhi.
The modern scientists have manufactured nuclear weapons with which they can destroy an insignificant part of this planet, but by the yoga-siddhi known as īśitā one can create and destroy an entire planet simply at will.
Another perfection is called vaśitā, and by this perfection one can bring anyone under his control.
This is a kind of hypnotism which is almost irresistible.
Sometimes it is found that a yogī who may have attained a little perfection in this vaśitā mystic power comes out among the people and speaks all sorts of nonsense, controls their minds, exploits them, takes their money and then goes away.
There is another mystic perfection which is known as prākāmya (magic).
By this prākāmya power one can achieve anything he likes.
For example, one can make water enter into his eye and then again come out from within the eye.
Simply by his will he can perform such wonderful activities.
The highest perfection of mystic power is called kāmāvasāyitā.
This is also magic, but whereas the prākāmya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope of nature, kāmāvasāyitā permits one to contradict nature-in other words, to do the impossible.
Of course, one can derive great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections.
Foolishly, people who are enamored of the glimmer of modern materialistic advancement are thinking that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for less intelligent men.
"I am better off being busy with my material comforts-maintaining a nice apartment, family and sex life." These people do not know that at any moment they can be kicked out of their material situation.
Due to ignorance, they do not know that real life is eternal.
The temporary comforts of the body are not the goal of life, and it is due only to darkest ignorance that people become enamored of the glimmering advancement of material comforts.
Śrīla Bhaktivinode Thākur has therefore said that the advancement of material knowledge renders a person more foolish because it causes one to forget his real identification by its glimmer.
This is doom for him, because this human form of life is meant for getting out of the material contamination.
By the advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming more and more entangled in material existence.
They have no hope of being liberated from this catastrophe.
In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that Prahlāda Mahārāj, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed to Nṛsiṁhadeva (the half-lion half-man incarnation) as follows: "My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service.
I simply pray that my Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence." Actually, a pure devotee does not aspire after any of these perfections because the happiness derived from devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so transcendental and so unlimited that no other happiness can be compared with it.
It is said that even one drop of happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity.
Thus, any person who has developed even a little quantity of pure devotional service can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.
There was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya known as Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, who was a very poor man.
He was doing a small business selling cups made from the leaves of plantain trees, and his income was almost nothing.
Still, he was spending fifty percent of his small income on the worship of the Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he was somehow living.
Lord Caitanya once revealed Himself to this confidential devotee, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, and offered him any opulence that he liked.
But Śrīdhara informed the Lord that he did not want any material opulence.
He was quite happy in his present position and wanted only to gain unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.
That is the position of pure devotees.
If they can be engaged twenty four hours each day in devotional service they do not want anything else, not even the happiness of liberation or of becoming one with the supreme.
In the Nārada-paṣcarātra it is also said that any person who has developed even a small amount of devotional service doesn't care a fig for any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification, or the five kinds of liberation.
Any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, liberation or sense gratification cannot even dare to enter into the heart of a pure devotee.
It is stated that as the personal attendants and maidservants of a queen follow the queen with all respect and obeisances, similarly the joys of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation follow the devotional service of the Lord.
In other words, a pure devotee does not lack any kind of happiness derived from any source.
He does not want anything but service to Kṛṣṇa, but even if he should have another desire, the Lord fulfills this without the devotee's asking.
Rareness of Pure Devotional Service In the preliminary phase of spiritual life there are different kinds of austerities, penances and similar processes for attaining self-realization.
However, even if an executor of these processes is without any material desire, he still cannot achieve devotional service.
And aspiring by oneself alone to achieve devotional service is also not very hopeful because Kṛṣṇa does not agree to award devotional service to merely anyone.
Kṛṣṇa can easily offer a person material happiness or even liberation, but He does not agree very easily to award a person engagement in His devotional service.
Devotional service can in fact be attained only through the mercy of a pure devotee.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said: "By the mercy of the spiritual master who is a pure devotee and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one can achieve the platform of devotional service.
There is no other way." The rarity of devotional service is also confirmed in the Tantra- śāstra, where Lord Śiva says to Satī, "My dear Satī, if one is a very fine philosopher, analyzing the different processes of knowledge, he can achieve liberation from the material entanglement.
By performance of the ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the Vedas one can be elevated to the platform of pious activities and thereby enjoy the material comforts of life to the fullest extent.
But all such endeavors can hardly offer anyone devotional service to the Lord, not even if one tries for it by such processes for many, many thousands of births." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is also confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāj that merely by personal efforts or by the instructions of higher authorities one cannot attain to the stage of devotional service.
One must become blessed by the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who is completely freed from the contamination of material desires.
In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 6th Chapter, 18th verse, Nārada also says to Yudhiṣṭhira, "My dear King, it is Lord Kṛṣṇa, known as Mukunda, who is the eternal protector of the Pāṇḍavas and the Yadus.
He is also your spiritual master and instructor in every respect.
He is the only worshipable God for you.
He is very dear and affectionate, and He is the director of all your activities, both individual and familial.
And what's more, He sometimes carries out your orders as if He were your messenger! My dear King, how very fortunate you are, because for others all these favors given to you by the Supreme Lord would not even be dreamt of." The purport to this verse is that the Lord easily offers liberation, but He rarely agrees to offer a soul devotional service because by devotional service the Lord Himself becomes purchased by the devotee.
The Happiness of Becoming One with the Supreme Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that if brahmānanda, or the happiness of becoming one with the Supreme, is multiplied by one trillionfold, still it cannot be compared with an atomic fraction of the happiness derived from the ocean of devotional service.
In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya Prahlāda Mahārāj, while satisfying Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva by his prayers, says: "My dear Lord of the universe, I am feeling transcendental pleasure in Your presence and have become merged in the ocean of happiness.
I now consider the happiness of brahmānanda to be no more than the water in the impression left by a cow's hoof in the earth, compared to this ocean of bliss." Similarly, it is confirmed in the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, Śrīdhara Svāmī's commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "My dear Lord, some of the fortunate persons who are swimming in the ocean of Your nectar of devotion, and who are relishing the nectar of the narration of Your pastimes, certainly know ecstasies which immediately minimize the value of the happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.
Such a transcendental devotee regards any kind of happiness other than devotional service as no better than straw in the street." Attracting Kṛṣṇa Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Kṛṣṇa.
The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Rādhārāṇī.
Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids.
But Rādhārāṇī is still more attractive, for She can even attract Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohanī-the attractor of the attractor of Cupid.
To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Rādhārāṇī, and devotees in Vṛndāvana put themselves under the care of Rādhārāṇī in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service.
In other words, devotional service is not an activity of the material world; it is directly under the control of Rādhārāṇī.
In Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the mahātmās, or great souls, are under the protection of daivī prakṛti, the internal energy-Rādhārāṇī.
So, being directly under the control of the internal potency of Kṛṣṇa, devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa Himself.
This fact is corroborated by Kṛṣṇa in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 12th Chapter, 1st verse, where He says: "My dear Uddhava, you may know it from Me that the attraction I feel for devotional service rendered by My devotees is not to be attained even by the performance of mystic yoga, philosophical speculation, ritualistic sacrifices, the study of Vedānta, the practice of severe austerities or the giving of everything in charity.
These are, of course, very nice activities, but they are not as attractive to Me as the transcendental loving service rendered by My devotees." How Kṛṣṇa becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Nārada in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, 10th Chapter, 37th verse.
There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāj.
A devotee always appreciates the activities of other devotees.
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāj was appreciating the qualities of Prahlāda, and that is one symptom of a pure devotee.
A pure devotee never thinks himself as great; he always thinks that other devotees are greater than himself.
The King was thinking, "Prahlāda Mahārāj is actually a devotee of the Lord, while I am nothing," and while thinking this he was addressed by Nārada as follows: "My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, in this world you [the Pāṇḍava brothers] are the only fortunate people.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared on this planet and is presenting Himself to you as an ordinary human being.
He is always with you in all circumstances.
He is living with you and covering Himself from the eyes of others.
Others cannot understand that He is the Supreme Lord, but He is still living with you as your cousin, as your friend and even as your messenger.
Therefore you must know that nobody in this world is more fortunate than you." In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa appeared in His universal form, Arjuna prayed: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I thought of You as my cousin-brother, and so I have shown disrespect to You in so many ways, calling You Kṛṣṇa, or friend.
But You are so great that I could not understand." So that was the position of the Pāṇḍavas; although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest among all greats, still He remained with those royal brothers, being attracted by their devotion, by their friendship and by their love.
That is the proof of how great this process of devotional service is.
It can attract even the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
God is great, but devotional service is greater than God because it attracts Him.
People who are not in devotional service can never understand what great value there is in rendering service to the Lord.
The First Stages of Devotion
The three categories of devotional service which Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu are listed as devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy and devotional service in pure love of Godhead.
There are many sub-headings in each of these categories.
Generally it is understood that in the category of devotional service in practice there are two different qualities; devotional service in ecstasy has four qualities, and devotional service in pure love of Godhead has six qualities.
These qualities will be explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī later on.
In this connection, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī suggests that the person eligible for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or devotional service can be classified by his particular taste.
He says that devotional service is a continual process from one's previous life.
No one can take to devotional service unless he has had some previous connection with it.
For example, suppose in this life I practice devotional service to some extent.
Even though it is not one hundred percent perfectly performed, still whatever I have done will not be lost.
In my next life, from the very point where I stop in this life, I shall begin again.
In this way there is always a continuity.
But even if there is no continuity, if only by chance a person takes interest in a pure devotee's instruction, he can be accepted and can advance in devotional service.
Anyway, for persons who have a natural taste for understanding books like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is easier than for those who are simply accustomed to mental speculation and argumentative processes.
To support this statement there are many authoritative assertions by the learned scholars of bygone ages.
According to their general opinion, a person may become governed by certain convictions derived by his own arguments and decisions.
Then another person, who may be a greater logician, will nullify these conclusions and establish another thesis.
In this way the path of argument will never be safe or conclusive.
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recommends, therefore, that one follow in the footsteps of the authorities.
Here is a general description of devotional service given by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
Previously, it has been stated that devotional service can be divided into three categories-namely, devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy, and devotional service in pure love of God.
Now Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī proposes to describe devotional service in practice.
Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work.
Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa.
Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing.
So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service.
This practice is not for developing something artificial.
For example, a child learns or practices to walk.
This walking is not unnatural.
The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely.
Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity.
Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme.
So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity.
And, when purified, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa will be invoked, as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk.
One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice.
Actually there is no such practice.
When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked.
Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti.
Every living entity under the spell of material energy is held to be in an abnormal condition of madness.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said: "Generally, the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering." Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge.
Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance.
This is due to vikarma.
Vikarma means actions which should not be done.
Therefore, we must practice sādhanabhakti-which means to offer maṅgala-ārātrika (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another.
These practices will help one to become cured of madness.
As a man's mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion.
Nārada Muni mentions this sādhana-bhakti in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, 1st Chapter, 30th verse.
He says there to King Yudhiṣṭhira: "My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means." That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is the duty of the ācārya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa.
That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us an authorized program for this purpose, centered around the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Kṛṣṇa.
That is the beginning of sādhana- bhakti.
Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa.
The great saint Ambarīṣa Mahārāj, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa, and similarly anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now this sādhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, can also be divided into two parts.
The first part is called regulative principles: one has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master, or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal.
That is called vaidhi, or regulated.
One has to do it without any argument.
Another part of sādhana-bhakti is called rāgānugā.
Rāgānugā refers to the point at which, by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Kṛṣṇa, and executes devotional service out of natural love.
For example, a person engaged in devotional service may be ordered to rise early in the morning and offer ārātrika, which is a form of Deity worship.
In the beginning, by the order of his spiritual master, one rises early in the morning and offers ārātrika, but then he develops real attachment.
When he gets this attachment, he automatically tries to decorate the Deity and prepare different kinds of dresses and thinks of different plans to execute his devotional service nicely.
Although it is within the category of practice, this offering of loving service is spontaneous.
So the practice of devotional service, sādhana-bhakti, can be divided into two parts-namely, regulative and spontaneous.
Rūpa Gosvāmī defines the first part of devotional practice, or vaidhibhakti, as follows: "When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhibhakti." These principles of vaidhi-bhakti are also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, 1st Chapter, verse 35, where Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructs the dying Mahārāj Parīkṣit as to his course of action.
Mahārāj Parīkṣit met Śukadeva Gosvāmī just a week before his death, and the King was perplexed as to what should be done before he was to pass on.
Many other sages also arrived there, but no one could give him the proper direction.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, however, gave this direction to him as follows: "My dear King, if you want to be fearless in meeting your death next week (for actually everyone is afraid at the point of death), then you must immediately begin the process of hearing and chanting and remembering God." If one can chant and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa and always remember Lord Kṛṣṇa, then he is sure to become fearless of death, which may come at any moment.
In the statements of Śukadeva Gosvāmī it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore Śukadeva recommends that one should always hear about Kṛṣṇa.
He does not recommend that one hear and chant about the demigods.
The māyāvādīs (impersonalists) say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the result will be the same.
But actually this is not a fact.
According to the authorized version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one has to hear and chant about Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) only.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended to Parīkṣit Mahārāj that in order to be fearless of death one has to hear and chant and remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, by all means.
He also mentions that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sarvātmā.
Sarvātmā means "the supersoul of everyone." Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned as īśvara, the supreme controller who is situated in everyone's heart.
Therefore, if some way or other we become attached to Kṛṣṇa, He will make us free from all danger.
In the Bhagavad- gītā it is said that anyone who becomes a devotee of the Lord is never vanquished.
Others, however, are always vanquished.
Vanquished means that after getting this human form of life, a person does not come out of the entanglement of birth and death and thus misses his golden opportunity.
Such a person does not know where he is being thrown by the laws of nature.
Suppose one does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this human form of life.
He will be thrown into the cycle of birth and death involving 8,400,000 species of life, and his spiritual identity will remain lost.
One does not know whether he is going to be a plant, or a beast, or a bird, or something like that, because there are so many species of life.
The recommendation of Rūpa Gosvāmī for reviving our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that somehow or other we should apply our minds to Kṛṣṇa very seriously and thus also become fearless of death.
After death we do not know our destination, because we are completely under the control of the laws of nature.
Only Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is controller over the laws of nature.
Therefore, if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa seriously, there will be no fear of being thrown back into the cycle of so many species of life.
A sincere devotee will surely be transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, as affirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
In the Padma Purāṇa also the same process is advised.
There it is said that one should always remember Lord Viṣṇu.
This is called dhyāna, or meditation-always remembering Kṛṣṇa.
It is said that one has to meditate with his mind fixed upon Viṣṇu.
Padma Purāṇa recommends that one always fix his mind on the form of Viṣṇu by meditation and not forget Him at any moment.
And this state of consciousness is called samādhi, or trance.
We should always try to mold the activities of our lives in such a way that we will constantly remember Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Whether one concentrates his mind on the four-handed form of Viṣṇu or on the form of two-handed Kṛṣṇa, it is the same.
The Padma Purāṇa recommends: somehow or other, always think of Viṣṇu without forgetting Him under any circumstances.
Actually, this is the most basic of all regulative principles.
For, when there is an order from a superior about doing something, there is simultaneously a prohibition.
When the order is that one should always remember Kṛṣṇa, the prohibition is that one should never forget Him.
Within this simple order and prohibition all regulative principles are found complete.
This regulative principle is applicable to all varṇas and āśramas, the castes and occupations of life.
There are four varṇas, namely, the brāhmaṇas (priests and intellectuals), the kṣatriyas (warriors and statesmen), the vaiśyas (businessmen and farmers) and the śūdras (laborers and servants).
There are also four standard āśramas, namely brahmacarya (student life), gṛhastha (householder), vānaprastha (retired) and sannyāsa (renounced).
The regulative principles are not only for the brahmacārīs (celibate students) to follow, but are applicable for all.
It doesn't matter whether one is a beginner-a brahmacārī-or if one is very advanced-a sannyāsī.
The principle of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly and not forgetting Him at any moment is meant to be followed by everyone without fail.
If this injunction is followed, then all other rules and regulations will automatically fall into line.
All other rules and regulations should be treated as assistants or servants to this one basic principle.
The injunctions of rules and regulations and the resultant reactions are mentioned in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 5th Chapter, 1st and 2nd verses.
Camasa Muni, one of the nine sages who came to instruct King Nimi, addressed the King and said, "The four social orders, namely the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras, have come out of the different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord as follows: the brāhmaṇas have come out from the head, the kṣatriyas have come out from the arms, the vaiśyas have come out from the waist, and the śūdras have come out from the legs.
Similarly, the sannyāsīs have come out from the head, the vānaprasthas from the arms, the gṛhasthas from the waist, and the brahmacārīs from the legs." These different orders of society and grades of spiritual advancement are conceived in terms of qualification.
It is confirmed in the Bhagavadgītā that the four social orders and the four spiritual orders are created by the Lord Himself, in terms of different individual qualities.
As the different parts of the body have different types of activities, so the social orders and spiritual orders also have different types of activities in terms of qualification and position.
The target of these activities, however, is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, "He is the supreme enjoyer." So whether one is a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra, he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord by his activities.
This is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by a verse which reads: "Everyone must be engaged in his particular duty, but the perfection of such work should be tested by how far the Lord is satisfied with such activities." The injunction herein is that one has to act according to his position, and by such activities one must either satisfy the Supreme Personality or else fall down from his position.
For example, a brāhmaṇa, who is born out of the head of the Lord has as his business to preach the transcendental Vedic sounds, or śabdabrahman.
Because the brāhmaṇa is the head, he has to preach the transcendental sound, and he also has to eat on behalf of the Supreme Lord.
According to Vedic injunctions, when a brāhmaṇa eats it is to be understood that the Personality of Godhead is eating through him.
It is not, however, that the brāhmaṇa should simply eat on behalf of the Lord and not preach the message of the Bhagavad-gītā to the world.
Actually, one who preaches the message of the Gītā is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, as is confirmed in the Gītā itself.
Such a preacher is factually a brāhmaṇa and thus, by feeding him, one feeds the Supreme Lord directly.
Similarly, the kṣatriya has to protect people from the onslaughts of māyā.
That is his duty.
For example, as soon as Mahārāj Parīkṣit saw that a black man was attempting to kill a cow, he immediately took his sword, wanting to kill the black man, whose name was Kali.* That is a kṣatriya's duty.
Violence is required in order to give protection.
In the Bhagavadgītā Lord Kṛṣṇa directly gave His order to Arjuna to commit violence on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, just to give protection to the people in general.
The vaiśyas are meant for producing agricultural products, trading them and distributing them.
And the working class, or śūdras, are those who haven't the intelligence of the brāhmaṇas or the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas, and therefore they are meant to help these higher classes by bodily labor.
In this way, there is full cooperation and spiritual advancement amongst all the different orders of society.
And when there is no such cooperation, the members of society will fall down.
That is the present position in the kali-yuga, this age of quarrel.
Nobody is doing his duty, and everyone is simply puffed-up by calling himself a brāhmaṇa (intellectual) or a kṣatriya (soldier or statesman).
But actually, such people are without status.
They are out of touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is intended to set the whole of human society in proper condition *Not to be confused with kālī, the demigoddess who is the devastating feature of material nature.
The latter is actually pronounced kāh-lee, whereas the kali under discussion here (as in the age of kali) is pronounced kuh-ly.
so that everyone will be happy and take profit from developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava that by following the injunctions of the social and spiritual orders of human society one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as a result of such satisfaction the whole society gets all the necessities of life amply and without difficulty.
This is because, after all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead maintains all other living entities.
If the whole society performs its respective duties and remains in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no doubt that all of its members will live very peacefully and happily.
Without wanting the necessities of life, the whole world will be turned into Vaikuṇṭha, a spiritual abode.
Even without being transferred to the kingdom of God, by following the injunctions of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and prosecuting the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all human society will be happy in all respects.
There is a similar statement by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself to Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 5th Chapter, 2nd verse.
The Lord says there, "My dear Uddhava, all persons are engaged in activities, whether those indicated in the revealed scriptures or ordinary worldly activities.
If by the result of either of such activities they worship Me in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically they become very happy within this world as well as in the next.
Of this there is no doubt." We can conclude from this statement by Kṛṣṇa that activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give everyone all perfection in their desires.
Thus the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that there is no need of even designating oneself brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī.
Let everyone be engaged in whatever occupation he now has.
Simply let him worship Lord Kṛṣṇa by the result of his activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
That will adjust the whole situation, and everyone will be happy and peaceful within this world.
In the Nārada-pañcarātra the regulative principles of devotional service are described as follows: "Any activities sanctioned in the revealed scriptures and aiming at the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are accepted by saintly teachers as the regulative principles of devotional service.
If somebody regularly executes such service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, then gradually he rises to the platform of serving in pure love of God."
Eligibility of the Candidate for Accepting Devotional Service
On account of his association with mahātmās, or great souls one hundred percent in the devotional service of the Lord, one may attain a little bit of attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
But at the same time one may remain very much attached to fruitive activities and material sense enjoyment and not be prepared to undergo the different types of renunciation.
Such a person, if he has unflinching attraction to Kṛṣṇa, becomes an eligible candidate for discharging devotional service.
This attraction for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in association with pure devotees is the sign of great fortune.
It is confirmed by Lord Caitanya that only the fortunate persons, by the mercy of both a bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, will get the seed of devotional service.
In this connection, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, 20th Chapter, verse 8: "My dear Uddhava, only by exceptional fortune does someone become attracted to Me (Kṛṣṇa).
And even if one is not completely detached from fruitive activities, or is not completely attached to devotional service, such service is quickly effective." Devotees can be divided into three classes.
The first or uppermost class is described as follows: one is very expert in the study of relevant scriptures, and he is also expert in putting forward arguments in terms of those scriptures.
He can very nicely present conclusions with perfect discretion and can consider the ways of devotional service in a decisive way.
He understands perfectly that the ultimate goal of life is to attain to the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, and he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the only object of worship and love.
This first-class devotee is one who has strictly followed the rules and regulations under the training of a bona fide spiritual master and has sincerely obeyed him in accord with revealed scriptures.
Thus being fully trained to preach and become a spiritual master himself, he is considered first class.
A first-class devotee never deviates from the principles of higher authority, and he attains firm faith in the scriptures by understanding with all reason and arguments.
When we speak of arguments and reason, it means arguments and reason on the basis of revealed scripture.
The first-class devotee is not interested in dry speculative methods meant for wasting time.
In other words, one who has attained a mature determination in the matter of devotional service can be accepted as the first-class devotee.
The second-class devotee has been defined by the following symptoms: he is not very expert in arguing on the strength of revealed scripture, but he has firm faith in the objective.
The purport of this description is that the second-class devotee has firm faith in the procedure of devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa, but he may sometimes fail to offer arguments and decisions on the strength of revealed scripture to an opposing party.
But at the same time he is still undaunted within himself as to his decision that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme object of worship.
The neophyte or third-class devotee is one whose faith is not strong and, at the same time, does not recognize the decision of the revealed scripture.
The neophyte's faith can be changed by someone else with strong arguments or by an opposite decision.
Unlike the second-class devotee, who also cannot put forward arguments and evidences from the scripture, but who still has all faith in the objective, the neophyte has no firm faith in the objective.
Thus he is called the neophyte devotee.
Further classification of the neophyte devotee is made in the Bhagavad-gītā.
It is stated there that four classes of men-namely those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are inquisitive and those who are wise-begin devotional service and come to the Lord for relief in the matter of their respective self-satisfaction.
They go into some place of worship and pray to God for mitigation of material distress, or for some economic development, or to satisfy their inquisitiveness.
And a wise man who simply realizes the greatness of God is also counted among the neophytes.
Such beginners can be elevated to the second-class or first-class platform if they associate with pure devotees.
An example of the neophyte class is Mahārāj Dhruva.
He was in need of his father's kingdom and therefore engaged himself in devotional service to the Lord.
Then in the end when he was completely purified he declined to accept any material benediction from the Lord.
Similarly, Gajendra was also distressed and prayed to Kṛṣṇa for protection, after which he became a pure devotee.
Similarly, Sanaka, Sanātana, Sananda and Sanat-kumāra were all in the category of wise, saintly persons, and they were also attracted by devotional service.
A similar thing happened to the assemblage in the Naimiṣāraṇya forest, headed by the sage Śaunaka.
They were inquisitive and were always asking Sūta Gosvāmī about Kṛṣṇa.
Thus they achieved the association of a pure devotee and became pure devotees themselves.
So that is the way of elevating oneself.
In whatever condition one may be, if he is fortunate enough to associate with pure devotees, then very quickly he is elevated to the second-class or first-class platform.
These four types of devotees have been described in the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, and they have all been accepted as pious.
Without becoming pious no one can come to devotional service.
It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that only one who has continually executed pious activities and whose sinful reactions in life have completely stopped can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Others cannot.
The neophyte devotees are classified into four groups-the distressed, those in need of money, the inquisitive and the wise-according to their gradations of pious activities.
Without pious activities, if a man is in a distressed condition he becomes an agnostic, communist or something like that.
Because he does not firmly believe in God, he thinks that he can adjust his distressed condition by totally disbelieving in Him.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, has explained in the Gītā that out of these four types of neophytes, the one who is wise is very dear to Him because a wise man, if he is attached to Kṛṣṇa, is not seeking an exchange of material benefits.
A wise man who becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa does not want any return from Him, neither in the form of relieving distress, nor in gaining money.
