Issue no:207
The PrinciPles Of BhagavaTa Dharma
The Rainy SeaSon and auTumn in VRindaVana
Srila Sukadeva Goswami
BeauTiful SpiRiTual RealizaTionS
His Divine Grace
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
02nd Apr 2023
WhaT iS puRe VaiñëaVa's Dharma?
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
When To GloRify The pRincipleS of BhägaVata Dharma?
Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura
Sukadeva Gosvami said: To the ladies of Vrindavana, the cowherd boys then related in full detail Krishna’s and Balarama’s wonderful activities of delivering them from the forest fire and killing the demon Pralamba. The elder cowherd men and ladies were amazed to hear this account, and they concluded that Krishna and Balarama must be exalted demigods who had appeared in Vrindavana.
Then the rainy season began, giving life and sustenance to all living beings. The sky began to rumble with thunder, and lightning flashed on the horizon. The sky was then covered by dense blue clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thus the sky and its natural illumination were covered in the same way that the spirit soul is covered by the three modes of material nature. With its rays, the sun had for eight months drunk up the earth’s wealth in the form of water. Now that the proper time had arrived, the sun began releasing this accumulated wealth. Flashing with lightning, great clouds were shaken and swept about by fierce winds. Just like merciful persons, the clouds gave their lives for the pleasure of this world.
The earth had been emaciated by the summer heat, but she became fully nourished again when
moistened by the god of rain. Thus the earth was like a person whose body has been emaciated by austerities undergone for a material purpose, but who again becomes fully nourished when he achieves the fruit of those austerities. In the evening twilight during the rainy season, the darkness allowed the glowworms but not the stars to shine forth, just as in the Age of Kali the predominance of sinful activities allows atheistic doctrines to overshadow the true knowledge of the Vedas. The frogs, who had all along been lying silent, suddenly began croaking when they heard the rumbling of the rain clouds, in the same way that brähmaëa students, who perform their morning duties in silence begin reciting their lessons when called by their teacher. With the advent of the rainy season, the insignificant streams, which had become dry, began to swell and then strayed from their proper courses, like the body, property and money of a man controlled by the urges of his senses. The newly grown grass made the earth emerald green, the indragopa insects added a reddish hue, and white mushrooms added further color and circles of shade. Thus the earth appeared like a person who has suddenly become rich. With their wealth of grains, the fields gave joy to the farmers. But those fields created remorse in the hearts of those who were too proud to engage in farming and who failed to understand how everything is under the control of the Supreme. As all creatures of the land and water took advantage of the newly fallen rainwater, their forms became attractive and pleasing, just as a devotee becomes beautiful by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord. Where the rivers joined the ocean it became agitated, its waves blown about by the wind, just as the mind of an immature yogé becomes agitated because he is still tainted by lust and attached to the objects of sense gratification. Just as devotees whose minds are absorbed in the Personality of Godhead remain peaceful even when attacked by all sorts of dangers, the mountains in the rainy season were not at all disturbed by the repeated striking of the rain-bearing clouds. During the rainy season the roads, not being cleansed, became covered with grass and debris and were thus difficult to make out. These roads were like religious scriptures that brähmaëas no longer study and that thus become corrupted and
covered over with the passage of time. Though the clouds are the well-wishing friends of all living beings, the lightning, fickle in its affinities, moved from one group of clouds to another, like lusty women unfaithful even to virtuous men. When the curved bow of Indra [the rainbow] appeared in the sky, which had the quality of thundering sound, it was unlike ordinary bows because it did not rest upon a string. Similarly, when the Supreme Lord appears in this world, which is the interaction of the material qualities, He is unlike ordinary persons because He remains free from all material qualities and independent of all material conditions. During the rainy season the moon was prevented from appearing directly by the covering of the clouds, which were themselves illumined by the moon’s rays. Similarly, the living being in material existence is prevented from appearing directly by the covering of the false ego, which is itself illumined by the consciousness of the pure soul. The peacocks became festive and cried out a joyful greeting when they saw the clouds arrive, just as people distressed in household life feel pleasure when the pure devotees of the infallible Supreme Lord visit them. The trees had grown thin and dry, but after they drank the newly fallen rainwater through their feet, their various bodily features blossomed. Similarly, one whose body has grown thin and weak from austerity again exhibits his healthy bodily features upon enjoying the material objects gained through that austerity. The cranes continued dwelling on the shores of the lakes, although the shores were agitated during the rainy season, just as materialistic persons with contaminated minds always remain at home, despite the many disturbances there. When Indra sent forth his rains, the floodwaters broke through the irrigation dikes in the agricultural fields, just as in the Kali-yuga the atheists’ false theories break down the boundaries of Vedic injunctions. The clouds, impelled by the winds, released their nectarean water for the benefit of all living beings, just as kings, instructed by their brähmaëa priests, dispense charity to the citizens.