This means that from the very beginning his basic principle of attachment to Kṛṣṇa is, more or less, love.
Furthermore, due to his wisdom and study of śāstras (scriptures), he can understand also that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that after many, many births, when one becomes actually wise, he surrenders unto Vāsudeva, knowing perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) is the origin and cause of all causes.
Therefore, he sticks to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and gradually develops love for Him.
Although such a wise man is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, the others are also accepted as very magnanimous because even though they are distressed or in need of money, they have come to Kṛṣṇa for satisfaction.
Thus they are accepted as liberal, broad-minded mahātmās.
Without being elevated to the position of a jṣānī, or wise man, no one can stick to the principle of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Others who are less intelligent, or those whose intelligence has been taken away by the spell of māyā, are attached to different demigods, on account of the influence of the modes of nature.
The wise man is he who has thoroughly understood that he is spirit soul and not simply a body.
Because he realizes that he is spirit and that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit, he knows that his intimate relationship should be with Kṛṣṇa, not with this body.
The distressed and the man in want of money are in the material concept of life because distress and need of money are both in relationship with this body.
One who is inquisitive may be a little above the distressed and the man in need of money, but still he is on the material platform.
But a wise man who seeks Kṛṣṇa knows perfectly well that he is spirit soul, or Brahman, and that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, or Param-Brahman.
He knows that the spirit soul, being subordinate and finite, should always dovetail himself with the infinite and supreme soul, Kṛṣṇa.
That is the relationship of the wise man with Kṛṣṇa.
It can be concluded that a person who is freed from the bodily concept of life is an eligible candidate for pure devotional service.
It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad- gītā that after Brahman realization, when one is freed from material anxieties and can see every living entity on an equal level, he is eligible to enter into devotional service.
As has been stated before, there are three kinds of happiness: material, spiritual and devotional.
Devotional service and the happiness due to its execution are not possible so long as one is materially affected.
If someone has desire for material enjoyment or for becoming one with the supreme, these are both considered material concepts.
Because the impersonalists cannot appreciate the spiritual happiness of association and the exchange of loving affairs with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their ultimate goal is to become one with the Lord.
This concept is simply an extension of the material idea.
In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost head-man amongst all his fellow men or neighbors.
Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others, in the material concept of life.
This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord.
This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced.
However, the perfect spiritual concept of life is complete knowledge of one's constitutional position, and thus one knows enough to dovetail himself in the transcendental loving service to the Lord.
One must know that he is finite and that the Lord is infinite.
Thus it is not possible to actually become one with the Lord even if one aspires for this.
It is simply not possible.
Therefore, anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore compared possessing these bhukti (material) and mukti (liberation) desires with being influenced by the black art of a witch: in both cases one is in trouble.
Bhukti means material enjoyment, and mukti means to become freed from material anxiety and to become one with the Lord.
These desires are compared to being haunted by ghosts and witches, because while these aspirations for material enjoyment or spiritual oneness with the supreme remain, no one can relish the actual transcendental taste of devotional service.
A pure devotee never cares for liberation.
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed to Kṛṣṇa: "My dear son of Nanda, I do not want any material happiness in the shape of many followers, nor immense opulence in wealth, nor any beautiful wife, nor do I want cessation from material existence.
I may take birth many times, one after another, but what I pray from You is that my devotion unto You may always remain unflinching." The attention of a pure devotee is so much attracted to glorification of the pastimes, name, qualities, forms, etc., of the Lord that the devotee does not care for mukti.
Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Thākur has said, "If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere.
And as far as liberation is concerned, I think liberation stands at my door with folded hands waiting to serve me." To pure devotees, therefore, liberation and spiritual emancipation are not very important things.
In this connection, in the Third Canto of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, Chapter 25, verse 23, Kapiladeva has advised His mother, Devahūti, as follows: "My dear Mother, My pure devotees are charmed by seeing My different forms, the beauty of My face, the structure of My body so enchanting.
My laughing, My pastimes and My glance appear to them so beautiful that their minds are always absorbed in thoughts of Me, and their lives are dedicated fully unto Me.
Although such people do not desire any kind of liberation or any kind of material happiness, still I give them a place amongst My associates in the supreme abode." This evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives assurance to the pure devotee of being elevated to association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī remarks in this connection that one who is actually attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His service, and whose heart, by such attraction, is always full with transcendental bliss, will naturally never aspire after the liberation which is so valuable to the impersonalists.
A similar passage is also there in the Third Canto, 15th Chapter, of the same book, wherein Uddhava addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa and says, "My dear Lord, for persons who are engaged in Your transcendental loving service there is nothing worth obtaining from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification or liberation-although happiness from these different sources can be very easily had by them.
In spite of such facilities, my dear Lord, I do not aspire to achieve any such results.
My only prayer is that I may have unflinching faith and devotion unto Your lotus feet." A similar passage appears in the Third Canto, 25th Chapter, 31st verse, wherein Kapiladeva instructs His mother and says, "My dear Mother, devotees whose hearts are always filled in the service of My lotus feet, and who are prepared to do anything for My satisfaction, especially those who assemble together to understand My qualities, pastimes and form, and thus glorify Me congregationally and derive transcendental pleasure therefrom, such fortunate devotees never desire to become one with Me.
And not to speak of becoming one with Me, if they are offered a post like Mine in My abode, or opulence like Mine, or even personal association with Me with similar bodily features, they refuse to accept because they are satisfied simply by being engaged in My devotional service." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, 9th Chapter, 10th verse, King Dhruva says, "My dear Lord, the transcendental pleasure derived by meditation upon Your lotus feet, which is enjoyed by the pure devotees, cannot be approached by the transcendental pleasure derived by the impersonalists through self-realization.
So how can the fruitive workers, who at most can aspire to promotion to the higher heavenly planets, understand You, and how can they be described as enjoying a happiness similar to the devotees' happiness?"
Devotional Service Surpasses All Liberation
How much a devotee is seriously attached to the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood from the statement of Mahārāj Pṛthu (Ādirāja) which is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, 20th Chapter, 21st verse.
He prays to the Supreme Personality of Godhead thusly: "My dear Lord, if after taking liberation I have no chance of hearing the glories of Your Lordship, glories chanted by pure devotees from the core of their hearts in praise of Your lotus feet, and if I have no chance for this honey of transcendental bliss, then I shall never ask for liberation or this so-called spiritual emancipation.
I shall simply always pray unto Your Lordship that You may give me millions of tongues and millions of ears so that I can constantly chant and hear of Your transcendental glories." The impersonalists desire to merge into the existence of the Supreme, but without keeping their individuality they have no chance of hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord.
Because they have no idea of the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord there is no chance of their chanting and hearing of His transcendental activities.
In other words, unless one is already beyond liberation, one cannot relish the transcendental glories of the Lord, nor can one understand the transcendental form of the Lord.
A similar statement is found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, 14th Chapter, 43rd verse.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī addresses Parīkṣit Mahārāj there and says, "The great soul of King Bharata was so much attached to the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa that he very easily gave up his lordship over the earthly planet and his affection for his children, society, friends, royal opulence and beautiful wife.
He was so very lucky that the goddess of fortune was pleased to offer him all kinds of material concessions, but he never accepted any of these material opulences." Śukadeva Gosvāmī eulogizes this behavior of King Bharata very highly.
He says, "Any person whose heart is attracted by the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Madhusūdana, not to speak of material opulences, does not care even for that liberation which is aspired to by many great sages." In the Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, 11th Chapter, 23rd verse, there is a similar statement by Vṛtrāsura, who addresses the Lord as follows: "My dear Lord, by leaving Your transcendental service I may be promoted to the planet called Dhruva-loka [the Pole Star], or I may gain lordship over all the planetary systems of the universe.
But I do not aspire to this.
Nor do I wish the mystic perfections of yoga practice, nor do I aspire to spiritual emancipation.
All I wish for, my Lord, is Your association and transcendental service eternally." This statement is confirmed by Lord Śiva in the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, 17th Chapter, 52nd verse, wherein Lord Śiva addresses Satī thusly: "My dear Satī, persons who are devoted to Nārāyaṇa [Kṛṣṇa] are not afraid of anything.
If they are elevated to the higher planetary systems, or if they get liberation from material contamination, or if they are pushed down to the hellish condition of life-or, in fact, in any situation whatever-they are not afraid of anything.
Simply because they have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, for them any position in the material world is as good as another." There is a similar statement by Indra, the King of heaven, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, 18th Chapter, 52nd verse.
There Indra addresses his mother in this manner: "My dear Mother [Aditi], persons who have given up all kinds of desire and are simply engaged in devotional service to the Lord know what is actually their self-interest.
Such persons are actually serving their self-interests and are considered first-class experts in the matter of advancing to the perfectional stage of life." In the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam, 6th Chapter, 23rd verse, Mahārāj Prahlāda says: "My dear friends who are born into atheistic families, if you can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then there is nothing more rare in this world.
In other words, if the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is pleased with you, then any desire that you you may have within the core of your heart can be fulfilled without any doubt.
As such, what is the use of elevating yourself by the results of fruitive activities, which are automatically achieved in all events by the modes of material nature? And what is the use for you of spiritual emancipation or liberation from material bondage? If you are always engaged in chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord and always relishing the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord, then there is no necessity for any of these." By this statement of Prahlāda Mahārāj it is clearly understood that one who takes pleasure in chanting and hearing the transcendental glories of the Lord has already surpassed all kinds of material benedictions, including the results of pious fruitive activities, sacrifices and even liberation from material bondage.
Similarly, in the same Seventh Canto, 8th Chapter, 39th verse, when the demigods are offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha, Indra, the King of heaven, says, "O Supreme One, these demons talk of our share of participation in the performances of ritualistic sacrifices, but simply by Your appearance as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva You have saved us from terrible fears.
Actually, our shares in the sacrificial performances are due to You only, because You are the supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices.
You are the supersoul of every living entity, and therefore You are the actual owner of everything.
Long were our hearts always filled with fear of this demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu.
But You are so kind towards us that, by killing him, You have removed that fear from within our hearts and have given us the chance to place Your Lordship within our hearts again.
For persons who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your Lordship, all the opulences which were taken away from us by the demons are counted as nothing.
Devotees do not care even for liberation, not to speak of these material opulences.
Actually, we are not enjoyers of the fruits of sacrifices.
Our only duty is to always be engaged in Your service, for You are the enjoyer of everything." The purport of this statement by Indra is that, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no living entities are meant for enjoying the material opulences.
They are simply meant for offering everything to the supreme proprietor, the Personality of Godhead.
By doing so, they automatically enjoy the benefit.
The example can be cited again of the different parts of the body collecting foodstuffs and cooking them so that ultimately a meal may be offered to the stomach.
After it has gone to the stomach, all the parts of the body equally enjoy the benefit of the meal.
So, similarly, everyone's duty is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and then automatically everyone will become satisfied.
A similar verse is found in the Eighth Canto, 3rd Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verse 20.
Gajendra says there, "My dear Lord, I have no experience in the transcendental bliss derived from Your devotional service, so therefore I have asked from You some favor.
But I know that persons who are pure devotees and have, by serving the lotus feet of great souls, become freed from all material desires, are always merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss and, as such, are always satisfied simply by glorifying Your auspicious characteristics.
For them there is nothing else to aspire to or pray for." In the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam, 4th Chapter, 49th verse, the lord of Vaikuṇṭha replies to Durvāsā Muni thusly: "My pure devotees are always satisfied being engaged in devotional service, and therefore they do not aspire even after the five liberated stages, which are 1) to be one with Me, 2) to achieve residence on My planet, 3) to have My opulences, (4) to possess bodily features similar to Mine and 5) to gain personal association with Me.
So, when they are not interested even in these liberated positions, you can know how little they care for material opulences or material liberation." There is a similar prayer by the nāgapatnī (wives of the Kāliya serpent), in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 16th Chapter, verse 33.
The nāgapatnī say there, "My Dear Lord, the dust of Your lotus feet is very wonderful.
Any person who is fortunate enough to achieve this dust does not care for heavenly planets, lordship over all the planetary systems, the mystic perfections of yoga or even liberation from material existence.
In other words, anyone who adores the dust of Your lotus feet does not care a fig for all other perfectional stages." There is a similar statement in the Tenth Canto, 87th Chapter, 17th verse, when the Śrutis, the Vedas personified, prayed to the Lord as follows: "My dear Lord, it is very difficult to understand spiritual knowledge.
Your appearance here just as You are, is to explain to us this most difficult subject of knowledge of the spirit.
As such, Your devotees who have left their domestic comforts to associate with the liberated ācāryas [teachers] are now fully merged in the devotional service of Your Lordship, and thus they do not care for any so-called liberation." In explaining this verse it should be noted that spiritual knowledge means understanding the self and the supersoul, or superself.
The individual soul and the supersoul are qualitatively one, and therefore both of them are known as Brahman, or spirit.
But knowledge of Brahman is very difficult to understand.
There are so many philosophers engaged in the matter of understanding the soul, but they are unable to make any tangible advancement.
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that out of many millions of persons, only one may try to understand what is spiritual knowledge, and out of many such persons who are trying to understand, only one or a few may know what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So this verse says that spiritual knowledge is very difficult to achieve, and so in order to make it more easily attainable, the Supreme Lord Himself comes in His original form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa and gives His instruction directly to an associate like Arjuna, just so that the people in general may take advantage of this spiritual knowledge.
This verse also explains that liberation means having completely given up all the material comforts of life.
Those who are impersonalists are satisfied by simply being liberated from the material circumstances, but those who are devotees can automatically give up material life and also enjoy the transcendental bliss of hearing and chanting the wonderful activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
In the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 20th Chapter, 34th verse, Lord Kṛṣṇa says to Uddhava as follows: "My dear Uddhava, the devotees who have completely taken shelter of My service are so steadfast in devotional service that they have no other desire.
Even if they are offered the four kinds of spiritual opulences,* they will refuse to accept them.
So what to speak of their desiring anything within the material world!" Similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in another passage of the Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, 14th Chapter, 13th verse, "My dear Uddhava, a person whose consciousness is completely absorbed in My thought and activities does not aspire even to occupy the post of Brahmā, or the post of Indra, or the post of lordship over the planets, or the eight kinds of mystic perfections, or even liberation itself." In the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10th Chapter, verse 6, Lord Śiva says to Devī, "My dear Devī, this great brāhmaṇa sage Mārkaṇḍeya has attained unflinching faith and devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such he does not aspire after any benedictions, including liberation from the material world." Similarly, there is a statement in Padma Purāṇa describing the ritualistic function during the month of Kārttika (October-November).
During this month, in Vṛndāvana it is the regulative principle to pray daily to Lord Kṛṣṇa in His Dāmodara form.
The Dāmodara form refers to Kṛṣṇa in His childhood when He was tied up with rope by His mother, Yaśodā.
Dāma means ropes, and udara means the abdomen.
So Mother Yaśodā, being very disturbed by naughty Kṛṣṇa, bound Him round the abdomen with a rope, and thus Kṛṣṇa is named Dāmodara.
During the month of Kārttika, Dāmodara is prayed to as follows: "My dear Lord, You are the Lord of all, the giver of all benedictions." There are many demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva who sometimes offer benedictions to their respective devotees.
For example, Rāvaṇa was blest with many benedictions by Lord Śiva, and Hiraṇyakaśipu was blest by Lord Brahmā.
But even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā depend upon the benedictions of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore Kṛṣṇa is addressed as the Lord of all benefactors.
As such, Lord Kṛṣṇa can offer His devotees anything they want, but still, the devotee's prayer continues, "I do not ask You for liberation or any material facility up to the point of liberation.
What I want as Your *The fifth kind of liberation, merging with the Supreme, is not considered an opulence in spiritual variegated existence.
favor is that I may always think of Your form as I see You now as Dāmodara.
You are so beautiful and attractive that my mind does not want anything else besides this wonderful form." In this same prayer, there is another passage in which it is said, "My dear Lord Dāmodara, once when You were playing as a naughty boy in the house of Nanda Mahārāj, You broke the box containing yogurt, and because of that Mother Yaśodā considered You an offender and tied You with rope to the household grinding mortar.
At that time You delivered two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, who were staying there as two arjuna trees in the yard of Nanda Mahārāj.
My only request is that by Your merciful pastimes You may similarly deliver me." The story behind this verse is that the two sons of Kuvera (the treasurer of the demigods) were puffed up on account of the opulence of their father, and so once on a heavenly planet they were enjoying themselves in a lake with some naked damsels of heaven.
At that time the great saint Nārada Muni was passing on the road and was sorry to see the behavior of the sons of Kuvera.
Seeing Nārada passing by, the damsels of heaven covered their bodies with cloth, but the two sons, being drunkards, did not have this decency.
Nārada became angry with their behavior and cursed them thusly: "You have no sense, so it is better if you become trees instead of the sons of Kuvera." Upon hearing this, the boys came to their senses and begged Nārada to be pardoned for their offenses.
Nārada then said, "Yes, you shall become trees, arjuna trees, and you will stand at the courtyard of Nanda Mahārāj.
But Kṛṣṇa Himself will appear in time as the foster son of Nanda, and He will deliver you." In other words, the curse of Nārada was a benediction to the sons of Kuvera because indirectly it was foretold that they would be able to receive the favor of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
After that, Kuvera's two sons stood as two big arjuna trees in the courtyard of Nanda Mahārāj until Lord Dāmodara, in order to fulfill the desire of Nārada, dragged the milling pestle to which He was tied and struck the two trees, violently causing them to fall down.
From out of these fallen trees came Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, who had by then become great devotees of the Lord.
There is a passage in the Hayaśīrṣa Purāṇa which states, "My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I do not want any resultant benediction from my religious life, nor do I want any economic development, nor do I want to enjoy sense gratification, nor liberation.
I simply pray to be an eternal servant at Your lotus feet.
Kindly oblige me and give me this benediction." In the same Hayaśīrṣa Purāṇa, after Nṛsiṁhadeva wanted to give benedictions to Prahlāda Mahārāj, Prahlāda did not accept any material benediction and simply asked the favor of the Lord to remain His eternal devotee.
In this connection, Prahlāda Mahārāj cited the example of Hanumān, the eternal servitor of Lord Rāmacandra, who also set an example by never asking any material favor from the Lord.
He always remained engaged in His service.
That is the ideal character of Hanumān, for which he is still worshiped by all devotees.
Prahlāda Mahārāj also offered his respectful obeisances unto Hanumān.
There is a well-known verse spoken by Hanumān in which he says, "My dear Lord, if You like You can give me salvation from this material existence, or the privilege of merging into Your existence, but I do not wish any of these things.
I do not want anything which diminishes my relationship with You as master and servant, even after liberation." In a similar passage in the Nārada-pañcarātra it is stated, "My dear Lord, I do not wish any perfectional stage by performing the ritualistic religious ceremonies or by economic development or by sense gratification or liberation.
I simply pray that You grant me the favor of keeping me under Your lotus feet.
I do not wish any kind of liberation such as sālokya, to reside on Your planet, or sārūpya, to have the same bodily features as You.
I simply pray for Your favor that I may be always engaged in Your loving service." Similarly, in the Sixth Canto, 14th Chapter, 4th verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahārāj Parīkṣit inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "My dear brāhmaṇa, I understand that the demon Vṛtrāsura was a great sinful person and that his mentality was completely absorbed in the modes of passion and ignorance.
How did he develop to such a perfectional stage of devotional service to Nārāyaṇa? I have heard that even great persons who have undergone severe austerities and who are liberated with full knowledge must strive to become devotees of the Lord.
It is understood that such persons are very rare and almost never to be seen, so I am astonished that Vṛtrāsura has become such a devotee!" In the above verse, the most important thing to be noted is that there may be many liberated persons who have merged into the existence of the impersonal Brahman, but a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, is very, very rare.
Even out of millions of liberated persons, only one is fortunate enough to become a devotee.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, 7th Chapter, Queen Kuntī is praying to Lord Kṛṣṇa at the time of His departure: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are so great that You are inconceivable even to great stalwart scholars and paramahaṁsas [fully liberated souls].
So if such great sages, who are transcendental to all the reactions of material existence, are unable to know You, then as far as we are concerned, belonging to the less intelligent woman class, how is it possible for us to know Your glories? How can we understand You?" In this verse, the particular thing to be noted is that the Personality of Godhead is not understood by great liberated persons, but only by devotees such as Queen Kuntī in her humbleness.
Although she was a woman and considered less intelligent than a man, still she realized the glories of Kṛṣṇa.
That is the purport of this verse.
Another passage which is very important is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, 6th Chapter, 10th verse, and is called the "ātmārāma verse." In this ātmārāma verse it is stated that even those who are completely liberated from material contamination are attracted by the transcendental qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa.* The purport of this verse is that a liberated soul has absolutely no desire at all for material enjoyment; he is wholly freed from all kinds of material desires, yet still he is irresistibly attracted by the desire to hear and understand the pastimes of the Lord.
We may therefore conclude that the glories and pastimes of the Lord are not material.
Otherwise, how could the liberated *This ātmārāma verse was once nicely explained by Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmi.
There is a detailed explanation of this verse in the author's Teachings of Lord Caitanya persons known as ātmārāmas be attracted by such pastimes? That is the important point in this verse.
From the above statement it is found that a devotee is not after any of the stages of liberation.
There are five stages of liberation, already explained as being 1) to become one with the Lord, 2) to live on the same planet as the Lord, 3) to obtain the same bodily features as the Lord, 4) to have the same opulences as the Lord and 5) to have constant association with the Lord.
Out of these five liberated stages the one which is known as sāyujya, or to merge into the existence of the Lord, is the last to be accepted by a devotee.
The other four liberations, although not desired by devotees, still are not against the devotional ideals.
Some of the liberated persons who have achieved these four stages of liberation may also develop affection for Kṛṣṇa and be promoted to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the spiritual sky.
In other words, those who are already promoted to the Vaikuṇṭha planets and who possess the four kinds of liberation may also sometimes develop affection for Kṛṣṇa and become promoted to Kṛṣṇa-loka.
So those who are in the four liberated states may still be going through different stages of existence.
In the beginning they may want the opulences of Kṛṣṇa, but at the mature stage the dormant love for Kṛṣṇa exhibited in Vṛndāvana becomes prominent in their hearts.
As such, the pure devotees never accept the liberation of sāyujya, to become one with the supreme, though sometimes they may accept as favorable the other four liberated states.
Out of many kinds of devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the one who is attracted to the original form of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, is considered to be the foremost, first-class devotee.
Such a devotee is never attracted by the opulences of Vaikuṇṭha, nor even of Dvārakā, the royal city where Kṛṣṇa ruled.
The conclusion of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī is that the devotees who are attracted by the pastimes of the Lord in Gokula, or Vṛndāvana, are the topmost devotees.
*Vṛndāvana is the transcendental place where Kṛṣṇa enjoys His eternal pastimes as a boy, and it is considered the topmost sphere in all existence.
When this is exhibited in the material world the place is called Gokula, and in the spiritual world it is called Goloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana.
A devotee who is attached to a particular form of the Lord does not wish to change his devotion to other forms.
For example, Hanumān, the devotee of Lord Rāmacandra, knew that there is no difference between Lord Rāmacandra and Lord Nārāyaṇa, and yet he still wanted to render service only unto Lord Rāmacandra.
That is due to the specific attraction of a particular devotee.
There are many, many forms of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa is still the original form.
Though all of the devotees of the different forms of the Lord are in the same category, still it is said that those who are devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are the topmost in the list of all devotees.
Purity of Devotional Service
All of the previous instructions imparted by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his broad statements can be summarized thusly: as long as one is materially inclined or desirous to merge into the spiritual effulgence, one cannot enter into the realm of pure devotional service.
Next, Rūpa Gosvāmī states that devotional service is transcendental to all material considerations and that it is not limited to any particular country, class, society or circumstance.
As is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is transcendental and has no cause.
Devotional service is executed without any hope for gain, and it cannot be checked by any material circumstances.
It is open for all, without any distinction, and it is the constitutional occupation of the living entities.
In the Middle Ages, after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya's great associate Lord Nityānanda, a class of priestly persons claimed to be the descendants of Nityānanda, calling themselves the gosvāmī caste.
They further claimed that the practice and spreading of devotional service belonged only to their particular class, which was known as Nityānandavaṁśa.
In this way, they exercised their artificial power for some time, until Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākur, the powerful ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, completely smashed their idea.
There was a great hard struggle for some time, but it has turned out successfully, and it is now correctly and practically established that devotional service is not restricted to a particular class of men.
Besides that, anyone who is engaged in devotional service is already on the status of being a highclass brāhmaṇa.
So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākur's struggle for this movement has come out successful.
It is on the basis of his position that anyone can now become a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, from any part of the world or any part of the universe.
Anyone who is a pure Vaiṣṇava is situated transcendentally, and therefore the highest qualification in the material world, namely to be in the modes of goodness, is already achieved by such a person.
Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the Western world is based on the above-mentioned proposition of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, our spiritual master.
On his authority, we are claiming members from all sections of the Western countries.
The so-called brāhmaṇas claim that one who is not born into a brāhmaṇa family cannot receive the sacred thread and cannot become a high-grade Vaiṣṇava.