When the Vrindavana forest had thus become resplendent, filled with ripe dates and jambu fruits, Lord Krishna, surrounded by His cows and cowherd boyfriends and accompanied by Sri Balarama, entered that forest to enjoy. The cows had to move slowly because of their weighty milk
bags, but they quickly ran to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as soon as He called them, their affection for Him causing their udders to become wet. The Lord saw the joyful aborigine girls of the forest, the trees dripping sweet sap, and the mountain waterfalls, whose resounding indicated that there were caves nearby. When it rained, the Lord would sometimes enter a cave or the hollow of a tree to play and to eat roots and fruits. Lord Krishna would take His meal of boiled rice and yogurt, sent from home, in the company of Lord Sankarsana and the cowherd boys who regularly ate with Him. They would all sit down to eat on a large stone near the water. Lord Krishna watched the contented bulls, calves and cows sitting on the green grass and grazing with closed eyes, and He saw that the cows were tired from the burden of their heavy milk bags. Thus observing the beauty and opulence of Vrindavana’s rainy season, a perennial source of great happiness, the Lord offered all respect to that season, which was expanded from His own internal potency.
While Lord Rama and Lord Kesava were thus dwelling in Vrindavana, the fall season arrived, when the sky is cloudless, the water clear and the wind gentle. The autumn season, which regenerated the lotus flowers, also restored the various bodies of water to their original purity, just as the process of devotional service purifies the minds of the fallen yogés when they return to it. Autumn cleared the sky of clouds, let the animals get out of their crowded living conditions, cleaned the earth of its covering of mud, and purified the water of contamination, in the same way that loving service rendered to Lord Krishna frees the members of the four spiritual orders from their respective troubles. The clouds, having given up all they possessed, shone forth with purified effulgence, just like peaceful sages who have given up all material desires and are thus free of all sinful propensities. During this season the mountains sometimes released their pure water and sometimes did not, just as experts in transcendental science sometimes give the nectar of transcendental knowledge and sometimes do not. The fish swimming in the increasingly shallow water did not at all understand that the water was diminishing, just as foolish family men cannot see how the time they have left to live is diminishing with every passing day.
Just as a miserly, poverty-stricken person overly absorbed in family life suffers because he cannot control his senses, the fish swimming in the shallow water had to suffer the heat of the autumn sun. Gradually the different areas of land gave up their muddy condition and the plants grew past their unripe stage, in the same way that sober sages give up egotism and possessiveness. These are based on things different from the real self, namely, the material body and its by-products. With the arrival of autumn, the ocean and the lakes became silent, their water still, just like a sage who has desisted from all material activities and given up his recitation of Vedic mantras. In the same way that the practitioners of yoga bring their senses under strict control to check their consciousness from flowing out through the agitated senses, the farmers erected strong mud banks to keep the water within their rice fields from draining out. The autumn moon relieved all creatures of the suffering caused by the sun’s rays, just as wisdom relieves a person of the misery caused by his identifying with his material body and as Lord Mukunda relieves Vrindavana’s ladies of the distress caused by their separation from Him. Free of clouds and filled with clearly visible stars, the autumn sky shone brilliantly, just like the spiritual consciousness of one who has directly experienced the purport of the Vedic scriptures. The full moon shone in the sky, surrounded by stars, just as Sri Krishna, the Lord of the Yadu dynasty, shone brilliantly on the earth, surrounded by all the Vrsnis. Except for the gopés, whose hearts had been stolen by Krishna, the people could forget their suffering by embracing the wind coming from the flower-filled forest. This wind was neither hot nor cold. By the influence of the autumn season, all the cows, doe, women and female birds became fertile and were followed by their respective mates in search of sexual enjoyment, just as activities performed for the service of the Supreme Lord are automatically followed by all beneficial results. O King Pariksit, when the autumn sun rose, all the lotus flowers blossomed happily, except the night-blooming kumut, just as in the presence of a strong ruler everyone becomes fearless, except the thieves. In all the towns and villages people held great festivals, performing the Vedic fire sacrifice for honoring and tasting the
first grains of the new harvest, along with similar celebrations that followed local custom and tradition. Thus the earth, rich with newly grown grain and especially beautified by the presence of Krishna and Balarama, shone beautifully as an expansion of the Supreme Lord. The merchants, sages, kings and brahmacäré students, kept in by the rain, were at last free to go out and attain their desired objects, just as those who achieve perfection in this life can, when the proper time comes, leave the material body and attain their respective forms.
- Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter twenty » Verses: 1-49 » Translations by Disciples of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
BeauTiful SpiRiTual RealizaTionS
His Divine Grace
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
vyomno 'bbhraà bhüta-çäbalyaà
bhuvaù paìkam apäà malam
çaraj jahäräçramiëäà
kåñëe bhaktir yathäçubham
Autumn cleared the sky of clouds, let the animals get out of their crowded living conditions, cleaned the earth of its covering of mud, and purified the water of contamination, in the same way that loving service rendered to Lord Krishna frees the members of the four spiritual orders from their respective troubles.
Every human being must perform the prescribed duties corresponding to one of the four spiritual orders of life. These divisions are 1) celibate student life, brahmacarya; 2) married life, gåhastha; 3) retired life, vänaprastha; and 4) renounced life, sannyäsa. A brahmacäré must perform many menial duties during his student life, but as he becomes advanced in loving service to Krishna, his superiors recognize his spiritual status and elevate him to higher duties. The innumerable obligations performed on behalf of wife and children constantly harass a householder, but as he becomes advanced in loving service to Krishna, he is automatically elevated by the laws of nature to more enjoyable, spiritual occupations, and he somehow minimizes material duties.
Those in the vänaprastha, or retired, order of life also perform many duties, and these can also be replaced by ecstatic loving service to Krishna. Similarly, renounced life has many natural difficulties, not the least of which is that sannyäsés, or renounced men, are inclined to meditate on the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth. As stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (12.5), kleço 'dhikataras teñäm avyaktäsakta-cetasäm: "For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Lord, advancement is exceedingly painful." But as soon as a sannyäsé takes to preaching the glories of Krishna in every town and village, his life becomes a blissful sequence of beautiful spiritual realizations.
In the autumn season the sky returns to its natural blue color. The vanishing of the clouds is like the vanishing of troublesome duties in brahmacäré life. Just after summer comes the rainy season, when the animals sometimes become disturbed by the torrential storms and thus huddle together. But the autumn season signals the time for the animals to go to their respective areas and live more peacefully. This represents a householder's becoming free from the harassment of family duties and being able to devote more of his time to spiritual responsibilities, which are the real goal of life both for himself and his family. The removal of the muddy layer on the earth is like the removal of the inconveniences of vänaprastha life, and the purification of the water is like the sanctification of sannyäsa life by one's preaching the glories of Krishna without sex desire.
- Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum » Chapter Twenty » Verse: 35 » Translations by Disciples of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
WhaT iS puRe VaiñëaVa's Dharma?
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
“Two separate dharma are passing on in this world in the name of Vaiñëava's dharma: One is pure Vaiñëava's dharma and the other one is perverted Vaiñëava's dharma. Even though pure Vaiñëava's dharma is one in truth, but according to different rasas it has been categorized as four: Vaiñëava's dharma in the mood of däsya, Vaiñëava's dharma in the mood of säkhya, Vaiñëava's dharma in the mood of vätsalya, and Vaiñëava's dharma in
the mood of mädhurya. Actually pure Vaiñëava's dharma is one and without a second. Another name of this dharma is nitya dharma or para dharma. The following statement from the Veda “ jajjnäte sarvaà vijnätaà bhavati” or “by knowing which everything becomes known” aims at pure Vaiñëava's dharma.”
- Jaiva Dharma Chapter-4
Why only Bhägavata dharma is eternal dharma?
“Due to spiritual propensity all fortunate souls have a natural taste in the science of pure devotional service to the Lord. Their worship of the Supreme Lord is neither part of fruitive activities nor mental speculation. But it is pure devotional service. Such worship is called pure Vaiñëava's dharma. It is stated in Çrémad Bhägavatam 1/2/11 as follows:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaà
yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän
iti çabdyate
“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramätmä or Bhagavän.”
The absolute truth which includes Brahman and Paramätmä is the ultimate goal of all truths. The absolute truth is Viñëu Tattva and all pure spirit souls are His servants; The pure propensity of the spirit soul is called devotional service. Devotional service to Hari alone is known as Suddha Vaiñëava's dharma, Nitya dharma, Jaiva Dharma, Bhägavata Dharma, Paramärtha dharma or Para Dharma. All religious principles that have arise from the principle of Brahman and Paramätmä are simply occasional religious principles. There is also a cause behind the cultivation of impersonal brahman, therefore it is also occasional and not eternal. The followers of impersonal brahman consider material bondage as the cause of their conditional state and thus they take shelter of occasional religious principles in the form of searching after impersonal brahman. Therefore cultivation of impersonal brahman is not eternal. Even those living entities who follow the principles of Paramätmä dharma with a desire to attain pleasure derived from Samädhi, also make the subtle material enjoyment as the criteria and thus follow the path of occasional religious prin-
ciple. Therefore cultivation of Paramätmä dharma is also not eternal. Only pure Bhägavata Dharma is eternal.”
- Bhaktivinoda Väné Vaibhäva Published by Isvara dasa
Is the performance of Varëäçrama-dharma one of the soul’s constitutional duties?
The sages have instructed us to become fixed in the practice of Varëäçrama-dharma. It is certainly important to follow Varëäçrama-dharma, but Sri Gaurangadeva questioned its necessity. Varëäçrama-dharma is not our eternal dharma It is not the constitutional propensity of the soul and therefore not our constitutional duty. Rather, it speaks to certain material propensities that lead toward self-realization even while we remain in the conditioned state. Varëäçrama-dharma is based on trying to worship Lord Vishnu from a particular position. It is not unmotivated, uninterrupted, pure devotional service to Krishna. Service to Krishna is not rendered from the platform of varëäçrama Varëäçrama only admits a little Vishnu worship. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that we should first ascertain who we are. To decide that we are brähmaëas, kñatriyas, vaiçyas, or çüdras, sannyäsés, gåhastas, vänaprasthas, or brahmacärés is all right, but these are temporary designations of conditioned living entities. They are not our eternal constitutional position. We are eternal servants of Krishna. A spirit soul is a servant of the Supersoul. Serving the Supersoul is a living entity’s duty.
- Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada Compiled by Sripada Bhakti Mayukha Bhagavat Maharaja Adapted and Published by Isvara dasa.
When To GloRify The pRincipleS of BhägaVata Dharma?
Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura
tomarä ye ämäre çikhäo viñëu-dharma
teïi bujhi,—ämära uttama äche karma
“You always teach Me My duties to Lord Visnu. This proves that I must have previously performed pious activities.
“You are teaching Me bhägavata-dharma because I have previously accumulated heaps of pious activ-
ities.” Activities performed with a desire to enjoy immediate results are temporary smärta-dharma or nondevotional atheistic çäkta-dharma. In the beginning such activities give some apparent temporary material happiness like heavenly pleasures to those unfortunate fruitive workers who are bewildered by false ego and attached to sense gratification, and ultimately they give the threefold miseries of material existence. Although the subjects of nondevotional morality, knowledge, and renunciation that are found in smärta-dharma may at first sight appear immediately beneficial, they do not lead one to the ultimate goal of life. Their fruits are temporary and ultimately yield bad results. But the fruit of cultivating bhägavata-dharma is the awakening of the living entity’s eternal unadulterated auspiciousness.
The phrase viñëu-dharma means “supreme occupational duties,” “spiritual occupational duties,” “occupational duties in relation with the Supreme Lord,” or “constitutional activities of the soul.” These duties are explained in the following verses. The Hari-bhakti-viläsa (Tenth Viläsa) states:
tathä vaiñëava-dharmäàç ca kriyamäëän api svayam saàpåcchet tad vidaù sädhün anyo ’nya préti våddhaye
çraddhayä bhagavad-dharmän vaiñëaväyänupåcchate avaçyaà kathayed vidvän anyathä doña-bhäg bhavet
“Although one personally engages in Vaiñëava-dharma to increase his love, he should make inquiries from like-minded devotees. When an intelligent person is repeatedly questioned about Vaiñëava-dharma by a faithful person, he must glorify the principles of bhägavata-dharma to such a devotee. Otherwise he will incur sin.
puëyaà yäti çatäbdikam
“It is further stated in this regard that if a devotee of the Lord is questioned by another devotee re-
garding Vaiñëava-dharma and he does not explain those principles to him, then whatever piety he has accumulated over the last one hundred births is all lost.”