But we do not accept such a theory because it is not supported by Rūpa Gosvāmī nor by the strength of the various scriptures.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī specifically mentions herein that every man has the birthright to accept devotional service and to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
He has given many evidences from many scriptures, and he has especially quoted one passage from Padma Purāṇa, wherein sage Vaśiṣṭha tells King Dilīpa: "My dear King, everyone has the right to execute devotional service, just as he has the right to take early bath in the month of Māgh [December-January]." There is more evidence in the Padma Purāṇa, in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa portion, where it is said: "In the country known as Mayūradhvaja, the lower caste people who are considered less than śūdras are also initiated in the Vaiṣṇava cult of devotional service.
And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuṇṭha.
In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brāhmaṇas." Thus a Vaiṣṇava automatically becomes a brāhmaṇa.
This idea is also supported by Sanātana Gosvāmī in his book Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which is the Vaiṣṇava guide.
Therein he has clearly stated that any person who is properly initiated into the Vaiṣṇava cult certainly becomes a brāhmaṇa, as much as the metal known as kaṁsa (bell metal) is turned into gold by the mixture of mercury.
A bona fide spiritual master, under the guidance of authorities, can turn anyone to the Vaiṣṇava cult so that naturally he may come to the topmost position of a brāhmaṇa.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, however, that if a person is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, he should not think that simply by the acceptance of such initiation his business is then finished.
One still has to follow the rules and regulations very carefully.
If after accepting the spiritual master and being initiated one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, then he is again fallen.
One must be very vigilant to remember that he is the part and parcel of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, and that it is his duty as part and parcel to give service to the whole, or Kṛṣṇa.
If we do not render service to Kṛṣṇa then again we fall down.
In other words, simply becoming initiated does not elevate one to the position of a high-class brāhmaṇa.
One also has to discharge the duties and follow the regulative principles very rigidly.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī also says that if anyone is regularly discharging devotional service there will be no question of a falldown.
But even if circumstantially there is some falldown, the Vaiṣṇava need have nothing to do with the prāyaścitta, the ritualistic ceremony for purification.
If someone falls down from the principles of devotional service, he need not take to the prāyaścitta performances for reformation.
He has simply to execute the rules and regulations for discharging devotional service, and that is sufficient for his reinstatement.
This is the mystery of the Vaiṣṇava (devotional) cult.
Practically there are three processes for elevating one to the platform of spiritual consciousness.
These processes are called karma, jñāna and bhakti.
Ritualistic performances are in the field of karma.
Speculative processes are in the field of jñāna.
One who has taken to bhakti, the devotional service of the Lord, need have nothing to do with karma or jñāna.
It has been already explained that pure devotional service is without any tinge of karma or jñāna.
Bhakti should have no tinge of philosophical speculation or ritualistic performances.
In this connection Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gives evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, in which it is said by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava, "The distinction between qualification and disqualification may be made in this way: persons who are already elevated in discharging devotional service will never again take shelter of the processes of fruitive activities or philosophical speculation.
If one sticks to devotional service and is conducted by regulative principles given by the authorities and ācāryas, that is the best qualification." This statement is supported in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, 5th Chapter, 17th verse, wherein Śrī Nārada Muni advises Vyāsadeva thusly: "Even if one does not execute his specific occupational duty, but immediately takes direct shelter of the lotus feet of Hari [Kṛṣṇa], there will be no fault on his part, and in all circumstances his position is secure.
Even if, by some bad association, he falls down while executing devotional service, or if he doesn't finish the complete course of devotional service and dies untimely, still he is not at a loss.
A person who is simply discharging his occupational duty in varṇa and āśrama, however, with no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, practically does not gain the true benefit of human life." The purport is that all conditioned souls who are engaged very frantically in activities for sense gratification, without knowing that this process will never help them to get out of material contamination, are awarded only with repeated births and deaths.
In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is clearly stated by Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons: "Persons engaged in fruitive activities are repeatedly accepting birth and death, and until they develop a loving feeling for Vāsudeva, there will be no question of getting out from these stringent laws of material nature." As such, any person who is very seriously engaged in his occupational duties in the varṇas and āśramas, and who does not develop love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, is to be understood as simply spoiling his human form of life.
This is confirmed also in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, 11th Chapter, 32nd verse, in which the Lord says to Uddhava, "My dear Uddhava, any person who takes shelter of Me in complete surrender and follows My instructions, giving up all occupational duties, is to be considered the first-class man." In this statement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is understood that people who are generally attracted to philanthropic, ethical, moral, altruistic, political and social welfare activities may be considered nice men only in the calculation of the material world.
From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other authentic Vedic scriptures we learn further that if a person simply acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and discharges devotional service, he is considered to be far, far better situated than all of those persons engaged in philanthropic, ethical, moral, altruistic and social welfare activities.
The same thing is still more emphatically confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, 5th Chapter, 37th verse, in which Karabhājana Muni addresses Mahārāj Nimi as follows: "My dear King, if someone gives up his occupational duties as they are prescribed for the different varṇas and āśramas, but takes complete shelter, surrendering himself unto the lotus feet of the Lord, such a person is no more a debtor, nor has he any obligation to perform the different kinds of activities we render to the great sages, ancestors, living entities and family and society members.
Neither has he any need to bother executing the five kinds of yajṣās [sacrifices] for becoming free from sinful contamination.
Simply by discharging devotional service he is freed from all kinds of obligations." The purport is that as soon as a man takes his birth, he is immediately indebted to so many sources.
He is indebted to the great sages because he profits by reading their authoritative scriptures and books.
For example, we take advantage of the books written by Vyāsadeva.
Vyāsadeva has left for us all the Vedas.
Before Vyāsadeva's writing, the Vedic literature was simply heard, and the disciples would learn the mantras quickly by hearing and not by reading.
Later on, Vyāsadeva thought it wise to write down the Vedas, because in this age people are short-memoried and unable to remember all the instructions given by the spiritual master.
Therefore, he left all the Vedic knowledge in book form, such as the Purāṇas, Vedānta, Mahābhārata and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
There are many other sages, like Śaṅkarācārya, Gautama Muni and Nārada Muni, etc.,to whom we are indebted because we take advantage of their knowledge.
Similarly, we are obliged to our forefathers because we take our birth in a particular family, where we take all advantages and inherit property.
Therefore, we are indebted to the forefathers and have to offer them piṇḍa (prasādam) after they are dead.
Similarly, to the people in general we are also indebted, as well as to our relatives, friends and even animals such as cows and dogs who render us so much service.
In this way, we are indebted to the demigods, to the forefathers, to the sages, to the animals and to society in general.
It is our duty to repay them all by proper discharge of service.
But by the one stroke of devotional service, if someone gives up all obligations and simply surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is no longer a debtor, nor obliged to any other source of benefit.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says: "Give up all your occupations and just become surrendered unto Me.
I give you assurance that I shall give you protection from all sinful reactions." One may think that because he is surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will not be able to perform all of his other obligations.
But the Lord says repeatedly, "Don't hesitate.
Don't consider that because you are giving up all other engagements there will be some flaw in your life.
Don't think like that.
I will give you all protection." That is the assurance of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad- gītā.
There is additional evidence in the Agastya-saṁhitā: "As the regulative principles of scripture are not required by a liberated person, similarly a person who is engaged duly in the service of Lord Rāmacandra is also not required to discharge the ritualistic principles which are indicated in the Vedic supplementaries." In other words, the devotees of Lord Rāmacandra, or Kṛṣṇa, are already liberated persons and are not required to follow all the regulative principles mentioned in the ritualistic portions of the Vedic literature.
Similarly, in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 5th Chapter, Karabhājana Muni addresses King Nimi and says, "My dear King, a person who has given up the worship of the demigods and has completely concentrated his energy in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has become very, very dear to the Lord.
As such, if by chance or mistake he does something which is forbidden, there is no need for him to perform any purificatory ceremonies.
Because the Lord is situated within his heart, He takes compassion for the devotee's accidental mistake and corrects him from within." It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā in many places that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, takes a special interest in His devotees and declares emphatically that nothing can cause His devotees to fall down.
He is always protecting them.
How to Discharge Devotional Service
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states that his elder brother (Sanātana Gosvāmī) has compiled Hari-bhakti-vilāsa for the guidance of the Vaiṣṇavas and therein has mentioned many rules and regulations to be followed by the Vaiṣṇavas.
Some of them are very important and prominent, and he will now mention these very important items for our benefit.
The purport of this statement is that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī proposes to mention only basic principles, not details.
For example, a basic principle is that one has to accept a spiritual master.
Exactly how one follows the instructions of his spiritual master is considered a detail.
For example, if one is following the instruction of his spiritual master and that instruction is different from the instructions of another spiritual master, this is called detailed information.
But the basic principle of acceptance of a spiritual master is good everywhere, although the details may be different.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī does not wish to enter into details here, but he wants to place before us only the principles.
He mentions the basic principles as follows: 1) accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master, 2) becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to discharge devotional service from him, 3) obeying the orders of the spiritual master with faith and devotion, 4) following in the footsteps of great ācāryas (teachers) under the direction of the spiritual master, 5) inquiring from the spiritual master how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, 6) being prepared to give up anything material for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (This means that when we are engaged in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, we must be prepared to give up something which we may not like to give up, and also we have to accept something which we may not like to accept.), 7) residing in a sacred place of pilgrimage like Dvārakā or Vṛndāvana, 8) dealing with the material world only as far as necessary, 9) observing the fasting day on Ekādaśī, and 10) worshiping sacred trees like the banyan tree and others.
These ten items are preliminary necessities for beginning the discharge of devotional service in regulative principles.
In the beginning, if a neophyte devotee observes the above-mentioned ten principles, surely he will quickly make good advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The next set of instructions is listed as follows: 1) One should rigidly give up the company of nondevotees.
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One should not instruct a person who is not desirous of accepting devotional service.
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One should not be very enthusiastic about constructing costly temples or monasteries.
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One should not try to read too many books, nor should one develop the idea of earning his livelihood by lecturing on or by professionally reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Bhagavad- gītā.
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One should not be neglectful in ordinary dealings.
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One should not be under the spell of lamentation in loss or tribulation in gain.
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One should not disrespect the demigods.
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One should not give unnecessary trouble to any living entity.
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One should carefully avoid the various offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord, or in worshiping the Deity in the temple.
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One should be very intolerant towards the blasphemy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or His devotees.
Without following the above-mentioned ten principles, one cannot properly elevate himself to the platform of sādhana-bhakti, or devotional service in practice.
Altogether, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī mentions twenty items, and all of them are very important.
Out of the twenty, the first three-namely, accepting the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, taking initiation from him and serving him with respect and reverence-are the most important.
The next important items are as follows: 1) One should decorate the body with tilaka, which is the sign of the Vaiṣṇavas.
(The idea is that as soon as a person sees these marks on the body of the Vaiṣṇava, he will immediately remember Kṛṣṇa.
Lord Caitanya said that a Vaiṣṇava is he whom, when seen, reminds one of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, it is essential that a Vaiṣṇava mark his body with tilaka to remind others of Kṛṣṇa.) 2) In marking such tilaka, sometimes one may write Hare Kṛṣṇa on the body.
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One should accept flowers and garlands that have been offered to the Deity and the spiritual master and put them on his body.
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One should learn to dance before the Deity.
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One should learn to bow down immediately upon seeing the Deity or the spiritual master.
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As soon as one visits a temple of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one must stand up.
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When the Deity is being borne for a stroll in the street, a devotee should immediately follow the procession.
(In this connection it may be noted that in India, especially in Viṣṇu temples, the system is that apart from the big Deity who is permanently situated in the main area of the temple, there is another set of smaller Deities which are taken in procession in the evening.
In some temples it is the custom to hold a big procession in the evening with a band playing and a nice big umbrella over the Deities, who sit on decorated thrones on the cart or palanquin, which is carried by devotees.
The Deities come out onto the street and travel in the neighborhood while the people of the neighborhood come out to offer prasādam.
The residents of the neighborhood all follow the procession so that it is a very nice scene.
When the Deity is coming out, the servitors in the temple put forward the daily accounts before Them: so much was the collection, so much was the expenditure.
The whole idea is that the Deity is considered to be the proprietor of the whole establishment, and all the priests and other people taking care of the temple are considered to be the servants of the Deity.
This system is very, very old and is still followed.
So, therefore, it is mentioned here that when the Deity is on stroll the people should follow behind.) 8) A devotee must visit a Viṣṇu temple at least once or twice every day, morning and evening.
(In Vṛndāvana this system is followed very strictly.
All the devotees in town go every morning and evening to visit different temples.
Therefore during these times there are considerable crowds all over the city.
There are about 5,000 temples in Vṛndāvana City.
Of course it is not possible to visit all the temples, but there are at least one dozen very big and important temples which were started by the Gosvāmīs and which should be visited.) 9) One must circumambulate the temple building at least three times.
(In every temple there is an arrangement to go around the temple at least three times.
Some devotees go around more than three times: ten times, fifteen times-according to their vows.
The Gosvāmīs used to circumambulate Govardhan Hill.) 10) One should circumambulate the whole Vṛndāvana area.
- One must worship the Deity in the temple according to the regulative principles.
(Offering ārātrika, prasādam, decorating the Deity, etc.-these things must be observed regularly.) 12) Rendering personal service to the Deities.
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Singing.
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Saṅkīrtana.
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Chanting.
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Offering prayers.
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Reciting notable prayers.
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Tasting mahā-prasādam (food from the very plate offered before the Deities).
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Drinking caraṇāmṛtam (water from the bathing of the Deities which is offered to guests).
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One must smell the incense and flowers offered to the Deity.
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One must touch the lotus feet of the Deity.
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One must see the Deity with great devotion.
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One must offer ārātrika at different times.
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One must hear about the Lord and His pastimes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Bhagavad-gītā, and similar books.
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One must pray to the Deity for His mercy.
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One should remember the Deity.
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One should meditate upon the Deity.
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One should render some voluntary service.
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One should think of the Lord as his friend.
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One should offer everything to the Lord.
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One should offer a favorite article (as food or a garment).
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One should take all kinds of risks for Kṛṣṇa's benefit.
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In every condition, be a surrendered soul.
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Pour water on the tulasī tree.
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Regularly hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and similar literature.
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Live in a sacred place like Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Dvārakā.
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Offer service to Vaiṣṇavas (devotees).
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Arrange your devotional service according to your means.
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In the month of Kārttika (October and November), make arrangements for special services.
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During Janmāṣṭamī (the time of Kṛṣṇa's appearance in this world) observe a special service.
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Do whatever is done with great care and devotion for the Deity.
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Relish the pleasure of Bhāgavatam reading amongst devotees and not amongst outsiders.
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Associate with devotees who are considered more advanced.
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Live in the jurisdiction of Mathurā.
Now, the total regulative principles come to an aggregate of sixty-four items.
As we have mentioned, the first are the primary ten regulative principles.
Then come the secondary ten regulative principles, and added to these are forty-four other activities.
So all together there are sixty-four items for discharging the regulative practice of devotional service.
Out of these sixty-four items, five items-namely, offering water to the tulasī tree, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, associating amongst the devotees, saṅkīrtana and living in Mathurā-are very important.
The sixty-four items of devotional service should include all of our activities of body, mind and speech.
As it was stated in the beginning, the regulative principle of devotional service enjoins that all of our senses must be employed in the service of the Lord.
Exactly how they can be thus employed is described in the above sixty-four items.
Now, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī will give evidences from different scriptures supporting the authenticity of many of these points.
Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles
In the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Prabuddha tells Mahārāj Nimi: "My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness.
It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions.
Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation.
The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions.
Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.
Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss." The purport is that one should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is Fool Number One, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service, or who has not conquered the influence of the six sense gratifying agents.
The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words.
Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world.
To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life.
One who is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to traverse the path of spiritual salvation without any doubt.
To Accept Initiation from the Spiritual Master and Receive Instructions from Him Sage Prabuddha continued to speak to the King as follows: "My dear King, a disciple has to accept the spiritual master not only as spiritual master, but also as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supersoul.
In other words, the disciple should accept the spiritual master as God because he is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa." This is confirmed in every scripture, and a disciple should accept the spiritual master as such.
One should learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam seriously and with all respect and veneration for the spiritual master.
Hearing and speaking Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam is the religious process which elevates one to the platform of serving and loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The attitude of the disciple should always be to satisfy the bona fide spiritual master.
Then it will be very easy for him to understand spiritual knowledge.
This is confirmed in the Vedas, and it will be further explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī that, for a person who has unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master, everything becomes revealed very easily.
To Serve the Spiritual Master with Faith and Confidence Regarding accepting initiation from the spiritual master, in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 17th Chapter, 22nd verse, it is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self.
He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being.
One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man.
The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master, one is able to serve all the demigods." To Follow in the Footsteps of Saintly Persons In the Skanda Purāṇa it is advised that a devotee follow the past ācāryas and saintly persons because by such following one can achieve the desired results, with no chance of lamenting or being baffled in his progress.
In the scripture known as Brahma-yāmala it is stated as follows: "If someone wants to pose himself as a great devotee without following the authorities of the revealed scriptures, then his activities will never help him to make progress in devotional service.
Instead, he will simply create disturbances for the sincere students of devotional service." Those who do not strictly follow the principles of revealed scriptures are generally called sahajiyā, those who have imagined everything to be cheap, and who have their own concocted ideas, and who do not follow the scriptural injunctions.
Such persons are simply creating disturbances in the discharge of devotional service.
In this connection, an objection may be raised by those who are not in devotional service and who do not care for the revealed scriptures.
An example of this is seen in Buddhist philosophy.
Lord Buddha appeared in the family of a high-grade kṣatriya king, but his philosophy was not in accord with the Vedic conclusions and therefore was rejected.
Under the patronage of a Hindu king, Mahārāj Aśoka, the Buddhist religion was spread all over India and the adjoining countries.
However, after the appearance of the great stalwart teacher, Śaṅkarācārya, this Buddhism was driven out beyond the border of India.
The Buddhists or other religionists who do not care for revealed scriptures sometimes say that there are many devotees of Lord Buddha who show devotional service to Lord Buddha and who therefore should be considered devotees.
In answer to this argument, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the followers of Buddha cannot be accepted as devotees.
Although Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the followers of such incarnations are not very advanced in their knowledge of the Vedas.
To study the Vedas means to come to the conclusion of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore any religious principle which denies the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead is not accepted and is called atheism.
Atheism means defying the authority of the Vedas and decrying the great ācāryas who teach Vedic scriptures for the benefit of the people in general.
Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but in the same Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that Lord Buddha appeared in order to bewilder the atheist class of men.
Therefore his philosophy is meant for bewildering the atheists and should not be accepted.
If someone asks, "Why should Kṛṣṇa propagate atheistic principles?" the answer is that it was the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to end the violence which was then being committed in the name of the Vedas.
The so-called religionists were falsely using the Vedas to justify such violent acts as meat-eating, and Lord Buddha came to lead the fallen people away from such a false interpretation of the Vedas.
Also, for the atheist class, Lord Buddha preached atheism so that they would follow him and thus be tricked into devotional service to Lord Buddha, or Kṛṣṇa.
Inquiring about External Religious Principles In the Nāradīya Purāṇa it is said, "If one is actually very serious about devotional service, then all of his purposes will be served without any delay." Residing in a Sacred Place In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated, "For one who has given up his material sense enjoyment and has accepted the principles of devotional service, the opulence of Viṣṇu-loka [the kingdom of God] is awaiting." In the Padma Purāṇa it is also said that for a person who has lived in Dvārakā for six months, for one month, or even for one fortnight, there is awaiting elevation to the Vaikuṇṭha-lokas and all the profits of sārūpyamukti (the privilege of having the same four-handed bodily features as Nārāyaṇa).
In the Brahma Purāṇa it is said: "The transcendental significance of Puruṣottama-kṣetra, which is the 80-square-mile field of Lord Jagannātha, cannot be properly described.
Even the demigods from higher planetary systems see the inhabitants of this Jagannātha Purī as having exactly the same features of body as are possessed by one in Vaikuṇṭha.
That is, the demigods see the inhabitants of Jagannātha Purī as being fourhanded." When there was a meeting of great sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, Sūta Gosvāmī was reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the importance of the Ganges was stated as follows: "The waters of the Ganges are always carrying the flavor of tulasī offered at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and as such the waters of the Ganges are ever flowing, spreading the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Wherever the waters of the Ganges are flowing, all will be sanctified, both externally and internally." To Accept Only What is Necessary In the Nāradīya Purāṇa it is directed: "One should not accept more than necessary if he is serious about discharging devotional service." The purport is that one should not neglect following the principles of devotional service, nor should one accept the rulings of devotional service which are more than what he can easily perform.
For example, it may be said that one should chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra at least 100,000 times daily on his beads.
But if this is not possible, then one must minimize his chanting according to his own capacity.
Generally, we recommend our disciples to chant at least 16 rounds on their japa beads daily, and this should be completed.
But if one is not even able to chant 16 rounds, then he must make it up the next day.
He must be sure to keep his vow.
If he does not strictly follow this out, then he is sure to be negligent.
That is offensive in the service of the Lord.
If we encourage offenses, we shall not be able to make progress in devotional service.
It is better if one fixes up a regulative principle according to his own ability and then follows that vow without fail.
That will make him advanced in spiritual life.
Observing Fasting on Ekādaśī In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekādaśī day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life.
The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Kṛṣṇa.
The real reason for observing fasting on Ekādaśī is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service.
The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly.
To Offer Respect to the Banyan Trees In the Skanda Purāṇa it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasī plant and āmalaka trees.
He should offer respect to the cows and to the brāhmaṇas and should serve the Vaiṣṇavas by offering them respectful obeisances and meditating upon them.
All of these processes will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities.
To Give Up the Company of Nondevotess Lord Caitanya was once asked by one of His householder devotees what the general behavior of a Vaiṣṇava should be.
In this connection, Lord Caitanya replied that a Vaiṣṇava should always give up the company of nondevotees.
Then He explained that there are two kinds of nondevotees: one class is against the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa, and another class is too materialistic.
In other words, those who are after material enjoyment and those who are against the supremacy of the Lord are called avaiṣṇava, and their company should be strictly avoided.
In the Kātyāyana-saṁhitā it is stated that even if one is forced to live within a cage of iron or in the midst of a blazing fire, he should accept this position rather than live with nondevotees who are through and through against the supremacy of the Lord.
Similarly, in Viṣṇu-rahasya, there is a statement to the effect that one should prefer to embrace a snake, a tiger or an alligator rather than associate with persons who are worshipers of various demigods and who are impelled by material desire.
In the scriptures it is instructed that one may worship a certain demigod if he is desirous of achieving some material gain.
For example, one is advised to worship the sun god if he is desirous of getting rid of a diseased condition.
For a beautiful wife, one can worship Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva, and for advanced education one may worship Sarasvatī.
Similarly, there is a list in the Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam for worshipers of all demigods, according to different material desires.
But all of these worshipers, although they appear to be very good devotees of the demigods, are still considered to be nondevotees.
They cannot be accepted as devotees.
The māyāvādīs (impersonalists) say that one can worship any form of the Lord and that it doesn't matter because one reaches the same destination anyway.
But it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that those who are worshipers of the demigods will ultimately reach only the planets of those demigods, while those who are devotees of the Lord Himself will be promoted to the Lord's abode, the kingdom of God.
So actually these persons who are worshipers of demigods have been condemned in the Gītā.
It is described that due to their lusty desires they have lost their intelligence, and therefore they have taken to worshiping the different demigods.
So in the Viṣṇu- rahasya these demigod worshipers are forcefully condemned by the statement that it is better to live with the most dangerous animals than to associate with these persons.
Another stricture is that a person may have many disciples, but he should not act in such a way that he will be obliged to any of them for some particular action or some favor.
And one should also not be very enthusiastic about constructing new temples, nor should one be enthusiastic about reading various types of books, save and except the ones which lead to the advancement of devotional service.
Practically, if one very carefully reads the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya and this Nectar of Devotion, that will give him sufficient knowledge to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
One need not take the trouble of reading other books.
In the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 13th Chapter, 7th verse, Nārada Muni, while discussing with Mahārāj Yudhiṣṭhira the various functions of the different orders in society, especially mentions rules for the sannyāsīs-those persons who have renounced this material world.
One who has accepted the sannyāsa order of life is forbidden to accept as a disciple anyone who is not fit.
A sannyāsī should first of all examine whether a prospective student is sincerely seeking Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
If he is not, he should not be accepted.
However, Lord Caitanya's causeless mercy is such that He advised all bona fide spiritual masters to speak about Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere.
Therefore, in the line of Lord Caitanya, even the sannyāsīs can speak about Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere, and if someone is seriously inclined to become a disciple, the sannyāsī always accepts him.
The one point is that without increasing the number of disciples, there is no propagation of the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore, sometimes even at a risk, a sannyāsī in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu may accept even a person who is not thoroughly fit to become a disciple.
Later on, by the mercy of such a bona fide spiritual master, the disciple is gradually elevated.
However, if one increases the number of disciples simply for some prestige or false honor, he will surely fall down in the matter of executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Similarly, a bona fide spiritual master has no business reading many books simply to show his proficiency or to get popularity by lecturing in different places.
One should avoid all these things.
It is also stated that a sannyāsī should not be enthusiastic about constructing temples.
We can see in the life of various ācāryas in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that they are not very enthusiastic about constructing temples.
However, if somebody comes forward to offer some service, the same reluctant ācāryas will encourage the building of costly temples by such servitors.
For example, Rūpa Gosvāmī was offered a favor by Mahārāj Mansingh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar, and Rūpa Gosvāmī instructed him to construct a large temple for Govindajī, which cost vast amounts of money.
So a bona fide spiritual master should not personally take any responsibility for constructing temples, but if someone has money and wants to spend it in the service of Kṛṣṇa, an ācārya like Rūpa Gosvāmī may utilize the devotee's money to construct a nice costly temple for the service of the Lord.
Unfortunately, it happens that someone who is not fit to become a spiritual master may approach wealthy persons to contribute for temple constructions.
If such money is utilized by unqualified spiritual masters to live comfortably in costly temples without actually doing any preaching work, this is not acceptable.
In other words, a spiritual master needn't be very enthusiastic for constructing temple buildings simply in the name of so-called spiritual advancement.
Rather, his first and foremost activity should be to preach.
In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāj recommended that a spiritual master print books.
If one has money, instead of constructing costly temples, one should spend his money for the publication of authorized books in different languages for propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Straightforwardness in Ordinary Dealings There is a statement in the Padma Purāṇa: "Persons who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should never be disturbed by some material gain or loss.
Even if there is some material loss, one should not be perturbed, but should always think of Kṛṣṇa within himself." The purport is that every conditioned soul is always absorbed in thinking of materialistic activities; he has to make himself freed from such thoughts and transfer himself completely to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As we have already explained, the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to always think of Kṛṣṇa.
One should not be disturbed in material loss, but, rather, should concentrate his mind upon the lotus feet of the Lord.
A devotee should not be subjected to lamentation or illusion.
There is the following statement in the Padma Purāṇa: "Within the heart of a person who is overpowered by lamentation or anger, there is no possibility of Kṛṣṇa being manifested." The Demigods One should not become neglectful to offer due respect to the demigods.
One may not be a devotee of demigods, but that does not mean that he should be disrespectful to them.
For example, a Vaiṣṇava is not a devotee of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, but he is duty-bound to offer all respects to such highly-positioned demigods.
According to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, one should offer respect even to an ant, so then what need is there to speak of such exalted persons as Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā? In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, "Kṛṣṇa, or Hari, is the master of all demigods, and therefore He is always worshipable.
But this does not mean that one should not offer respect to the demigods." Not Giving Pain to Any Living Entity This is the statement of Mahābhārata: "A person who does not disturb or cause painful action in the mind of any living entity, who treats everyone just like a loving father does his children, whose heart is so pure, certainly very soon becomes favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." In so-called civilized society there is sometimes agitation against cruelty to animals, but at the same time regular slaughterhouses are always maintained.
A Vaiṣṇava is not like that.
A Vaiṣṇava can never support animal slaughter nor even give pain to any living entity.
Offenses to be Avoided
In the supplementary Vedic literature, there is the following list of 32 offenses in the matter of serving the Lord:
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One should not enter the temple of the Deity in a car or palanquin or with shoes on the feet.
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One should not fail to observe the various festivals for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such as Janmāṣṭamī, Ratha-yātrā, etc.
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One should not avoid bowing down before the Deity.
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One should not enter the temple to worship the Lord without having washed his hands and feet after eating.
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One should not enter the temple in a contaminated state.
(According to Vedic scripture, if someone dies in the family the whole family becomes contaminated for some time, according to its status.
For example, if the family is brāhmaṇa their contamination period is 12 days, for the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas it is 15 days, and for śūdras 30 days.) 6) One should not bow down on one hand.
- One should not circumambulate in front of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
(The process of circumambulating the temple is that one should begin circumambulating from the Deity's right-hand side of the temple and come round.
Such circumambulation should be performed outside the temple structure at least three times daily.) 8) One should not spread his legs before the Deity.
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One should not sit before the Deity holding the ankles, elbows or knees with his hands.
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One should not lie down before the Deity of Kṛṣṇa.
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One should not accept prasādam before the Deity.
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One should never speak a lie before the Deity.
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One should not talk very loudly before the Deity.
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One should not talk with others before the Deity.
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One should not cry or howl before the Deity.
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One should not quarrel or fight before the Deity.
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One should not chastise anyone before the Deity.
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One should not be charitable to beggars before the Deity.
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One should not speak very harshly to others before the Deity.
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One should not wear a fur blanket before the Deity.
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One should not eulogize or praise anyone else before the Deity.
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One should not speak any ill names before the Deity.
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One should not pass air before the Deity.
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One should not fail to worship the Deity according to his means.
(In the Bhagavad- gītā it is stated that the Lord is satisfied if some devotee offers him even a leaf or a little water.
This formula prescribed by the Lord is universally applicable, even for the poorest man.
But that does not mean that one who has sufficient means to worship the Lord very nicely should also adopt this method and try to satisfy the Lord simply by offering water and a leaf.
If he has sufficient means, he should offer nice decorations, nice flowers, nice foodstuffs and observe all ceremonies.
It is not that one should try to satisfy the Supreme Lord with a little water and a leaf, and for himself spend all his money in sense gratification.) 25) One should not eat anything which is not offered first to Kṛṣṇa.
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One should not fail to offer fresh fruit and grains to Kṛṣṇa, according to the season.
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After cooking, no one should be offered any foodstuff unless it is first offered to the Deity.
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One should not sit with his back towards the Deity.
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One should not offer obeisances silently to the spiritual master; or in other words, one should recite aloud the prayers to the spiritual master while offering obeisances.
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One should not fail to offer some praise in the presence of the spiritual master.
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One should not praise himself before the spiritual master.
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One should not deride the demigods before the Deity.
This is a list of 32 offenses.
Besides these, there are a number of offenses which are mentioned in the Varāha Purāṇa.
They are as follows: 1) One should not touch the Deity in a dark room.
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One should not fail to strictly follow the rules and regulations in worshiping the Deity.
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One should not enter the temple of the Deity without first making some sound.
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One should not offer any foodstuff to the Deity which has been seen by dogs or other lower animals.
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One should not break the silence while worshiping.
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One should not pass urine or evacuate while engaged in worshiping.
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One should not offer incense without offering some flower.
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Useless flowers without any fragrance should not be offered.
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One should not fail to wash his teeth very carefully every day.
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One should not enter the temple directly after sexual intercourse.
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One should not touch a woman during her menstrual period.
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One should not enter the temple after touching a dead body.
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One should not enter the temple wearing garments of red or blue color, or which are unwashed.
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One should not enter the temple after seeing a dead body.
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One should not pass air within the temple.
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One should not be angry within the temple.
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One should not enter the temple after visiting a crematorium.
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One should not belch before the Deity.
So, until one has fully digested his food, he should not enter the temple.
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One should not smoke marijuana or gañjā.
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One should not take opium or similar intoxicants.
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One should not enter the Deity room or touch the body of the Deity after having smeared oil over his body.
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One should not show disrespect to a scripture teaching about the supremacy of the Lord.
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One should not introduce any opposing scripture.
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One should not chew betel before the Deity.
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One should not offer a flower which was kept in an unclean pot.
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One should not worship the Lord while sitting on the bare floor: one must have a sitting place or carpet.
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One should not touch the Deity before he has completed taking bath.
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One should not decorate his forehead with the three-lined tilaka.
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One should not enter the temple without washing his hands and feet.
Other rules are that one should not offer foodstuff which is cooked by a non- Vaiṣṇava.
One should not worship the Deity before a nondevotee.
One should not engage himself in the worship of the Lord while seeing a nondevotee.
One should begin the worship of the demigod Gaṇapati, who drives away all impediments in the execution of devotional service.
In the Brahma- saṁhitā it is stated that Gaṇapati worships the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, and in that way he has become auspicious for the devotees in clearing out all impediments.
Therefore, all devotees should worship Gaṇapati.
The Deities should not be bathed in water which has been touched by the nails or fingers.
When a devotee is perspiring, he should not engage himself in worshiping the Deity.
Similarly, there are many other prohibitions, such as one should not cross or step over the flowers offered to the Deities, nor should one take a vow in the name of God.
These are all different kinds of offenses in the matter of executing devotional service, and one should be careful to avoid them.
In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that even a person whose life is completely sinful will be completely protected by the Lord if he simply surrenders unto Him.
So it is accepted that one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes freed from all sinful reactions.
And even when a person becomes an offender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, he can still be delivered simply by taking shelter of the holy names of the Lord: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
In other words, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is beneficial for eradicating all sins; but if one becomes an offender to the holy names of the Lord, then he has no chance of being delivered.
The offenses against the chanting of the holy name are as follows: 1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
- To consider the names of demigods like Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Viṣṇu.
(Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.
But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant Kālī, Kālī! or Durgā, Durgā! and it is the same as Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is the greatest offense.) 3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.
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To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.
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To consider the glories of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa as imagination.
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To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.
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To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord.
(Because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reactions, it should not be taken that one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to neutralize his sins.
Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.) 8) To consider the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa as one of the auspicious ritualistic activities which are offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kāṇḍa).
- To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name.
(Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord.
Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.) 10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter.
Every devotee who claims to be a Vaiṣṇava must guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success.
Further Consideration of Devotional Principles
Blasphemy
One should not tolerate blaspheming of the Lord or His devotees.
In this connection, in the Tenth Canto, 70th Chapter, 25th verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells Parīkṣit Mahārāj: "My dear King, if a person, after hearing blasphemous propaganda against the Lord and His devotees, does not go away from that place, he becomes bereft of the effect of all pious activities." In one of Lord Caitanya's Śikṣāṣṭaka verses it is stated: "The devotee should be more tolerant than the tree and more submissive than the grass.
He should offer all honor to others, but may not accept any honor for himself." In spite of Lord Caitanya's being so humble and meek as a devotee, when He was informed about injuries inflicted on the body of Śrī Nityānanda, He immediately ran to the spot and wanted to kill the offenders, Jagai and Madhai.
This behavior of Lord Caitanya's is very significant.
It shows that a Vaiṣṇava may be very tolerant and meek, foregoing everything for his personal honor, but when it is a question of the honor of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, he will not tolerate any insult.
There are three ways of dealing with such insults.
If someone is heard blaspheming by words, one should be so expert that he can defeat the opposing party by argument.
If he is unable to defeat the opposing party, then the next step is that he should not just stand there meekly, but should give up his life.
The third process is followed if he is unable to execute the above-mentioned two processes, and this is that one must leave the place and go away.
If a devotee does not do any of the above-mentioned three processes, he falls down from his position of devotion.
Tilaka, Tulasī Beads and Flower Garlands In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement describing how a Vaiṣṇava should decorate his body with tilaka and beads: "Persons who put tulasī beads on the neck, who mark twelve places of their body as Viṣṇu temples with Viṣṇu's symbolic representations [the four items held in the four hands of Lord Viṣṇu-conch, mace, disk and lotus] , and who have Viṣṇu tilaka on their forehead, are to be understood as the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu in this world.
Their presence makes the world purified, and anywhere they remain they make that place as good as Vaikuṇṭha." A similar statement is in the Skanda Purāṇa, which says: "Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopī-candana [a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Vṛndāvana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose neck and breast there are tulasī beads, are never approached by the Yama-dūtas." The Yama-dūtas are the constables of King Yama (the Lord of death), who punishes all sinful men.
Vaiṣṇavas are never called for by such constables of Yamarāj.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the narration of Ajāmila's deliverance, it is said that Yamarāj gave clear instructions to his assistants not to approach the Vaiṣṇavas.
Vaiṣṇavas are beyond the jurisdiction of Yamarāj's activities.
In the Padma Purāṇa it is also mentioned: "A person whose body is decorated with the pulp of sandalwood, with paintings of the holy name of the Lord, is delivered from all sinful reactions, and after his death he goes directly to Kṛṣṇa-loka to live in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The next instruction is that one should put on flower garlands which are offered to the Deity.
In this connection, in the Eleventh Canto, 6th Chapter, 31st verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Uddhava says to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I have taken things which You have used and enjoyed, such as garlands of flowers, saintly articles, garments and ornaments, and I eat only the remnants of Your foodstuff because I am Your menial servant.
So, therefore, I am sure that I shall not be attacked by the spell of material energy." The purport of this verse is that for any person who simply follows these rules and regulations of decorating the body with the marks of tilaka of gopī-candana or sandalwood pulp, and who puts on the garlands which were offered to Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of being conquered by the spell of material energy.
At the time of death, there is no question of such a person being called by the constables of Yamarāj.
Even if one does not accept all the Vaiṣṇava principles, but still takes the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, he will gradually become qualified to rise to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava.
Similarly, in the Skanda Purāṇa Lord Brahmā tells Nārada: "My dear Nārada, anyone who puts on his neck the flower garland which was formerly used by Kṛṣṇa becomes relieved from all disease and reactions to sinful activities, and gradually he gets liberated from the contamination of matter." Dancing before the Deity In the Dvārakā-māhātmya the importance of dancing before the Deity is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa as follows: "A person who is in a jubilant spirit, who feels profound devotional ecstasy while dancing before Me, and who manifests different features of bodily expression, can burn away all the accumulated sinful reactions he has stocked up for many, many thousands of years." In the same book there is a statement by Nārada wherein he asserts: "From the body of any person who claps and dances before the Deity, showing manifestations of ecstasy, all the birds of sinful activities fly away upwards." Just as by clapping the hands one can cause many birds to fly away, similarly the birds of all sinful activities which are sitting on the body can be made to fly away simply by dancing and clapping before the Deity of Kṛṣṇa.
Bowing Down and Standing Up in Honor of the Deity In the Nāradīya Purāṇa there is a statement about bowing down and offering respect to the Deity.
It is said there: "A person who has performed a great ritualistic sacrifice and a person who has simply offered his respectful obeisances by bowing down before the Lord cannot be held as equals." The person who has executed many great sacrifices will attain the result of his pious activities, but when such results are finished, he has to take birth again on the earthly planet; whereas the person who has once offered respects, bowing down before the Deity, will not again come back to this world, because he will go directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa.
In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa it is said: "A person who sees the Lord's Ratha-yātrā car festival and then stands up to receive the Lord can purge all kinds of sinful results from his body." A similar statement is there in the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, in which it is said: " A person who follows the Ratha-yātrā car when the Rathas [Deities] pass in front or from behind, even if born of a lowly family, will surely be elevated to the position of achieving equal opulence with Viṣṇu." Going to the Temple of Viṣṇu or to Places of Pilgrimage It is stated in the Purāṇas: "Persons who attempt to visit the holy places of pilgrimage, like Vṛndāvana, Mathurā or Dvārakā, are actually glorified.
By such traveling activities, they can pass over the desert of material existence." In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, there is a statement about the benefit of visiting the temples of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
As we have explained previously, in Vṛndāvana, Mathurā and Dvārakā the system is that all the devotees take advantage of visiting various temples situated in those holy places.
It is stated in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: "Persons who are impelled by pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and who therefore go to see the Deities of Viṣṇu in the temple will surely get relief from entering again into the prison house of a mother's womb." The conditioned soul forgets the trouble of living within the mother's womb during birth, but it is a very painful and terrible experience.
In order to make an escape from this material condition, one is advised to visit a temple of Viṣṇu with devotional consciousness.
Then one can very easily get out of the miserable condition of material birth.
Circumambulating the Temple of Viṣṇu It is said in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: "A person who is circumambulating the Deity of Viṣṇu can counteract the circumambulation of repeated birth and death in this material world." The conditioned soul is circumambulating through repeated births and deaths on account of his material existence, and this can be counteracted simply by circumambulating the Deity in the temple.
The Cāturmāsya ceremony is observed during the four months of the rainy season in India, beginning from Śrāvaṇa (approximately July, August, September and October).
During these four months, saintly persons who are accustomed to travel from one place to another to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness remain at one place, usually a holy place of pilgrimage.
During these times, there are certain special rules and regulations which are strictly followed.
It is stated in the Skanda Purāṇa that during this period, if someone circumambulates the temple of Viṣṇu at least four times, it is understood that he has traveled all over the universe.
By such circumambulation, one is understood to have seen all the holy places where the Ganges water is flowing, and by following the regulative principles of Cāturmāsya one can very quickly be raised to the platform of devotional service.
Arcanā Arcanā means to worship the Deity in the temple.
By executing this process one confirms himself as not body but spirit soul.
In the Tenth Canto, 81st Chapter, 16th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is told how Sudāmā, an intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, while going to the house of a brāhmaṇa murmured to himself, "Simply by worshiping Kṛṣṇa one can easily achieve all the results of heavenly opulence, liberation, supremacy over the planetary systems of the universe, all the opulences of this material world, and the mystic power of performing the yoga system." The events leading to Sudāmā's murmuring this statement are as follows: Śrī Kṛṣṇa had ordered His friend Sudāmā to go to a brāhmaṇa's house and ask for some food.
The brāhmaṇas were performing a great sacrifice, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Sudāmā to plead with them that He and Balarāma were feeling hungry and needed some food.
When Sudāmā went there, the brāhmaṇas refused to offer anything, but the wives of the brāhmaṇas, upon hearing that Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted some foodstuff, immediately took many palatable dishes and went to offer them to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
In the Viṣṇu-rahasya also, it is stated: "Any person within this world who is engaged in the worship of Viṣṇu can very easily achieve the ever-blissful kingdom of God, known as Vaikuṇṭha." Rendering Service to the Lord It is stated in the Viṣṇu-rahasya: "Any person who can arrange for service to the Lord in the same way that a king is given service by his attendants is surely elevated to the abode of Kṛṣṇa after death." Actually, in India, the temples are just like royal palaces.
They are not ordinary buildings because the worship of Kṛṣṇa should be performed in just the way that a king is worshiped in his palace.
So in Vṛndāvana there are many hundreds of temples wherein the Deity is worshiped exactly like a king.
In the Nāradīya Purāṇa it is stated: "If person stays in the Lord's temple even for a few moments, he can surely achieve the transcendental kingdom of God." The conclusion is that those who are rich men in society should construct beautiful temples and arrange for the worship of Viṣṇu, so that people may be attracted to visit such temples and thereby be offered the opportunity of dancing before the Lord, or chanting the holy name of the Lord, or else of hearing the holy name of the Lord.
In this way, everyone will be given the chance to elevate himself to the kingdom of God.
In other words, even a common man, simply by visiting such a temple, will be able to attain the highest benedictions, not to mention the devotees who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In this connection, there is a statement in the Fourth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, wherein King Pṛthu says to his subjects: "My dear citizens, please note that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is actually the deliverer of all fallen conditioned souls.
No demigod can perform this act of delivering the conditioned souls, because the demigods themselves are conditioned.
A conditioned soul cannot deliver another conditioned soul.
Only Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative can deliver him.
The Ganges water which is flowing down from the toe of Lord Viṣṇu falls upon the earthly planet and other planets and thereby delivers all the conditioned sinful living entities.
So what need is there to speak of the deliverance of persons who are always engaged in the service of the Lord? There is no doubt about their liberation, even if they have stocks of sinful activities from many, many births." In other words, a person who is engaged in the worship of the Deities can minimize his stock of sinful reactions coming from many, many previous births.
This process of worshiping the Deity has already been described, and one should try to follow these rules and regulations seriously.
In the Liṅga Purāṇa there is a statement about glorifying and singing about the Lord.
It is said there: "A brāhmaṇa who is constantly engaged in singing the glories of the Lord is surely elevated to the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lord Kṛṣṇa appreciates this singing even more than the prayers offered by Lord Śiva." When a person loudly chants the glories of the Lord's activities, qualities, form, etc., it is called saṅkīrtana.
Saṅkīrtana also refers to the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
In the Viṣṇu-dharma there is a statement glorifying this process of congregational chanting: "My dear King, this word 'Kṛṣṇa' is so auspicious that anyone who chants this holy name immediately gets rid of the resultant actions of sinful activities from many, many births." That is a fact.
There is the following statement in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: "A person who chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once can counteract the resultant actions of more sinful activities than he is able to perform." A sinful man can perform many, many sinful activities, but he is unable to perform so many that they cannot be wiped out by one single uttering of "Kṛṣṇa." In the Seventh Canto, 9th Chapter, 17th verse, of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, Mahārāj Prahlāda offers the following prayers to the Lord: "My dear Lord Nṛsiṁha, if I can be elevated to the position of Your servant, then it will be possible for me to hear about Your activities.
You are the supreme friend, the supreme worshipable Deity.
Your pastimes are transcendental, and simply by hearing of them one can counteract all his sinful activities.
Therefore, I shall not care for all those sinful activities because simply by hearing about Your pastimes I shall get out of all the contamination of material attachment." There are many songs about the Lord's activities.
For example, there is the Brahma-saṁhitā, sung by Lord Brahmā, Nārada-pañcarātra, sung by Nārada Muni, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sung by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
If these songs are heard by any person, he can easily get out of the clutches of material contamination.
There should be no difficulty in hearing these songs of God.
They are coming down from many, many millions of years ago, and people are still taking advantage of them.
So why, at this time, should one not take full advantage and thus become liberated? Glorifying the Lord's Transcendental Activities In the First Canto, 5th Chapter, 22nd verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni tells his disciple Vyāsadeva, "My dear Vyāsa, you should know that persons who are engaged in executing austerities and penances, studying the Vedas, performing big sacrifices, chanting the hymns of the Vedas, speculating on transcendental knowledge and performing charitable functions have for all their auspicious activities simply to gain a place in the association of devotees and to chant the glories of the Lord." It is indicated here that chanting and glorifying the Lord is the ultimate activity of the living entity.
Japa When a mantra or hymn is chanted softly and slowly, that is called japa.
The same mantra, when chanted loudly, is called kīrtana.
For example, the mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) when uttered very softly only for one's own hearing is called japa.
The same mantra, when chanted loudly for being heard by all others, is called kīrtana.
The mahā-mantra can be used for japa and kīrtana also.
When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kīrtana is performed it is for the benefit of all others who may hear.
In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement: "For any person who is chanting the holy name either softly or loudly, the paths to liberation and even heavenly happiness are at once open." Submission In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about submission unto the lotus feet of the Lord.
It is said there that those who are sober devotees can offer their submission to Kṛṣṇa in the following three ways: 1) samprāthanātmikā, very feelingly offering prayers; 2) dainyavodhikā, humbly submitting oneself; 3) lālasāmayī, desiring some perfectional stage.
This desiring some perfectional stage in spiritual life is not sense gratification.
When one realizes something of his constitutional relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he understands his original position and wants to be reinstated in this position, either as friend, servant, parent or conjugal lover of Kṛṣṇa.
That is called lālasāmayī, or very eagerly desiring to go to one's natural position.
This lālasāmayī stage of submission comes in the stage of perfect liberation, which is technically called svarūpa-siddhi, when the living entity understands, by perfect spiritual advancement and revelation, his original relationship with the Lord.
Submission in Feeling In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement by devotees praying to the Lord: "My Lord, I know that young girls have natural affection for young boys, and that young boys have natural affection for young girls.
I am praying at Your lotus feet that my mind may become attracted unto You in the same spontaneous way." The example is very appropriate.
When a young boy or girl sees a member of the opposite sex there is a natural attraction, without the need for any introduction.
Without any training there is a natural attraction due to the sex impulse.
This is a material example, but the devotee is praying that he may develop a similar spontaneous attachment for the Supreme Lord, free from any desire for profit and without any other cause.
This natural attraction for the Lord is the perfectional stage of self-realization.
In the same Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about submission and humbleness.
It is stated there: "My dear Lord, there is no sinful living entity who is more of a sinner than myself.
Nor is there a greater offender than myself.
I am so greatly sinful and offensive that when I come to confess my sinful activities before You, I am ashamed." This is a natural position for a devotee.
As far as the conditioned soul is concerned, there is no wonder that he has some sinful activities in his past life, and this should be admitted and confessed before the Lord.
As soon as this is done the Lord excuses the sincere devotee.
But that does not mean that one should take advantage of the Lord's causeless mercy and expect to be excused over and over again, while he commits the same sinful activities.
Such a mentality is only for shameless persons.
Here it is clearly said, "When I come to confess my sinful activities I become ashamed." So if a person is not ashamed of his sinful activities and continues to commit the same sinful activities with the knowledge that the Lord will excuse him, that is a most nonsensical proposition.
Such an idea is not accepted in any part of the Vedic literature.
It is a fact that by chanting the holy name of the Lord one becomes washed clean of all sinful activities from his past life.
But that does not mean that after being washed off, one should again begin sinful activities and expect to be washed again.
These are nonsensical propositions and are not admitted in the devotional service.
Someone may think: "For a whole week I may commit sinful activities, and for one day I will go to the temple or church and admit my sinful activities so that I can become washed off and again begin my sinning." This is most nonsensical and offensive and is not acceptable to the author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
In the Nārada-pañcarātra there is a statement of submission accompanied by the desire for perfection.
The devotee says, "My dear Lord, when shall that day come when You will ask me to fan Your body, and according to Your pleasure, You will say, 'You just fan Me in this way'?" The idea in this verse is that the devotee is desiring to personally fan the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
That means that he is desiring to become the personal associate of the Supreme Lord.
Of course, any devotee in any capacity, either as servant, friend or conjugal lover, always has direct association with the Lord.
But according to his different individual taste, a person desires for just one of these relationships.
Here the devotee is desiring to become a servant of the Lord and desires to fan the Lord, as does His internal energy, Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune.
He also wishes that the Personality of Godhead will be pleased to give him directions as to how to fan.
This submission with transcendental desire, or lālasāmayī vijñapti, is the highest perfectional stage of spiritual realization.
In the same Nārada-pañcarātra, there is another expression of submission, wherein the devotee says, "My dear Lord, O lotus-eyed one, when will that day come when on the bank of the Yamunā, I shall become just like a madman, and continue to chant Your holy name while incessant tears flow from my eyes?" This is another perfectional stage.
Lord Caitanya also desired that "a moment will appear unto Me as twelve years of time, and the whole world will appear to Me as vacant on account of not seeing You, My dear Lord." One should feelingly pray and become eager to render his particular type of service to the Lord.
This is the teaching of all great devotees, especially Lord Caitanya.
In other words, one should learn how to cry for the Lord.
One should learn this small technique, and he should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in some particular type of service.
This is called laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection.
If one develops this laulyam, or excessive eagerness for meeting and serving the Lord in a particular way, that is the price to enter into the kingdom of God.
Otherwise, there is no material calculation for the value of the ticket by which one can enter the kingdom of God.
The only price for such entrance is this laulyam lālasāmayī, or desire and great eagerness.
Prayers According to great learned scholars, the whole Bhagavad-gītā contains many authorized prayers, especially in the Eleventh Chapter, where Arjuna prays to the universal form of the Lord.
Similarly, in the Gautamīya tantra all the verses are called prayers.
Again in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there are hundreds of prayers to the Lord.
So a devotee should select some of these prayers for his recitation.
In the Skanda Purāṇa the glories of these prayers are stated as follows: "Devotees whose tongues are decorated always with prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa are always given respect even by the great saintly persons and sages, and such devotees are actually worshipable by the demigods." Those who are less intelligent want to worship different demigods for some material gain rather than worship Kṛṣṇa.
But here it is stated that a devotee who is always engaged in offering prayers to the Lord is worshipable even by the demigods themselves.
The pure devotees have nothing to ask from any demigod, but rather the demigods are anxious to offer prayers to the pure devotees.
In the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa it is stated: "Any person who comes before the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa and begins to chant different prayers is immediately relieved from all the reactions of sinful activities and becomes eligible, without any doubt, to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha-loka." Partaking of Prasādam There is this specific statement in the Padma Purāṇa: "A person who honors the prasādam and regularly eats it, not exactly in front of the Deity, along with caraṇāmṛtam [the water offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, which is mixed with seeds of the tulasī tree], immediately can achieve the results of pious activities which are obtained through ten thousand performances of sacrificial rites." Caraṇāmṛtam is obtained in the morning while the Lord is being washed before dressing.
Scented with perfumes and flowers, the water comes gliding down through His lotus feet and is collected and mixed with yogurt.
In this way this caraṇāmṛtam not only becomes very tastefully flavored, but it also has tremendous spiritual value.
It is described in the Padma Purāṇa that even a person who has never been able to give in charity, who has never been able to perform a great sacrifice, who has never been able to study the Vedas, who has never been able to worship the Lord-or, in other words, even one who has never done any pious activities-if he simply drinks the caraṇāmṛtam which is kept in the temple, he will become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God .
In the temple it is the custom that the caraṇāmṛtam be kept in a big pot.
The devotees who come to visit and offer respects to the Deity very submissively take three drops of caraṇāmṛtam and feel themselves happy in transcendental bliss.
Smelling the Incense In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a statement about the incense which is offered in the temple: "When the devotees smell the good flavor of the incense which is offered to the Deity, they thus become cured of the poisonous effects of material contamination, as much as one becomes cured of a snake bite by smelling the prescribed medicinal herbs." The explanation of this verse is that there is an herb found in the jungles which expert persons know how to use to revive the consciousness of one who is bitten by a snake.
Simply by smelling that herb one becomes immediately relieved of the poisonous effects of the snake bite.
The same example is applicable: when a person comes to visit the temple and smells the incense offered to the Deity, he is cured at that time from all his material contamination.
Any devotee coming into the temple should always offer something to the Deity-fruit, flowers, incense, etc.
If one cannot offer anything in cash, something else must be offered.
In India the system is that all the ladies and gentlemen who come in the morning to visit the temple bring so many things.
Even one morsel of rice or one morsel of flour can be offered.
It is a regulative principle that one should not go to see a saintly person or the Deity in the temple without any offering.
The offering may be very humble, or it may be priceless.
Even a flower, a little fruit, a little water-whatever is possible-must be offered.
So when a devotee comes to offer something to the Deity in the morning, he is sure to smell the good flavor of the incense, and then at once he will become cleansed of the poisonous effect of material existence.
It is stated in the Tantra-śāstra: "If the smell of the garland which was offered to the Deity in the temple enters into the nostril of a person, immediately his bondage to sinful activities becomes cleared.
And even if one has no sinful activities, still, by smelling such remnants of flowers, one can advance from māyāvādī (impersonalist) to devotee." There are several instances of this, a prime one being the advancement of the four Kumāras.
They were impersonalist māyāvādīs, but after smelling the remnants of flowers and incense in the temple, they turned to become devotees.
From the above verse it appears that the māyāvādīs or impersonalists are more or less contaminated.
They are not pure.
It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "One who has not washed off all reactions of sinful activities cannot be a pure devotee.
A pure devotee has no more doubts about the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, and thus he engages himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service." A similar statement is in the Agastya-saṁhitā: just to purify the impurities of our nostrils, we should try to smell the remnants of flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa in the temple.
Touching the Deity In the Viṣṇu-dharmottara there is a statement about touching the lotus feet of the Lord.
It is said: "Only a person who is initiated as a Vaiṣṇava and is executing devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has the right to touch the body of the Deity." In India there was agitation during Gandhi's political movement because the lowborn classes of men like street-sweepers and caṇḍālas are prohibited, according to the Vedic system, from entering the temple.
Due to their unclean habits they are prohibited, but at the same time they are given other facilities so they may be elevated to the highest grade of devotional service by association with pure devotees.
A man born in any family is not barred, but he must be cleansed.
That cleansing process must be adopted.
Gandhi wanted to make them clean simply by stamping them with a fictitious name, Harijana (children of God), and so there was a great tug of war between the temple owners and Gandhi's followers.
But anyway, the present law is the law of all scripture-that if anyone is purified he can enter into the temple.
Actually, that is the position.
Only one who is properly initiated, who is properly following the rules and regulations, can enter and touch the Deity-not all.
And one who touches the body of the Deity, following such regulative principles, is immediately delivered from the contamination of material sins, and all of his desires become fulfilled without delay.
In the Varāha Purāṇa, also, there is a statement praising the touching of the Deity of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the temple.
A devotee says there: "My dear Vasundharā, any person who goes to Vṛndāvana and sees the Deity of Govindadeva is free from the courthouse of Yamarāj and is allowed to enter into the highest planetary system, in which reside the demigods." This means that even an ordinary person who goes to Vṛndāvana out of inquisitiveness and by chance sees the temple, especially that of Govindadeva, even if he is not elevated to the spiritual kingdom, is still assured promotion to the higher planetary systems.
This means that simply by visiting the Deity of Govinda in Vṛndāvana one becomes highly elevated in pious life.
Observing Ārātrika and Celebrations of the Lord In the Skanda Purāṇa there is the following description of the result of seeing ārātrika (worship) of the Deity: "If someone sees the face of the Lord while ārātrika is going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and millions of years past.
He is even excused from the killing of a brāhmaṇa or similar prohibited activities.
As we have already explained, there are different ceremonies to be observed, such as the birthday of Kṛṣṇa, the birthday of Lord Rāmacandra, the birthday of some prominent Vaiṣṇavas, the ceremony of Jhulan-yātrā with the Lord sitting on a swing, Dola-yātrā (the Lord's activities in the month of March), and so on.
In all festivals the Lord is seated on the car, and the car moves through different streets of the city so that people may take advantage of visiting the Lord.
In the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa it is said: "In such a ceremony, if even a caṇḍāla [dog-eater], simply out of curiosity, sees the Lord on the cart, he becomes counted as one of the associates of Viṣṇu." In the Garuḍa Purāṇa it is stated: "Any person who in gladness sees the worship of the Deity in the temple will obtain the results of kriyāyoga which are described in the Pañcarātra scripture." Kriyā-yoga is a system of practice much like practical devotional service, but it is especially meant for the mystic yogīs.
In other words, by this gradual process, the mystic yogīs are eventually elevated to the devotional service of the Lord.
Techniques of Hearing and Memorizing
The beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciouṣness and devotional service is hearing, in Sanskrit called śravaṇam.
All people should be given the chance to come and join devotional parties so that they may hear.
This hearing is very important for progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
When one links his ears to give aural reception to the transcendental vibrations he can quickly become purified and cleansed in the heart.
Lord Caitanya has affirmed that this hearing is very important.
It cleanses the heart of the contaminated soul so that he becomes quickly qualified to enter into devotional service and to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the Garuḍa Purāṇa the stress on hearing is expressed very nicely.
It is said there: "The state of conditioned life in the material world is just like a man lying unconscious, having been bitten by a snake.
This is because both such unconscious states can be ended by the sound of a mantra." When a man is snake-bitten he does not die immediately, but first becomes unconscious and remains in a comatose condition.
Anyone who is in the material world is also sleeping, as he is ignorant of his actual self or his actual duty and his relationship with God.
So materialistic life means that one is bitten by the snake of māyā, illusion, and thus, without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is almost dead.
Now the so-called dead man bitten by a snake can be brought back again to life by the chanting of some mantra.
There are expert chanters of these mantras who can perform this feat.
Similarly, one can be brought back into Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the deadly unconscious state of material life by hearing of the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
In the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 29th Chapter, 37th verse, the importance of hearing of the pastimes of the Lord is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāj Parīkṣit: "My dear King, one should stay at a place where the great ācāryas [holy teachers] speak about the transcendental activities of the Lord, and one should give aural reception to the nectarean river flowing from the moonlike faces of such great personalities.
If someone eagerly continues to hear such transcendental sounds, then certainly he will become freed from all material hunger, thirst, fear and lamentation, as well as all illusions of material existence." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommended this process of hearing as a means of self realization in the present age of Kali.
In this age it is very difficult to follow thoroughly the regulative principles and studies of the Vedas which were formerly recommended.
However, if one gives aural reception to the sound vibrated by great devotees and ācāryas, that alone will give him relief from all material contamination.
Therefore it is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one should simply hear from authorities who are actually devotees of the Lord.
Hearing from professional men will not help.
If we hear from those who are actually self realized, then the nectarean rivers, like those which are flowing on the moon planet, will flow into our ears.
This is the metaphor used in the above verse.
As is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, "A materialistic person can give up his material hankerings only by becoming situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Unless one finds a superior engagement, he will not be able to give up his inferior engagement.
In the material world everyone is engaged in the illusory activities of inferior energy, but when one is given the opportunity to relish the activities of the superior energy performed by Kṛṣṇa, then he forgets all his lesser pleasures.
When Kṛṣṇa speaks on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, to the materialistic person it appears that this is simply talk between two friends, but actually it is a river of nectar flowing down from the mouth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Arjuna gave aural reception to such vibrations, and thus he became freed from all the illusions of material problems.
In the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 3rd Chapter, 12th verse, it is stated: "A person who desires unalloyed devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is praised by transcendental sound vibrations, should always hear about His glorification and transcendental qualities.
This will surely kill all kinds of inauspiciousness in the heart." Also in the Tenth Canto, 14th Chapter, 8th verse, it is said: "My dear Lord, any person who is constantly awaiting Your causeless mercy to be bestowed upon him, and who goes on suffering the resultant actions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances from the core of his heart, is surely eligible to become liberated, for it has become his rightful claim." This statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be the guide of all devotees.
A devotee should not expect immediate relief from the reactions of his past misdeeds.
No conditioned soul is free from such reactionary experiences, because material existence means continued suffering or enjoying of past activities.
If one has finished his material activities then there is no more birth.
This is only possible when one begins Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, because such activities do not produce reaction.
Therefore, as soon as one becomes perfect in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, he is not going to take birth again in this material world.
A devotee who is not perfectly freed from the resultant actions should therefore continue to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, even though there may be so many impediments.
When such impediments arise he should simply think of Kṛṣṇa and expect His mercy.
That is the only solace.
If the devotee passes his days in that spirit, it is certain that he is going to be promoted to the abode of the Lord.
By such activities, he earns his claim to enter into the kingdom of God.
The exact word used in this verse is dāyabhāk.
Dāyabhāk refers to a son's becoming the lawful inheritor of the property of the father.
In a similar way, a pure devotee who is prepared to undergo all kinds of tribulations in executing Kṛṣṇa conscious duties becomes lawfully qualified to enter into the transcendental abode.
Remembrance Some way or other, if someone establishes in his mind his continuous relationship with Kṛṣṇa, this relationship is called remembrance.
About this remembrance there is a nice statement in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, where it is said: "Simply by remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead all living entities become eligible for all kinds of auspiciousness.
Therefore let me always remember the Lord, who is unborn and eternal." In the Padma Purāṇa the same remembrance is explained as follows: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, because if someone remembers Him, either at the time of death or during his span of life, he becomes freed from all sinful reactions." Meditation Meditation means to engage the mind in thinking of the form of the Lord, of the qualities of the Lord, of the activities of the Lord and of the service of the Lord.
Meditation does not mean anything impersonal or void.
According to Vedic literature, meditation is always on the form of Viṣṇu.
In the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa there is a statement about meditation on the form of the Lord.
It is said there: "Meditation focusing on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been accepted as transcendental and beyond the experience of material pain and pleasure.
By such meditation even one who is grossly miscreant can be delivered from the sinful reactions of his life." In the Viṣṇu-dharma there is a statement about meditation on the transcendental quality of the Lord.
It is said, "Persons who are constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and who remember the transcendental qualities of the Lord, become free from all reactions to sinful activities, and after being so cleansed they become fit to enter into the kingdom of God." In other words, no one can enter into the kingdom of God without being freed from all sinful reactions.
Sinful reactions can be avoided simply by remembering the form, qualities, pastimes, etc., of the Lord.
In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement about remembering the activities of the Lord: "A person who is always engaged in meditation on the sweet pastimes and wonderful activities of the Lord surely becomes freed from all material contamination." Meditation on Executing Devotional Service In some of the Purāṇas the evidence is given that if someone is simply meditating on devotional activities, he has achieved the desired result and has seen face to face the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In this connection, there is a story in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa that in the city of Pratiṣṭhānapura in South India there was once a brāhmaṇa who was not very well-to-do, but who was nevertheless satisfied in himself, thinking that because of his past misdeeds, and by the desire of Kṛṣṇa, he did not get sufficient money and opulence.
So he was not at all sorry for his poor material position, and he used to live very peacefully.
He was very openhearted, and sometimes he went to hear some lectures delivered by great realized souls.
At one such meeting, while he was very faithfully hearing about Vaiṣṇava activities, he was informed that these activities can be performed even by meditation.
In other words, if a person is unable to actually perform Vaiṣṇava activities physically, he can meditate upon the Vaiṣṇava activities and thereby acquire all of the same results.
Because the brāhmaṇa was not very well-to-do financially, he decided that he would simply meditate on grand, royal devotional activities, and he began this business thusly: Sometimes he would take his bath in the River Godāvarī.
After taking his bath he would sit in a secluded place on the bank of the river, and, by practicing the yoga exercises of prāṇāyāma, the usual breathing exercise, he would concentrate his mind.
This breathing exercise is meant to mechanically make the mind fixed upon a particular subject.
That is the result of the breathing exercise and also of the different sitting postures of yoga.
Formerly, even quite ordinary persons used to know how to fix the mind upon the remembrance of the Lord, and so the brāhmaṇa was doing this.
When he had fixed the form of the Lord in his mind, he began to imagine in his meditations that he was dressing the Lord very nicely in costly clothing, with ornaments, helmets and other paraphernalia.
Then he offered his respectful obeisances by bowing down before the Lord.
After finishing the dressing he began to imagine that he was cleaning the temple very nicely.
After cleansing the temple, he imagined that he had many water jugs made of gold and silver, and he took all those jugs to the river and filled them with the holy water.
Not only did he collect water from Godāvarī, but he collected from the Ganges, Yamunā, Narmadā and Kāverī.
Generally a Vaiṣṇava, while worshiping the Lord, collects water from all these rivers by mantra chanting.
This brāhmaṇa, instead of chanting some mantra, imagined that he was physically securing water from all these rivers in golden and silver water pots.
Then he collected all kinds of worshipful paraphernalia-flowers, fruits, incense and sandalwood pulp.
He collected everything to place before the Deity.
All these waters, flowers and scented articles were then very nicely offered to the Deities to Their satisfaction.
Then he offered ārātrika, and with the regulative principles he finished all these activities in the correct worshiping method.
He would daily execute similar performances as his routine work, and he continued to do so for many, many years.
Then one day the brāhmaṇa imagined in his meditations that he had prepared some sweet rice with milk and sugar and offered the preparation to the Deity.
However, he was not very satisfied with the offering because the sweet rice had been prepared recently and it was still very hot.
(This preparation, sweet rice, should not be taken hot.
The cooler the sweet rice, the better its taste.) So because the sweet rice was prepared by the brāhmaṇa very recently, he wanted to touch it so that he could know whether it was fit for eating by the Lord.
As soon as he touched the sweet rice pot with his finger, he immediately was burnt by the heat of the pot.
In this way, his meditation broke.
Now, when he looked at his finger, he saw that it was burnt, and he was wondering in astonishment how this could have happened.
Because he was simply meditating on touching the hot sweet rice, he never thought that his finger would actually become burnt.
While he was thinking like this, in Vaikuṇṭha Lord Nārāyaṇa, seated with the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, began to smile humorously.
On seeing this smiling of the Lord, all the goddesses of fortune who were attending the Lord became very curious and asked Lord Nārāyaṇa why He was smiling.
The Lord, however, did not reply to their inquisitiveness, but instead immediately sent for the brāhmaṇa.
An airplane sent from Vaikuṇṭha immediately brought the brāhmaṇa into Lord Nārāyaṇa's presence.
When the brāhmaṇa was thus present before the Lord and the goddesses of fortune, the Lord explained the whole story.
The brāhmaṇa was then fortunate enough to get an eternal place in Vaikuṇṭha in the association of the Lord and His Lakṣmīs.
This shows how the Lord is all-pervading, in spite of His being locally situated in His abode.
Although the Lord was present in Vaikuṇṭha, He was present also in the heart of the brāhmaṇa when he was meditating on the worshiping process.
Thus, we can understand that things offered by the devotees even in meditation are accepted by the Lord, and they help one achieve the desired result.
Aspects of Transcendental Service
Servitorship
In the opinion of the karmīs (fruitive workers), offering the results of karma is called servitorship.
But according to Vaiṣṇava ācāryas like Rūpa Gosvāmī, servitorship means to be constantly engaged in some kind of service to the Lord.
In the Skanda Purāṇa it is said that those who are attached to ritualistic activities, the four orders of social life and the four orders of spiritual life, are considered devotees.
But when devotees are actually engaged in offering service to the Lord directly, these must be bhāgavatas, or pure devotees.
Those who are engaged in fruitive activities, or prescribed duties according to the four orders of social and spiritual life, are not actually pure devotees.
But still, because they are offering the result to the Lord, they are accepted as devotees.
When one has no such desire, but acts spontaneously out of love of God, such a person must be accepted as a pure devotee.
The conditioned souls who have come into contact with the material world are all more or less desirous of lording it over material nature.
The system of varṇāśrama and the prescribed duties under this system are so designed that the conditioned soul may enjoy in the material world according to his desire for sense gratification and at the same time gradually become elevated to spiritual understanding.
Under these prescribed duties of varṇa and āśrama there are many activities which belong to devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Those devotees who are householders accept Vedic ritualistic performances as well as the prescribed duties of devotional service, because both are meant for satisfying Kṛṣṇa.
When householder devotees perform some Vedic ritualistic duties, they do so to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.
As we have previously discussed, any activity aiming at satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead is considered devotional service.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes one who is fit for becoming engaged in devotional service.
He says that persons who are neophytes and who have developed a little love of Godhead are not interested in the activities of sense gratification, in proportion to their devotion.
But if there is still some attraction for sense gratifying activities, then the result of such activities should be offered to Kṛṣṇa.
This is also called engagement in the service of the Lord, with the Lord as the master and the worker as the servant.
In the Nāradīya Purāṇa there is a statement of how this servitorship is transcendental.
It is said there that a person who is constantly engaged in devotional service by his body, mind and words, or even a person who is not practically engaged but is simply desiring to be so, is considered to be liberated.
Devotional service in friendship Devotional service in friendship can be divided into two categories: one is to act as the confidential servant of the Lord, and the other is to act as the well-wisher of the Lord.
The devotee who has confidence in devotional service to the Lord systematically follows the rules and regulations, with the faith that he will achieve the platform of transcendental life.
The second type of devotional friendship is to become a well- wisher of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the Lord accepts a preacher as the most dear servant.
Anyone who is preaching the confidential message of the Gītā to the people in general is so dear to Kṛṣṇa that no one can be equal with him in human society.
In the Mahābhārata, Draupadī says, "My dear Govinda, Your promise is that Your devotee can never be vanquished.
I believe in that statement, and therefore in all kinds of tribulations I simply remember Your promise, and thus I live." The purport is that Draupadī and her five husbands, the Pāṇḍavas, were put into severe tribulations by their cousin-brother, Duryodhana, as well as by others.
The tribulations were so severe that even Bhīṣmadeva, who was both a lifelong brahmacārī and a great warrior, would sometimes shed tears thinking of them.
He was always surprised that, although the Pāṇḍavas were so righteous and Draupadī practically the goddess of fortune, and although Kṛṣṇa was their friend, still they had to undergo such severe tribulations.
Though their tribulations were not ordinary, still Draupadī was not discouraged.
She knew that because Kṛṣṇa was their friend, ultimately they would be saved.
A similar statement is there in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 2nd Chapter, 5th verse, where Havi, the son of King Ṛṣabha, addresses Mahārāj Nimi: "My dear King, a person who never deviates even for a moment from engagement in service at the lotus feet of the Supreme Person (engagement which is sought after even by great demigods like Indra) with firm conviction that there is nothing more worshipable or desirable than this, is called the first-class devotee." Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says that a neophyte devotee who has simply developed a slight love of Godhead is certainly a prospective candidate for devotional service.
When he becomes firmly fixed in such devotional service, that assured status becomes a confidential part of his devotional service.
Sometimes it is found that a pure devotee lies down in the temple of the Lord in order to serve Him as a confidential friend.
Such friendly behavior of a devotee may be accepted as rāgānugā, or spontaneous.
Although, according to regulative principles, no one can lie down in the temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this spontaneous love of Godhead can be grouped under devotional service in friendship.
Regarding complete self-surrender, there is a nice description in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 29th Chapter, 32nd verse, where the Lord says: "A person who has completely surrendered unto Me and has completely given up all other activities is protected by Me personally, both in this life and in the next.
In other words, I wish to help him become more and more advanced in spiritual life.
Such a person is to be understood as having already achieved sārṣṭi [having equal opulences with the supreme]." It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that as soon as a person surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa takes charge of him and gives him a guarantee of protection from all sinful reactions.
He also instructs from within, so that the devotee may very quickly make advancement towards spiritual perfection.
This self-surrender is called ātma-nivedana.
According to different authorities, "self" is differently defined.
"Self" is sometimes considered to refer to the spirit self, or soul, and "self" is sometimes considered to refer to the mind or to the body.
Full self-surrender, therefore, means not only surrendering one's self as spirit soul, but also surrendering one's mind and body to the service of the Lord.
Śrīla Bhaktivinode Thākur has sung a nice song in this connection.
While offering himself as a fully surrendered soul, he said, "My mind, my household affairs, my body, whatever is in my possession, my dear Lord, I offer to You for Your service.
Now You can do with them as You like.
You are the supreme possessor of everything, so if You like You can kill me, or if You like You can give me protection.
All authority belongs to You.
I have nothing to claim as my own." Śrī Yāmunācārya, in his prayers to the Lord, has expressed a similar idea in the following words: "My dear Lord, I may be living within some body as a human being or as a demigod, but whatever mode of life, I do not mind, because these bodies are simply by-products of the three modes of material nature, and I, who am in possession of these bodies, am surrendering myself unto You." In the Hari-bhakti-viveka, there is a statement regarding how one can offer his body in self-surrender.
There the devotee says, "My dear Lord, as a sold-out animal has no need to think about his maintenance and sustenance, so, because I have given up my body and soul unto You, I am no longer concerned with my maintenance and sustenance." In other words, one should not bother about his personal or family maintenance or sustenance.
If one is actually surrendered in body and soul, he should always remember that his only concern is to be engaged in the service of the Lord.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that devotional service in friendship and devotional service in self-surrender are two difficult processes.
Therefore such relationships with the Lord can very rarely be seen.
Only for the advanced devotees are these two processes easily executed.
The purport is that it is very rare to see surrender which is mixed with sincere ecstatic devotion.
One must give himself completely to the will of the Lord.
In the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 40th verse, 11th Chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava: "My dear friend, if someone offers Me the best thing in his possession, or anything which is very pleasing to him, he will be eternally benefited." In the Nārada-pañcarātra there is a statement of how one can act in all spheres of life for the satisfaction of the Lord.
It is stated there that a person who is actually in devotional service must be engaged in all kinds of activities, those prescribed in the revealed scriptures and also those which are accepted for livelihood.
In other words, a devotee should engage himself not only in the prescribed duties of devotional service which are mentioned in the revealed scriptures, but he should also perform the duties of his practical life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
For example, a devotee who has a great establishment, or factory, may offer the fruits of such a material possession for the service of the Lord.
In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa there is the following statement about selfsurrender: "My dear Lord, a person who has surrendered himself unto You, and is in firm conviction that he is Yours, and actually acts in that way by his body, mind and words, can actually relish transcendental bliss." In the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva says: "Anyone who prays unto Me and takes shelter from Me becomes My ward, and I protect him always from all sorts of calamities." Serving Trees such as the Tulasī In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement eulogizing the tulasī tree as follows: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the tulasī tree, which can immediately vanquish volumes of sinful activities.
Simply by seeing or touching this tree one can become relieved from all distresses and diseases.
Simply by offering obeisances to and pouring water on the tulasī tree, one can become freed from the fear of being sent to the court of Yamarāj [the King of death, who punishes the sinful].
If someone sows a tulasī tree somewhere, certainly he becomes devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
And when the tulasī leaves are offered in devotion at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is the full development of love of Godhead." In India every Hindu, even those not belonging to the Vaiṣṇava group, take special care of the tulasī tree.
Even in great cities where it is very difficult to keep a tulasī tree, people are to be found very carefully keeping this plant.
They water it and offer obeisances to it, because worship of the tulasī tree is very important in devotional service.
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is another statement about tulasī, as follows: "Tulasī is auspicious in all respects.
Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always auspiciousness.
Anyone who comes in touch with the tulasī tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuṇṭha world."
Revealed Scriptures
According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, any book which gives enlightenment in the matter of advancing devotional service is considered to be revealed scripture.
Śrīla Madhvācārya has also defined revealed scriptures as referring to books such as the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-and any other literature which is written in pursuance of such revealed scriptures.
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is the statement, "A person who is constantly engaged in reading literature enunciating the cultivation of Vaiṣṇava devotional service is always glorious in human society, and certainly Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased with him.
A person who very carefully keeps such literature at home and offers respectful obeisances to it becomes freed from all sinful reactions and ultimately becomes worshipable by the demigods." It is also said to Nārada Muni: "My dear Nārada, a person who writes Vaiṣṇava literature and keeps such literature at home has Lord Nārāyaṇa always residing in his house." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto, 12th Chapter, 12th verse, it is stated: "Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedānta philosophy.
Any person who has become attached in some way or other to the reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam cannot have any taste for reading any other literature.
In other words, a person who has relished the transcendental bliss of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam cannot be satisfied with mundane writings." In the Varāha Purāṇa there is a statement praising the residential quarters of Mathurā.
Lord Varāha tells the men of earth: "Any person who becomes attracted to places other than Mathurā will certainly be captivated by the illusory energy." In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa it is said that all the results of traveling on all the pilgrimages within the three worlds can be achieved simply by touching the holy land of Mathurā.
In many śāstras (scriptures) it is said that simply by hearing, remembering, glorifying, desiring, seeing, or touching the land of Mathurā, one can achieve all desires.
In the Padma Purāṇa, there is a nice statement praising the service of the Vaiṣṇavas or devotees.
In that scripture Lord Śiva tells Pārvatī, "My dear Pārvatī, there are different methods of worship, and out of all such methods the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be the highest.
But even higher than the worship of the Lord is the worship of the Lord's devotees." A similar statement is in the Third Canto, 7th Chapter, 19th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "Let me become a sincere servant of the devotees, because by serving them one can achieve unalloyed devotional service unto the lotus feet of the Lord.
The service of devotees diminishes all miserable material conditions and develops within one a deep devotional love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead." In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are marked with tilaka, symbolizing the conchshell, wheel, club and lotusand who keep the leaves of tulasī on their heads, and whose bodies are always decorated with gopī-candana-even seen once, can help the seer be relieved from all sinful activities." A similar statement is found in the First Canto, 19th Chapter, 30th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "There is no doubt about one's becoming freed from all reactions to sinful activities after visiting a devotee or touching his lotus feet or giving him a sitting place.
Even by remembering the activities of such Vaiṣṇavas, one becomes purified, along with his whole family.
And what, then, can be said of rendering direct service to him?" In the Ādi Purāṇa there is the following statement by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, addressed to Arjuna: "My dear Pārtha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so.
Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee." No one can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly.
One must approach Him through His pure devotees.
Therefore, in the system of Vaiṣṇava activities, the first duty is to accept a devotee as spiritual master and then to render service unto him.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī affirms that all the quotations given in the Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu from different scriptures are accepted by the great ācāryas and devotees of the Lord.
In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement that one should perform the ceremonies for the Lord according to one's financial position.
Everyone should observe the different ceremonies and celebrations of the Lord by all means.
One of the most important of these ceremonial functions is called Ūrja-vrata.
Ūrja-vrata is observed in the month of Kārttika (OctoberNovember); especially in Vṛndāvana, there is a specific program for temple worship of the Lord in His Dāmodara form.
Dāmodara refers to Kṛṣṇa's being bound with rope by His mother, Yaśodā.
It is said that just as Lord Dāmodara is very dear to His devotees so the month known as Dāmodara or Kārttika is also very dear to them.
The execution of devotional service during Ūrja-vrata in the month of Kārttika is especially recommended to be performed at Mathurā.
This system is still followed by many devotees.
They go to Mathurā or Vṛndāvana and stay there during the month of Kārttika specifically to perform devotional services during this period.
In the Padma Purāṇa it is said: "The Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee, but after some devotional service has been executed, particularly in Mathurā during the month of Kārttika, the devotees want only to attain pure devotional service unto the Lord." The purport is that the Lord does not award devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it.
But even such unserious persons who execute devotional service according to the regulative principles during the month of Kārttika, and within the jurisdiction of Mathurā in India, are very easily awarded the Lord's personal service.
In the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa there is a statement about observing different ceremonies celebrating the Lord's appearance (birthday) and other transcendental activities.
It is said, "My Lord Janārdana [Kṛṣṇa], please let us know the date when Your mother Devakī devī gave birth to You.
If You kindly inform us about this, then we shall observe a great celebration on this date.
O killer of Keśī, we are souls one hundred percent surrendered unto Your lotus feet, and we wish only to please You with our ceremonies." This statement of the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa gives evidence that by observing different functions in relationship with the Lord one is sure to become pleasing to the Lord.
It is said in the Ādi Purāṇa: "A person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy name and who feels transcendental pleasure, being engaged in devotional service, is certainly awarded the facilities of devotional service, and is never given just mukti [liberation]." Mukti means liberation from material contamination; when liberated, one does not have to take birth again in the material world.
The impersonalists desire to merge into the spiritual existence, to end their individual existence, but according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mukti is only the beginning of one's becoming situated in his normal condition.
The normal condition of every living entity is to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.
From the statement of the Ādi Purāṇa it appears that a devotee is satisfied simply with being engaged in devotional service.
He does not aspire for any liberation from material conditional life.
In other words, anyone who is engaged in devotional service is not in the material condition of life, although he may appear so.
Recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the desire-tree of Vedic wisdom.
Veda itself means the aggregate of knowledge.
And whatever knowledge is required for human society is perfectly presented in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
There are different branches of knowledge in the Vedic writings, including sociology, politics, medicine and military art.
All these and other branches of knowledge are perfectly described in the Vedas.
So, as far as spiritual knowledge is concerned, that is also perfectly described there, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is considered to be the ripened fruit of this desire-fulfilling tree of the Vedas.
A tree is honored by the production of its fruit.
For example, a mango tree is considered very valuable because it produces the king of all fruits, the mango.
When the mango fruit becomes ripened it is the greatest gift of that tree, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is similarly held to be the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree.
And, as ripened fruit becomes more relishable when first touched by the beak of a parrot, or śuka, so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has become more relishable by being delivered through the transcendental mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be received in disciplic succession without any breakage.
When a ripened fruit comes from the upper part of the tree onto the ground by the process of being handed down from a higher branch to a lower branch by persons in the tree, the fruit does not break.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when received in the paramparā system, or disciplic succession, will likewise remain unbroken.
It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that the disciplic succession, or paramparā, is the way of receiving transcendental knowledge.
Such knowledge must come down through the disciplic succession, through authorized persons who know the real purpose of the śāstra.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that one learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the mouth of the self realized person called bhāgavatam.
Bhāgavata means "in relationship with the Personality of Godhead (Bhagavān)." So the devotee is sometimes called bhāgavatam, and the book which is in relationship with devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also called Bhāgavatam.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that in order to relish the real taste of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one should take instruction from the person bhāgavatam.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is relishable even by a liberated person.
It was admitted by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that although he was liberated from within the very womb of his mother, it was only after relishing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that he became a great devotee.
Thus, one who is desirous of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should relish the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam through the discussions of authorized devotees.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, 1st Chapter, 9th verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī admits that although he was very much attracted by the impersonal Brahman, when he heard the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the mouth of his father, Vyāsadeva, he became more attracted to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The idea is that Vyāsadeva was also a self realized soul, and his mature contribution of transcendental knowledge was delivered directly to Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the manner indicated.
The importance of discussing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the society of pure devotees is explained by Śaunaka Muni during the meeting at Naimiṣāraṇya, in the presence of Sūta Gosvāmī.
Sūta Gosvāmī confirmed that if someone is fortunate enough to associate with a pure devotee of the Lord even for a moment, that particular moment is so valuable that even those pious activities which can promote one to the heavenly planets or give liberation from material miseries cannot compare with it.
In other words, those who are attached to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam do not care for any kind of benefit derived from elevation to the higher planetary kingdoms, or for the liberation which is conceived of by the impersonalists.
As such, the association of pure devotees is so transcendentally valuable that no kind of material happiness can compare with it.
In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is a conversation between Prahlāda Mahārāj and his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, in which Hiraṇyakaśipu addresses Prahlāda in this way: "My dear son, association is very important.
It acts just like a crystal-stone which will reflect anything which is put before it." Similarly, if we associate with the flowerlike devotees of the Lord, and if our hearts are crystal clear, then certainly the same action will be there.
Another example given in this connection is that if a man is potent and if a woman is not diseased, then by their conjugation there will be conception.
In the same way, if the recipient of spiritual knowledge and the deliverer of spiritual knowledge are sincere and bona fide, there will be good results.
The Mahā-mantra
The importance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is very strongly stressed in the Second Canto, 1st Chapter, 11th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the following way: Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells Mahārāj Parīkṣit: "My dear King, if one is spontaneously attached to the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, it is to be understood that he has attained the highest perfectional stage."
It is specifically mentioned that the karmīs who are aspiring after the fruitive results of their activities, the salvationists who are aspiring to become one with the Supreme Person, and the yogīs who are aspiring after mystic perfections can achieve the results of all perfectional stages simply by chanting the mahā-mantra.
Śukadeva uses the word nirṇītam, which means "it is already decided." He was a liberated soul and therefore could not accept anything which was not conclusive.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī especially stresses that it is already concluded that one who has come to the stage of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with determination and steadiness must be considered as having already passed the trials of fruitive activities, mental speculation and mystic yoga.
The same thing is confirmed in the Ādi Purāṇa by Kṛṣṇa.
While addressing Arjuna He says, "Anyone who is engaged in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always associating with Me.
And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee I become easily purchased." In the Padma Purāṇa also it is stated: "The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is present only on the lips of a person who has for many births worshiped Vāsudeva." It is further said in the Padma Purāṇa: "There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself.
As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity.
The holy name is no material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination." The holy name cannot, therefore, be chanted offenselessly by one who has failed to purify his senses.
In other words, materialistic senses cannot properly chant the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
But, by adopting this chanting process, one is given a chance to actually purify himself so that he may very soon chant offenselessly.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that everyone chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra just to cleanse the dust from the heart.
If the dust of the heart is cleansed away, then one can actually understand the importance of the holy name.
For persons who are not inclined to clean the dust from their heart and want to keep things as they are, it is not possible to derive the transcendental result of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
One should, therefore, be encouraged to develop his service attitude toward the Lord, because this will help him to chant without any offense.
And so, under the guidance of a spiritual master, the disciple is trained simultaneously to render service and at the same time to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
As soon as one develops his spontaneous service attitude, he can immediately understand the transcendental nature of the holy names of the mahā-mantra.
In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement about the importance of living at holy places like Mathurā or Dvārakā.
It is stated there: "To travel to different places of pilgrimage means to attain emancipation from material bondage.
This emancipation, however, is not the highest perfectional stage.
After attaining this liberated stage, one has to become engaged in devotional service to the Lord.
After attainment of the brahma-bhūta [liberation] stage one can further advance to engagement in devotional service.
So this attainment of transcendental loving devotional service to the Lord is the goal of life, and it can be achieved very easily for one who lives in Mathurāmaṇḍala even for a few seconds." It is further said: "Who is that person who will not agree to worship the land of Mathurā? Mathurā can deliver all the desires and ambitions of the fruitive workers and of the salvationists, who desire to become one with the supreme Brahman.
Certainly Mathurā will deliver the desires of the devotees, who simply aspire to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord." In the Vedic literature it is also stated: "How wonderful it is that simply by residing in Mathurā even for one day, one can achieve a transcendental loving attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead! This land of Mathurā must be more glorious than Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma, the kingdom of God!" Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that the five kinds of devotional activitiesnamely, residing in Mathurā, worshiping the Deity of the Lord, reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, serving a devotee, and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra-are so potent that a small attachment for any one of these five items can arouse devotional ecstasy even in a neophyte.
Regarding worship of the form of the Lord, or Deity, Rūpa Gosvāmī has written the following verse: "My dear friends, if you still have any desire to enjoy the company of your friends within this material world, then don't look upon the form of Kṛṣṇa, who is standing on the bank of Keśī-ghāt [a bathing place in Vṛndāvana].
He is known as Govinda, and His eyes are very enchanting.
He is playing upon His flute, and on His head there is a peacock feather.
And His whole body is illuminated by the moonlight in the sky." The purport of this verse is that if someone becomes attached to the Śrī Mūrti, or Deity of Kṛṣṇa, by worshiping at home, then he will forget his relationships of so-called friendship, love and society.
Thus it is the duty of every householder to install Deities of the Lord at home and to begin the process of worshiping along with all of his family members.
This will save everyone from such unwanted activities as going to clubs, cinemas, dancing parties, smoking, drinking, etc.
All such nonsense will be forgotten if one stresses the worship of the Deities at home.
Rūpa Gosvāmī further writes, "My dear foolish friend, I think that you have already heard some of the auspicious Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which decries seeking the results of fruitive activities, economic development and liberation.
I think now it is certain that gradually the verses of the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, describing the pastimes of the Lord, will enter your ears and go into your heart." In the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that unless one has the capacity to throw out, just like garbage, the fruitive results of ritualistic ceremonies, economic development and becoming one with the supreme (or salvation), one cannot understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The Bhāgavatam deals exclusively with devotional service.
Only one who studies Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the spirit of renunciation can understand the pastimes of the Lord which are described in the Tenth Canto.
In other words, one should not try to understand the topics of the Tenth Canto, such as the rāsa-līlā (love dance), unless he has spontaneous attraction for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
One must be situated in pure devotional service before he can relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is.
In the above two verses of Rūpa Gosvāmī there are some metaphorical analogies, which indirectly condemn the association of materialistic society, friendship and love.
People are generally attracted to society, friendship and love, and make elaborate arrangements and strong endeavors to develop these material contaminations; but to see the Śrī Mūrtis of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is to forget such endeavors for material association.
Rūpa Gosvāmī composed his verse in such a way that he was seemingly praising the material association of friendship, love, etc., and was condemning the audience of Śrī Mūrti or Govinda.
This metaphorical analogy is constructed in such a way that things which seem to be eulogized are condemned, and things which are to be condemned are eulogized.
The actual import of the verse is that one must see the form of Govinda if one at all wants to forget the nonsense of material friendship, love and society.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has similarly described the transcendental nature of relishing topics which concern Kṛṣṇa.
A devotee once said, "It is very astonishing that since I have seen this Personality of Godhead who is washed by the tears of my eyes, there is shivering of my body, and He has made me a failure in executing my material duties.
Since seeing Him I cannot remain silently at home.
I wish to go out to Him always." The purport of this statement is that as soon as one is fortunate enough to contact a pure devotee, he must be anxious immediately to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to learn about Kṛṣṇa, or, in other words, to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Similarly, there is a statement about hearing and chanting the mahāmantra: "It is said that saints have been able to hear the vibrating strings of the vīṇā in the hands of Nārada, who is always singing the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Now this same sound vibration has entered my ears, and I am always feeling the presence of the Supreme Personality.
Gradually I am becoming bereft of all attachment for material enjoyment." Again, he has described Mathurā-maṇḍala: "I remember the Lord standing by the banks of the Yamunā River, so beautiful amidst the kadamba trees, where many birds are chirping in the gardens.
And these impressions are always giving me transcendental realization of beauty and bliss." This feeling about Mathurā-maṇḍala and Vṛndāvana by Rūpa Gosvāmī can actually be felt even by nondevotees.
The places in the eighty-four-squaremile district of Mathurā are so beautifully situated on the banks of the river Yamunā that anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world.
These statements by Rūpa Gosvāmī are factually realized descriptions of Mathurā and Vṛndāvana.
All these qualities prove that Mathurā and Vṛndāvana are situated transcendentally.
Otherwise, there is no possibility of invoking our transcendental sentiments in these places.
Such transcendental feelings are aroused immediately and without fail after one arrives in Mathurā or Vṛndāvana.
In these statements about devotional service, sometimes it may appear that the results have been overestimated; but actually there is no overestimation.
Some devotees, as is evidenced from revealed scriptures, have had immediate results by such association, although this is not possible for all.
For example, the Kumāras immediately became devotees simply by smelling the incense in the temple.
Bilvamaṅgala Thākur simply heard about Kṛṣṇa and then immediately gave up his beautiful girl friend and started out for Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, where he became a perfect Vaiṣṇava.
So these statements are not overestimations, nor are they stories.
They are actual facts, but are true for certain devotees and do not necessarily apply to all.
These descriptions, even if considered overestimations, must be taken as they are in order to divert our attention from the fleeting material beauty to the eternal beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And for a person who is already in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the described results are not unusual.
Some scholars argue that simply by following the principles of varṇa and āśrama one can gradually rise up to the perfections reached by practicing devotional service, but this argument is not accepted by the great authorities.
Lord Caitanya also condemned this idea while He was talking with Rāmānanda Rai about the gradual development of devotional service.
He rejected the idea of the importance of varṇāśrama-dharma when it was put forward by Rāmānanda Rai.
He said that this advancement of varṇa and āśrama is merely external.
There is a higher principle.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says that one has to give up all other principles of elevation and take simply to the method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
That will help him in achieving the highest perfection of life.
In the Eleventh Canto, 20th Chapter, 8th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Lord Himself says: "One should execute the prescribed duties of varṇa and āśrama as long as he has not developed spontaneous attachment for hearing about My pastimes and activities." In other words, the prescribed forms of varṇa and āśrama are ritualistic ceremonies of religion intended for economic development, sense gratification or for salvation.
All of these things are recommended for persons who have not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness; in fact, all such activities are recommended in the revealed scriptures only to bring one to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
But one who has already developed spontaneous attachment for Kṛṣṇa does not require to execute the duties prescribed in the scriptures.
Devotional Qualifications
Some scholars recommend that knowledge and renunciation are important factors for elevating oneself to devotional service.
But actually that is not a fact.
Actually, the cultivation of knowledge or renunciation, which are favorable for achieving a footing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, may be accepted in the beginning, but ultimately they may also come to be rejected, for devotional service is dependent on nothing other than the sentiment or desire for such service.
It requires nothing more than sincerity.
It is the opinion of expert devotees that mental speculation and the artificial austerities of yoga practice may be favorable for becoming liberated from material contamination, but they will also make one's heart harder and harder.
They will not help at all in the progress of devotional service.
These processes are, therefore, not favorable for entering into the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Actually Kṛṣṇa consciousnessdevotional service itself-is the only way of advancing in devotional life.
Devotional service is absolute; it is both the cause and the effect.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause and effect of all that be, and to approach Him, the absolute, the process of devotional service-which is also absolute-has to be adopted.
This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself: "One can understand Me only through devotional service." In beginning His teaching of the Gītā, the Lord said to Arjuna, "Because you are My devotee I shall teach these secrets to you." Vedic knowledge means ultimately to understand the Supreme Lord, and the process of entering into His kingdom is devotional service.
That is accepted by all authentic scriptures.
Mental speculators neglect the process of devotional service, and by simply trying to defeat others in philosophical research they fail to develop the ecstasy of devotion.
In the Eleventh Canto, 20th Chapter, 31st verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Uddhava, for persons who are seriously engaged in My service, the cultivation of philosophical speculation and artificial renunciation are not very favorable.
When a person becomes My devotee he automatically attains the fruits of the renunciation of material enjoyment, and he gets sufficient knowledge to understand the absolute truth." That is the test of advancement in devotional service.
A devotee cannot be in darkness because the Lord shows him special favor and enlightens him from within.
In the Eleventh Canto, 20th Chapter, 32nd and 33rd verses, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Lord further instructs Uddhava: "My dear friend, the profits derived from fruitive activities, austerities, the culture of philosophical knowledge, renouncement, the practice of mystic yoga, charity and all similar auspicious activities are automatically achieved by My devoteesthose who are simply attached to Me by loving service.
These devotees have everything at their disposal, but they desire nothing outside of My devotional service.
If ever a devotee should desire some material profit-to be promoted to the heavenly planets-or some spiritual profit-to go to the Vaikuṇṭhas-by My causeless mercy their desires are very easily fulfilled." Actually a person who is developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and still has some attachment to material enjoyment will soon be freed from such a tendency by regularly discharging devotional service under the instruction of a bona fide spiritual master.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, then, recommends that one should not be attached to material sense enjoyment, but accept everything enjoyable which is in relationship to Kṛṣṇa.
For example, eating is necessary, and one wants some palatable dishes to satisfy his sense of taste.
So in that case, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa rather than for the satisfaction of the tongue, some palatable dishes may be prepared and offered to Kṛṣṇa.
Then it is renunciation.
Let the palatable dishes be prepared, but unless they are offered to Kṛṣṇa one should not accept them for eating.
This vow of rejecting anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa is actually renunciation.
And by such renunciation one is able to satisfy the demands of the senses.
The impersonalists who try to avoid everything material may undergo severe austerities, but they miss the opportunity of being engaged in the service of the Lord.
Thus their renunciation is not sufficient for perfection.
There are many instances where, following such artificial renunciation without any contact with devotional service, the impersonalist again fell down and became attracted to the material contamination.
There are many supposed renouncers even at the present moment who officially become sannyāsīs or renouncers and outwardly claim that spiritual existence is truth and material existence untruth.
In this way, artificially they make a show of renunciation of the material world.
However, because they cannot reach the point of devotional service, they fail to achieve the goal and again come back to material activities, such as philanthropic work, political agitation, etc.
There are many instances of so-called sannyāsīs who gave up the world as untruth, but again came to the material world because they were not seeking their real repose at the lotus feet of the Lord.
One should not give up anything which can be utilized in the service of the Lord.
That is a secret of devotional service.
Anything that can be utilized in advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service should be accepted.
For instance, we are using many machines for the advancement of our present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, machines like typewriters, dictaphones, tape recorders, microphones and airplanes.
Sometimes people ask us, "Why are you utilizing material products if you condemn the advancement of material civilization?" But actually we do not condemn.
We simply ask people to do whatever they are doing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This is the same principle on which, in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to utilize his fighting abilities in devotional service.
Similarly, we are utilizing these machines for Kṛṣṇa's service.
With such sentiment for Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we can accept everything.
If the typewriter can be utilized for advancing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we must accept it.
Similarly, the dictaphone or any other machine must be used.
Our vision is that Kṛṣṇa is everything.
Kṛṣṇa is the cause and effect, and nothing belongs to us.
Kṛṣṇa's things must be used in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
That is our vision.
This does not mean, however, that we should give up the principles of discharging devotional service or neglect abiding by the rules and regulations prescribed therein.
In the neophyte stage of devotion one must follow all the principles, regulated by the authority of the spiritual master.
The acceptance and rejection of things should always be in pursuance of the devotional principles; not that one can independently manufacture some idea of what should be accepted or rejected.
The spiritual master as the visible manifestation of Kṛṣṇa is necessary, therefore, to direct the devotee on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers.
A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that.
But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized, and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples.
His is not a very high grade of devotional service.
If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened.
One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession.
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, being naturally purified, has no need of developing any other purificatory process of thought or action.
On account of his being highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has already acquired all the good qualities and is following the rules and regulations prescribed for the mystic yogic process.
Such rules are automatically practiced by the devotees.
A concrete example is the quality of nonviolence, which is considered a good qualification.
A devotee is naturally nonviolent and therefore doesn't have to practice nonviolence separately.
Some people seek purification by joining a vegetarian movement, but a devotee is automatically a vegetarian.
He doesn't need to practice separately in this matter or to join any society for vegetarians.
He is automatically a vegetarian.
There are many other instances showing that a devotee needn't practice anything but Kṛṣṇa consciousness; all the good qualities of the demigods automatically develop within him.
Those who are intentionally practicing to be vegetarians or to become nonviolent may have good qualifications by a material estimation, but these qualifications are not sufficient to make them devotees.
A vegetarian is not necessarily a devotee, nor is a nonviolent person.
But a devotee is automatically both vegetarian and nonviolent.
We must conclude, therefore, that vegetarianism or nonviolence is not the cause of devotion.
In this connection, there is a story in the Skanda Purāṇa about a hunter who was converted into a great devotee under the instruction of Nārada Muni.
When the hunter became a perfect devotee, he was not prepared to kill even an ant.
Parvata Muni, a friend of Nārada's, saw the wonderful transformation of the hunter by devotional service, and remarked: "My dear hunter, your unwillingness to kill even an ant is not very astonishing.
Any person who develops the devotional attitude has all the good qualities automatically manifested in his person.
A devotee is never a cause of distress to anyone." Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī affirms herein that purification of consciousness, purification of bodily activities, austerities, peace of mind, etc., all become automatically manifest in the person who is engaged in devotional service.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī affirms herein that there are nine different kinds of devotional service, which are listed as hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping the Deity in the temple, praying, carrying out orders, serving Him as a friend and sacrificing everything for Him.
Each and every one of these processes is so powerful that if anyone follows even one single one of them, he can achieve the desired perfection without fail.
For example, if one is attached simply to hearing about the Lord, and another is attached to chanting the glories of the name, both will achieve their desired goal in devotional service.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta this has been explained.
One may execute one, two, three or all the different processes of devotional service, and at the ultimate end he will achieve the desired goal of being established in devotional service.
There are concrete examples of how a devotee discharged one of these services and achieved perfection.
King Parīkṣit achieved the desired goal of life simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī achieved the desired goal of life simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Prahlāda Mahārāj became successful in his devotional service by always remembering the Lord.
Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, was successful by engaging herself in massaging the lotus feet of the Lord.
King Pṛthu became successful by worshiping in the temple.
Akrūra became successful by offering prayers.
Hanumān became successful by rendering personal service to Lord Rāmacandra.
Arjuna became successful by being a friend of Kṛṣṇa.
And Bali Mahārāj became successful simply by offering all of his possessions to Kṛṣṇa.
There are also examples of devotees who discharged all the different items together.
In the Ninth Canto, 4th Chapter, 15th, 16th and 17th verses, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a statement about Mahārāj Ambarīṣa, who followed every one of the devotional processes.
In these verses, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "King Ambarīṣa first of all concentrated his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and then engaged his speech in describing the pastimes and activities of the Lord.
He engaged his hands in washing the temple of the Lord.
He engaged his ears in hearing of the transcendental glories of the Lord.
He engaged his eyes in seeing the beautiful Deity in the temple.
He engaged his body in associating with the pure devotees of the Lord.
[When you associate with someone you have to sit down together, eat together, etc.-and in this way the touch of your body with their body is inevitable.
Ambarīṣa Mahārāj made his association only with pure devotees and did not allow his body to be touched by anyone else.] He engaged his nostrils in smelling the flowers and tulasī which were offered to Kṛṣṇa, and he engaged his tongue in tasting Kṛṣṇa-prasādam [food prepared specifically for offering to the Lord, the remnants of which are taken by the devotees].
Mahārāj Ambarīṣa was able to offer very nice prasādam to Kṛṣṇa because he was a king and had no scarcity of finance.
He used to offer Kṛṣṇa the most royal dishes and would then taste the remnants as Kṛṣṇa-prasādam.
There was no scarcity in his royal style, because he had a very beautiful temple wherein the Deity of the Lord was decorated with costly paraphernalia and offered high grade food.
So everything was available, and his engagement was always completely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." The idea is that we should follow in the footsteps of great devotees.
If we are unable to execute all the different items of devotional service, we must try to execute at least one of them, as exemplified by previous ācāryas.
If we are engaged in the execution of all the items of devotional service, as was Mahārāj Ambarīṣa, then the perfection of devotional service is guaranteed from each one of these items.
With the first complete engagement, one becomes automatically detached from material contamination, and liberation becomes the maidservant of the devotee.
This idea is confirmed by Bilvamaṅgala Thākur: If one develops unalloyed devotion to the Lord, liberation will follow the devotee as his maidservant.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the regulative principles of devotional service are sometimes described by authorities as the path of serving the Lord in opulence.
Spontaneous Devotional Service
The examples of spontaneous devotional service can be easily seen in Kṛṣṇa's direct associates in Vṛndāvana.
The spontaneous dealings of the residents of Vṛndāvana in relationship with Kṛṣṇa are called rāgānugā.
These beings don't have to learn anything about devotional service; they are already perfect in all regulative principles and have achieved the spontaneous loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
For example, the cowherd boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa do not have to learn by austerities or penances or yogic practice how to play with Him.
They have passed all tests of regulative principles in their previous lives, and as a result they are now elevated to the position of direct association with Kṛṣṇa as His dear friends.
Their spontaneous attitude is called rāgānugā- bhakti.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has defined rāgānugā-bhakti as spontaneous attraction for something while completely absorbed in thoughts of it, with an intense desire of love.
Devotional service executed with such feelings of spontaneous love is called rāgānugā-bhakti.
Devotional service under the heading of rāgānugā can be further divided into two categories: one category is called sensuous attraction, and the other is called relationship.
In this connection, there is a statement by Nārada Muni to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Seventh Canto, 1st Chapter, 29th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
There Nārada says, "My dear King, there are many devotees who first become attracted to the Personality of Godhead for purposes of sense gratification, from being envious of Him, out of fear of Him, or from desiring to associate affectionately with Him.
Ultimately these attractions become freed from all material contamination, and gradually the worshiper develops spiritual love and achieves that ultimate goal of life which is desired by the pure devotee." The gopīs may be considered to be examples of spontaneous love in sensual attraction.
The gopīs are young girls, and Kṛṣṇa is a young boy.
Superficially it seems that the gopīs are attracted to Kṛṣṇa on grounds of sex.
Similarly, King Kaṁsa was attracted to Kṛṣṇa because of fearfulness.
Kaṁsa was always fearful of Kṛṣṇa because it had been foretold that his sister's son, Kṛṣṇa, would kill him.
Śiśupāla was also always envious of Kṛṣṇa.
And the descendants of King Yadu, due to their family relationship with Kṛṣṇa, are always thinking of Him as one of their members.
All of these different kinds of devotees have a spontaneous attraction for Kṛṣṇa, in different categories, and they achieve the same desired goal of life.
The attraction of the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa and the affection of the members of the Yadu dynasty are both accepted as spontaneous, or rāgānugā.
The attraction of Kaṁsa to Kṛṣṇa in fearfulness and the attraction of Śiśupāla in enviousness are not accepted as devotional service, however, because their attitudes are not favorable.
Devotional service should be executed only in a favorable frame of mind.
Therefore, according to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, such attractions are not considered to be in devotional service.
Again, he analyzes the affection of the Yadus: If it is on the platform of friendship, then it is spontaneous love, but if it is on the platform of regulative principles, then it is not.
And only when affection comes to the platform of spontaneous love is it counted in the category of pure devotional service.
There may be some difficulty in understanding that both the gopīs and Kaṁsa achieved the same goal, so this point should be clearly understood, because the attitudes of Kaṁsa and Śiśupāla were different from that of the gopīs.
Although in all these cases the focus is on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all of the devotees are elevated to the spiritual world, there is still a distinction between these two classes of souls.
In the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that the absolute truth is one, and that He is manifested as impersonal Brahman, Paramātmā (supersoul), and Bhagavān (the Supreme Personality of Godhead).
Here is a spiritual distinction.
Although Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are the same and one absolute truth, still devotees like Kaṁsa or Śiśupāla could attain only to the Brahman effulgence.
They could not have realization of Paramātmā or Bhagavān.
That is the distinction.
An analogy can be given with the sun globe and the sunshine: to remain in the sunshine does not mean one has gone to the sun globe.
The temperature of the sun globe is different from the temperature of the sunshine.
One who has gone through the sunshine in jet planes or in space ships has not necessarily gone to the sun globe.
Although the sunshine and the sun globe are actually one and the same, still there is a distinction, for one is the energy and one is the energetic source.
The absolute truth and His bodily effulgence are in the same way simultaneously one and different.
Kaṁsa and Śiśupāla attained to the absolute truth, but they were not allowed to enter into the Goloka Vṛndāvana abode.
Impersonalists and the enemies of the Lord are, because of attraction to God, allowed to enter into His kingdom, but they are not allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets or the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet of the Supreme Lord.
To enter the kingdom and to enter the king's palace are not the same thing.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is trying here to describe the different achievements of the impersonalists and the personalists.
Generally, those who are impersonalists and inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead get entrance only into the impersonal Brahman, when and if they reach spiritual perfection.
The impersonalist philosophers are in one sense like the enemies of the Lord because the out-and-out enemies of the Lord and the impersonalists are both allowed to enter only into the impersonal effulgence of the brahma-jyoti.
So it is to be understood that they are of similar classification.
And actually the impersonalists are enemies of God because they cannot tolerate the unparalleled opulence of the Lord.
They try always to place themselves on the same level with the Lord.
That is due to their envious attitude.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has proclaimed the impersonalists to be offenders of the Lord.
The Lord is so kind, however, that even though they are His enemies, they are still allowed to enter into the spiritual kingdom and remain in the impersonal brahma-jyoti, the undifferentiated light of the absolute.
Sometimes an impersonalist may gradually elevate himself to the personal conception of the Lord.
The Bhagavad-gītā confirms this: "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me." By such surrender, an impersonalist can be elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha-loka (spiritual planet) where, as a surrendered soul, he attains bodily features like the Lord.
In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa it is stated: "Those who have achieved liberation from material contamination, and those who are demons and are killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, become absorbed in the Brahman concept of life and reside in the spiritual sky of the brahma-jyoti." That spiritual sky is far beyond the material sky, and it is confirmed also in the Bhagavad-gītā that beyond this material sky there is another, eternal sky.
The enemies and the impersonalists may be allowed to enter into this Brahman effulgence, but the devotees of Kṛṣṇa are promoted all the way to the spiritual planets.
Because the pure devotees have developed their spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are allowed to enter into the spiritual planets to enjoy spiritual bliss in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the Tenth Canto, 87th Chapter, 19th verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Vedas personified address the Lord in this way: "My dear Lord, yogīs meditate upon Your localized features, and thus they achieve the spiritual perfection of being merged in the impersonal brahma-jyoti.
Persons who treat You as an enemy achieve the same perfection without meditating.
The gopīs, who are embraced by Your serpentine hands and who have such lusty attitudes, also achieve the same perfection.
And, as far as we are concerned, being different demigods in charge of the different parts of Vedic knowledge, we are always following in the footsteps of the gopīs.
Thus we hope to attain the same perfection." By "the same perfection" we must always remember the example of the sun and the sunshine.
Those who are impersonalists can merge into the sunshinelike brahma-jyoti, whereas those who are in love with the Supreme Person enter into the supreme abode of the Lord, Goloka Vṛndāvana.
The "lusty attitude" of the gopīs does not refer to any sort of sex indulgence.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī explains that this "lusty desire" refers to the devotee's particular attitude of association with Kṛṣṇa.
Every devotee in his perfectional stage has a spontaneous attraction to the Lord.
This attraction is sometimes called the "lusty desire" of the devotee.
The lust is the devotee's excessive desire to serve the Lord in a particular capacity.
Such desire may seem to be a desire for enjoying the Lord, but actually the endeavor is to serve the Lord in that capacity.
For example, a devotee may be desiring to associate with the Personality of Godhead as His cowherd friend.
He will want to serve the Lord by assisting Him in controlling the cows in the pasturing ground.
This may appear to be a desire to enjoy the company of the Lord, but actually it is spontaneous love, serving Him by assisting in managing the transcendental cows.
This extreme desire to serve the Lord is manifest in the transcendental land of Braja.
And it is specifically manifested amongst the gopīs.
The gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa is so elevated that for our understanding it is sometimes explained as being "lusty desire." The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kavirāja Kṛṣṇadāsa, has explained the distinction between lusty desire and the service attitude in this statement: "Lusty desire refers to the desire to gratify one's personal senses, and transcendental desire refers to the desire for serving the senses of the Lord." In the material world there is no such thing as a lover wanting to please the senses of his beloved.
Actually, in the material world, everyone wants mainly to gratify his own personal senses.
The gopīs, however, wanted nothing at all but to gratify the senses of the Lord, and there is no instance of this in the material world.
Therefore the gopīs' ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa is sometimes described by scholars as being like the "lusty desire" of the material world, but actually this should not be taken as a literal fact.
It is simply a way of trying to understand the transcendental situation.
Great devotees up to the standard of Uddhava are very dear friends of the Lord, and they desire to follow in the footsteps of the gopīs.
So the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa is certainly not material lusty desire.
Otherwise, how could Uddhava aspire to follow in their footsteps? Another instance is Lord Caitanya Himself.
After accepting the sannyāsa order of life, He was very, very strict about avoiding association with women, but still He taught that there is no better method of worshiping Kṛṣṇa than that conceived by the gopīs.
Thus the gopīs' method of worshiping the Lord, as if impelled by lusty desire, was praised very highly even by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
This very fact means that although the attraction of the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa appears to be lusty, it is not in the least bit material.
Unless one is fully situated in the transcendental position, it is very difficult to understand the relationship of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa.
But because it appears to be just like ordinary dealings of young boys and girls, it is sometimes misinterpreted to be like the ordinary sex of this material world.
Unfortunately, persons who cannot understand the transcendental nature of the love affairs of the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa take it for granted that Kṛṣṇa's love affairs with the gopīs are mundane transactions, and therefore they sometimes indulge in painting licentious pictures in some modernistic style.
On the other hand, the lusty desire of Kubjā is described by learned scholars as being "almost lusty desire." Kubjā was a hunchback woman who also wanted Kṛṣṇa with a great ecstatic love.
But her desire for Kṛṣṇa was almost mundane, and so her love cannot be compared with the love of the gopīs.
Her loving affection for Kṛṣṇa is called kāma-prāyā, or almost like the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa.
Varieties of Love for Kṛṣṇa
Parental Relationship
In the attitude of the denizens of Vṛndāvana, such as Nanda Mahārāj and Mother Yaśodā, is to be found the ideal transcendental concept of becoming the father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead.
Factually, no one can become the father or mother of Kṛṣṇa; but a devotee's possession of such transcendental feelings is called love of Kṛṣṇa in parental relationship.
The Vṛṣṇis (Kṛṣṇa's relatives at Dvārakā) also felt like that.
So spontaneous love of Kṛṣṇa in the parental relationship is found both amongst those denizens of Dvārakā who belonged to the dynasty of Vṛṣṇi, as well as amongst the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana.
Spontaneous love of Kṛṣṇa as exhibited by the Vṛṣṇis and the denizens of Vṛndāvana is eternally existing in them.
In the stage of devotional service where regulative principles are followed, there is no necessity of discussing this love, for it must develop of itself at a more advanced stage.
Persons desiring to follow in the footsteps of such eternal devotees of the Lord as the Vṛṣṇis and Vṛndāvana denizens are called rāgānugā devotees, which means that they are trying to attain to the perfection of those devotees.
These rāgānugā devotees do not follow the regulative principles of devotional service very strictly, but by spontaneous nature they become attracted to some of the eternal devotees such as Nanda or Yaśodā, and they try to follow in their footsteps spontaneously.
There is a gradual development of the ambition to become like a particular devotee, and this activity is called rāgānugā.
We must always remember, however, that such eagerness to follow in the footsteps of the denizens of Braja (Vṛndāvana) is not possible unless one is freed from material contamination.
In following the regulative principles of devotional service, there is a stage which is called anartha-nivṛtti, which means the disappearance of all material contamination.
Sometimes it is found that someone is imitating such devotional love, but factually he is not freed from anarthas, or unwanted habits.
It has been seen that a so-called devotee proclaims himself a follower of Nanda, Yaśodā or the gopīs, while at the same time his abominable attraction for mundane sex life is visible.
Such a manifestation of divine love is mere imitation and has no value.
When one is actually spontaneously attracted to the loving principles of the gopīs, there will be found no trace of any mundane contamination in his character.
Therefore, in the beginning, everyone should strictly follow the regulative principles of devotional service, according to the injunctions of the scriptures and the spiritual master.
Only after the stage of liberation from material contamination can one actually aspire to follow in the footsteps of the devotees in Vṛndāvana.
It is said by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī: "When one is actually liberated from material contamination, he can always remember an eternal devotee in Vṛndāvana in order to love Kṛṣṇa in the same capacity.
And developing such an aptitude, one will always live in Vṛndāvana, even within his mind." The purport is that, if it is possible, one should go and physically be present at Brajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana, and be engaged always in the service of the Lord, following the devotees in Brajadhāma, the spiritual realm of Braja.
If it is not possible, however, to be physically present at Vṛndāvana, one can meditate anywhere upon living in that situation.
Wherever he may be, one must always think about life in Brajadhāma and about following in the footsteps of a particular devotee in the service of the Lord.
A devotee who is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who is constantly engaged in devotional service, should not manifest himself even though he has attained perfection.
The idea is that he should always continue to act as a neophyte devotee as long as his material body is there.
Activities in devotional service under regulative principles must be followed even by the pure devotee.
But when he realizes his actual position in relationship with the Lord, he can, along with the discharging of regulative service, think within himself of the Lord, under the guidance of a particular associate of the Lord, and develop his transcendental sentiments in following that associate.
In this connection, we should be careful about the so-called siddhapraṇai.
The siddha-praṇai process is followed by a class of men who are not very authorized and who have manufactured their own way of devotional service.
They imagine that they have become associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves like that.
This external behavior is not at all according to the regulative principles.
The so-called siddha-praṇai process is followed by the prakṛtasahajiyā, a pseudo-sect of so-called Vaiṣṇavas.
In the opinion of Rūpa Gosvāmī, such activities are simply disturbances to the standard way of devotional service.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says that learned ācāryas recommended that we follow the regulative principles even after the development of spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa.
According to the regulative principles, there are nine departmental activities, as described above, and one should specifically engage himself in the type of devotional service for which he has a natural aptitude.
For example, one person may have a particular interest in hearing, another may have a particular interest in chanting, and another may have a particular interest in serving in the temple.
So these, or any of the other six different types of devotional service (remembering, serving, praying, engaging in some particular service, being in a friendly relationship or offering everything in one's possession) should be executed in full earnestness.
In this way everyone should act according to his particular taste.
Conjugal Love Devotional service following in the footsteps of the gopīs of Vṛndāvana or the queens at Dvārakā is called devotional service in conjugal love.
This devotional service in conjugal love can be divided into two categories.
One is indirect conjugal love, the other direct.
In both of these categories one has to follow the particular gopī who is engaged in such service in Goloka Vṛndāvana.
To be directly attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in conjugal love is technically called keli.
This keli performance means to directly join with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There are other devotees who do not wish direct contact with the Supreme Person, but who relish the conjugal love affairs of the Lord with the gopīs.
Such devotees enjoy simply by hearing of the activities of the Lord with the gopīs.
This development of conjugal love can be possible only with those who are already engaged in following the regulative principles of devotional service, specifically in the worship of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the temple.
Such devotees gradually develop a spontaneous love for the Deity, and by hearing of the Lord's exchange of loving affairs with the gopīs, they gradually become attracted to these pastimes.
After this spontaneous attraction becomes highly developed, the devotee is placed in either of the abovementioned categories.
This development of conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa is not manifested in women only.
The material body has nothing to do with spiritual loving affairs.
A woman may develop an attitude for becoming a friend of Kṛṣṇa, and, similarly, a man may develop the feature of becoming a gopī in Vṛndāvana.
How a devotee in the form of a man can desire to become a gopī is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: In days gone by there were many sages in Daṇḍakāraṇya.
Daṇḍakāraṇya is the name of the forest where Lord Rāmacandra lived after being banished by His father for fourteen years.
At that time there were many advanced sages who were captivated by the beauty of Lord Rāmacandra and who desired to become women in order to embrace the Lord.
Later on these sages appeared in Goloka Vṛndāvana when Kṛṣṇa advented Himself there, and they were born as gopīs or girl friends of Kṛṣṇa.
In this way they attained the perfection of spiritual life." The story of the sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya can be explained as follows: When Lord Rāmacandra was residing in Daṇḍakāraṇya, the sages who were engaged in devotional service there became attracted by His beauty and immediately thought of the gopīs at Vṛndāvana who enjoyed conjugal loving affection with Kṛṣṇa.
In this instance it is clear that the sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya desired conjugal love in the manner of the gopīs, although they were well aware of the Supreme Lord as both Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra.
They knew that Rāmacandra was an ideal king and could not accept more than one wife; but Lord Kṛṣṇa, being the full-fledged Personality of Godhead, could fulfill the desires of all of them in Vṛndāvana.
These sages also concluded that the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa is more attractive than that of Lord Rāmacandra, and so they prayed to become gopīs in their future lives to be associated with Kṛṣṇa.
Lord Rāmacandra remained silent, and His silence shows that He accepted the prayers of the sages.
Thus they were blest by Lord Rāmacandra to have association with Lord Kṛṣṇa in their future lives.
As a result of this benediction, they all took birth as women in the wombs of gopīs at Gokula, and, as they had desired in their previous lives, they enjoyed the company of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who was present at that time in Gokula Vṛndāvana.
The perfection of their human form of life was thus achieved by their generating a transcendental sentiment to share conjugal love with Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Conjugal love is divided into two classifications-namely, conjugal love as husband and wife and conjugal love as lover and beloved.
One who develops conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa as a wife is promoted to Dvārakā, where the devotee becomes the queen of the Lord.
Those who develop conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa as a lover are promoted to Goloka Vṛndāvana, to associate with the gopīs and enjoy loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa there.
We should note carefully, however, that this conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa, either as gopī or queen, is not limited only to women.
Even men can develop such sentiments, as was evidenced by the sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya.
If someone simply desires conjugal love but does not follow in the footsteps of the gopīs, he is promoted to association with the Lord at Dvārakā.
In the Mahā-kūrma Purāṇa it is stated: "Great sages who were the sons of fire gods rigidly followed the regulative principles in their desire to have conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa.
As such, in their next lives they were able to associate with the Lord, the origin of all creation, who is known as Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa.
Every one of them got Him as their husband." Parenthood or Friendship Devotees who are attracted to Kṛṣṇa as parents or as friends should follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāj or Subala, respectively.
Nanda Mahārāj is the foster father of Kṛṣṇa, and out of all of the friends of Kṛṣṇa, Subala is the most intimate in Brajabhūmi.
In the development of becoming either the father or friend of the Lord, there are two varieties.
One method is that one may try to become the father of the Lord directly, and the other is that one may follow Nanda Mahārāj and cherish the ideal of being Kṛṣṇa's father.
Out of these two, the attempt to directly become the father of Kṛṣṇa is not recommended.
Such a development can become polluted with māyāvāda (impersonal) philosophy.
The māyāvādīs or monists think that they themselves are Kṛṣṇa, and if one thinks that he himself has become Nanda Mahārāj, then his parental love will become contaminated with the māyāvāda philosophy.
The māyāvāda philosophical way of thinking is offensive, and no offender can enter into the kingdom of God to associate with Kṛṣṇa.
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a story of an old man residing in Hastināpur, capital of the kingdom of the Pāṇḍus, who desired Kṛṣṇa as his beloved son.
This old man was instructed by Nārada to follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāj, and thus success was achieved by him.
There is a statement in the Nārāyaṇa-vyūha-stava prayers that persons who are always engaged in thinking of the Lord as their husband, friend, father or well-wisher are always worshipable by everyone.
This spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa can only be developed by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His pure devotee.
This process of devotional service is sometimes called puṣṭimārga.
Puṣṭi means nourishing and mārga means path.
Such development of sentiment nourishes devotional service to the highest standard.
Thus it is called the path of nourishment, or puṣṭi-mārga.
The Vallabha-sampradāya, which belongs to the Viṣṇu-svāmī sect of Vaiṣṇava religion, worships Kṛṣṇa in this puṣṭi-mārga.
Generally devotees in Gujerat worship Bāla-Kṛṣṇa, under this heading of puṣṭi-mārga.
Ecstatic Love
By the process of executing regulated devotional service, one is actually elevated onto the transcendental stage, beyond the material modes of nature.
At that time one's heart becomes illuminated like the sun.
The sun is far above the planetary systems, and there is no possibility of its being covered by any kind of cloud; similarly, when a devotee is purified like the sun, from his pure heart there is a diffusion of ecstatic love which is more glorious than the sunshine.
Only at that time is the attachment to Kṛṣṇa perfect.
Spontaneously, the devotee becomes eager to serve the Lord in his ecstatic love.
At this stage the devotee is on the platform of uttama adhikārī, perfect devotion.
Such a devotee has no agitation from material affections and is only interested in the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
To clarify, in the previous chapters, the symptoms of devotional service were explained along with instructions as to how they can be executed with our present senses, gradually rising to the platform of ecstasy of spontaneous love.
And the two kinds of devotional service-namely devotional service through regulative principles and through spontaneous love-were discussed.
Within the stage of the regulative principles of devotional service there are two divisions-namely executive and effective.
This effective portion of devotional service is called bhāva, or ecstasy.
In this connection, there is a statement in the Tantras that ecstasy is the first symptom of pure love for the Personality of Godhead, and in that stage one is sometimes found shedding tears or shivering.
Not always are these symptoms manifest, but occasionally.
When King Ambarīṣa was put into difficulty by Durvāsā, he began to think of the lotus feet of the Lord, and thus there were some changes in his body, and tears were falling from his eyes.
These symptoms are activities of ecstasy.
They are visible in the shivering of the body and the shedding of tears.
After the outward appearance of these ecstatic symptoms, they stay within the mind, and continuation of the ecstasy is called samādhi.
This stage of appreciation becomes the cause of future exchanges of loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa.
Elevation to this stage of ecstasy can be possible in two ways.
One way is constant association with pure devotees.
The other way is by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa, or by the mercy of a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Elevation to the ecstatic stage of life is generally attained through association with pure devotees, while elevation to that stage by the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee is very rare.
The purport is that one should execute devotional service rigidly in the association of devotees so that there will be certainty in raising oneself to that ecstatic position.
In special cases, of course, there is special favor from Kṛṣṇa, and although we should always expect that, we should not sit idly and simply wait for Kṛṣṇa's special mercy; the regular duties must be performed.
It is just as when, sometimes, it is found that a person who never attended school or college may be recognized as a great scholar, or an honorary degree from great universities may be offered to him.
But this does not mean that one should avoid school and expect to automatically receive an honorary degree from some university.
Similarly, one should devoutly execute the regulative principles of devotional service and at the same time hope for Kṛṣṇa's favor or for His devotee's favor.
An example of rising to the stage of ecstatic love by executing the regulative principles of devotional service is given in the life story of Nārada, which is described to Vyāsadeva in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Nārada tells there of his previous life and how he developed to the stage of ecstatic love.
He was engaged in the service of great devotees and used to hear their talks and songs.
Because he had the opportunity to hear these pastimes and songs of Kṛṣṇa from the mouths of pure devotees, he became very attracted within his heart.
Because he had become so eager to hear these topics, he gradually developed within himself an ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
This ecstatic love is prior to the pure love of Kṛṣṇa, because in the next verse Nārada confirms that by the gradual process of hearing from the great sages he developed love of Godhead.
In that connection, Nārada continues to say in the First Canto, 5th Chapter, 28th verse, of the Bhāgavatam: "First I passed my days in the association of the great sages during the rainy autumn season.
Every morning and evening I heard them while they were singing and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and thus gradually my heart became purified.
As soon as I heard them with great attention, the influence of the modes of material ignorance and passion disappeared, and I became firmly fixed in devotional service to the Lord." These are practical examples of how one can develop to the stage of ecstatic love simply by the association of pure devotees.
It is essential, therefore, that one constantly associate with pure devotees who are engaged morning and evening in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.In this way one will get the chance to purify his heart and develop this ecstatic pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
This statement is also confirmed in the Third Canto, 25th Chapter, 22nd verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Lord Kapila says, "My dear Mother, when a person is actually in association with pure devotees, the sublime potency of My devotional service can be experienced." In other words, when a pure devotee speaks, his words act upon the hearts of the audience.
What is the secret of hearing and chanting? A professional speaker cannot impress transcendental ecstasy within the hearts of the listeners.
However, when a realized soul who is engaged in the service of the Lord is speaking, he has the potency to inject spiritual life within the audience.
One should, therefore, seek the association of such pure unalloyed devotees, and by such association and service a neophyte devotee will certainly develop attachment, love and devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the Padma Purāṇa there is the story of a neophyte devotee who, in order to raise himself to the ecstatic platform, danced all night to invoke the Lord's grace upon him.
Sometimes, however, it is found that without undergoing any devotional process, one all of a sudden develops devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa.
This sudden development of the devotional attitude in a person must be understood as a special mercy of Kṛṣṇa or of His devotee.
This apparently accidental development of ecstatic feelings through the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa can be divided into three groups: simply by speaking, simply by glancing and simply by good wishes.
In the Nāradīya Purāṇa there is a statement about development of ecstatic love simply by speaking.
Lord Kṛṣṇa said to Nārada, "O best of the brāhmaṇas, I wish that you may develop unalloyed devotional service to Me, which is full of transcendental bliss and all auspiciousness." In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about developing ecstatic love towards Kṛṣṇa simply by glancing.
It is stated there: "When the inhabitants of Jaṅgala Province saw the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, they were so stricken with feeling that they could not withdraw their glance from Him." As far as heartfelt wishes are concerned, there is a statement in the Śukasaṁhitā where Nārada tells Śrīla Vyāsadeva, "You have a son who is the greatest devotee of the Personality of Godhead, and I can observe that without any following of the regulative principles of devotional service, he is already enriched with many of the symptoms achieved by the execution of devotional service after many, many births." As for ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, there is a statement in the Seventh Canto, 4th Chapter, 26th verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira: "My dear King, it is very difficult to describe the character of Prahlāda.
He developed a natural attraction for Kṛṣṇa, and whatever I can explain about his character will simply be an arrangement of words; his actual character is impossible to describe." This means Nārada himself admitted that the natural development of Prahlāda's ecstatic love was by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
This natural attraction for Kṛṣṇa on the part of Prahlāda was developed simply by the mercy of Nārada.
When Prahlāda Mahārāj was within the womb of his mother, she was being sympathetically instructed by Nārada about the science of devotional service, and at the same time Nārada was wishing that the child within the womb could also take advantage of the instructions.
Because Nārada, an authorized devotee and great associate of the Personality of Godhead, was desiring auspiciousness for Prahlāda Mahārāj, he developed all the characteristics of a high-grade devotee.
This is called natural attraction.
It is caused by the special grace of the Personality of Godhead or by the special grace of a great devotee like Nārada.
There is a statement in the Skanda Purāṇa wherein Parvata Muni tells Nārada: "My dear Nārada, of all saintly persons you are so great and glorious that simply by your good wishes a lowborn hunter also has become a great, elevated devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa." This ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa can be divided into five divisions, which will be described by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī later on.
Character of One in Ecstatic Love
Rūpa Gosvāmī next describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
The characteristics are as follows:
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He is always anxious to utilize his time in the devotional service of the Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always, twenty-four hours a day without deviation.
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He is always reserved and perseverant.
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He is always detached from all material attraction.
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He does not long for any material respect in return for his activities.
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He is always certain that Kṛṣṇa will bestow His mercy upon him.
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He is always very eager to serve the Lord faithfully.
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He is very much attached to the chanting of the holy names of the Lord.
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He is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord.
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He is very pleased to live in a place where the Lord's pastimes are performed, e.g., Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, or Dvārakā.
Utilization of Time An unalloyed devotee who has developed ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa is always engaging his words in reciting prayers to the Lord.
Within the mind he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and with his body he is either offering obeisances by bowing down before the Deity or is engaging in some other service.
During these ecstatic activities he sometimes sheds tears.
In this way his whole life is engaged in the service of the Lord, with not a moment wasted on any other engagement.
Perseverance When a person is undisturbed even in the presence of various causes of disturbance, he is called reserved and perseverant.
An example of this perseverance and reservation is found in the behavior of King Parīkṣit, as described in the First Canto, 19th Chapter, 13th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The King says there to all the sages present before him at the time of his death, "My dear brāhmaṇas, you should always accept me as your surrendered servant.
I have come to the bank of the Ganges just to devote my heart and soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
So please bless me, that Mother Ganges may also be pleased with me.
Let the curse of the brāhmaṇa's son fall upon me-I do not mind.
I only request that at the last moment of my life all of you will kindly chant the holy name of Viṣṇu, so that I may realize His transcendental qualities." This example of Mahārāj Parīkṣit's behavior, his remaining patient even at the last point of his life, his undisturbed condition of mind, is an example of reservation.
This is one of the characteristics of a devotee who has developed ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
Detachment The senses are always desiring sense enjoyment, but when a devotee develops transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa his senses are no longer attracted by material desires.
This state of mind is called detachment.
There is a nice example of this detachment in connection with the character of King Bharata.
In the Fifth Canto, 14th Chapter, 43rd verse, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated: "Emperor Bharata was so attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa that even in his youthful life he gave up all kinds of attachments to family, children, friends, kingdom, etc., as though they were untouchable stools." Emperor Bharata is a typical example of detachment.
He had everything enjoyable in the material world, but he left it.
This means that detachment does not mean artificially keeping oneself aloof and apart from the allurements of attachment.
Even in the presence of such allurements, if one can remain unattracted by material attachments, that is called detachment.
In the beginning, of course, a neophyte devotee must try to keep himself apart from all kinds of alluring attachments, but the real position of a mature devotee is that even in the presence of all allurements, he is not at all attracted.
This is the actual criterion of detachment.
Pridelessness When a devotee, in spite of possessing all the qualities of pure realization, is not proud of his position, that is called pridelessness.
In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that King Bhagīratha was the emperor above all other kings, yet he developed such ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa that he became a mendicant and went out begging even to the homes of his political enemies and untouchables.
He was so humble that he respectfully bowed down before them.
There are many similar instances in the history of India.
Even very recently, about 200 years ago or less, one big landlord known as Lalababu, a Calcutta landholder, became a Vaiṣṇava and lived in Vṛndāvana.
He was also begging from door to door, even at the homes of his political enemies.
Begging involves being ready to be insulted by persons at whose home one has come.
That is natural.
But one has to tolerate such insults for the sake of Kṛṣṇa.
The devotee of Kṛṣṇa can accept any position in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
Great Hope The strong conviction that one will certainly receive the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called in Sanskrit āśā-bandha.
Āśābandha means to continue to think, "Because I'm trying my best to follow the routine principles of devotional service, I am sure that I will go back to Godhead, back to home." In this connection, one prayer by Rūpa Gosvāmī is sufficient to exemplify this hopefulness.
He says, "I have no love for Kṛṣṇa nor for the causes of developing love of Kṛṣṇa-namely, hearing and chanting.
And the process of bhakti-yoga, by which one is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa and fixing His lotus feet in the heart, is also lacking in me.
As far as philosophical knowledge or pious works are concerned, I don't see any opportunity for me to execute such activities.
But above all, I am not even born of a nice family.
Therefore I must simply pray to You, Gopī-jana-vallabha [Kṛṣṇa, maintainer and beloved of the gopīs].
I simply wish and hope that some way or other I may be able to approach Your lotus feet, and this hope is giving me pain, because I think myself quite incompetent to approach that transcendental goal of life." The purport is that under this heading of āśā-bandha, one should continue to hope against hope that some way or other he will be able to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.
Eagerness for Achieving the Desired Success When one is sufficiently eager to achieve success in devotional service, that is called samutkaṇṭhā.
This means complete eagerness.
Actually this eagerness is the price for achieving success in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Everything has some value, and one has to pay the value before obtaining or possessing it.
It is stated in the Vedic literature that to purchase the most valuable thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to develop intense eagerness for achieving success.
This intense eagerness is very nicely expressed by Bilvamaṅgala Thākur in his book Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta.
He says, "I am eagerly waiting to see that boy of Vṛndāvana whose bodily beauty is captivating the whole universe, whose eyes are always bounded by black eyebrows and expanded like lotus petals, who is always eagerly glancing over His devotees and therefore moving slightly here and there.
His eyes are always moist, and His lips are colored like copper, and through those lips there comes a sound vibration which drives one madder than a mad elephant.
I want so much to see Him at Vṛndāvana!" In the same Karṇāmṛta there is another statement about the chanting of Rādhārāṇī.
It is said by one of the associates of Rādhārāṇī: "O Lord Govinda, the girl who is daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu is now shedding tears, and She is anxiously chanting Your holy name-Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!" This attachment for chanting the glories of the Lord is also stated in the Karṇāmṛta as follows: "What shall I do for Kṛṣṇa, who is pleasing beyond all pleasurable conceptions, and who is naughtier than all restless boys? The idea of Kṛṣṇa's beautiful activities is attracting my heart, and I do not know what I can do!" Attraction for Living in a Place Where Kṛṣṇa Has His Pastimes In the book Padyāvalī by Rūpa Gosvāmī there is the following statement about Vṛndāvana: "In this place the son of Mahārāj Nanda used to live with His father, who was king of all cowherd men.
In this place Lord Kṛṣṇa broke the cart in which the Śakaṭāsura demon was concealed.
At this place Dāmodara, who can cut the knot of our material existence, was tied up by His mother Yaśodā." A pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa resides in the district of Mathurā or Vṛndāvana and visits all the places where Kṛṣṇa's pastimes were performed.
At these sacred places Kṛṣṇa displayed His childhood activities with the cowherd boys and mother Yaśodā.
The system of circumambulating all these places is still current among devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and those coming to Mathurā and Vṛndāvana always feel transcendental pleasure.
Actually, if someone goes to Vṛndāvana, he will immediately feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, who performed such nice activities when He was present there.
Such attraction for remembering Kṛṣṇa's activities is known as attachment for Kṛṣṇa.
There are impersonalist philosophers and mystics, however, who by a show of devotional service want ultimately to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord.
They sometimes try to imitate a pure devotee's sentiment for visiting the holy places where Kṛṣṇa had His pastimes, but they simply have a view for salvation, and so their activities cannot be considered attachment.
It is said by Rūpa Gosvāmī that the attachment exhibited by pure devotees for Kṛṣṇa cannot possibly be perfected in the heart of fruitive workers (karmīs) or mental speculators because such attachment in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very rare and not possible to achieve even for many liberated persons.
As is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, liberation from material contamination is the stage at which devotional service can be achieved.
For a person who simply wants to have liberation and to merge into the impersonal brahma-jyoti, it is not possible to acquire attachment to Kṛṣṇa.
This attachment is very confidentially kept by Kṛṣṇa and is only bestowed upon pure devotees.
Even ordinary devotees cannot have such pure attachment for Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, how is it possible for success to be achieved by persons whose hearts are contaminated by the actions and reactions of fruitive activities and who are entangled by various types of mental speculation? There are many so-called devotees who artificially think of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, which are known as aṣṭa-kālika-līlā.
Sometimes one may artificially imitate these, pretending that Kṛṣṇa is talking with him in the form of a boy, or else one may pretend that Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa both have come to him and are talking with him.
Such characteristics are sometimes exhibited by the impersonalist class of men, and they may captivate some innocent persons who have no knowledge in the science of devotional service.
However, as soon as an experienced devotee sees all of these caricatures, he can immediately evaluate such rascaldom.
If such a pretender is sometimes seen possessing imitative attachment to Kṛṣṇa, that will not be accepted as real attachment.
It may be said, however, that such attachment is like giving a future hope to the pretender, so that he may eventually rise onto the actual platform of pure devotional service.
This imitative attachment can be divided into two headings-namely, shadow attachment and para (transcendental) attachment.
If someone, without undergoing the regulative principles of devotional service or without being guided by a bona fide spiritual master, shows such imitative attachment, it is called shadow attachment.
Sometimes it is found that a person actually attached to material enjoyment or salvation has the good fortune to associate with pure devotees while they are engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord.
By the good grace of the Lord one may also cooperate and join in the chanting.
At that time, simply by the association of such pure devotees, the moonlike rays from their hearts reflect on him, and by the influence of the pure devotees he may show some likeness of attachment caused by inquisitiveness, but this is very flickering.
And, if by the manifestation of such shadow attachment one feels the disappearance of all material pangs, then it is called para attachment.
Such shadow attachment or para attachment can develop by associating with a pure devotee or by visiting holy places like Vṛndāvana or Mathurā; or if an ordinary man develops such attachment for Kṛṣṇa and fortunately performs devotional activities in the association of pure devotees, he can also rise up to the platform of pure devotional service.
The conclusion is that transcendental attachment is so powerful that even if such attachment is seen manifested in some common man, by the association of a pure devotee it can bring one to the perfectional stage.
But such attachment for Kṛṣṇa cannot be invoked in a person without his being sufficiently blessed by the association of pure devotees.
As attachment can be invoked by the association of pure devotees, so attachment can also be extinguished by committing offenses at the lotus feet of pure devotees.
To be more clear, by the association of pure devotees attachment for Kṛṣṇa can be aroused, but if one commits offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee, his shadow attachment or para attachment can beextinguished.
This extinguishing is like the waning moon, which gradually decreases and at last becomes darkness.
One should therefore be very careful while associating with pure devotees to guard against committing an offense at their lotus feet.
Transcendental attachment, either shadow or para, can be nullified by different degrees of offenses at the lotus feet of pure devotees.
If the offense is very serious, then one's attachment becomes almost nil, and if the offense is not very serious, one's attachment can become second-class or third-class.
If someone becomes attached to the principles of salvation or to merging into the existence of the brahma-jyoti, his ecstasies gradually diminish into shadow and para attachment or else transform into the principles of ahaṅgrahopāsanā.
This ahaṅgrahopāsanā describes a living entity when he begins spiritual realization by identifying himself with the Supreme Lord.
This state of self realization is technically known as monism.
The monist thinks himself one with the Supreme Lord.
Thus, without differentiating between himself and the Supreme Lord, it is his view that by worshiping himself he is worshiping the supreme whole.
Sometimes it is found that a neophyte is taking part in chanting and dancing very enthusiastically, but within himself he is under the impression that he has become one with the supreme whole.
This conception of monism is completely different from pure transcendental devotional service.
If, however, it is seen that a person has developed a high standard of devotion without having undergone even the regulative principles, it is to be understood that his status of devotional service was achieved in a former life.
For some reason or another it had been temporarily stopped, most probably by committing an offense at the lotus feet of a devotee.
Now, with a good second chance, it has again begun to develop.
The conclusion is that steady progress in devotional service can be attained only in the association of pure devotees.
If one can gradually advance his status in devotional service, it is to be understood that it is due to the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa Himself.
If a person is completely detached from material enjoyment and has developed pure ecstatic devotion, even if he is sometimes accidentally found not to be living up to the standard of devotional service, one should not be envious of him.
It is confirmed also in the Bhagavad-gītā that a devotee who has unflinching faith in and devotion to the Lord, even if he is sometimes found to be accidentally deviated from pure devotional characteristics, should still be counted amongst the pure.
Unflinching faith in devotional service, in Lord Kṛṣṇa and in the spiritual master makes one highly elevated in the activities of devotional service.
In the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa it is stated: "If a person has completely engaged his mind, body and activities in the service of the Supreme Godhead, and externally he is found to be engaged in some abominable activities, these abominable activities will surely be very quickly vanquished by the influence of his staunch devotional force." The example is given that on the full moon there are some spots which may appear to be pockmarks.
Still, the illumination spread by the full moon cannot be checked.
Similarly, a little fault in the midst of volumes of devotional service is not at all to be counted as fault.
Attachment for Kṛṣṇa is transcendental bliss.
Amidst unlimited volumes of transcendental bliss, a spot of some material defect cannot act in any way.
Devotional Service in Love of God
When one's desire to love Kṛṣṇa in his particular relationship becomes intensified, this is known as pure love of Godhead.
In the beginning a devotee is engaged in the regulative principles of devotional service by the order of his spiritual master.
When one thereby becomes completely purified of all material contamination, there develops an attachment and taste for devotional service.
This taste and attachment, when gradually intensified in the course of time, becomes love.
The word "love" can only be actually applied in relationship with the Personality of Godhead.
In the material world, love is not applicable at all.
What goes on under the name of love in the material world is nothing but lust.
There is a gulf of difference between love and lust, like the difference between gold and iron.
In the Nāradapañcarātra it is clearly stated that when lust is completely transferred to the Supreme Godhead and the concept of kinship is completely reposed in Him, such is accepted as pure love of God by great authorities like Bhīṣma, Prahlāda, Uddhava and Nārada.
A great authority like Bhīṣma has explained that love of Godhead means completely giving up all so-called love for any other person.
According to Bhīṣma, love means to repose one's affection completely upon one person, withdrawing all affinities for any other person.
This pure love can be transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead under two conditions-out of ecstasy and out of the causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by following the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are prescribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.
In the Eleventh Canto, 2nd Chapter, 38th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this ecstatic love, born of the execution of regulative devotional service, is explained: "A devotee, in the course of executing the regulative principles of devotional service, develops his natural Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and being thus softened at heart he chants and dances like a madman.
While performing chanting of the holy name of the Lord, he sometimes cries, sometimes talks wildly, sometimes sings and sometimes-without caring for any outsider-dances like a madman." In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement about ecstatic love born of spontaneous affection.
Candrakānti, a celebrated fair-faced girl, rigidly observed celibacy in order to obtain Kṛṣṇa as her husband.
She always engaged herself in meditating on the transcendental form of the Lord and always chanted the glories of the Lord.
She did not desire to accept anyone else as her husband.
She had firmly decided that only Lord Kṛṣṇa would be her husband.
The Lord's Extraordinary Mercy When a devotee is found to be always associated with the Lord in ecstatic love, it is to be understood that such a position is awarded by the Lord Himself out of His causeless extraordinary mercy.
An example of such extraordinary mercy is given in the Eleventh Canto, 12th Chapter, 6th verse, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, wherein Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava: "The gopīs in Vṛndāvana did not study the Vedas to achieve Me.
Nor had they ever been in holy places of pilgrimage.
Nor did they devoutly execute any regulative principle.
Nor did they undergo any kind of austerity.
It is simply by My association that they have attained the highest perfection of devotional service." From the example of Candrakānti as found in the Padma Purāṇa and from the example of the gopīs as found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it appears that a devotee who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa and who always chants His glories in ecstatic love, regardless of his condition, will attain the highest perfection of unalloyed devotional love due to Lord Kṛṣṇa's extraordinary mercy.
This is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: "If Hari, the Supreme Lord, worshiped, adored and loved by a person, it should be understood that the person has finished all kinds of austerities, penances and similar processes for self realization.
On the other hand, if after undergoing all types of austerities, penances and mystic yoga practices, one does not develop such love for Hari, then all his performances are to be considered a useless waste of time.
If someone always sees Kṛṣṇa inside and out, then it is to be understood that he has surpassed all austerities and penances for self- realization.
And if, after executing all kinds of penances and austerities, one cannot always see Kṛṣṇa inside and out, then he has executed his performances uselessly." Spontaneous attraction to Kṛṣṇa, which is said to be due to the extraordinary mercy of the Lord, can be placed under two headings: one is profound veneration for the greatness of the Lord, and the other may be one's automatically being attracted to Kṛṣṇa without any extraneous consideration.
In the Nārada-pañcarātra it is said that if on account of profound veneration for the greatness of the Supreme Lord, one attains a great affection and steady love for Him, one is certainly assured of attaining the four kinds of Vaiṣṇava liberation-namely, achieving the same bodily features as the Lord, achieving the same opulence as the Lord, dwelling on the planet where the Lord is residing, and attaining eternal association with the Lord.
The Vaiṣṇava liberation is completely different from the māyāvāda liberation, which is simply a matter of being merged into the effulgence of the Lord.
In the Nārada-pañcarātra pure unalloyed devotional service is explained as being without any motive for personal benefit.
If a devotee is continuously in love with Lord Kṛṣṇa and his mind is always fixed upon Him, that devotional attitude will prove to be the only means of attracting the attention of the Lord.
In other words, a Vaiṣṇava who is incessantly thinking of the form of Lord Kṛṣṇa is to be known as a pure Vaiṣṇava.
Generally, a devotee who has achieved the causeless mercy of the Lord on account of following the strict rules and regulations of devotional service becomes attracted by the supreme greatness of the Lord, by the transcendental beauty of the Lord and by the spontaneous execution of devotional service.
To be more clear, by executing the regulative principles of devotional service, one can fully appreciate the transcendental beauty of the Lord.
In any case, such exalted positions are only possible by the extraordinary mercy of the Lord upon the devotee.
Association with Pure Devotees Although many different processes for developing love of Godhead have been explained so far, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī now gives us a general description of how one can best achieve such a high position.
The beginning of ecstatic love of Godhead is basically faith.
There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid.
The influence of a pure devotee is such that if someone comes to associate with him with a little faith, he gets the chance of hearing about the Lord from authoritative scriptures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Thus, by the mercy of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, one gradually develops his faith in the descriptions of such authoritative scriptures.
This is the first stage of association with pure devotees.
In the second stage, after one becomes a little advanced and mature, he automatically offers to follow the principles of devotional service under the guidance of the pure devotee and accepts him as the spiritual master.
In the next stage, under the guidance of the spiritual master, the devotee executes regulative devotional service, and, as a result of such activities, he becomes freed from all unwanted occupations.
When he is freed from unwanted occupations, his faith becomes steadily fixed, and he develops a transcendental taste for devotional service, then attachment, then ecstasies, and in the last stage there is pure love of Godhead.
These are the different stages of the development of pure love.
Only the most fortunate persons can achieve such success in life.
Those who are simply academic students of the Vedic scriptures cannot appreciate how such a development takes place.
In the Nārāyaṇa Pañcarātra Lord Śiva therefore tells Pārvatī: "My dear supreme goddess, you can know from me that any person who has developed the ecstasy of love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who is always merged in transcendental bliss on account of this love, cannot even perceive the material distress or happiness coming from the body or mind." Affection and the dealings of love are different branches of the original tree of love preceding the many varieties of affectionate manifestations, which will not be discussed here.
These different manifestations have been described by Sanātana Gosvāmī in his Bhāgavatāmṛta.
Although the subject of such affections and dealings of love are very confidential, Sanātana Gosvāmī has described them very explicitly.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī thus concludes the first division of the Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu, offering up his treatise for the transcendental pleasure of Sanātana Gosvāmī, who has established the transcendental beauty, and of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Raghunāthadās Gosvāmī.
It appears from this statement that the great Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī was not yet active when Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu was written.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta summary study of the first division of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, up to the descriptions of ecstatic love of Godhead, which are to follow next.