In the Käçé-khaëòa, Dvärakä-mähätmya, Candra Sarma speaks the following words: “I will not eat anything on the day of Ekädaçé. I will constantly remain awake. I will worship You every day with festivals. I will eat on those days like Ekädaçé and Janmäñöamé when they are even slightly mixed, being touched by another tithi. I will observe the eight types of Mahä-dvädaçé for Your pleasure. I will engage in Your devotional service with my life and wealth. I will regularly recite Your thousand names. I will regularly worship You with tulasi. I will wear beads made of tulasi. I will chant and dance throughout the day and night of Ekädaçé. I will smear my body with the pulp of tulasi wood, and thereafter I will sing Your glories. I will visit Mathura every year, and I will study literatures describing Your glories and hear topics about You. I will regularly touch the water that has washed Your feet to my head. I will duly accept Your remnants. I will touch Your garland remnants to my head, and I will offer You my favorite item and then take Your remnants. O Krishna, I swear before You that I will perform only those activities that are pleasing to You.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (7.7.30-32) it is stated: “One must accept the bona fide spiritual master and render service unto him with great devotion and faith. Whatever one has in one’s possession should be offered to the spiritual master, and in the association of saintly persons and devotees one should worship the Lord, hear the glories of the Lord with faith, glorify the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord, always meditate on the Lord’s lotus feet, and worship the Deity of the Lord strictly according to the injunctions of the çästra and guru. One should always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His localized representation as the Paramätmä, who is situated in the core of every living entity’s heart. Thus one should offer respect to every living entity according to that living entity’s position or manifestation.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.34) Kavi Muni, one of the nine Yogendras, speaks to Nimi, the King of Videha, as follows: “Even ignorant living entities can very easily come to know the Supreme
Lord if they adopt those means prescribed by the Supreme Lord Himself. The process recommended by the Lord is to be known as bhägavata-dharma, or devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.3.23-30) Prabuddha Muni, one of the nine Yogendras, speaks to Nimi, the King of Videha, as follows: “A sincere disciple should learn to dissociate the mind from everything material and positively cultivate association with his spiritual master and other saintly devotees. He should be merciful to those in an inferior position to him, cultivate friendship with those on an equal level and meekly serve those in a higher spiritual position. Thus he should learn to deal properly with all living beings. To serve the spiritual master the disciple should learn cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, study of Vedic knowledge, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence, and equanimity in the face of material dualities such as heat and cold, happiness and distress. One should practice meditation by constantly seeing oneself to be an eternal cognizant spirit soul and seeing the Lord to be the absolute controller of everything. To increase one’s meditation, one should live in a secluded place and give up false attachment to one’s home and household paraphernalia. Giving up the decorations of the temporary material body, one should dress himself with scraps of cloth found in rejected places, or with the bark of trees. In this way one should learn to be satisfied in any material situation. One should have firm faith that he will achieve all success in life by following those scriptures that describe the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavän. At the same time, one should avoid blaspheming other scriptures. One should rigidly control his mind, speech and bodily activities, always speak the truth, and bring the mind and senses under full control. One should hear, glorify and meditate upon the wonderful transcendental activities of the Lord. One should specifically become absorbed in the appearance, activities, qualities and holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus inspired, one should perform all of one’s daily activities as an offering to the Lord. One should perform sacrifice, charity and penance exclusively for the Lord’s satisfaction. Similarly, one should chant only those mantras which glorify the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. And all one’s religious activities should be performed as an offering to the Lord. Whatever one finds pleasing or enjoyable he should immediately offer to the Supreme Lord, and even his wife, children, home and very life air he should offer at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who desires his ultimate self-interest should cultivate friendship with those persons who have accepted Krishna as the Lord of their life. One should further develop an attitude of service toward all living beings. One should especially try to help those in the human form of life and, among them, especially those who accept the principles of religious behavior. Among religious persons, one should especially render service to the pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should learn how to associate with the devotees of the Lord by gathering with them to chant the glories of the Lord. This process is most purifying. As devotees thus develop their loving friendship, they feel mutual happiness and satisfaction. And by thus encouraging one another they are able to give up material sense gratification, which is the cause of all suffering.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.11.34-41, 11.19.20-23, and 11.29.9-12) the Supreme Lord speaks the following words: “My dear Uddhava, one can give up false pride and prestige by engaging in the following devotional activities. One may purify oneself by seeing, touching, worshiping, serving, and offering prayers of glorification and obeisances to My form as the Deity and to My pure devotees. One should also glorify My transcendental qualities and activities, hear with love and faith the narrations of My glories and constantly meditate on Me. One should offer to Me whatever one acquires, and accepting oneself as My eternal servant, one should give oneself completely to Me. One should always discuss My birth and activities and enjoy life by participating in festivals, such as Janmäñöamé, which glorify My pastimes. In My temple, one should also participate in festivals and ceremonies by singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and discussing Me with other Vaiñëavas. One should observe all the regularly celebrated annual festivals by attending ceremonies, pilgrimages and making offerings. One should also observe religious vows such as Ekädaçé and take initiation by the procedures mentioned
in the Vedas, Païcarätra and other, similar literatures. One should faithfully and lovingly support the installation of My Deity, and individually or in cooperation with others one should work for the construction of Krishna conscious temples and cities as well as flower gardens, fruit gardens and special areas to celebrate My pastimes. One should consider oneself to be My humble servant, without duplicity, and thus should help to clean the temple, which is My home. First one should sweep and dust thoroughly, and then one should further cleanse with water and cow dung. Having dried the temple, one should sprinkle scented water and decorate the temple with maëòalas. One should thus act just like My servant. A devotee should never advertise his devotional activities; therefore his service will not be the cause of false pride. One should never use lamps that are offered to Me for other purposes simply because there is need of illumination, and similarly, one should never offer to Me anything that has been offered to or used by others. Whatever is most desired by one within this material world, and whatever is most dear to oneself—one should offer that very thing to Me. Such an offering qualifies one for eternal life. Firm faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant chanting of My glories, unwavering attachment to ceremonial worship of Me, praising Me through beautiful hymns, great respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances with the entire body, performing first-class worship of My devotees, consciousness of Me in all living entities, offering of ordinary, bodily activities in My devotional service, use of words to describe My qualities, offering the mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth for My devotional service, renouncing material sense gratification and happiness, and performing all desirable activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities should all be executed for My pleasure. Always remembering Me, one should perform all his duties for Me without becoming impetuous. With mind and intelligence offered to Me, one should fix his mind in attraction to My devotional service. One should take shelter of holy places where My saintly devotees reside, and one should be guided by the exemplary activities of My devotees, who appear among the demigods, demons and human beings.
Either alone or in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal opulence, one should arrange to celebrate those holy days, ceremonies and festivals set aside specially for My worship. With a pure heart one should see Me, the Supreme Soul within all beings and also within oneself, to be both unblemished by anything material and also present everywhere, both externally and internally, just like the omnipresent sky.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.12) Sri Narada speaks to Vasudeva as follows:
çruto 'nupaöhito dhyäta
ädåto vänumoditaù sadyaù punäti sad-dharmo deva-viçva-druho 'pi hi
“Pure devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord is spiritually so potent that simply by hearing about such transcendental service, by chanting its glories in response, by meditating on it, by respectfully and faithfully accepting it, or by praising the devotional service of others, even persons who hate the demigods and all other living beings can be immediately purified.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.2.35) Kavi Muni, one of the nine Yogendras, speaks to Nimi, the King of Videha, the following words:
yän ästhäya naro räjan na pramädyeta karhicit dhävan nimélya vä netre na skhalen na pated iha
“O King, one who accepts this process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never blunder on his path in this world. Even while running with eyes closed, he will never trip or fall.”
In the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.3.33) Sri Prabuddha Muni, one of the nine Yogendras, speaks to Nimi, the King of Videha, as follows:
iti bhägavatän dharmän
çikñan bhaktyä tad-utthayä
näräyaëa-paro mäyäm
aïjas tarati dustaräm
“Thus learning the science of devotional service and practically engaging in the devotional service of the Lord, the devotee comes to the stage of love of Godhead. And by complete devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, the devotee easily crosses over the illusory energy, mäyä, which is extremely difficult to cross.”
Lord Krishna speaks the following words to Uddhava in the Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.29.20):
na hy aìgopakrame dhvaàso mad-dharmasyoddhaväëv api mayä vyavasitaù samyaì nirguëatväd anäçiñaù
“My dear Uddhava, because I have personally established it, this process of devotional service unto Me is transcendental and free from any material motivation. Certainly a devotee never suffers even the slightest loss by adopting this process.”
The words uttama karma refer to heaps of previous pious activities or good fortune.
- Çré Caitanya-bhägavata Madhya-khaëòa 2.043- Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura, Edited and Published by Pundarika Vidyanidhi
Bhägavata Mahävidyalaya is a branch of International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Founder-Acarya: His Divine Grace
A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada Editor
Brajsunder Das
Copy Editor
Isha Prakash Das
Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists.