Summary study of Srila Rupa Goswami’s ‘Bhakti Rasamrta-sindhu’

NECTAR OF DEVOTION

Class notes from: Bhurijana prabhu and Giriraja Swami

We begin this study of Nectar of Devotion, summary study of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu of Srila Rupa
Goswami, by offering our obeisances to Srila Rupa Goswami. (quotes from C.C.)

“In his book, ‘Caitanya Chandrodaya’, Kavikarna Purna, the son of Sivananda Sena, has elaborately
described the meeting between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Rupa Goswami.”

“In the course of time, the transcendental news of Krsna’s pastimes in Vrndavana, was almost lost. To
enunciate explicitly those transcendental pastimes, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at Prayaga, empowered
Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana Goswami with the nectar of His mercy to carry out this work in
Vrndavana. From the very beginning Rupa Goswami was deeply attracted by the transcendental qualities
of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus he was permanently relieved from family life. Srila Rupa Goswami and
his younger brother Vallabha were blessed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although the Lord was
transcendentally situated in His transcendental eternal form at Prayaga He told Rupa Goswami about
transcendental ecstatic love of Krsna. The Lord then embraced him very firmly and bestowed all His
mercy upon him.”

“Indeed Srila Rupa Goswami, whose dear friend was Svarupa Damodara, was the exactly replica of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he was very, very dear to the Lord. Being the embodiment of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love, Rupa Goswami was naturally very beautiful. He very carefully followed the
principles enunciated by the Lord and he was a confident person to explain properly the pastimes of Lord
Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expanded His mercy to Srila Rupa Goswami just so he could render
service by writing transcendental literature. The characteristics of Srila Rupa Goswami have thus been
described in various places by the poet Kavikarna Purna. An account has also been given of how Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestowed His causeless mercy upon Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana
Goswami. Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana Goswami were the objects of love and honor for all
the greatest stalwart devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

We are very indebted to Srila Rupa Goswami. He received knowledge directly from Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, just as Lord Brahma received knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Krsna. And then he expanded the knowledge that he received, in the form of many books, of which Srila
Prabhupada chose to translate ‘Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu’, the complete science of Bhakti-yoga.

PREFACE

The book “Nectar of Devotion” is, as Srila Prabhupada’s statement, a “Summary study of Srila Rupa
Goswami’s ‘Bhakti Rasamrta-sindhu'”.

The title of the book ‘Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu’ is discussed by Srila Prabhupada in the Preface with the
special reference to the word ‘rasa’, because rasa is very difficult to translate into English. But Srila
Prabhupada accepted the use of the word ‘mellow’ following Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, meaning
‘the sweet taste that one derives from rendering devotional service’.

[Rasa in the highest sense is actually composed of five different types of ‘bhava’ or ecstasy. When the
five types of bhava combine they produce ‘rasa’. Later on, the different five types of bhava will be
discussed. We can just imagine how ecstatic rasa is if it is made of the five different types of ecstasy.

One of the types of ecstasy is called ‘stayi-bhava’, which means permanent ecstasy. And this permanent
ecstasy will come in one of five categories: neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental affection and
conjugal love. When a person becomes established in his eternal relationship with Krsna he is
continuously feeling ecstasy in one of the five types of relationships. Then the basic continuous ecstasy
becomes mixed with other types of ecstasy and their combination produces rasa. The mixture of the
different types of ecstasy has been

compared to a mixture of yogurt, sugar candy, black pepper and camphor. This is exceedingly tasty.]

Bhakti-rasa means the sweet taste or flavour or mellow that comes from loving and serving
Krsna. Amrtameans eternal and also nectarean. Sindhu means ocean. Bhakti Rasamrta-sindhu means
‘the nectarean ocean of the mellow or sweet taste of Bhakti’, the ‘Nectar of Devotion’. The sweet taste
that comes from serving Krsna with devotion. It is actually an ocean of ecstasy.

Rupa Goswami was told by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself: “I cannot describe fully this ocean of
ecstasy, but by letting you taste a drop of it you will get an idea of the quality of this ‘ocean’.”

If there is an ocean of salt and one tastes one drop of it, he gets an idea of the entire ocean’s qualities,
how it looks like. Similarly it is impossible to taste completely this ‘Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu’, because it is
Krsna’s internal energy. But a living entity according to his ‘capacity’ can swim and dive and enjoy in this
ocean.

Rupa Goswami, after hearing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and being empowered to do so, is going to
describe this ocean of devotional service and what it consists of.

The Preface is divided into three parts:

(1) The first part gives a very short history of how the

‘Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu’ became written by Rupa Goswami. How Rupa Goswami was a very
powerful sarasvati brahmin. How, after coming in contact with Mahaprabhu he left the service of the
Mohammedan’s minister Hussein Shah. He had great amounts of gold and he gave up this gold when he
renounced the world. He became instructed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and then he went to Vrndavana
sent personally by Mahaprabhu to live there, written transcendental literature and excavate the different
holy places in relation with Radha-Krsna’s pastimes. Rupa Goswami lived in many places in Vrndavana
but possibly the foremost places were Radha-Damodara temple and Nandagrama in a place called teera-
kadamba (more precisely in between Nandagrama and Jawat).

His purpose in writing this ‘Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu’ is to describe this ocean of devotional service. And
Srila Prabhupada says that he is presenting this literature so that the devotees will become solid situated
in Krsna consciousness. The entire range of Krsna conscious activities are described in this work.

There is another book, which describes in more detail the ‘madhurya rasa’ called ‘Ujjvala-nilamani’. It is a
more graduated study of Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu.

“This book ‘Nectar of Devotion’ is presented for persons who are now engaged in the Krsna
consciousness movement. It describes the development of Krsna consciousness. It is extremely
important to learn this book thoroughly so one becomes solid situated in Krsna consciousness.”

(2) The second part of the Preface describes ‘Bhakti rasa’ in a very simple way. It compares ‘Bhakti rasa’
to mundane rasa. And describes the process of developing our Krsna consciousness, or Bhakti rasa – our
loving relationship with Krsna.

The term Krsna consciousness was translated by Srila Prabhupada from the Bengali term bhakti-rasa-
bhavita.
This Bhakti-rasa, or the mellow, the sweet taste that comes from serving Krsna, is so rare. It is the most
rare thing in this world. It is rarer than a diamond, jewels, oil…, rarer than intelligence…, and if one finds
that it is available somewhere, one should purchase it immediately at any price.

Actually there is only one price – ‘laulyam’ or greed. That greed develops as our Bhakti rasa; our taste
develops; our desire to love Krsna develops. Not through millions and millions of births of pious activities
can one attain this taste, the greed or Bhakti-rasa. It is so rare.

Rupa Goswami is going to describe how we can acquire and deepen our Bhakti-rasa and explain how it
develops.

First he defines in this second part of the Preface, which begins at the bottom of page xii. He describes
that Bhakti means devotional service or Krsna consciousness: ‘every service has some attractive feature
which drives the servitor progressively on and on…’

Everyone is serving, there is no avoiding service. We must serve by nature and rasa is the taste that one
gets from that service. The taste, the feeling, the mellow, as defined by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura.
The flavour, the mellow, the taste that one derives when he does service. In any service we do, there is a
flavour, a feeling in the heart. There is flavour in the work and there a flavour in the reward. But here Srila
Prabhupada points out a distinction between two different types of flavour or rasas: (1) one is Bhakti-rasa
which is transcendental and (2) the other is any other rasa, mundane taste that comes from mundane
service. They are completely distinct.

There is a great distinction in the sweetness because transcendental rasa is unbelievable, indescribable
sweet. One can only describe it by analogies and similes and metaphors. Like in Bhagavad-gita in the
11th Chapter when Krsna exhibits His universal form to Arjuna, it says: “if one hundred thousands suns
would rise in the sky at one time…”. One can get an idea of the effulgence of the universal form exhibited
by Krsna. It is used something that we know to understand. We can imagine so many suns rising in the
sky, so Krsna is using the ‘known’ to describe the ‘unknown’. Similarly using metaphors one can describe
the sweet taste of Bhakti-rasa or Krsna consciousness. But actually it is indescribable for the material
mind. [‘It is like an ocean of LSD’, Srila Prabhupada once said in the 22nd Avenue] Although one can give
examples and metaphors and analogies to describe what love of Krsna is like or what the spiritual world is
like, actually there is no way, at this point, that one can actually understand this sweet reality, this Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu, this ocean of Bhakti-rasa, the sweet mellow or taste of devotional service. But Srila
Rupa Goswami and Srila Prabhupada are going to describe it as far as possible.

The first thing to understand is that it is completely different from any mundane rasa. And the simplest
way to understand is that: mundane rasa is temporary and the sweet taste that one can get from some
mundane service is temporary. One may lose his wife, his children, his job, his dog. It is doomed, it is
temporary. But ‘amrta’ means eternal. This is the first distinction between the sweet taste derived from
loving Krsna and any other flavour exhibited in the material world. That Bhakti-rasa is eternal, it is Krsna’s
internal energy. This is a simple and basic difference.

Also material taste or flavour is unsatisfying. Bhakti-rasa is completely satisfying.

There is the example of the businessman. He likes his work, the taste of it. He meets with his friends, they
talk about their jobs, business, etc, etc… There is a taste, a sweetness in that. But one cannot do that day
after day. It does not bring further satisfaction.

Therefore the phenomena of ‘bhoga-tyaga’ is there. One does something, he derives some taste, but in
order to increase that taste or keeping or getting that taste, he must renounce doing that very same thing
time to time. Therefore the businessman, five days a week, he has to do something else. He goes to the
countryside, the beach, he stays at home, etc, but he cannot do the same thing everyday because it is
‘bhoga-tyaga’ it is not a satisfying taste for the soul. This is the second distinction between the mundane
rasa and Krsna consciousness.
Rupa Goswami laments for not having thousands of tongues and ears so he could chant and hear the
names of the Lord – the proof that the taste for chanting was increasing more and more. Not boring. One
can practice twenty-four hours a day devotional service because the taste is so sweet. Mundane rasa
does not endure long. There is a limit of how much one can be satisfied in mundane rasa even if there is
a sweet taste.[Example: how much we can eat and enjoy ice-cream? A big cup, two, three perhaps a
room filled with ice-cream? Definitely not! After a certain amount it will loose its taste. The tongue will
loose its ability of deriving any happiness from it.] Material pleasure is ‘capala sukha’, it is temporary,
limited. And ultimately it is temporary because we are going to die. In this way Bhakti-rasa being eternally
present can truly satisfy the soul, while no mundane taste that comes from service can actually satisfy us.
And how to get and cultivate that Bhakti-rasa is going to be described by Srila Rupa Goswami. This 2nd
section of the Preface gives the distinction between Bhakti-rasa and mundane rasa, description of Bhakti-
rasa, its glories and its results. In page ‘xvi’ we read: “This eternal engagement in Bhakti-rasa can be
understood by a serious student upon studying ‘The Nectar of Devotion’. Adoption of Bhakti-rasa or Krsna
consciousness will immediately bring on to an auspicious life free from anxieties and will bless one with
transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation.”

It is interesting to know here what brings us to Krsna. This is a descending process as Srila Prabhupada
explains (page ‘xiv’ last para): “Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to produce a feeling of liberation, because it
attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord, Krsna. Generally neophyte devotees are anxious to see Krsna
or God, but God cannot be seen or known by our present materially blunt senses. The process of
devotional service as it is recommended in the ‘Nectar of Devotion’ will gradually elevate one from the
material condition of life to the spiritual status wherein the devotee become free, purified of all
designations.

If one develops his Bhakti, his Krsna consciousness, than he will be able to attract the attention of Krsna.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta used to say: “Don’t try to see Krsna but act in such a way that Krsna will see you!”

What will attract Krsna’s attention? – One’s Bhakti, one’s devotion. And Bhakti-rasa is the sweet mellow or
taste that one develops by his devotion to Lord Krsna. That is Krsna’s reciprocation – this rasa or taste
with devotion. With that the devotee does his service.

How to cultivate the devotion? – this what ‘Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu’ is about – the ocean of devotional
service or the sweetness of devotional service.

(3) In this last section of the Preface, Srila Prabhupada describes love and material considerations.

Ultimately Bhakti comes to the point of Prema, love of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada is going to describe that
this loving propensity is very, very deep and it is natural for the living entity. But now this loving propensity
is directed toward matter. Is directed toward our family, our mother, father, sisters, brothers, society, caste,
countrymen, and even up to the degree of all humanity. Or even higher than that, all living entities in this
world. But even to this point our loving propensity will not be satisfied unless one learns how to love
Krsna. That consciousness is dormant within the living entity. Any other consciousness is artificial. And if
we do love Krsna, automatically we will love all living entities, just as when we water the root of a tree, all
the different parts of the tree will be watered. That works because all living entities are parts and parcels
of Krsna. When one loves Krsna, automatically he loves His parts and parcels. And one sees (as
explained in the Sri Isopanisad) all living entities in relation with Krsna, he sees them as His children and
therefore his brothers and sisters.

Next topic is about material necessities. Because, naturally if one is thinking “yes I have to love Krsna, I
cannot love those things in the material world”, then the next question is : “What about the material world,
how should I deal with the material world? Should I become completely aloof, should I live in the
Himalayan mountains? Should I live as a very austere babaji? Is that possible, should I be doing that?”

Here Srila Prabhupada answers those questions: “No! We don’t have to do that!” And in fact practically no
body can do that – live a complete austere existence. Not with the modern materialistic culture as it is
now. Rather we should understand that ‘the material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us
happy’. And Srila Prabhupada gives the example of the USA where there is so much wealth, so much
opulence…. So many people from other countries dream to go to America and also become happy, but
the Americans are not so happy. If one who have something and is not happy how one who will get the
same thing will be happy? That is just a dream.

Material facilities by themselves cannot make us happy. We must learn to love Krsna and develop our
Bhakti-rasa – that only will make us happy.

How to deal with the material world, if we learn to love Krsna? – One may live without material discomfort
but at the same time he should learn the art of loving Krsna. That is practical.

In our preaching movement we should learn how to use things in the service of Krsna and not for our
sense gratification because that will not make us happy. Everything is Krsna’s and should be used in His
service only. This will be explained by Rupa Goswami later on.

Summary of the Preface:

First the history of the ‘Nectar of Devotion’ was explained and it was described that the NOD is meant for
the devotees of the Krsna consciousness movement, to situate them solidly in Krsna consciousness – it is
the ‘Law book’.

Then Srila Prabhupada defines what Bhakti-rasa is and how it is different from mundane material rasa.
How Bhakti-rasa is eternal, it satisfies fully the soul. Material taste that comes from service they do not
satisfy us, they force us to leave them after some time and try something else.

But Bhakti-rasa is that thing which will satisfy the soul completely. And what is it? It is ‘love’! (That’s the
last section.) It is love of Krsna. When the loving propensity that we all have is directed toward Krsna,
then the soul can be happy and then he can have also the proper relationship of affection toward all living
beings in the material world.

And how should we deal with the material world, the material facilities? We can live comfortably but we
should understand that the material world cannot satisfy us. But we should live comfortably not artificially,
without discomfort, and use everything in the material world in Krsna’s service. And thereby we can
become Krsna conscious and in a very simple and easy way.

Srila Prabhupada (almost) ends his purport with: “specifically presented for persons who are now
engaged in the Krsna consciousness movement.”

INTRODUCTION:

Invoking auspiciousness – ‘Sri Krsna jayate’. This is how Srila Rupa Goswami opens his book.

This Introduction is actually the beginning of Rupa Goswami’s ‘Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu’. Rupa Goswami
has written this book for three reasons:

(1) The first reason – he was directly instructed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to write on pure devotional
service. Mahaprabhu instructed him directly to do this service.

(2) The second reason – he wants to do the highest good for humanity. And the highest good is: engaging
people in devotional service and bringing them to the platform of purity in devotional service and
ultimately to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna.

(3) The third reason – he is writing this book to satisfy the thirst of the self-realized souls for Krsna
consciousness. By the association of Rupa Goswami the devotees who are pure and have developed a
thirst for Krsna consciousness, when they read ‘Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu’ they will feel great satisfaction in
their hearts and their thirst will be satisfied.

For these three reasons Rupa Goswami is writing ‘Nectar of Devotion’ and he begins it with: ‘Sri Krsna
Jayate’.

What does Rupa Goswami do and how Srila Prabhupada introduces things? He explains that Lord Sri
Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the methodology to develop love for Krsna is the
purpose of writing this book.

There are so many conceptions of what is the Supreme. Some people think that the Supreme is formless.
Others think that the Supreme is God but they don’t know anything about God. Others think that the
Supreme is the Paramatma. Others think that God is the controller. Others think that God is the ‘Great
law-maker’. Others think that God is Visnu or Narayana… but here Rupa Goswami, following Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, is explaining that the ultimate conception or understanding of God is Sri Krsna. Therefore
Srila Prabhupada says: ‘Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead’. He is the One who is the
cause of all causes. He is the reservoir of all rasas – He embodies rasa. His body is composed of rasa.
He is ‘Rasaraja’. Practically His pleasure is to engage in rasa. This is what Krsna does. (the ex. of the
German scholar who went to India to find out who is the Supreme Lord. After seeing the different
incarnations and demigods engaged in all sorts of activities and meditations and then by seeing Krsna
just playing with His flute, he concluded that Krsna is surely the Supreme Lord. He has nothing to do, just
to enjoy).

There are five primary rasas or relationships one can have with Krsna: neutrality, servitorship, friendship,
parenthood and conjugal. These, for a pure soul, they are eternal, they never change. And in addition
there are seven secondary rasas, that come and go and add to the primary rasas. Rupa Goswami begins
his book with one very nice verse:

akhila-rasamrta-murtih

prasmara-ruci-ruddha-taraka-palih

kalita-syama-lalito

radha-preyan vidhur jayati

“Let Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His expanding attractive
features, He subjugated the gopis named Taraka and Pali and absorbed Syama and Lalita. He is the most
attractive lover of Srimati Radharani and is the reservoir of pleasure for all devotional mellows.” (CC Mad
8.142)

Krsna is the Supreme attractive form. Krsna means ‘all-attractive’. And by His universal and
transcendental features He has captivated all the gopis headed by Taraka, Palika, Syama, Lalita and
ultimately Srimati Radharani.

This is a very intimate information about Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All different points
and aspects will be elaborately discussed and explained by Rupa Goswami.

Krsna is compared to the moon and Taraka and Palika, two gopis who are compared to the many stars in
the galaxy. Just like when the moon is full, very bright, one cannot see the stars in the sky due to the
luster of the moon. Similarly the luster of Sri Krsna, the transcendental attractive potency of Krsna has
eclipsed the power of all the gopis and completely brought them under His control. This is Krsna.

Jiva Goswami in his ‘Sad-sandharbas’ has taken so much care and trouble to use sastric proof, specially
from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, to show that it is Krsna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He
quoted so many verses from the SB to show that Krsna’s birth was not ordinary. And that Krsna is the
primary name of God among so many other (secondary) names. He is the Lord of all the three worlds,
and His beauty is beyond compare. He is all attractive. This is the meaning of Krsna.

From SB 10.29.40: “Dear Krsna, (the gopis are speaking) what woman from all the three worlds would not
be deviated from the religious behaviour when bewildered by the sweet drawn out melody of Your flute.
Your beauty makes all the three worlds auspicious. Indeed even the cows, birds, trees, and deer manifest
the ecstatic symptoms of bodily hair standing on end, when they see Your beautiful form.” ‘Krsna’s beauty
is without compare. He is the Supreme Lord. His spiritual body is manifested by His ‘svarupa-sakti’ or His
internal potency. Krsna is the source of all avataras (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam). Krsna is the refuge of
all. Everything ultimately takes shelter of Krsna. Krsna is the embodiment of all rasas. Krsna is the
Creator of universes. And He is the Creator of that Maya that makes all the universes and everything
within them appear real, although they are not real. Krsna reciprocates completely with His devotees.’

These were quoted by Srila Jiva Goswami to show that only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Cause of all causes, is the only One who possesses all these qualities.

“The various groups of people on the arena regarded Krsna in different ways when He entered it with His
elder brother. The wrestlers saw Krsna as a lightening bolt. The men of Mathura as the best of males. The
women as Cupid in person. The cowherd men as their relative. The impious rulers as a chastiser. His
parents as their child. The King of Bhojas saw Him as death. The unintelligent they saw the Supreme
Lord’s universal form. The yogis saw Him as the Absolute Truth. And the Vrsnis as their Supreme worship
able deity.”

Krsna alone possesses all these qualities and therefore is not an exaggeration to call Him the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada continues by saying: “Let His Lordship Sri Krsna, His grace be on us so that there may
not be any hindrances in the execution of this duty of writing the ‘Nectar of Devotion’ impelled by His
Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada.”

Then Srila Prabhupada offers his obeisances to the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Goswami and his own guru-
maharaja for their inspiration in his compilation of the ‘Nectar of Devotion’. Then he offers obeisances to
Lord Sri Caitanya. All this is done to create auspiciousness and to explain the purpose of his book. (2nd
and 3rd para.page ‘xix’)

Then he explains Rupa Goswami’s offering of obeisances to his spiritual master Sanatana Goswami.

Sanatana has two meanings: one meaning is: “to Sanatana Goswami’s pleasure to whom Rupa Goswami
dedicates his book.’ Another meaning is: ‘for the One who possesses a Sanatana or eternal body – that is
Sri Krsna.’

Then, after offering obeisances to guru and Krsna, Srila Prabhupada offers his obeisances to the
Vaisnavas, the acaryas. (page ‘xix’, 4th para., until “The sharks who dwell in the ocean do not care for the
rivers which are gliding down to it.”)

The devotees, the great teachers, are like sharks for three reasons: (1) sharks only live in the ocean, they
don’t go into the rivers which means the different paths (karma misra-bhakti, jnana misra-bhakti). The
great devotees they don’t care for these rivers that merge into the ocean. They just live unto the ocean
and taste that which is available in the ocean, they don’t go up unto the rivers. (2) They swim in the ocean
and (3) they enjoy unlimited scope for their activities. That is the ocean or sindhu of bhakti-rasa. The great
acaryas don’t care at all for the rivers of liberation, they are completely satisfied in the ocean of bhakti-
rasa.
And the rivers that have been discarded are the different types of liberation. One of those, the sahujya-
mukti, is completely discarded by all Vaisnavas. And the other four other kinds of liberation are also
disregarded by the great Vaisnavas acaryas. They are only interested in bhakti-rasa.

Next Srila Rupa Goswami prays to his spiritual master, Sanatana Goswami to protect his ‘Bhakti
rasamrta-sindhu’ from two things: (1) the argumentative logicians who unnecessarily meddle in the
science of service to the Lord. He compares their argu ments and logic to volcanic eruptions in the midst
of the ocean. In the midst of the ocean, volcanic eruptions can do very little harm and similarly (2) those
who are against devotional service to the Lord and who put foward many philosophical theses about the
ultimate transcendental realization cannot disturb this great ocean of devotional service. The two things
from which devotional service must be protected are: this logic – nyaya or taraka and another
is mimhamsa philosophy. Purva mimhamsa is karma kanda. There are so many sastric quotes that give
stress to karma mim hamsa and Rupa Goswami don’t want those people who suport that to interfere in
his bhakti-rasa. Uttara mimhamsa is Vedanta-sutra and impersonalist philosophy.

In the beginning of the sandharbas, Jiva Goswami says that anyone who reads these books for any other
purpose rather than the achievement of pure devotional service: “I’ll curse them!” Those who are not
devotees should not meddle in these books.

In the beginning of the 3rd para. page ‘xx’, Rupa Goswami, although he is such a great scholar, he
considers himself ajna, without knowledge. This is to set the example of how a preacher should be
thinking and work. He should work in a very humble spirit. And Srila Prabhupada very sweetly explains:
“That should be the atitude” (3rd para. page ‘xx’) That should be the mood of a preacher.

After Rupa Goswami had offered his obeisances and explained the purpose of his book, now he is going
to describe the contents of the book. He begins his explanation (beginning of page “xxi”) of what pure
devotional service is, because this whole book is about uttama bhakti, pure devotional service. But what
pure devotional service is he is going to describe and define in one mantra, one sloka.

But just before that he is going to explain the entire con tents of the book. This Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu is
divided into four parts and as the ocean is divided into North, South, East and West, beginning with the
Eastern Side this Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu is divided into four parts: (1) Eastern Side, (2) Southern Side,
(3) Western Side and (4) Northern Side. (see page 409 NOD)

1. The Eastern Side deals with bhagavad-bhakti-bheda (varie ties of devotional service). Practically
speaking there is a ladder given in this side. There are four waves of this Eastern Side:

a) A general description of devotional service (chap 1 to 5 in NOD) – samanya-bhakti. This is a general

description of what is devotional service and the stages of pure devotional service. Then there is a
description of the three steps of the ladder.

b) Sadhana-bhakti, practice (from sraddha to ruci). This step is divided into two sub-
divisions: vaidhi and raganuga.

c) Bhava-bhakti, and,

d) Prema-bhakti. Both are perfect pure, siddha-bhakti, pure devotional service, uttama-bhakti (from bhava
to prema)

2. The Southern Side. In this division there are five differ ent parts – the five elements of rasa. Rupa
Goswami is going to describe the ingredients or elements of rasa:(1) vibhava, (2) anubhava, (3) sattvika-
bhava,(4) vyabhicari-bhava and (5) sthayi- bhava. This last one is the main ingredient. These ingredients
are there when one is in the platform of bhava or prema.
3. The Western Side. The five primary rasas, mukhya bhakti- rasa: (1) neutrality, (2) servitorship, (3)
friendship, (4) parental and (5) conjugal. These are the five different ways one can relate with Krsna and
based on that on,

4. The Northern Side, gauna-bhakti-rasa, indirect loving relationships are described. There are seven
additional rasas that come and go: (1) laughing, (2) astonishment, (3) chivalry, (4) anger, (5) compassion,
(6) dread and (7) ghastliness.

Then which things go together or not go together (compatible and incompatible mixing of mellows). And at
last, rasabhasa or perverted expression of mellows.

All this is a very complete and perfect description of rasa, the ocean of the sweet taste of purely relating
with Krsna. The basis of this is pure devotional service.

For the rest of the Introduction, Srila Prabhupada has given Rupa Goswami’s explanation in one sloka of
what is pure devotion al service. Then there is a second verse that is from the Narada Pancaratra which
is used as reference by Srila Rupa Goswami.

The second part of the Introduction is simply an explanation of this verse:

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu-

silanam bhaktir uttama

“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge
obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Krsna favorably,
as Krsna desires.”

And the other verse has practically the same meaning:

sarvopadhi- vinirmuktam

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hrisikena hrsikesa

sevanam bhaktir ucyate

“Bhakti or devotional service means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the Master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the
Supreme Lord, there are two side effects: (1) one is freedom from all material designations and (2) simply
by being employed in the service of the Lord one’s senses are purified.”

Let us analize the word for word meanings:

Anyabhilasita- sunyam, without desires other than those for the service of Lord Krsna, or without material
desires (such as those for meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling, and addiction to intoxicants, etc.). Jnana, by
the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Mayavadis. Here jnana does not refer to perfect knowl
edge in devotional service. Karma, by fruitive activities. Adi, by artificially practicing detachment, by the
mechanical practice of yoga, by studying the Sankhya philosophy and so on. Anavrtam, uncovered.
Anukulyena, favorable. Krsna-anusilanam, cultivation of service in relationship to Krsna. Bhaktir-uttama,
first class devotional service.

And next we will analize the words of the second verse.

Sarva-upadhi, all designations. Vinirmuktam, free from all

desires or designations. Tat-paratvena, to be devoted to God. Nirmalam, being pure. Hrsikena, with the
senses. Hrsikesa, of the Master of the senses. Sevanam, to serve. Bhaktih ucyate, this is called
devotional service.

The verse ‘anyabhilasita sunyam…’ is in one sense the es sence of the entire ‘Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu’,
because in this verse Rupa Goswami is defining pure devotional service. Rupa Goswami says that in
order to have any discussion of Bhakti one first needs a definition and in the 11th verse (of BRS) he gives
the definition. The 11th verse is called the ‘paribhasa-sutra’, or the verse which governs all the other
verses in the all book or the verse which explains all the other verses in the all book. Like in Brahma-
samhita the paribhasa-sutra is the first verse, isvarah parama krsna/ sac-cit-ananda- vigraha….

Most of the Introduction is devoted to explaining the 11th verse and in the rest of the book he is going to
expand what happens in this ocean of the ‘Nectar of Devotion’. The ‘entry fee’ is pure devotional service.
Obviously one has to learn clearly what is pure devotional service and what is not pure devotional service.
Rupa Goswami has kindly given us his defini tion right in the beginning of his book, and he will expand
this throughout the entire book. This is uttama-bhakti or love of Krsna of the highest quality – pure.

There are two parts of the definition of pure bhakti in this verse:

(1) one part is called svarupa-laksana, the direct symptoms (laksana) of pure devotional service. What
pure devotional serv ice has.

(2) another part is called tatastha-laksana, the indirect symptoms of devotional service. What pure
devotional service doesn’t have.

There are three elements in the svarupa-laksana:(1) anukulyena (anukulata), (2) Krsna and (3)
anusilanam.

And there are two words defining indirect symptoms of devo

tional service or tathasta-laksana: (1) anyabhilasita-sunyam and

(2) jnana-karma adi anavrtam.

Pure devotional service is: (1) anukula, it is favorably performed, it is (2) anusilanam, an active cultivation
direct towards (3) Krsna. These are part of the positive aspect or svarupa-laksana.

And the negative aspect or tathasta-laksana: (1) anyabhilasita sunyam (abhilasa means desires), all other
desires than those for serving Krsna they are ‘zero’ (sunyam), and (2) jnana karma adi anavrtam
(covering), no cover of jnana, karma or anything else (adi).

Let us have a more detailed explanation of the words of the svarupa laksana.

Krsna means that pure devotional service is given to Krsna only. It cannot be given to the demigods.
Krsna means not only Vraja-mandala Krsna but also the Krsna of Mathura, Dwaraka, or Lord Narayana or
anyone of the incarnations or expansions of Krsna. Bhakti is only meant to the Supreme Personality of
God head, Sri Krsna and His incarnations and expansions.
Anusilanam. This means that it is an active ‘cultivation’.

Anu, continuous. The cultivation, the activity of pure devo

tional service is continuous and is active, doing something, not just meditating, There is service involved,
because the soul by nature is active.

Krsna-anusilanam means that one is performing activities which cultivate or make his love for Krsna grow.
Only to Krsna – this is pure devotional service.

The anusilanam, the activities of Krsna consciousness have two parts: (1) the positive, are performed in
three ways:

a) with the body – we work for Krsna, etc. b) with the mind – we think of Krsna, etc. c) with the words – we
chant His names etc.

(2) the negative, the prohibitions. E.g. the namaparadhas,

sadhu-ninda, seva-aparadhas, dhama-aparadhas, etc, either with one’s words, body or mind. This is the
negative cultivation of Krsna consciousness (krsnanusilanam). They take place in the body, in the mind
and in the words.

In a very advanced stage, the soul receives, by the mercy of Krsna, enlivenment in his relationship with
the Lord, from his dormant state. And that sthayi-bhava (to be discussed later) will be acting in
the sadhaka stage (practicional stage) through the body, words and mind. All these activities are krsna-
anusilanam. These activities that awaken our Krsna consciousness and are actually Krsna
consciousness, these are not of this world. They are not material (golokera prema-dhana hari nama
sankirtana). As the holy name comes from Goloka-Vrndavana, the practices of Krsna consciousness they
are not of this world, they are not composed of material elements. They are purely spiritual, or else how it
would affect the heart?

This is suddha sattva, Krsna’s internal energy. Service to one’s guru that is krsna-anusilanam. Hearing,
chanting, sadhu-sangah, etc, all the various practices of krsna-anusilanam will be discussed, described
and expanded throughout the all book.

(3) Anukulyena or anukulata means favorable. One must perform activities that give pleasure to Krsna.
The very nature of pure devotional service is that it is service. One has to give pleas ure to Krsna.
Anukulata means that his mood has to be favorable, otherwise it is not pure devotional service. When
Krsna fought with Canura the wrestler, did that bring pleasure to Him? Yes! And when Krsna fought with
Bakasura expressing His chivalry, that was part of His dealings with His friends the cowherd boys. All
these brings Krsna pleasure. But was the mood of Canura, Bakasura or other demons killed by Krsna, to
give Krsna pleasure? Certain ly not! It was not anukula, favorable, it was envious. Therefore for one’s
activities to be accepted as pure devotional service even if they bring Krsna pleasure, they must also be
accompanied by a favorable mood of affection and devotion towards Krsna. That is the meaning of
anukula.

Because the fighting with the demons gives Krsna pleasure they all attain liberation, but it should not be
compared with the liberation attained by the devotees. The demons merge into the effulgence of the Lord
whereas the devotees enter the planets of the Lord to render devotional service to Him. Putana was a
very special case to be discussed later on.

We have another interesting question to consider now. When Mother Yasoda was feeding Krsna with her
breast milk, the milk which was in the pot on the fire started to boil over. She put baby Krsna on the floor
before He was satisfied by drinking her milk, and tended to the fire on the stove and the result is that
Krsna became very angry and started to cry. Was Mother Yasoda engaged in pure devotional service?
Because what she did doesn’t seem favorable to Krsna’s pleasure, in fact to the contrary Krsna became
very upset and she was giving more importance to the milk on the fire than to Krsna. Was she engaged in
pure devotional service or not? Her atitude was favorable but in the end Krsna was not pleased. We have
been discussing two requirements: one is that the atitude of the devotee should be favorable and the
other is that Krsna should actually be pleased. Before answering this question there is a recent example:
a life-member of ISKCON, a big man in Bombay, he was telling how devoteed he was. Then he pulled out
a little box from his pocket which had Tulasi leaves in it and he said that he never takes anything without
first putting Tulasi leaves in it, even when he drinks tea he puts a Tulasi leaf in it. Is this devotional
service? No! Although his atitude was favorable, he was thinking that he was doing service to Krsna, but
ultimately Krsna was not pleased because he was not acting according to the injunctions of the scriptures.
If one executes devotional service without following the injunctions of the scriptures, he will just create a
disturbance. There are some deviant groups who think that they are devotees and claim that they are
devotees but because they are not really following sadhu, sastra and guru, it is not favorable.

Coming back to our question: “Was Mother Yasoda engaged in devotional service when she neglected
Krsna for the sake of the milk?” She was in vatsalya-rasa and in this rasa the parents have to dicipline the
children, chastise or even punishing them, and the children have to do what the parents say. But here in
this case there is another point to consider. It goes back to the definition of Krsna. Krsna does not mean
just Krsna, it includes also His paraphernalea and His devotees. The milk for Krsna is also not different
from Him, so by serving Krsna’s milk Mother Yasoda was also serving Krsna. Srila Jiva Goswami explain
in this regard that actually the milk is a devotee of Krsna because in the spiritual world everything is
spiritual, is conscious. The milk is a devotee of Krsna and he was thinking: “If Mother Yasoda goes on
feeding Krsna with her breasts’ milk then I will never get the chance to do any service to Krsna. So let me
boil over so Mother Yasoda will stop feeding Krsna before He is satisfied and then Krsna will drink milk
from the pot.”

This also means that one has to have this anukula or favora ble mood towards Krsna’s representatives
and anything connected with Krsna. That what Srila Prabhupada explains in the Introduc tion: “we are
interested in the battle of Kuruksetra but we have no interest in any old battlefield. We are interested in
this battlefield because is has a connection with Krsna. This anukula also, that one has to have a
favorable atitude to anything con nected with Krsna, because anything connected with Krsna is
worshipable. Serving Krsna’s paraphernalea is even higher than the service of Krsna (aradhananam
sarvesam/ visnor aradhanam param/ tasmat parataram devi/ tadiyanam samarcanam – Padma Pura na).

In the higher rasas, the apparent conflits between the Lord and His devotees, all are meant to give more
and more pleasure to Krsna. Once Uddhava visited Vrndavana when Krsna was still there and he saw
Jatilla who plays the part of an old lady who is a sort of nasty with Krsna. Krsna detected that was some
disrespect in Uddhava towards Jatilla and then He told Uddhava that “actual ly I find the words of the old
ladies of Vrndavana, which are maybe a little nasty and sarcastic, more pleasing than the pray ers of the
sages and demigods.” Inwardly Krsna actually enjoys more.

The other example given is that of ‘the man with the guns’.

When the King says: “Bring the centurion, the guard, over here immediatly!” When the guard comes he
brings his guns as well, because the guns are included in the concept of guard. Similarly one has to have
a favorable atitude for those things which are connected with Krsna. The concept of Krsna means Krsna
and all His energies, His expansions, His form, His name, His associates, His devotees. All these are
included in anukula.

One can only be serving Krsna in a favorable way, no unfavora ble things should be present. The demons
are fighting with Krsna, they are bringing Krsna pleasure, but their activities are not favorable, their mood
is not favorable, therefore their activi ties are not devotional service.

On the other end when Krsna is drinking from His mother’s breast and suddenly she sees the milk on the
fire boiling over and she puts Krsna on the floor to tend the milk that seems not giving Krsna pleasure.
Externally not but her mood is favorable and as we saw before the milk is part of Krsna.
This anukula, this internal favorable mood of the devotee, the bhava, this is what makes it devotional
service. It is not just service – it is devotional service. It is seva. The difference is in the mood, the
mentality, the anukula mood – doing things for the pleasure of Krsna.

In pure devotional service (anyabhilasita sunyam, jnana-karma

dy anavrtam/ anukulyena krsnanu-silanam), the anusilanam has to be towards Krsna, a favorable and
sweet relationship in the devotee’s mind and heart, in his dealings towards Krsna.

[Uttama-bhakti or pure devotional service goes from sadhana, bhava to prema.]

Let us see in detail the explanation of the second part of the verse, the tathasta-laksana, the secondary
things – what cannot be there when pure devotional service is there. The svarupa-laksana tells what can
be there and this tathasta-laksana tells what cannot be there.

(1) Anyabhilasita sunyam- that means that what become sunyam, zero is all other desires. If one wants to
see whether he is practicing Krsna consciousness or not he should examine his consciousness or ask
others to examine his consciousness to see if there are weeds like labha, puja, pratistha, etc. Is one trying
to get ‘something’ from his devotional service or is one doing it just to please Krsna? Is one trying to get
something material, is one trying to get worship from others? So many different weeds is possible to
come. We want to practice uttama-bhakti, we don’t want to stay in the material platform, we want to be
with Krsna. A pure devotee he doesn’t want even to get out of the material world, he doesn’t want
liberation, he decries liberation. But he wants to be with Krsna – that is his prayer.

Anyabhilasita sunyam means that the desire of the pure devo tee is free from other desires. No other
desire except service to Krsna.

There is a subtle difference between the words anyabhilasa and anyabhilasita. Anyabhilasa means
desiring other objects. But Rupa Goswami prefered to use the word anyabhilasita which has a deeper
meaning: ‘free from the inclination to even desire.’ For in stance, if one is sick with jaundice and he
doesn’t feel eating, that is like anyabhilasa. He may free from the desire to eat but that tendence ‘to want
to eat’ is still there within the heart, and as soon as the desease is gone it will manifest.

Anyabhilasita means, not only free from the desire for other things, but complete absence of the nature to
even desire. This is uttama-bhakti.

But if someone prays to the time of death: “O Lord I am Your servant, please save me!”, is this
anyabhilasita? The commenta tors say ‘yes!’. They are not so strict. This natural desire of a devotee to
use things in Krsna’s service and in an extraordinary circumstance when the desire comes out (like in the
time of death), that still not interfere with devotional service, being anyabhilasita sunyam. Someone may
say that we also have some desire when we render ‘sadhana-bhakti’, that is to achieve ‘bhava-bhakti’ or
‘prema-bhakti’. Such desire to achieve higher stages of bhakti are not against the principles of pure
devotion al service, because at every stage the basic principle is service to Krsna. Srila Prabhupada said
that in Krsna consciousness everything is absolute: the means and the end is the same. The means is
bhakti and the end is bhakti.

(2) Jnana, karma, adi, anavrtam. One has to be free from the desires for jnana, karma, yoga, astanga-
yoga, artificial tapasya, etc (adi).

It has to be clear what jnana means. The desire to study our sastras is jnana but this type of jnana is
favorable for devo tional service. That covering of jnana mentioned by Rupa Goswami means the jnana
that covers the mood of devotional service. When one reads devotional sastra that is krsnanusilanam;
that uncovers devotional service. If one is looking for jnana, to know that he is not the body and is
immersed in that or if one is looking for jnana to hear about impersonal Brahman, that type of jnana
covers devotional service, doesn’t help devotional service – therefore it is anavrta.
Karma in this case means fruitive work. Smarta following of ritualistic principles in the Vedas and other
sastras – this is karma-anavrta, this covers devotional service. This type of activities has to be given up,
but karma or activities of krsnan usilanam must be continued.

Knowledge of Krsna or jnana must be there, it is necessary.

How can one love Krsna without knowledge? From where comes the impetus to surrender to Krsna and
serve Him? This type of jnana is not jnana-anavrta. The key is in the understanding of the word anavrta,
covering. When jnana, karma or anything else covers the service of the soul to Krsna – that has to be
removed. Temple worship, sankirtana, etc, is also karma but not the type that has to be given up, because
it uncovers bhakti.

No rituals of sastra, karma-kanda, but temple worship. No Vedic yajnas, vairagya, astanga-yoga. This is
not what is meant to be done by the devotees. But the mood is the essence of it. If one thinks that these
things are needed for bhakti – that is a covering. Here, some interesting question may be raised. One
devotee in Bombay asked Srila Prabhupada that if a devotee sees a man who is drowning, should he
save him? The devotee is suposed to be engaged in unalloyed devotional service he is not supposed to
mix with any other activity, so where does saving a drowning man come in the list of devotional activities?
Should the devotee save him or not? Srila Prabhupada replied that in principle we should not save him
because we actually have no business inter fering with people’s actions and reactions. Their actions and
reactions will go on and by interfering we are not really helping them or doing anything good for ourselves
either. Then Srila Prabhupada said that if we don’t save the drowning man people may criticize: “O, he is
a devotee, he could have save the man but he didn’t, he has no compassion.”, and go on criticizing like
this. Srila Prabhupada then said that there is another consideration called ‘loka-visara’, public sentiment.
Sometimes a devotee will do something which is not strictly included in the category of devotional service
out of consideration for public sentiment or public opinion so that people will not become hostile to the
devotees and thus making harder for the devotees to preach them Krsna consciousness. Sometimes a
person may do something that is actually in the category of material ritualistic activity, but if he does it for
the sake of avoiding the criticism of ordinary people, or in other words, for the sake of preaching, that is
not against the principles of devotional service. Say, if one’s father dies and one has to perform the rituals
as an elder son, it is a ritual but it is not karma anavrta, that has not to be given up because if one doesn’t
do it will bring so much criti cism to him. One can do it but in the right consciousness: “I am doing it just to
please everyone but I don’t need to do this for my devotional service. But if the person thinks that without
doing pious material work he cannot achieve bhakti, then that is against the principles of pure devotional
service. If the person thinks that ‘if I don’t do some pious material activities some bad will come to me!’,
that is also against the principles of pure devotional service. Because pure devotional service is
completely independent, doen’t depend on any other process like jnana or karma or yoga. To the contrary,
jnana, karma or yoga depend on bhakti for real success. All this ‘tathasta-laksana’ (anyabhilasita sunyam/
jnana-karmady anavrtam) shows the inde pendent nature of bhakti.

Uttama-bhakti must be continuous, that is the meaning of anusilanam (cultivation). It is not interrupted by
any other activity, neither fruitive activity or impersonal speculation or mystic yoga or any other activity.
Sometimes people occasionaly bow down in front of the Deity when they come to the Temple. Such
activities when they accumulate can bring a person to the stage of bhakti. One cannot be said to be
engaged in uttama-bhakti unless the cultivation of favorable devotional service is not unninterrupted and
unmotivated. Uttama-bhakti is a very elevated position.

In order to back up his definition of pure devotional service,

Rupa Goswami quotes ‘Narada-pancaratra’:

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam

tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-

sevanam bhaktir ucyate

Sarvophadi-vinirmuktam, free from all desires and designa tions. Tat-paratvena mirmalam, being devoted
to God and serving Him in an aggreable faction (like anukulyena). Nirmalam, being pure, free from karma,
jnana, etc… Hrsikesa, the Lord of the senses. Hrsikena , with the senses. Sevanam, serve. Hrsikesa
hrsikena sevanam , serve the Lord of the senses with the senses. Bhaktir ucyate, that is bhakti.

Krsna is the proprietor of the senses and one should not use anything of the Master without the
permission of the Master. Therefore the devotee takes permission from the Lord before he engages any
of his senses. The permission may come through the devotees or through the scriptures or through the
spiritual master.

There is no difference between this verse and the previous one.

(to be continued in File NOD2)

NECTAR OF DEVOTION

(File 2)

CHAPTER ONE – CHARACTERISTICS OF PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

Srila Prabhupada begins this Chapter quoting the 3rd Canto of SB., 29th Chapter, verses 12 and 13
where Sri Kapiladeva in structs His mother about the power and potency and all-attractiveness of pure
devotional service. (page 3, 1st para.)

There are pure devotees engaged in krsnanusilanam, pure devo tional service and they have no desire
for philosophical specula tion or material benefit (karma and jnana). These pure devotees are so satisfied
with their pure service to Krsna thay they don’t want anything from Krsna. They are fully satisfied with that
service. What a sweet taste that pure devotion might have! They don’t even beg to live in the abode of the
Lord. ‘janma janmanisvare bhavatad ahaituki tvayi’ – Mahaprabhu prays: “Birth after birth I simply want
causeless devotion unto Your lotus feet.”

The next paragraph expands the point that out of these five types of liberation one of them is immediatly
crushed off – the sahujya-mukti or merging with the Lord. And the other four: living near the Lord,
acquiring the Lord’s opulences, having a form similar to that of the Lord, becoming a personal associate
of the Lord – these are also rejected by the purest of devotees because they are only interested in serving
the Lord. This is the characteristic of pure devotional service.

Rupa Goswami after explaining the glorious nature of pure devotional service explains six different
characteristics of devotional service. The rest of this chapter is an explanation of these six characteristics.

klesa-ghni subhada moksa-

laghutakrt sudurlabha

sandrananda-visesatma

sri-krsnakarsini ca sa

This verse is from B.r.s quoted in the purport to the verse of CC Mad 17:95. In that verse Candrasekhara
laments the fact that he is living in Varanasi which is full of Mayavadis and he can’t get the association of
devotees or Lord Caitanya. He says: “Due to my past deeds, I am residing in Varanasi, but here I do not
hear anything but the words Maya and Brahman.” And Srila Prabhu pada in his purport says: “The
word prarabdhe is important in this verse.

… In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is also said, durjatyarambhakam papam yat syat prarabdham eva tat,
‘according to one’s past deeds one takes birth on a lower platform.’…. There are three kinds of devotees:
those who are actually eternally on the tran scendental platform (nitya-siddha), those elevated to the tran
scendental platform by the execution of devotional service (sadhana-siddha) and those who are
neophytes advancing toward the perfectional platform (sadhaka). The sadhakas are gradually becoming
free from fruitive reaction.” This is a very important point because we read statements in the scriptures to
the effect that just by chanting the holy names of Krsna once, one becomes free from more sins that one
is able to commit. Or, by simply circumambulating Tulasidevi one becomes free from all sinful reactions
even the sin of killing a brahmana, which is very seri ous. But here the devotee Candrashekara laments
that due to his past misdeeds is stucked in Varanavasi without much association of devotees. And there is
another verse quoted later in NOD under the heading “Expecting the Mercy of the Lord”. And the
reference from the SB says that if the devotee goes on suffering the reac tions to his past misdeeds and
goes on offering obeisances to the Lord without reservation than he earns the right to enter the Kingdom
of God just like the son has the right to inherit the property of his father. And Srila Prabhupada explains
that one should not expect, because he is engaged in devotional service, that he will immediatly free from
all reactions. He should expect reactions to come but he should tolerate them and at the same time
continue in Krsna consciousness with even more determina tion. Then again there are statements like
Krsna’s statement in

Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya/ mam ekam saranam vraja/

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo/ moksayisyami ma sucah, if we just surrender to Krsna He will free us from
all sinful reactions. Srila Prabhupada has extended Krsna’s statement in the Bhaga vad-gita to the
spiritual master who is Krsna’s representative. When we surrender to the spiritual master at the time of
initia tion we will become free from all sinful reactions.

The question is: are we free from all sinful reactions immedi atly when we surrender, or do we gradually
become free?

Now Srila Prabhupada is giving some other hints that can help us resolve the question. He says: “when
the devotee surrenders to Krsna, Krsna will take charge of the devotee sinful reactions and use the
devotee’s sinful reactions for the best benefit of the devotee.” In other words, when a devotee surrenders
to Krsna, even in the stage of sadhana, Krsna takes personal interest in the life of the devotee, but the
devotee is not yet free from all material desires, he may still have some traces of material desires and
Krsna wants the devotee to become free from such traces of material desires so that the devotee can
advance to the higher stages.

One of the ways that Krsna helps the devotee is by putting him into difficulty, because when the devotee
is in difficulty he remembers the Lord more, he becomes more serious about the proc ess of Krsna
consciousness. We cannot say that this is exactly karma, because karma is just the automatic reaction
that one gets to one’s sins. It is rather Krsna’s mercy administered to the devotee.

We have all experienced that when we exhibit some type of material desire or material attachment, Krsna
may arrange some sort of difficulty to make us give up the attachment and become more attached to Him.
This is actually the mercy of the Lord and when the devotee doesn’t resist or resent the Lord’s mercy but
actually appreciates that mercy and takes the oportunity to become more serious about Krsna
consciousness, then he actually becomes qualified to enter into the Kingdom of God.

The six characteristics of pure devotional service are:

(1) Klesa-ghni (dissolution of the causes of suffering) – pure devotional service brings immediate relief
from all kinds of material distress;
(2) Subhada (attainment of auspicious qualities) – pure devo tional service is all auspicious.

These two are the characteristics of sadhana-bhakti.

(3) Moksalaghutakrt – those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation, because
they have something else better than liberation.

(4) Sudurlabha – pure devotional service is very rarely achieved.

These two and the two previous ones are the characteristics of bhava-bhakti.

(5) Sandrananda-visesatma – pure devotional service situates one automatically in transcendental

pleasure, ananda. It is different from anything else.

(6) Sri Krsnakarsini – pure devotional service attracts even Krsna. It is so powerful. How wonderful is
prema-bhakti.

These two and the other four are characteristics of prema-

bhakti.

One can be practicing pure devotional service but still in the sadhana stage. Then he can devellop to the
bhava and prema stages. On each of these three different stages, pure devotional service takes on
different characteristics, more and more power ful. When we talk about someone who is a pure devotee
we should now know what that means. He is practicing unmotivated pure Krsna consciousness, his desire
is not for karma or jnana, ‘anyabhila sita sunyam’, he has no other desires than the practice of pure
devotional service, and he is doing it just for the pleasure of Krsna (krsnasulinam). His devotional
practices, his service, is done just to cultivate this Krsna consciousness for the pleasure of Krsna. And his
mood is favorable. This pure devotional service may be on one of these three levels: (1) practicing
(sadhana), (2) bhava-bhakti or (3) prema-bhakti.

Next Rupa Goswami discusses in detail everyone of these six characteristics of pure devotional service:

(1) KLESA-GHNI, releif from distress.

In his Madhurya-kadambini (chap 2) Viswanatha C. Thakura says:

“Having sprouted, growing upwards, that creeper (of devotional service) then unfurls two leaves, which
are the splendour of sadhana-bhakti. The first leave is called ‘klesa aghni’ (dissolu tion of suffering) and
the second is called ‘subha da’ (attain ment of auspicious qualities). The smooth upper surface of the two
leaves, in a preeminent position by the characteristic of spontaneous greed for everything pertaining to
the Lord, and by genuine affection for the Lord in a particular relationship (yesam aham priya atam sutas
ca: ‘I am their own dear son’) is the jurisdiction of the king called raga. The rough lower surface of the
leaves, being in a somewhat lower position because its activities are generated out of scriptural rules, and
because spontaneous, deep affection for the Lord is lacking due to ab sence of a pure relationship with
the Lord, is the domain of the king called vaidha. However, both raga and vaidha bhakti equally share the
qualities of klesa ghni (disappearance of suffering and sin) and subha da (appearance of auspicious
qualities).

The literal meaning of klesa is suffering or affliction, but here the meaning may be taken as ‘the causes of
suffering’. These klesas are the cause of sinful and pious activities which result in material misfortune
(unhappiness) or good fortune (material happiness).

Klesa is of five types:

i) avidya, ignorance. To mistake that which is impermanent to be permanent, to mistake that which is full
of misery to be blissful and to mistake what is not the self to be the self.

ii) asmita, false ego, bodily identification of ‘me’ and

‘mine’.

iii) raga, attachment, desire for material happiness and those means which will give it.

iv) dvesa, hatred, repulsion to unhappiness or the causes of unhappiness.

v) adhinivesa, attachment or absorption accrued through past births, to certain objects, to the means to
attain them and to one’s body, and fear of death.” (end of quote)

The point how Krsna consciousness releives one from material distress is made even in Bhagavad-gita,
because material dis tress has causes and these causes are two: (a) the sins them selves (papa) and (b)
the reactions of sins commited in our past lives, the seed of sinful desire that is in the heart (bija). These
are both causes of suffering.

But there is a third cause which is the ultimate cause: avi

dya, ignorance. Generally one commits sinful activities due to ignorance. This means that the ultimate
cause of our being here in the material world is avidya or lack of knowledge in acting in our relationship
with Krsna. And also attachment (due to avi dya) to the material body and its by-products. Srila
Prabhupada used to say that suffering comes from sin and sin comes from ignorance. The way to remove
suffering is to remove ignorance. What is the process for removal of ignorance which is the basis of sinful
desires? (any desire for sense gratification is ulti mately sinful) Rupa Goswami has cited verses specially
from the SB where it is explained that penances, austerities, charity, and other processes of atonement,
can neutralize the sinful reactions but they cannot eradicate the sinful desire. Only bhakti can eradicate all
sinful desires from the heart. He quotes the history of Ajamila.

Then there is an explanation of this chain of sinful reactions that devotional service removes. It is divided
into two and later on is divided into four: (i) parabdha, manifested and (ii) apa rabdha, unmanifested.

In our heart, carried in the subtle body, there are unlimited stock of sinful reactions that we have and we
don’t know anything about. They have not beginning manifesting yet. Just like someone is very happy and
walking down the street, everything looks so nice and then… suddenly he is crushed by a car. Two
minutes before that sinful reaction had not manifested at all, but it was coming very soon. So this
aparabdha is all the sinful reactions that are stored from ulimited countless births that we are liable for in
the future. And parabdha or the manifestation of those sinful reactions. Factually speaking our body is a
manifestation of parabdha-karma, pious and sinful reactions.

In between aparabdha and parabdha there are other two stages:

kuta, the first tendency that enters into the consciousness, and bija, psychological disposition to do
something.

Kuta (like a seed sprouting under the ground)- in this stage we haven’t done anything, we don’t want to do
anything, but there is a slight tendency. Let’s say ‘I am walking, I am hungry and I see something that I
want to eat but I don’t have any money. A little thought comes to my mind: I should just steal it! But then I
say: no, no, no! I will not do it!’ That tendency is there.

Bija (like the sprout coming out of the ground) – someone has a tendency to steal, someone has a
tendency to lie, someone has the tendency for illicit sex, etc… psychological disposition. This is due to
one’s karma. One may take birth in certain place of family where his tendency for doing sinful acts is very
much preeminent.

Parabdha (the fruits are ripe) – when we actually do some thing. We actually commit the sinful activity,
and the reactions for that activity when they come they are also parabdha. And the sinful desires they are
also reactions. Sex desire itself is a sinful reaction.

From unmanifest or immature to a little bit maturing, then almost mature and then mature, these are all
sinful reactions.

Padma purana describes that devotional service is so powerful that removes all the stages one by one,
starting with aparabdha.

By the practice of devotional service one’s sinful reactions disappear until parabdha. In this stage the
reactions don’t disappear completely otherwise it means that we would die immedi atly, but they are
minimized so the devotee may remain in this world and preach. We should see that anything that
happens to a devotee is minimized sinful reactions that come to him. The example of the fan illustrates
this: the plug is removed but yet the fan keeps turning. It is just a question of time and parabdha karma
will be completely removed.

When the parabdha hits one and he tolerates then that reaction will be finished. If he reacts to it he will
create further reactions. Tolerance is the means to counteract parabdha-karma.

[Viswanatha C. Thakura has analized the eradication of the anarthas and he explains how they are
eradicated gradually. It is true that when one surrenders to the process of Krsna conscious ness, in the
stage of bhajana-kriya, the anarthas begin to be eradicated. He also explains different types of anarthas:
some are due to past sinful activities, some are due to past pious activities (both are practically the
same), some are due to weeds that arise when one begins to practice devotional service and some arise
due to offenses, specifically nama-aparadha. All sorts of anarthas begin to be eradicated at the stage
of bhajana-kriya. And the anarthas caused in the course of devotional service which we do imperfectly,
they become completely eradicate at the stage of ruci. And the anarthas caused by past sins become
completely eradicated at the stage of asakti, which come just before bhava.

But the effects of nama-aparadha, specially vaisnava-aparadha, are so deep and serious that they only
become completely eradi cated at the stage of prema. Even in the stage of bhava which is the liberated
stage, in which the devotee begins to have direct realization of Krsna, there are some disturbances in
realization of Krsna and these are due to subtle effects from offenses, in particular from vaisnava-
aparadha. But by the time we get to nistha which is the stage just after anartha-nivrtti, most of the
anarthas are vanquished.]

By the mercy of pure devotional service, on a highest level specially, all sinful reactions are immediatly
removed. This removal of karma on its different stages cannot be done through austerity, charity, ritualistic
ceremonies, etc. They can coun teract reactions but they cannot remove the seed from the heart as pure
devotional service can. The story of Ajamila (described in the 5th canto of SB) was told to Maharaja
Pariksit when he was questioning about the possibility of being freed from the different hellish conditions
through the different processes of atonement. Atonement could counteract sinful acts but how could the
desire to commit further sins be removed completely from the heart? This story of Ajamila illustrates how
by the process of chanting of the Holy Name that could be possible. Not by atonement which is compared
with the bath of the elephant who after bathing himself very nicely in the water, roles in the dust.

Sukadeva Goswami explains that the chanting of the holy name does nulify the sinful reactions but
beyond neutralizing sinful reactions, it gives rise to bhakti which destroys ignorance which is the basis of
sinful desire and thus the all process of sinful actions and reactions can be stoped.
Even though the full realization of transcendental bliss comes at the last stages, in the beginning stages,
when one becomes freed from sinful reactions, he begins to experience some bliss.

Then there is the quote of the Padma Purana: “Pure devotional service in Krsna 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.” This means that it is killing on earlier levels than parabdha karma.

Sinful desires go (klesa aghni) and auspiciousness (subha da) comes. Klesa aghni is releif from all
distress. Also means releif from all karma, not only distress but pious actions too.

(2) SUBHADA, pure devotional service is all auspicious, it bestows all good fortune on all living
entities. All auspicious means activities beneficial for every living entity.(the story of Lord Caitanya
passing through the forest of Jarikhanda and all the wild animals also joining the chanting of the holy
names and dancing in ecstasy.) This is a quality also exhibited in the stage of sadhana-bhak ti. “Subhada,
attainment of auspicious qualities, consists of such qualities as disinterest in material affairs, interest in
the Supreme Lord, friendliness to the Lord, mercy, forgiveness, truth, simplicity, equanimity, fortitude,
gravity, respect, humility and pleasing to all. This is proven by such verses as ‘sarvair gunais tatra
samasate surah…’ (all the qualities of the devatas are present in the devotee)” [quote from Madhurya
kadambini of Srila Viswanatha C. Thakura] Jiva Goswami describes how Krsna consciousness is all-
auspicious in four ways:

i) A devotee who has attained pure devotional service even on the sadhana level is a blessing to the
world. Only Krsna con sciousness can bless the world with what it wants: peace, pros perity, happiness,
freedom from anxiety…etc. Not the United Nations, not television, not computers, not scientific advance
ment, not anything other than Krsna consciousness can bless the world with what it needs.

ii) A devotee even at the stage of sadhana becomes very at tractive to the world, because it is understood
that one who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Lord is doing the best service to the world.
Such devotee attracts with his purity the all world. Not even in human society but also attracts the ani
mals and other living entities.

iii) A devotee just by performing bhagavat-bhakti, pure devo tional service, he devellops all the qualities of
the demigods, all the good qualities (sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah…). Someone who is not a
devotee cannot have any good qualities because he is just ‘travelling on the mental platform’ without any
spiritual grounding.

iv) There is basically three kinds of happiness and we can add a fourth one (done by the commentators):

(a). material happiness or sense gratification,

(b). happiness that comes from merging in the Brahman,

(c). Krsna consciousness happiness and,

(d). happiness coming from the siddhis or mystical perfec tions. This kind of happiness is often included in
the category of material happiness. Srila Prabhupada explains that most of the perfections achieved by
the yogis were also achieved by material istic scientists. The happiness derived from Krsna
consciousness can not be compared with the happiness in (a),(b) and (d) cases. One cannot be happy in
the Brahman because due to the impure intelligence there is always a risk of falling down. They fall down
and open illusory hospitals to cure the illusory deseases of their illusory bodies and they remain always in
illusion, in maya therefore they are called mayavadis. (The impersonalists are always in anxiety to get
their daily capatis). Srila Prabhupada explains that the mayavadis have to fall down from their position
because they get lonely. They want some type of relationship and realization and happiness. And what
happens is that they fall into the material world and engage in some social welfare activities. If they were
on that platform of real happiness they would not come to the material world again. There is the example
of the Kumaras and Sukadeva Goswami. Sukadeva Goswami left home and his father sent out two
slokas to him. One of the slokas described about ‘who is more merciful than Krsna, because Putana
came to Krsna to give Him milk but she had smeared her breasts with poison, and still Krsna gave her the
liberation of becoming like His nurse?’ When Sukadeva Goswami heard this verse he immediatly came
back to hear Srimad Bhagava tam and gave up his impersonal liberation. And the Kumaras they were
also situated in the Brahman and when they were visiting Vaikuntha, they smell the aroma, carried by the
breeze, of the Tulasi leaves at Narayana’s lotus feet, their consciousness became agitated and attracted
to Krsna and they became devotees. The example of Krsna consciousness’ happiness is shown in the
example of Kolavecara Sridhara. When he received the blessings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who
asked him what he wanted, he an swered: “I don’t want anything, I have Your devotional service and that
is what I want!” Krsna consciousness brings one so much happiness and contente ment like nothing else
can. This is the power of pure devotional service even at the stage of sadhana-bhakti.

3)MOKSALAGHUTAKRT. This is of the quality of bhava-bhakti. “That is the position of the pure devotees.
If they can be engaged 24 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.” And all the other four types of liberation
they are not desirable by the devotees. The bhaktas they don’t desire even the other four kinds of
liberation.

4) SUDURLABHA. This is another quality of bhava-bhakti. Devo tional service is so rare, is very difficult to
attain. Krsna may promise one anything, He is very clever and cunning. “You want liberation? – here is
liberation!, You want sense gratification? here is sense gratification! You want to go to Vaikuntha? – OK!
You want to be in My planet? OK!, You want to have close associa tion with Me? – fine!”. Krsna will
promise and offer anything before He gives vraja-bhakti. But one should not take anything from Krsna.
One should hold out for Krsna’s most intimate service. There are two reasons why this quality of siddha-
bhakti, perfectional devotional, service is so rare:

i) Krsna holds it back. He doesn’t award it very easily. He will promise anything and He will give anything
before He gives bhava-bhakti. Krsna doesn’t award this perfection very easily. It is very, very rare.

Srila Prabhupada explains that, because Krsna doesn’t agree to award devotional service to merely
anyone, one needs His de scending mercy which comes through the mercy of a devotee. There is nothing
one can do to get this bhava-bhakti on his own. It is beyond the power of the jiva soul. It is the descending
mercy of the Lord through His devotees. The Lord gives the power of attor ney to His devotee to give this
bhava-bhakti, the krpa-sakti. Aspiring by oneself alone to achieve pure devotional service it is not very
hopeful. One needs the mercy of a devotee.

ii) One may practice devotional service in a mechanical way for thousands and thousands of years and if
he doesn’t practice it with asakti and ruci (attachment and taste), Krsna has no inclination to give this
bhava-bhakti to him. One needs attach ment and greed. One must really want to serve Krsna. If one
devellops this taste and attachment, spontaneity of service, and likes it and cultivates it – that will incline
Krsna to give him His bhava-bhakti. But He will test the devotee and holds it back, His bhava-bhakti,
because He doesn’t agree to give it very easi ly.

One may get discouraged thinking ‘this pure devotional service on this calibre, is so rare, I will never get
it!’, but Jiva Goswami says that one should increase his hearing and chanting in good association of
devotees. Then if one practices properly, then it can be easily obtained.

From bhava-bhakti to prema-bhakti it is very easy. Bhava-bhakti is called ‘the seed of prema’. It is very
easy relatively. Just get rid of the anarthas to somehow or other attract Krsna’s mercy.

In bhava-bhakti one begins to have direct realization of Krsna. It is completely on the platform of suddha-
sattva. In this stage there is a descent of hladini-sakti and sandini-sakti from Krsna or from His eternal
associates and by such mercy one devel lops ecstatic feelings for Krsna and with such intense feelings
we will get a glimpse of the form of Krsna, will catch the sound of Krsna’s anklebells, he gets a glimpse of
the transcendental presence of Krsna and of his relationship with Him. But it is not continuous, there are
interruptions, he will get a glimpse and then disappear. In prema-bhakti comes to the stage where he
attains Krsna’ s lotus feet and he enters the pastimes of Krsna. The difference between the two is only the
effects of aparadhas which are yet present in the stage of bhava.

5) SANDRANANDA-VISESATMA. This is a quality of prema-bhakti. Srila Prabhupada explains that the

happiness of Krsna conscious ness, of prema-bhakti, cannot be compared with anything in the material
world. Rupa Goswami says that if brahmananda, or the happiness of becoming one with the Supreme, is
multiplied by one trillionfold, it still cannot compare to an atomic fraction of the happiness derived from the
ocean of devotional service (prema-bhakti). “Such a transcendental devotee regards any kind of
happiness other than devotional service, as no better than straw in the street.” This is the goal of Krsna
consciousness.

6) SRI KRSNAKARSINI, pure devotional service attracts even Krsna. This characteristic of pure
devotional service comes in prema. Srimati Radharani is the epitome of pure devotional serv ice, of
the lhadini-sakti. She is so powerful in devotional service and She even attracts Krsna, therefore she is
called Madhana-mohana-mohani, the ‘attractor of the attractor of Cupid’. To perform devotional service
means to follow the footsteps of Srimati Radharani. very conditioned soul is attracted by the material
energy and the main attraction of the material energy is Cupid or madhana, the demigod encharge of lust.
If the devotee wants to become free from the influence of madhana or lust, he must render service to the
Deity of Madhana-mohana (Krsna). The arrows if Cupid are so strong that if someone is struck by one of
such arrows, he will fall in love with some person even if that person is very ugly. Once Cupid came to
Vrndavana with the idea of piercing Krsna with his arrows. He came nearby the place where Krsna was
performing rasa dance with the gopis. Whenever Madhana tried to fix his aim on Krsna one of the gopis
would come. And as he would try to shoot Krsna, he became so enchanted by the beauty of Krsna and of
the gopis that he completely forgot everything, he dropped his bow and arrows and fell down in ecstasy.
The all material world is under the influence of Cupid, or the influence of sex desire, but Cupid himself
becomes attracted by Krsna. We cannot become free from the influence of Madhana unless we become
attracted by Madhana-mohana. The karmis, jnanis and yogis have very much difficult to become free from
the sex attraction but the devotee by serving the Deity of Madhana-mohana in the temple, he becomes
free from the attraction of lust. That is how powerful Krsna’s attraction is. And the All-attractive Krsna is
attracted by Srimati Radharani therefore She is called Madhana-mohana-mohini. Srimati Radharani is the
internal potency of Krsna which is fully manifested from the stage of prema onwards. When the devotee
comes to the stage of prema, the Lord becomes controlled by the devotee and He reciprocates with the
love of the devotee. When such a devotee sees Krsna and he has such an intense desire to serve Him
and taste the nectar of Krsna’s direct service, then the Lord thinks: “I should not hold Myself back but I
should give Myself fully to My devotee!”. Srila Prabhupada told some of his disciples that in India there is
a bird called cataka and the devotee is compared with this bird. Such bird only takes water from the
clouds, therefore he is always looking up to the sky waiting for any drop of water. The meaning of this
comparison is that the devotee will only take mercy from Krsna. Even if the cloud thunders or gives
lightening,the cataka bird will not accept water from any other source, the cataka will stay with the cloud.
The devotee also, he will take mercy from Krsna. Even if Krsna doesn’t give mercy, but He gives
lightening and thunder, still the devotee will never leave Krsna to go look for mercy in the material
world.That is in the begin ning – that we only want Krsna’s mercy, we don’t want any other shelter except
Krsna. But when we become more advanced, after becoming free from anarthas, and actually desire to
serve the Lord in a particular relationship, then we don’t want any other mercy except to serve the Lord in
that particular relationship. We don’t accept any other type of mercy either. When Krsna sees that the
devotee is so attached to Him and to serving Him in a particular way, then Krsna decides that He wont
hold Himself back from the devotee but He will give Himself to the devotee. And how He gives Himself to
the devotee? He investes the devotee with His krpa-sakti, one of the potencies included in the internal
potency (within the lhadini-sakti). And when the devo tee become invested with this krpa-sakti, then Krsna
becomes so attracted to him that He becomes subservient of His devotee. Normally, being attracted to
someone is considered weakness and in Krsna there is no weakness, but by influence of krpa-sakti within
the devotee, Krsna starts to show weakness, He becomes attracted to the devotee. If someone makes a
mistake, an error, that is one of the qualities of the conditioned soul, but when Krsna gives krpa-sakti then
Krsna becomes so bewildered by the attraction of the dovotee, that He also makes mistakes. And the
best devotee is Srimati Radharani. Once by seeing Srimati Radharani, Krsna became so attracted that He
begin to milk a bull, instead of a cow. That type of bewilderement of Krsna is affected by the internal poten
cy and specially Srimati Radharani. Those who follow Srimati Radharani and the eternal associates of
Krsna, coming to the stage of prema, they also get a special mercy of Krsna, krpa-sakti, by which they
become so attracted to Krsna that He becomes bewildered, He commits mistakes, He becomes subjected
to all sorts of transcendental weaknesses like anger, lamentation, fear…. He becomes affraid of Mother
Yasoda’s stick. The devotees in prema-bhakti attract Krsna. Practically they control Krsna. They can drive
Krsna mad. They have Krsna acting like a pupet on their hands. Krsna acts as the charioteer of Arjuna, a
mere servant. He acts as a messanger of Yudhisthira. What to speak of Krsna’s relationship with His
devotees in Vraja.

The words in the B.r.s. that describe ‘attracting Krsna’ is sri krsnakarsana. The word sri indicates the
associates of Lord Krsna. Not only does Krsna become attracted to the devotee but also His associates
become attracted. Therefore Krsna reveals Himself to the devotee in the stage of prema. Then He also re
veals His associates and His dhama to the devotee and they are also attracted by the devotee and they
want to establish rela tionship with him.

Rupa Goswami describes: “Even a little taste for this pure devotional service is like a passport that will
help us to under stand bhakti.” On the other end, argument (nyaya), or any other method will not help us
at all. We need the sastra to understand everything.

CHAPTER TWO

THE FIRST STAGES OF DEVOTION

(This chapter is part of the Eastern Side of the ocean of devotional service, 2nd wave)

In pure devotional service there are three different parts:

1) devotional service in practice (sadhana-bhakti). The two qualities of sadhana-bhakti: klesa-

ghni andsubhada.

2) devotional service in ecstasy (bhava-bhakti). The qualities of bhava-bhakti: klesa-ghni, subhada plus
moksalaghutakrt and sudurlabha.

3) devotional service in love of God (prema-bhakti). The qualities of prema-bhakti: klesa-ghni, subhada,
moksalaghutakrt, sudurlabha, plus sandrananda-visesatma and sri krsnakarsini.

Sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti can all come under the category of uttama-bhakti if one
has no other desire but to serve Krsna. The anarthas that one may have in the lower stages they don’t
constitute impediments unless we act on them. If one doesn’t listen to one’s senses or mind and just
listen to guru and Krsna, then he will be practicing pure devotional serv ice. [These glorious qualities of
pure devotional service will be explain in more depth as the Nectar of Devotion unfolds.] What is it that
allows one to take up sadhana-bhakti? The same point will be discussed in the next chapter, but here it is
mentioned briefly. The answer given is very simple: ‘it is a taste!’. If someone has taste (here taste
means sraddha, a combi nation of faith and attraction), then he is eligible to make further progress in
devotional service. In the third chapter there is a discussion in more detail about sraddha.

That taste is more or less eternally with the soul once he ac quires it. And if one is not picked up in one
life, he will continue it, looking for devotional service, being attracted to devotional service in his next life –
that is continuity.

The point is made that when one comes to devotional service is because he started in his previous life.

This leads to a very interesting question: Does that mean that one ever begins devotional service, it is
always coming from a previous life? That taste can be given because it is obvious that if it is coming from
a previous life there must be some previous life, even ten lives ago, hundred lives ago, millions of lives
ago…where one acquired that ruci or taste for devotional serv ice that he is carrying from birth to birth.
And that is given by the association of devotees, by the mercy of a pure devotee. Krsna consciousness
even at the sadhana stage is attractive. Somehow or other someone becomes attracted to Krsna.
Somehow or other through some association that taste is put in his heart. And practically speaking when
one gets a taste for Krsna con sciousness it is just a matter of time before that taste will mature into love
of Krsna. It will be maybe after long time or after a very short time, it depends on one’s sincerity. Is is just
a matter of time in any case. Once one gets that taste it will mature because of the continuity of Krsna
consciousness.

On the other hand that taste will bring one to the lotus feet of Krsna – this is similar to the statement of
last chapter, ‘even a little taste of bhakti is like a passport to understand ing all of bhakti.’ Just like a
passport allows one to enter into other countries and travel, similarly that taste which is the taste for
hearing the Bhagavatam, Krsna-katha and other bhakti sastras, that taste is the passport which allows
one to enter into higher and still higher realms of Krsna consciousness.

That taste should be cultivated and cultivated and cultivated…. On the othe hand if one adopts another
process, not a bhakti process, but something like nyaya or argument, there is no hope or garantee that
that process will ever plant the taste for Krsna consciousness in his heart.

After explaining these simple points, the progression of Krsna consciousness from sadhana-bhakti to
bhava-bhakti until prema-bhakti and how does one begin through this taste which carries from previous
lives, or is given at some point or another by a pure devotee, and how it impossible to achieve entrance
into Krsna consciousness in another way, Rupa Goswami is going to describe exactly what is sadhana-
bhakti. (3rd para. page 20, beginning with, “Practice means employing the …”, until, “… in practical
devotional service”.) This is the meaning of sadhana-bhakti. Next quote is from CC Mad 22:105: “When
transcendental devo tional service, by which love for Krsna is attained, is executed by the senses, it is
called sadhana-bhakti or the regulative discharge of devotional service. Such devotion eternally exists
within the heart of every living entity. The awaken of this eternal devotion is the potentiality of devotional
service in practice.”

The activity by the senses and mind which brings about the

goal of bhava – that is the definition of sadhana. When one engages in practical devotional service with
the senses and the mind and by such practices bhava-bhakti or prema-bhakti is aroused – that is
sadhana-bhakti. This love is eternally existing and to awaken it in the heart, that is the purpose of
sadhana.

Sadhya means the goal; sadhana means the practice to attain that goal. Sometimes only two divisions of
devotional service are given: (1) sadhana or practice and (2) sadhya or achievement of the goal. Both
bhava and prema are included in sadhya – the achievement of the goal. Srila Rupa Goswami has made a
distinc tion between bhava and prema because there are some disturbances, created by the effects of
aparadha, in the stage of bhava.

One may conclude that prema is created by sadhana but accord ing to Lord Caitanya prema already
exists in the heart in a dormant stage and by sadhana is not that prema is created, prema is awaken,
uncovered. Srila Prabhupada gives the example of the child who has in him the capacity to walk but in the
beginning he practices it by crowling, standing, walking, but he has in him the propensity to walk and
when that capacity is evoked then he can walk and doesn’t even think about it. In the beginning we
practice (sadhana) devotional service but when the innate capaci ty to serve and love Krsna is awaken,
then it becomes natural.

The scriptures tell us that if we want to be fearless at the time of death, we should chant and hear about
Krsna and remember Him. But if someone has spontaneos attraction, he will want to hear and chant
about Krsna without being told any of the benefits of it. In the material world we are all full of fear and all
sorts of sufferings and we want to become free from that, so we hear from the revealed scriptures that by
engaging in devotional service we can become free from suffering so we engage in devo tional service.
But if someone takes pleasure in devotional service, than he will want to engage in devotional service
even if he is not convinced by the sastras of the benefit, because he has natural liking.

“Because the living entities are minute atomic parts and parcels of the Lord, devotional service is already
present within them in a dormant condition. Devotional service begins with sravanam, kirtanam, hearing
and chanting. When a man is sleeping he can be awaken by sound vibration, therefore every conditioned
soul should be given a chance to hear the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, chanted by a pure vaisnava. One
who hears the Hare Krsna mantra thus vibrated he is awaken to Krsna consciousness and in this way
one’s mind gradually becomes purified as stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ‘ceto darpanam
marjanam…’. When the mind is puri fied the senses are also purified and instead of using the senses for
sense gratification, the awaken devotee employs his senses in the transcendental loving service of the
Lord. This is the proc ess by which dormant love for Krsna is awaken.”

There are many quotes from the different sastras like SB that illustrate these points. Srila Rupa Goswami
has gone through the different sastras to compile his book and he is quoting sastra very often to back up
his statements.

From SB 7.1.32: “Narada Muni to Maharaja Yudhisthira: My dear King one has to fix his mind on Krsna by
any means.” This is the essence of rules and regulations of sadhana-bhakti.

And Srila Prabhupada comments: “It is the duty of the acarya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and
means for his disciple to fix his mind on Krsna. That is the beginning of sadhana-bhakti.” And he
continues (page 21, 3rd para.).

Not only should we know the definition of sadhana-bhakti as engaging the senses in the practices of
devotional service to Krsna for the purpose of awakening bhava-bhakti, love of Krsna, but we should
know what the essence of the practice is. The essence is: always remember Krsna,never forget Krsna.
And this is not possible to do unless one is pure.

This sadhana-bhakti is divided into two parts:

1) Vaidhi-bhakti – following rules and regulations. It is when one is doing his devotional service because
he has been ordered to do by the Sastras. Everything he does from waking early in the morning, attend
mangala arotik, chant sixteen rounds, collect flowers for the Deities, etc…, everything has been done on
order. The impetus to perform devotional service is coming from external sources – the sastras.

Someone who is engaged in regulated devotional service, rising early in the morning, worshiping the
Deity and follow all the principles, at some stage or gradually, he devellops more and more liking for those
activities. And then he will do these activities with spontaneous eagerness or spontaneous apprecia tion.
That has been described as a combination of vaidhi with raganuga. But this spontaneous liking for the
practices of devo tional service is not the actual definition of raganuga-bhakti. There is something more
that brings one to the platform of raga nuga-bhakti.

2) Raganuga-bhakti- spontaneous practice of devotional serv ice. It is not that the devotee is not following
the sastras but his impetus for performing his activities in Krsna consciousness comes from his
spontaneous inclination.

We should have mixtures of both vaidhi and raganuga in us, because often in the practice of our
devotional service according to the sastras, spontaneous feelings come to us. Those spontane ous
feelings are elements of raganuga in our devotional service. And this should be cultivated. We should
want to become attracted to Krsna and to serve Him with our heart, not because we are ordered to do so
but because we love Him. This is a very high platform.
Vaidhi sadhana-bhakti are rules and regulations from the sastras. And there are so many rules and
regulations and their practice will purify one and will bring him to the stage of bhava-bhakti.

(see page 22. last para. and page 23, 1st para.)

All the rules and regulations are simply servants of the basic regulation which is ‘always remember Krsna,
never forget Krsna’. There are certain positive injunctions and certain negative injunctions in the
scriptures. A positive injunction, by example, will be that a brahmana should take a bath three times a day
and do his worship. An example of a negative prohibition would be that one should never kill a cow. But if
one always remember Krsna he will get the benefit of doing all the other positive prescriptions, like taking
bath and performing so many rituals, and if one forgets Krsna he will get the reactions for doing all sorts
of prohibited activities. This shows how important is to always remember Krsna and how bad forgeting
Krsna is.

The quote from Padama-purana says:

smartavyah satatam visnur

vismartavyo na jatucit

sarve vidhi-nisedhah syur

etayor eva kinkarah

“Krsna is the origin of Lord Visnu. He should always be remem bered and never forgotten at any time. All
the rules and prohibi tions mentioned in the sastras should be the servants of these two principles” But
Viswanatha C. Thakura is very merciful. ‘In this verse, He says that the sanskrit word satatam doesn’t
mean ‘always’ in the conditioned state, because in that state we cannot always remem ber Krsna. He
says ‘satatam’ means ‘at least daily’. But Srila Prabhupada has given us the strict interpretation of the
verse, since the goal is always to remember Krsna and never forget Him.

If one forgets Krsna is equal to violating all of the prohi bitions in the Vedas, so the punishment is – he
goes to hell.

When one is taking up Krsna consciousness and is trying to chant and hear about Krsna, is trying to
remember Krsna for the purpose of following sastras which say: “Krsna will protect you from the fear of
death”. That is clearly vaidhi.

Raganuga means that one is hearing and chanting because one is attracted to Krsna, not trying to be
save from death.

In CC Mad 22:11 it says: “From the mouth of Brahma, the brahminical order has come into existence
(now he is talking about varnasrama). Similarly from his arms, the ksatriyas have come; from his waist the
vaisyas have come, from his legs the sudras have come. These four orders and their spiritual counter
parts, brahmacari, ghrastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi, combine to make human society complete. If
one simply maintains an arti ficial position in the four varnas and asramas but not worship the Supreme
Lord Visnu, he falls down from his puffed-up posi tion, into a hellish condition. Krsna is the origin of Lord
Visnu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten in any time. All the rules and prohibitions
mentioned in the sastras should be the servant of these two principles.” All the rules of varnasrama are
meant to help us to always remember Krsna and never forget Him. The essence of varnasrama is to
please Krsna. The all Vedic society is ultimately set-up so that Krsna is remembered and pleased. The
purpose of varnasrama rules and regulations (and there are thousands of them) for each of the different
divisions is sadhana-bhakti, to devellop Krsna consciousness, love of God. If one follows perfectly the
rules and regulations of Varnasrama-dhama, all his life, but he forgets Krsna, then he goes to hell.
Varnasrama is not bad but forgetful ness of Krsna is bad. If one is just Krsna conscious, he will get all of
the happi ness that he can get by following all the positive injunctions of the Vedas because the general
result of following such injunc tions is that one becomes happy. Karma-kanda means that one becomes
happy in this life and in the next. And if one is not Krsna conscious than he gets all the reactions of
violating all the prohibitions. And to sum-up Srila Rupa Goswami quotes from Narada pancaratra at page
27. When we surrender to the spiritual master and begin the execu tion of regulative devotional service –
that is bhajana-kriya. Then there is the stage of anartha-nivrtti, the vanquishing of the anarthas. Then
there is the stage of nistha, steadiness, because the anarthas are greatly reduced, they don’t disturb
much. Then comes ruci, where there is real taste, without any distractions. In this stage we have more
taste for devotional service than anything else. Raganuga-bhakti can begin in this stage or in the next
stage. It comes at the advanced end of sadhana-bhakti – this is the advanced stage of madhyama-
adhikari. Then comes the stage of bhava which thickens in the stage of prema. But the chanting, hearing
and remembering continues all through these stages.

CHAPTER THREE

– ELIGIBILITY OF THE CANDIDATE FOR ACCEPTING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

Srila Rupa Goswami quotes one verse that describes the eligi bility the candidate:

yadrcchaya mat kathadau

jata-sraddhas tu yah puman

na nirvinno natisakto

bhakti-yoga’sya siddhidah

The word by word say: yadrcchaya, by some good fortune; mat katha-adau, in talks about Me; jata-
sraddhah, has awaken his attraction; na-nirvinnah, not falsely detached; na atisaktah, not too attached to
material existence; bhakti-yoga’asya siddhidah, he can engage in devotional service and attain perfection.
One should not be too detached and not too attached to materi al existence. How is it so? Everyone has
some degree of attachment and detachment. If someone has too much attachments and not enough
detachment, he will not be interested in devotional service, he will become a karmi. And if a person has
too much detachment and no attachments (even attachmet to the material world) that is not good. If
someone has no experience of material affection, love for family, friends, or whatever, then how he will
understand the principle of attachment to Krsna? He should have some attachments to the material world
before he comes to Krsna consciousness, otherwise he will not understand the principle of attachment to
Krsna. If someone has experience of affection to family, friends, etc, then he just has to transfer his
attachments to Krsna.

But if someone has no attachment, only detachment, then he will go for jnana and consequently mukti.
That has been proemi nent in India, in the past, they were too much in the mood of detachment therefore
they went to Sankaracarya.

In order to take to devotional service one has to have some attachment and some detachment and
attraction for Krsna-katha.

But where does the attraction come from? How does the attrac tion appear in some and not in others?
That comes in the word yadrcchaya. This word is very important. In the synonims, Srila Prabhupada puts
‘by some good fortune’. Then, what is the cause of good fortune? Some people think that the
performance of material pious activities is the cause of good fortune. Of course one definition of good
fortune is ‘material good fortune’ but that can’t apply here, because material good fortune means one
does pious activi ties and gets elevated to higher planets. By definition bhakti must be free from karma
(karma anavrtam), so good karma cannot be the cause of bhakti, because bhakti is independent (sva-
tantra) of types of karma. Here ‘good fortune’ can only mean ‘rendering service to a pure devotee and
hearing from him. If we go back to the basic definition of pure devotional service, we know that one
should have no other desire (anyabhila sita sunyam) and his service shouldn’t be covered by fruitive
intentions or impersonal speculations. If someone is too attached to material enjoyement or if is attached
to artificial renuncia tion, then he can’t take to devotional service, because to take to devotional service
one has to give those things up. Therefore the verse above says that one should not be too attached to
material enjoyement and too attached to artificial renunciation. The karmis may be too attached to
enjoyement and the jnanis may be too attached to renunciation. So, one should be neither too attached
nor too detached, and he should have positive attraction to talks about Krsna because the basic activities
of devotional service are hearing, chanting and remembering, and the first of all is hearing. If one doesn’t
have any attraction for hearing about Krsna, then how he begins? Therefore on the positive side, the
basic requirement is that he should have attraction for talks about Krsna, translated in the verse as
‘sraddha’, which means attraction and also means faith.

One has to have faith in talks about Krsna and he can’t be too attached to wordly enjoyement or to
artificial renunciation. This is the basic qualification.

Then Srila Rupa Goswami explains that there are different grades of eligibility, because sadhana-bhakti
on vaidhi is based on faith in the scriptures and advanced devotional service is based on spontaneous
attraction for the scriptures. Everything in devotional service ultimately goes to the scriptures, because the
rules and regulations that we follow are contained in the scrip tures and when one has spontaneous
attraction for the pastimes of Krsna, they are also described in the scriptures.

How ilegible one is to engage in devotional service depend on his faith or attraction to the scriptures and
his knowledge of the scriptures, because if one is attracted to or have faith in the scriptures, then he will
want to go more and more deep into the scriptures so naturally we will get more knowledge of the
scriptures.

[Quote from Madhurya Kadambini of Srila Viswanatha C. Thakura:

“… , the word ‘yadrcchaya’ must mean “by his own sweet will”. The meaning of ‘yadrcha’ in the dictionary
is ‘complete independ ence’. Sometimes people take the word to mean ‘by luck or chance’ but that
meaning is not suitable here, for then one must inquire as to the origin of the good fortune: is the cause
material pious activities (subha-karma) or not? If one assumes that good fortune is generated from pious
activities, then bhakti is ultimately generated from material karma. Bhakti becomes dependent on mate
rial karma. This is a contradiction to its independent, self-manifesting nature. And again if one considers
that this good fortune is not due to pious activities, it becomes both inde scribable by words an
unknowable by the intellect. Consequently it is insubstantial and cannot be accepted as a cause.

If one proposes that the cause of bhakti is the Lord’s mercy, one must then find a reason for the mercy.
Thus this statement, giving rise to further need for explanation, in inconclusive in itself.

If one therefore says that the cause is the Lord’s absolute, unqualified or causeless mercy, then the Lord
appears to show favoritism in bestowing it, since the unqualified mercy should, but does not, fall upon
everyone equally. The Lord is partial to His devotee, but the partiality that the Lord shows in protecting His
devotees from the persecution of evil elements does not imply a fault in the Lord, but rather an ornament
which enhances His character. This overruling nature of the Lord’s affectionate obligation to His devotees,
which, like a powerful king, subju gates all contradictory factors, will be discussed in the eigth chapter.

In proposing the unqualified mercy of a devotee as the cause of devotion, one may object to the fact that
the devotee’s mercy, like the Lord’s can be partial. But if one considers the nature of the madhyama
bhakta, one finds that he does exhibit partiality in his distribuition of mercy; he exhibits prema towards the
Lord, friendship to the devotees, mercy to the innocent and disregard for those hostile to bhakti. As well,
since the Lord is subservient to His devotee, He makes His mercy follow after the mercy of His devotee.
Thus there is no irregularity in this proposal.
Now, the cause of that mercy manifesting itself in the devotee is bhakti within his heart. Without having
bhakti there is no possibility of the devotee manifesting mercy to others. Thus, in this case, the self-
manifesting, independent nature of bhakti is again resolved.” (see more in Madhurya Kadambini chapter
1, page 3 ].

One of the symptoms of Kali-yuga is that no one can discrimi nate what position someone is in. For
example, previously was stated that only the brahmanas could study the Vedas, but we are distributing
the books to everyone because in this age we can’t discriminate who is a brahmana or who is not a
brahmana. In this age ‘kalau-sudra na sambhavah’, no body is a brahamana, everybody is born as a
sudra.

(End of File NOD2. To be continued in File NOD3)

(continuation from file NOD2)

CHAPTER FOUR:

DEVOTIONAL SERVICE SURPASSES ALL LIBERATION

This is a very short chapter. It contains only 27 verses from Srila Rupa Goswami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-
sindhu. All of them essen tialy deal with one point, and that point is given in the begin ning of chapter 5:
“All of the previous instructions imparted by Srila Rupa Goswami in his broad statements can be
summarized thus: (here is the point of the 27 verses) ‘as long as one is materially inclined or desirous of
merging into the spiritual effulgence, one cannot enter into the realm of pure devotional service.'” That
is jnana-karmady anavrtam – one has to come to that point, specially enphasizing that one cannot have
the desire for mukti (specially sahujya-mukti, merging into the Lord’s effulgence) and still be a pure
devotee. And if one cannot desire those things given in mukti, because of the sweetness of pure
devotional service, then what to speak of him desiring lesser pleasures such as the pleasures in the
material world (wealth, women, position, etc…). Mukti, liberation, is beyond the modes of material nature
and is free from all distress where as the pleasures of the material world are filled up with miser ies. If one
is a devotee he will not have the inclination for mukti what to speak of the lesser pleasures of material
existence?

Why did Srila Rupa Goswami take so much effort to explain in so many quotes that the pleasure of
devotional service to Lord Krsna’s lotus feet is far greater than the pleasure derived from mukti? – Surely
he wants to defeat the Mayavadis, but that is not the main reason. The real reason is that Krsna will
award bhakti only to those who are not inclined towards mukti. In order to make sure that those desires
are uprooted from our hearts and that the desire to attain Krsna’s lotus feet is there in the heart, Srila
Rupa Goswami has given 27 verses, one after another, to hammer this point so that we rid our hearts of
the lingering desires for liberation. And then Krsna may benedict us with devotional service.

“The devotee is indifferent to heaven and hell and liberation.” How satisfied he must be in devotional
service to the Lord. He is indifferent to those things, he sees them as equal. (see quote about Gajendra,
top of page 40)

What is the heart of the devotee who is pure, like? He is fully satisfied because he is purely surrendered
to Krsna, that there is no room for any other object in his heart. He is devo teed to Krsna’s lotus feet, and
the result is that he is drowning in an ocean of ecstasy. What is the cause of that ecstasy? – He is always
hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord.

Out of the five types of liberation that Krsna offers to the living entities, sahujya is never accepted by the
devotees. But out of the other four, there are two ways that one can go to these: one way is just like
having a tinge of selfishness – it is not really selfishness but looks like. It is spiritual. It is the pleasure of
being an associate of the Lord. “I am close to Him, I have His similar form, I have opulences like Him.”
There is a tinge of selfishness but it is not material. But a pure devotee never accepts liberation in that
way. Another way: sometimes the pure devotees are found to accept these other liberations with the
purpose of serving the Lord. Service is dominant. They appear to be superficially in the same position as
these other liberated devotees, but service is the dominant thing in their conscious ness – that is what
makes the difference.

Amongst the devotees who actually achieved liberation, there are devotees of Narayana and other
incarnations and there are devotees of Krsna. Srila Rupa Goswami says that ‘the devotees of Krsna are
the best because the devotee of Krsna can never be at tracted by any other form of the Lord whereas the
devotees of the other forms of the Lord may become attracted by Krsna’.

But by the end of the chapter, Srila Prabhupada says that ‘the devotee will be situated in the relationship
that fully satisfies him and he will not want change his position for any other’.

The two statements appear to be contradictory, how can they be reconciled? – There are two examples:
(i) one is Gopa-Kumara (from the Brhad-bhagavatamrta). By virtue of his spiritual prac tices and by the
mercy of his spiritual master, he went to Vai kuntha, then he went to Ayodhya and then he went to
Dwaraka. But every living entity has the seed of a particular relationship with the Lord, inside of himself.
Gopa Kumara had a relationship with the Lord as a cowherd boy, so even though he went to Vaikun tha,
he was remembering Krsna, he was remembering Govardhana, he was remembering the cows and he
was satisfied even in Vaikuntha. The same occured even up to Dwaraka, where he saw Vasudeva Krsna
and was able to render service to Him. In Dwaraka, Narada and Uddhava detected that there was some
little sense of dissatisfac tion in Gopa Kumara, so they spoke to him. Gopa Kumara was actu ally hesitant
to express himself because generally wherever he went, he saw that the devotees were fully satisfied and
they wanted him to experienced the same as them. In Vaikuntha all the devotees wanted him to
experience the bliss of serving Narayana. In Ayodhya the devotees there wanted him to experience the
bliss of serving Lord Rama. So he was hesitant to express himself. But because Narada and Uddhava
were very expert devotees they could detect and in the course of their discussion Gopa Kumara admitted
the fact that he was not fully satisfied because he was always thinking of Krsna and the cows and
Govardhana. Then they advised him that he should return to Earth and resume his spiritual practices in
Vrndavana, and by the mercy of his spiritual master and by the strong feelings of separation, he would
ultimately attain Krsna in Goloka-Vrndavana. Gopa Kumara followed their instructions and ultimately he
achieved his desired goal.

Generally if someone has the seed, within himself, of a par ticular relationship with the Lord, the Lord
makes arrangements so the devotee will come in contact with some Vaisnava who can guide him towards
such perfection.If someone goes to Vaikuntha but he has the seed of some higher relationship with the
Lord, if he wants to attain it, he can come to Earth and continue his practices because there is no
practices of devotional service in Vaikuntha. Then he can attain his goal.

(ii) The other example given his Laksmidevi, the eternal consort of Narayana. She wanted to experience
the beautiful pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, therefore she underwent penances and austerities to be
able to get the association of Krsna. This incident was discussed between Lord Caitanya and Venketa
Bhatta who belonged to the Ramanuja-sampradaya. Venketa Batta thought that the worship of Laksmi-
Narayana was the highest. Lord Caita nya could understanding his mentality. Very soon they become
very intimated related so one time Lord Caitanya said to him: “Your Lord is the master of Vaikuntha and
My Lord is only a cowherd boy. So, how is it that Laksmi, who is the most chaste wife of Narayana wanted
to enjoy pastimes with My Lord Krsna who is only a cowherd boy?” Venketa Bhatta replied: “Lord Krsna
and Narayana are the same, but the pastimes of Krsna are more relishable due to their sportive nature.
Since Krsna and Narayana are both the same personality, Laksmi’s association with Krsna does not
break her vow of chastity, rather it was in great fun that the goddess of fortune wanted to associate with
Krsna. According to transcen dental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Narayana and
Krsna, but in Krsna there is special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow and
consequently He sur passes Narayana. This is the conclusion of transcendental mel lows.”
[What is it that fixes someone on Krsna and allows Srila Rupa Goswami to explain that Krsna is the
highest? – Because Krsna possesses four extra qualities that no other incarnation or expansion
possesses:

1) Lila madhurya, sweet pastimes, like the rasa-dance.

2) Venu madhurya, wonderful flute playing, outstanding pleas ure. Krsna enchants the all universe with
the sound of His tran scendental flute.

3) Rupa madhurya, Krsna’ sweet form is beyond compare. It makes the gopis super-attracted.

4) Guna madhurya, wonderful qualities, always surrounded by wonderful devotees. This doesn’t mean
that the other devotees are not wonderful. What means here is that the other devotees have the neutral,
servant or friendship (with some touch of servitor ship) relatioships. They don’t the pure friendship,
parental or conjugal relationships with the Lord. This is the special quality of the devotees of Krsna in
Vrndavana.] Because Krsna has those four qualities that Narayana doesn’t possess, Laksmidevi became
attracted to have pastimes with Krsna. Venkata Bhatta continued: “The goddess of fortune considered
that her vow of chastity would not be damage by her relationship with Krsna, rather by associating with
Krsna she could enjoy the benefit of the rasa-dance. Mother Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, is also an
enjoyer of transcendental bliss, therefore if she wanted to enjoy herself with Krsna what fault is there?
Why are You jocking about this?” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied: “I know that there is no fault in the
part of the goddess of fortune, but still she could not enter in the rasa-dance. We hear this from revealed
scriptures.” Then Sri Caitanya quoted from Srimad- Bhagavatam: “When Lord Sri Krsna was dancing with
the gopis, in the rasa-lila, He put His armas around their necks and embraced them. This transcendental
was never granted to the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor would such a
thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls from the heav enly planets, girls whose bodily luster and
aroma exactly resem ble lotus flowers. And what to speak of wordly women who may be very beautiful by
material estimation.” (SB 10.47.60)

Laksmi wanted to enter into the pastimes of Vrndavana but she could not. Lord Caitanya then asked:
“Can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, could not enter the rasa-dance?” No one can enter
in Vrndavana without becoming a follower of one of the eternal residents of Vrndavana. Because
Laksmidevi was not prepared to follow the gopis, she couldn’t enter Vrndavana. In particular she was not
prepared to give up the aisvarya, the opulence of Vaikuntha and she was not prepared to give up her
four-hands form. She could only enter in Vrndavana if she had the form of a gopi. So, next question is:
what should she have done in order to be admited into the rasa-dance? She had first to take birth in the
womb of a gopi, grow up, get married. Then she would have to cheat her husband, cheat her elders and
other relatives. But she wasn’t prepare for this.

Although Narayana and Krsna are the same, still Krsna is the highest object of prema. That is the idea
of prema-rasa.

In order to reconcile the all argument, so Venkata Bhatta would not feel bad, Lord Caitanya said that
Laksmi is just an expansion of Radharani, therefore in the form of Radharani, Laksmi was able to enjoy
the pastimes with Krsna.

But we still haven’t answered the question that arised due to the statement of Srila Prabhupada saying, in
the end of this chapter, that every devotee is satisfied in his position or in his own relationship and he
doesn’t want to change his position for any other. Srila Prabhupada gives the example of Hanuman.
Although Hanuman may know that Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, still he will not give his
position as servant of Rama for anything. And we found in CC that Lord Caitanya had one devotee named
Murari Gupta who was a devotee of Rama. Lord Caita nya tried to convince him to give up the worship of
Rama and accept the worship of Krsna saying that ‘the sweetness of Krsna is beyond compare’, but he
couldn’t never give up his position as servant of Rama.
Can a person have of seed of relationship with Lord Caitanya, within his heart? – Yes. Lord Caitanya is
eternal and He has eternal servants. If someone has special love for Lord Caitanya he will enter into the
portion of Goloka (Svetadvipa) where Lord Caitanya has His pastimes and serve Him there eternally.

If someone has devotion for Lord Caitanya and he follows in the mood of Lord Caitanya, which is the
worship of Radha-Krsna in Vrndavana, then he can devellop the desire to serve Radha and Krsna in
Vrndavana and then he goes to Vrndavana. And if someone wants to serve both, Lord Caitanya and
Radha-Krsna, then in one form he can go to the Navadvipa section to serve Lord Caitanya, and in
another form he can go to the Vraja section and serve Radha and Krsna.

Any worship which doesn’t have the inner mood of following in the footsteps of the residents of
Vrndavana will end up in Vai kuntha. Even if one worships the Deity of Radha-Krsna but he doesn’t have
the mood of following in the footstps of the resi dents of Vrndavana, he will go to Vaikuntha.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE PURITY OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

After explaining the actual essence of the previous chapter, Srila Rupa Goswami is going to describe how
devotional service is sva-tantra, independent. Independent means not dependent on anything. And if one
understands this point he will understand the potency of devotional service and why the rest of the
chapter is there.

Devotional service is therefore independent of all material considerations including one’s birth. And why is
that? – Because it is the natural inclination of the soul to perform devotional service. It has nothing to do
with anything material whatsoever. It is what the soul’s essence is.

“Just as the child naturally inherites the property of the father because it is his birth right, it comes along
with his birth, similarly if one practices devotional service, if he has firm faith in Krsna, he will get liberation
in the same way, because it is the soul’s natural capacity to be a devotee of Krsna. It is not limited by any
material situation whatsoever. No material situation can take away that ability to become a devotee of
Krsna, although a particular situation may cause to give up our tendency to be a devotee. Nothing can
take it away from us – because it is the property and characteristic of the soul him self. And it is that thing
that the soul is always hankering for.

Therefore the first point made by Srila Prabhupada is: “In the middle age, after the disappearance of Lord
Caitanya’s great associate, Lord Nityananda, the ‘goswami caste’ (jati gosai, nityananda vamsa, etc…)
came out to say that ‘devotional serv ice is our property, and only we can spread devotional service.’

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta fought this vigorously. Attempts were made on his life but he did not relent. The fight
went on and due to the strength of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta it was established that ‘anyone can take to Krsna
consciousness, anyone can spread Krsna consciousness – it is the property of the soul, it is not the
property of one’s material birth coming from one’s karma. It is sva-tantra, it is independent of anything
material whatsoever.

After explaining that devotional service is the birth right of the soul, Srila Prabhupada also adds in the
qualification (see quote page 48, 2nd para.). And then more quotes explaining the same point: “The lower
than sudras, inhabitants of Mayuradvaja, initiated in the Vaisnava cult of devotional service look more
qualified than brahmanas.”

Then, the famous quote from Hari-bhakti-vilasa of how the bell metal can be turned into gold by a mixture
of mercury. Similarly the process of devotional service can change the soul and there fore the birth, and
bring out the Krsna consciousness in the soul. Therefore the birth is insignificant. This last quote proves
this.

Naturally because the Vaisnava is above the mode of goodness, when one is exhalted with Vaisnava
qualities he has naturally all the brahminical qualities.
But the next point says: “Don’t get proud! Don’t think that just because you have taken Vaisnava initiation,
brahminical initiation, therefore you are exhalted!” No!, it is not like that. Rather one must follow the rules
and regulations very, very carefully.

Vaisnava means to be transcendental to the three modes of material nature. One should never think:
“Just see I am a Vaisna va!” No! One must follow strictly, carefuly, and know that the modes of material
nature are so strong that if we are not depend ing on Krsna and simultaneously holding on, in any second
Maya can knock us off.

After putting that point in perspective, Srila Prabhupada says clearly: “In other words, simply becoming
initiated is not ele vating one to the position of a high class brahmana. One has also to discharge the
duties and follow the regulative principles very rigidly.”

Next, after considering that someone may fall down from his position, as a devotee, the question that
arise is that: What is his position? What is the system to become rectified?

In the Vedic system there is something called prayascita, attonement. In the Manu-samhita there are
many attonements for the different types of sin: ‘don’t eat, chant so many mantras of this, give so much
charity, do this, do that…, then the result of one’s sinful activity is removed.

The question is: If the devotee commits some sinful activity, how does he become reinstated in devotional
service again? – The answer in clearly given: he does not need to take to any Vedic ritualistic process of
karma-kanda (like prayascitta), all he must do is to reengage himself in devotional service firmly, following
the rules and regulations and there is no other attone ment that needs to be done. “This is the mystery of
the Vaisnava devotional cult of Krsna consciousness.” One will not get the reactions even if he has done
something improperly and is liable to so many reactions. If he sincerely reinstates himself in devotional
service, he will not get the reactions. Why? – Because Krsna’s mercy is amazing, mysterious. It is beyond
karma, it is not of this world (golokera prema dhana/ harinama sankirtana). Only because our
consciousness is too much of this world, do we not perceive this. Devotional service is the internal energy
of the Lord.

By Krsna’s grace, He takes away the reactions and therefore makes us not need to perform any
attonement. Then if Krsna wants to give us some token reaction, we accept that as His mercy, and we
see Krsna in that, we accept this sweetly, “I deserve so much worse but Krsna so kindly had minimized it.”
One who thinks like that is ilegible for the Kingdom of God.

But we have to be careful against the mentality of ‘yes I am a devotee, I will just chant and remove all the
reactions for what wrong I am doing.’ Taking advantage of Krsna’s mercy like this, is an offense (namno
balad yasya hi-papa buddhir/ na vidyi ate tasya yamair hi suddhih.). Krsna will give such a big slap. Krsna
will let one going on like this for a while and then one day He will kick him out to suffer like anything.

If one has this mentality of commiting sins on the strength of the holy name or taking advantage of
Krsna’s mercy, the he will not get purified even by going through the court of Yamaraja (na vidyate tasya
yamair hi-suddhih). One need to not have anything to do with karma and jnana.

Practically there are three processes for elevating on to the platform of spiritual consciousness: karma,
jnana and bhakti.

One who has taken to bhakti need have nothing to do with karma or jnana. Bhakti should have no tinge of
philosophical specula tion or ritualistic performances. Just take to sravanam, kirtanam visnu, hearing and
chanting about Visnu, in the process of devo tional service.

This chapter fixes us in our understanding that we need not mix bhakti with bhukti or mukti. Srila Rupa
Goswami next is going to describe the actual process and procedures and rules and regulations of
sadhana-bhakti. We have to become fixed as to the goal in the last chapter of bhakti not mukti and not
bhukti. And we have to understand that the process of following the sadhana that Srila Rupa Goswami is
going to explain is not to be mixed with any jnanic or karmic activities whatsoever. We should prac tice
suddha-bhakti, uttama-bhakti (jnana karmady anavrtam).

The rest of the chapter gives five different elements that are part of Vedic culture and the devotees have
nothing to do with:

1) Varnasrama (see quote page 50, 2nd para.);

2) Philantrophism, altruism, social welfare work, etc…;

3) Activities to the sages, ancestors, family, etc…;

4) Ritualistic activities, duties to the demigods;

5) Purificatory ceremonies.

If the devotee is fixed in his sadhana, he needs not to per

form any of the these karmic or jnanic activities – devotional service is enough.

CHAPTER SIX: HOW TO DISCHARGE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

[From this chapter until the 16th is a description of Eastern

Side (sadhana-bhakti), 2nd wave (bhagavad-bhakti-bheda, varieties

of devotional service) of the Nectar of Devotion.]

Srila Rupa Goswami has extracted the sixty four principles of devotional service from Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
This book was written by Sanatana Goswami but often said to be written by Gopala Bhatta Goswami who
has his name on it.

There are three sets of principles:

1) the first 10 are considered the essence, in one sense. Out of these 10, the first three are considered
the most important of the first 20: (i) accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master
(guru-pada-asraya);

(ii) accepting initiation from the spiritual master and receiving instructions from him (sri krsna-diksanam);

(iii) serving the spiritual master with faith and confidence.

“Those 10 are preliminary necessities for beginning discharg ing devotional service in vaidhi-bhakti.’ In
the beginning if a neophyte devotee observes the above 10 principles, surely he will quickly make good
advancement in Krsna consciousness.’

When we hear these 10 we should be aware of their importance and if we follow them surely we will make
good advancement.

Then, there is the second set of 10. Srila Prabhupada says about those: ” without following the above
mentioned 10 princi ples, one cannot properly elevate himself in sadhana-bhakti or devotional service in
practice.
The next 44 items are mentioned including the “do’s” and “don’ts” of Deity worship. They are all in one of
the 64 items.

Out of all the 64, five items, which are sometimes called pancanga bhakti, the five limbs of bhakti, are
considered the most important. They are: (i) Deity worship (arcana), (ii) hear ing Srimad Bhagavatam
(srimad-bhagavatam sravana), (iii) chanting the holy name (harinama kirtana), (iv) reside in Mathura-
Vrndavana (vrndavana-mathura vasi), (v) live in the association of devotees of the Lord (sadhu-sanga).
These are considered the most powerful and if one gives in a little emphasis to any of these five he will
make very rapid advancement.

All the 64 elements mentioned in this chapter will be ex plained in the next chapters. This belongs to
vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti.

CHAPTER SEVEN: EVIDENCE REGARDING DEVOTIONAL PRINCIPLES

(1)Accepting the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master (guru pada asraya). One who seriously desirous of
achieving the goal of life or real happiness or salvation, he should take shelter of a spiritual master. And
the qualifications of the spiritual master are: (i) he should have study the Vedas, (ii) he should have
realized the conclusion of the Vedas, (iii) he should be able to teach the same and (iv) he should have
nothing to do with material activities One has to realize how dangerous and fearful is this material world. If
one thinks that this material world is a place for enjoyement then where is the need of shelter? If one
thinks that this material world is a shelter why should he need a shelter?

We should understand as Narottama dasa Thakura said, that “our position in the material world is
tottering like water on the lotus leaf.” If one puts a drop of water on the waxy surface of the lotus flower,
immediatly it rolls off. There is danger at any step in this material world, therefore where is our shelter, our
safety? It is out of this material world. And to get that shelter we need a medium to bring us out of the
material world and that is the guru. He will take our motivated service and offer, through the parampara, to
Krsna.

What is the need for the guru of being qualified? It is obvi ous: there is no connection with Krsna if he is
not qualified. Like the story of someone putting money in a bank very regularly but in a wrong account.
Then when he wants to withdraw some money from his account he will find that he has nothing there.
Similar ly one may be offering so much service to a bogus master but he is not accumulating any spiritual
bank balance.

If one doesn’t understand the nature of this material world, he will not see any motive to take shelter of a
bona fide spirit ual master. Unless he understands how desperately he needs that shelter he will not hold
tightly. There is not other hope. This material world is an awful place. This should be our ‘hammering’
preaching to people, then we can go over other things. We should have a strong desire of going out out of
this horrible place.

2) Accepting initiation from the spiritual master and receiv ing instructions from him (sri krsna diksa siksa
nama). When we grab the spiritual master’s lotus feet looking for shelter, then we beg “please help me!”,
that will be like diksa and siksa. The guru is ‘sabda-brahma nisnathah’, he has mastered all the sacred
books on bhakti and all the authentic sastra and he is also ‘para brahma nisnitah’ always engaged in
Krsna’s service (chanting, hearing, the glories of the Lord). These are the basic qualifications of the bona
fide spiritual master. And he is simply the servant of his guru. When one has inflinching faith in the
spiritual master and in Krsna, then all the imports of the sastras become revealed. The reason is because
Krsna Himself becomes pleased with such a devotee. By Krsna’s mercy everything becomes revealed.
Like Bali Maharaja, because of his full faith in Krsna, he was given the chance to reject even his own guru
and surrender everything to Lord Vamanadeva. Krsna was so pleased with his devotion in the religious
principles that He Himself became the servant of Bali Maharaja as His doorkeeper.
3) Serving the spiritual master with faith and confidence (see quote of SB 11.17.27). This means that he is
known to be very dear to Krsna. The sanskrit words are: mukunda presthaya, one who is very dear to
Krsna, because of taking shelter at His lotus feet (visnu padaya).

4) Following in the footsteps of saintly persons. One should follow according to his adhikari. It is very nice
to be always thinking of Radha-Krsna’s conjugal loving affairs, this is the best meditation, but if one
doesn’t have the adhikari for doing that, trying to do that will be like drinking poison. Because it will react
in one’s consciousness. One should act and follow in the footsteps of saintly persons according to one’s
qualifications and if one doesn’t follow out of ignorance or laziness, that is not offense – it is a lost but is
not an of fense. But if one doesn’t follow because of skepticism and doubts that is actually an offense.

6) Being prepared to give up everything material for Krsna’s satisfaction. “For one who has given up his
material sense enjoyement and has accepted the principles of devotional service, the opulence of
Vaikuntha is awaiting.” Why one gets opulences? – Because it is said that Laksmidevi is cancala, always
moving. Someone who is rich today will be poor tomorrow, this is the nature of Laksmidevi in the material
world. But in the spiritual world, Laksmidevi is steady because she is addicted to serving Narayana.

8) Accepting only what is necessary. “One should not accept more than necessary if he is serious about
discharging devotional service.” The idea is that we should not neglect the principles of devotional service
nor should we accept more that we can easily perform.

People may take this principle to mean that one should take whatever he needs, material needs. But
actually what it means, according to Srila Jiva Goswami, is that one should take whatever he needs for
maintainance of his spiritual life.

10) Offering respect to the banyan trees. Worshiping the banyan trees and amalaka trees is as good as
worshiping the cows and brahmanas and the Vaisnavas. How to honor a cow (from the Gautamya-tantra
Upanishad):

i) gentle scratch the body of a cow;

ii) offer a mouthful of green grass;

iii) three times cicumambulate the cow with one’s right side facing her. If one honors the cow in this way,
Gopala is pleased.

12-14) Not accepting unfit disciples, constructing many tem ples and reading many books.

Not accepting too many disciples is important for those who live in seclusion but it is not meant for
preachers who are spreading bhakti-yoga, Krsna consciousness. For the sake of spreading the mission of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, refusing to take many disciples is a sign of being a miser in his knowledge. But
both the disciples and the spiritual master should be quali fied. A spiritual master should not accept
disciples out of greed.

Srila Prabhupada explains that if one is sincerely desirous of engaging in devotional service, even if he is
not perfectly qualified, the guru-preacher may accept him as a disciple and try to make him qualified. But
if the guru accepts unqualified disci ples just for the name, fame,or facility or wealth, then his devotional
service will be disturbed and he can fall down.

All the three items, ‘not accepting too many disciples’, ‘not reading too many books’, ‘not constructing
costly buildings’ have one basic theme: that is if the intention is to preach Krsna consciousness, one can
do it. But if one is interested in name, fame, followers, opulence, then he should not do these things.

15-16) Straightfowardness in ordinary dealings and equilibrium in loss and gain.

If one becomes equally fully fixed, accepting loss and gain this is conduccive to please Krsna. It is
necessary to be like this to please Krsna.

?) Giving up the company of non-devotees.

There are two types of non-devotees: (i) those who are envious of Krsna and (ii) those who too
materialistic. We should also give up the company of demigods’ worshipers who may be in one of the two
categories (generally considered too materialistic).

Why do we have to avoid the association of non-devotees? – If we consider the position of the neophyte
devotee, we find that his faith and his knowledge of the scriptures are weak. So he may be confused by
opposing views. Srila Prabhupada explains that the neophyte devotees generally have some tendency
towards karma and jnana. If they associate with karmis or jnanis, who are non-devotees, then their
tendency for karma or jnana may be aggravat ed. Even the madhyama-adhikari, he only make friends
with the devotees. He can preach to the innocent but he only make friend ships with devotees and
neglects the envious.

Those were the 18 different angas or elements of sadhana-bhakti. Here we just mentioned a few. Number
19 is “to avoid all the seva and nama-aparadhas.

CHAPTER EIGHT:

OFFENSES TO BE AVOIDED

(seva and nama-aparadhas)

What is the purpose of all these ‘limbs’ or elements of vaidhi sadhana-bhakti? Why Srila Rupa Goswami
has listed them all?

To give us a practical way to engage our mind, body and words in the practice of devotional service.

Practically speaking if one follows all the 64 angas of devo tional service, he will always be engaged,
either on serving, or dancing before the Deity, or accepting the Deities flower gar lands and ware them,
avoiding blasphemy, etc… .Doing those things that engage our body, mind and words in Krsna’s service,
and avoiding those elements which will hurt the blossoming and flowering of our devotional creeper – this
is vaidhi sadhana-bhakti.

To help and inspire us about the importance of each and every one of these items, Srila Rupa Goswami
has given quotes, sastric references to impress upon our minds the power of each of those items.
Currently we are so much hindered, in practicing devotion al service, by our previous karma. Our mind
gives us trouble, our habits give us trouble, we have so many material desires which are sinful reactions
(specially sex desire it is simply sinful reactions). All our desires are, practically speaking, sinful reactions.

But, almost every single one of the angas of devotional serv ice is so powerful that if we practice even
one of them properly, then all the sinful reactions can be removed. Just by clapping one’s hands in front of
the Deities all the reactions to sinful activities can go away. But we have to practice them in the proper
mood.

One has to understand the potency of the practices of devo tional service and understand these
preliminary points – this is why one needs tho have the adhikari to even practice vaidhi-bhakti, because
one has to know the sastras, to know what is he doing and why is he doing it – then one understands, “O
here is Krsna! Haribol, Haribol!”. He will be very enthusiastic to please Krsna, and this is liberation.
If one practices all these different angas of vaidhi-bhakti very enthusiasically, then very powerful Krsna
conscious reac tions will come. Just by hearing all the glorification of these angas it is so uplifting, it brings
immediatly relief to the heart.

But one should not practice these ‘angas’ to, either get sense gratification or so-called impersonal
liberation. That is why the first chapters were so essential before hearing the actual angas or practices of
devotional service.

But what is the greatest gain? – Not purification, not freedom from misery, not any kind of material
happiness or elevation to heavenly planets… Actually devotional service makes all these things
completely insignificant. What we want by going before the Deities and bown, clap our hands, dancing,
placing Tulasi leaves in our mouths, etc…., what we want? What is the gain? – More service to Krsna.

All these angas of devotional service these are service to Krsna. This is devotional service. Specially
when they are accom panied by the chanting of the holy name. Next chapter we will see them one by
one.

There are two kinds of offenses: nama-aparadhas and seva-aparadhas. Of the two, the nama-aparadhas
are more serious. Even if one commits offenses in devotional service but if he takes shelter on the
chanting of the holy name, automatically he be comes free from the effects of seva-aparadha. But if one
thinks ‘I can commit offenses in devotional service and by taking shel ter of the holy name become free
from the effect of offenses’, that becomes nama-aparadha. Actually with this atitude we will have our
offenses magnified. But if, unintentionally or acciden tally, we commit some offense in the course of
devotional serv ice, the effect of the offense will be destroyed just by chanting the holy name.

If one neglects to practice some less important item of devo tional service because of practicing some
more important item, this is not an offense. An offense occurs when one violates a prohibition of the
scriptures. But if, because one is more fully engaged in chanting the holy name, hearing the Srimad-
Bhagavatam, worshiping the Deity, etc, he does not have spare time to circu mambulate the banyam tree
by example, that is not offense.

If one commits seva-aparadha, he become from such offense by taking shelter of the holy name. We can
say that one becomes free from sin by taking shelter of Krsna (sarva dharmam parityaja…).

So, if one commits sin he can take shelter of Krsna to become free from the effects of sin. If one commits
offense to Krsna (seva-aparadha) he can be free from sin by taking shelter of the holy name, but if one
commits offense against the holy name (nama-aparadha), he has no shelter. Nama-aparadha is very,
very serious.

If one commits offenses while chanting the Holy Name then the growth of the creeper of devotional
service can be curtailed. If one commits the “mad elephant offense”, the offense to the Vais navas, then
all the creeper can be completely destroyed but the seed is not destroyed.

Of all the processes Lord Caitanya considered the chanting of the holy name as the most important. And
Srila Prabhupada also said that of all the regulative principles the chanting of the holy name is the most
essential.

But there are some considerations of the quality of the chant ing. There are three stages in chanting:
(i)nama-aparadha, or offensive chanting, (ii) nama-abhasa, the stage between offensive chanting and
pure chanting (it is some times called the ‘clearing stage’). Then the final stage (iii) is suddha-nama, or
pure chanting.

Krsna is compared to the sun and similarly the holy name is compared to the sun. Offenses give rise to
anarthas which are compared to a mist. The mist is not actually covering the sun, but the mist can
obscure the sun from the vision of the individu al.
The most dangerous offense is called sadhu-ninda, or blasfemy of the devotees.

First we have to know who is a devotee. According to Srila Haridasa Thakura in the Harinama-cintamani,
the principal char acteristic of a devotee is that he is surrendered to Krsna or is has fully adopted the
process of chanting the holy names. Then there are secondary characteristics: the devotee should be for
giving, if someone disturbs him they forget immediatly without consideration; also he is merciful, he is
always thinking how the conditioned souls are suffering in the material world and he can help them by
bringing them to Krsna consciousness. There are 26 qualities mentioned in CC.

If one has the principal characteristic of surrender to Krsna but if doesn’t have all of the secondary
qualifications to the full extent, he is still considered a devotee; and if we criti cize him or bear bad feelings
towards him, we are involved in sadhu-ninda. The method of releif from this offense is that we should go
to the devotee that we have offended, beg forgiveness from him and pacify him by any means. But if one
wants to mini mize the gravity of his own offense by finding further faults in the devotee, by telling oneself
‘the devotee is lacking in so many vaisnava qualities, therefore I didn’t really commit a vaisnava
aparadha’, then the offense becomes worse. The fact that the devotee doesn’t manifest the full 26
qualities does not disqualify him as a devotee. Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita specifi cally states, api cet-
suduracaro/ bhajate mam ananya-bhak/ sadhu eva samantavya, “even if one commits the most
abominable activi ty, but he is rigthly situated in devotional service, he is still considered a sadhu”. What
to speak if he commits a minor mistake or if he is deficient in some vaisnava quality.

The third offense guror-avajna, disrespect of neglect of the guru, disobedience to the order of the guru.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives also the definition of guru or the qualifications of the guru. Also he discusses
the position of the founder-acarya. All the spiritual masters in a sampradaya have to be faithfull to the
teachings and conclusions of the founder-acarya.

One of the qualities of the guru is that he should follow the founder-acarya of his sampradaya. He should
also be of ideal character, he should have no bad habits.

If a person is a vaisnava, if he is following the regulative principles and if he is knowledgeable of the

teachings of the founder-acarya and faithfull to the conclusions of the founder-acarya, then he can be
accepted as guru and one should not ne glect him or disobey his instructions.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura continues that if in the beginning someone has the qualifications of a spiritual
master but he commits vaisnava-aparadha, he himself may fall down from his spiritual position. If he falls
from him position, if he is no longer able to follow the regulative principles, if he no longer remains
favorable to the practices of devotional service and the devotees, then he is not considered a guru
anymore and to disobey him is not an offense. In fact to the contrary, Srila Bhaktivino da says, he should
be rejected and one should continue the proc ess of devotional service in the association of devotees and
in due course by the grace of Krsna the sincere devotee will get a bona-fide spiritual master.

Srila Bhaktivinoda says that sadhu-ninda and guror-avajna which are similar, come from bad association.
And what is bad association? – asat-sanga-tyaga,- ei vaisnava-acara/ ‘stri-sangi’- eka asadhu,
‘krsnabhakta’ ara, “a Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people
are very much materially attached, especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the company of
those who are not devotees of Lord Krsna.” Even if a person is a devotee but he is too material attached,
we should not intimately associate with him because he may tend to criticize pure devotees; he may think
that they are too fanatically, too strict. So if we intimately associate with non-devotees or with too
materialistic devotees then we will be influenced by them to commit sadhu-ninda, criticize the Vaisna vas,
or minimize the guru.

Apart from falling to lotus feet of the Vaisnava and praying to the Vaisnava for forgiveness the other
counteraction is the avoid the bad association which has lead either to sadhu-ninda or guror-avajna.
The offenses mentioned in sanskrit in the Padma-purana can be divided differently. Sometimes ‘being
inattentive’ is considered as an offense and ‘maintaining material attachments’ is consid ered as another
offense. Sometimes they are combined together. Srila Bhaktivinoda as well Srila Prabhupada considers
them sepa retedly, but these two offenses are very intimately related.

Srila Bhaktivinoda says that inattention is the worst offense because from inattention many other offenses
are produced. The holy name is compared to the sun and the anarthas are like the mist or the fog. If we
are inattentive when we chant then there is not so much force from the name and the mist will linger or it
may increase. This means that if we chant inattentively or negli gently then tho offenses can increase.
Srila Bhaktivinoda recom mends chanting in the association of advanced devotees who are serious about
chanting and also find a place where one will not be distracted or diverted… and one should go on
chanting be cause if one goes on chanting even in the stage of nama-abhasa and try to avoid the
offenses then gradually one will be free from the offenses. Srila Prabhupada says “practice makes perfect
even in spiritual life”. The more we practice chanting the more we become perfect in chanting.

Then the offense of maintaning material attachments. If we keep material attachments then at the time of
chanting we will not be hearing the Holy Name, we will be thinking of “I” and “Me” and “Mine”, thinking that
“I am the center, I am the doer, I am the controller, I am the enjoyer, I am the proprietor.” Then we will be
thinking of so many objects that we have to control and possess and enjoy. That is offensive in chanting.

We actually have to have faith in Krsna and be surrender to Him. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura speaks
about surrender, that there are six divisions in surrender: (i) accept whatever is favorable for the
discharge of devotional service (without any personal consideration), (ii) reject whatever is unfavorable for
devotional service, (iii) be firmly convinced that Krsna gives one protection (this is called faith), (iv) be
convinced that Krsna is his supreme maintainer and master, (v) to be dependent on Krsna in any
circumstance, (vi) to be always meek and humble.

The basic way to become free from thoughts of “I” and “Me” and “Mine” while chanting, is genuine
surrender to Krsna and to the Holy Name. Always depend on the Holy Name and have faith that ‘Krsna is
my maintainer, my protector, He will protect me, He will maintain me’. Be convinced that unless Krsna
wants some desire to be fulfilled it will not be fulfilled, so is better just to depend on Krsna, surrender to
Him and be meek and humble.

CHAPTER NINE:

FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF DEVOTIONAL PRINCIPLES

1) Blasphemy.

When one is in the company where the blasphemy was spoken, he has some choices: one should try to
convince him with arguments and thus stop his blasphemy, or he should cut off his tongue, or kill himself
or leave the place immediatly (the most practical way if one cannot defeat him). If one hears blasphemy
he becomes implicated and he looses his own spiritual life. If one doesn’t follow any to the ways
mentioned above he will fall down from his position of devotion. One should never tolerate hear blaphemy
to Krsna or His devotees – that will rip to pieces whatever advance ment was made. One may have
worked so hard and somehow or other made some advancement by Krsna’s mercy or His devotees’
mercy, but that advancement will be destroyed if one listens to blasphe my.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam says that if one chants the Holy Name of the Lord but his heart doesn’t melt in
transcendental ecstasy and his body does not exhibit symptoms of ecstasy, this means that his heart is
hard. The reason the heart does not melt when we chant the Holy Name is offenses. Nobody should think
that he has not commited any offense.

Although we may not be conscious of the offenses that we have commited, the effects can be perceived
in the fact that we don’t feel ecstasy when we chant the Holy Name. The lack of transcen dental ecstasy
or the lack of spiritual advancement is itself evidence of the fact that we are offensive. When we realize
how we are hampered in our spiritual lifes, by offenses, then we will try to avoid the offenses by any
means and we will realize things like criticizing a Vaisnava or hearing criticism are keeping us in the state
that we are in which may not be very advanced.

We can tell how much we are relishing transcendental pleasure in devotional service, especially chanting
and hearing. And if we are not really experiencing transcendental ecstasy then we should know that we
are suffering from offenses. We may be so habituated to the offenses that we are not conscious of that,
but at least we should be conscious of the effects which is lack of advance ment or lack of ecstasy.

We should be aware that the worst offense is sadhu-ninda which includes speaking and hearing
blasphemy.

Sometimes we become implicated in some activity which we think that is very purifying but actually is very
contaminated. Like sometimes we may get together and start to speak about the faults of some Vaisnava
and we may think that this is actually a very good discussion, very purifying, to analize some Vaisnava
and his faults and that this is very beneficial. Raghunatha Dasa Goswami compares this behavior to
someone who baths in ass urine and thinks that he is cleansing himself but actually he is contami nating
himself.

Sometimes we have difficult to distinguish the devotional creeper from the weeds. One of the weeds
is kuti nati which is sometimes translated as “duplicious behavior” and other times translated as “fault-
finding”. This kuti nati, Raghunatha Goswami compares it to taking bath in ass urine.

“Duplicious behavior” means we are making a show of devotional service but the purpose is not to please
Krsna, the real purpose is to get some honor, praise, name and fame. That is diplomatic behavior.

“Finding faults” in others is to make other’s position less to make our position more.

2) Tilaka and Tulasi beads. These are outward signs of a Vaisnava. One should always wear kunti-
mala but not as a necklace or some ornament. It should be tight like a dog’s collar. The quality of the dog
is that he is very faithful to his master. Without wearing tilak, a devotee should feel himself imcom plete,
undressed. But, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that it is not the wear ing of tilaka and Tulasi beads that
makes one a Vaisnava. One has to have the consciousness of a Vaisnava. But these outwards signs
should also be there.

3) Accepting flower garlands, scented oils, garments and ornaments offered to the Deity. These are very
sacred items. They are like our belove Deity Himself. If one is given a flower garland and immediatly gives
it away this shows a lack of love. One should honor these things. It is the consciousness of honoring
these angas, that will give them potency. Jiva Goswami has previously said: “If one doesn’t perform bhakti
with ruci, taste, then bhava will never come.” We can do these things mechanically just following the order
of guru and sastras, but bhava will not come in that way. We must follow these angas with ruci, with
understanding which brings that taste.

4) Dancing before the Deity. “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 this quote Srila
Rupa Goswami is actually refering to many, many manvantaras (there are 71 manvantaras in each of the
four ages and there are 43 millions of years in a divya-yuga cicle). So many , many millions of years of
sinful reactions can be burnt by dancing in ecstasy before the Deity.

Why are we studying this Nectar of Devotion? – To remind ourselves and to learn about sadhana-bhakti
and how to practice it. And one should apply these things, it is not for intellectual knowledge, but for
application.
5) Bowing down in honor of the Deity.

8) Going to the temple of Visnu or to places of pilgrimage.

What is the reason for going to such places? To hear some preaching from the saintly persons who are in
those places. Not just to take a bath. We don’t go to see things we should go to hear things in those
places. If there is nothing to see we will not go. In this age of Kali if we go see something, some play or
other things, if we go for that reason, to see the festivities, we will gradually loose the impetus to see
something because Maya has more wonderful things to show. If our only intent is to see things in those
places, then we are in a very, very dangerous predicament, very precarious, because we will loose the
interest to go and see, we will be captivated by other things that Maya will show us.

9) Circumambulate the Temple of Visnu

Even done ajnata, without knowledge, such practice carries a great potency. It is ajnata-sukrti, pious
activity conducive to devotional service. But it is better to do it with knowledge.

10) Arcana.

The Deity is Krsna Himself. It is such a nice oportunity to give Krsna something.

11) Rendering service to the Lord.

What service? – Whatever service we can. The Lord is supposed to be worshiped with great opulence.
He is the center of our lives. We should offer our wealth, our life, our words, etc…, to the Deity. The Deity
should become the center of the communi ty. Everytime one goes to the Temple, specially if he lives
outside, he should bring something to the Deity. At least one should offer a prayer. The mood of offering
something to the Deity is very important.

12) Singing.

One should always be singing, but only songs about Krsna. Foolish music sticks in one’s consciousness.
“The essence of all good advice, twenty-four hours a day, is to be chanting the holy name.”

13) Sankirtana.

Is the singing, in a loud voice, of the glories of the Lord. (see quote in 2nd para, page 80)

If one is performing any austerities, sacrifices or study, what is the ultimate result? – Just to engage in
sankirtana, chanting the glories of the Lord. How glorious is sankirtana – it is the result of all other pious
or purificatory activities. It is the goal, because the goal of all those activities is to, ultimately, please
Krsna. And what pleases Krsna is bhakti. Sankirtana with bhakti is Krsna consciousness, is that thing that
can actually please Krsna and that is the goal of every thing.

14) Submission.

This anga, Srila Prabhupada divided in three ways:

(i) samprarthanatmika, the devotee is feelingly praying for spontaneous attraction;

(ii) dainyavodhika, humbly offering prayers and;

(iii) lalasamayi, desiring some perfectional stage.

Srila Prabhupada said that this desiring some perfectional stage in spiritual life is not sense gratification.
This is the business of a devotee – to desire a perfectional stage, to be engaged in Krsna’s service. (see
the prayers of last para, page 82)

In samprarthanatmika these are feeling praying for the perfec tional stage, but this lalasamayi is siddha or
at least raganuga. Although this section is vaidhi-bhakti, this one part over here is Srila Rupa Goswami’
insertion of some raganuga-bhakti (like the prayers of last para. page 82)

Talking about crying for the Lord, although Srila Prabhupada says: “one should learn this small
technique”, it is not actually a small technique, it is not a simple technique. To actually cry out of wanting
his relationship with Krsna and begging Krsna to do that and his heart is always breaking because he
wants so much to serve Krsna in a particular way – that is raganuga sadhana-bhakti, and that is not a
cheap techique. It is not simple, it is an advanced stage of Krsna consciousness. This pratically speak
ing, Jiva Goswami says, is for a devotee in the platform of bhava-bhakti.

This laulyam is the price for achieving the highest perfec tion. It is a very advanced stage and is
something that one should be very desirous of achieving. But one should not imitate.

15) Reciting notable prayers.

Stava, means notable prayers. They were said by the predeces sors acaryas and we repeat them with
feeling.

Stotra, spontaneous out-pouring of feeling in one’s own words.

16) Partaking of prasada.

It is said to be an offense to honor prasada in the front of the Deity but if the prasada is from that specific
Deity, one is allowed to take it in front of the Deity.

18) Smelling the incense and flowers offered to the Deity.

One should read the different quotes in pages 84-85 again and again and see how purifying they are to
the heart. Think of that and have the consciousness proper when one gets the flowers offered to the
Deity.

20) Seeing the Deity.

Here Srila Rupa Goswami is feeling great ecstasy and affection for his Govindadeva Deity, therefore he is
saying that everyone should go visit Govindadeva. And if one is a materialist just to attract him to go see
Govindadeva, he is saying “you will go to the heavenly planets!” But this is not what he really wants to
say. When Srila Rupa Goswami says “simply by visiting the Deity of Govindadeva, one becomes highly
elevated in pious life…”, he means “attaining devotion”. But to attract materialistic people, he is putting in
this way just to get them to go see the Deity.

“Govindadeva will steal away their hearts because He is so beautiful. And He will not give them back,
those stolen hearts”.

CHAPTER TEN:

TECHNIQUES OF HEARING AND REMEMBERING

1) Hearing. It is the beginning and the end of Krsna con sciousness. In the quote of the ‘Garuda purana’
cited by Srila Rupa Goswami is explained if someone is in coma, inconscious, even if he is in a different
realm of consciousness, just by sound vibration which enters through his ear holes, he is brought to
reality. How powerful sound vibration is. Sound vibration is the essential that we have to learn. But it is
more than just learning, it is also acting in devotional service, by hearing about Krsna. Just by hearing
itself is puri fying. Even if we do nothing with it. It is an end in of itself although it will affect the heart and
will change how we act. But in of itself it is perfect. We should hear the names of Krsna, we should hear
the glories of Krsna. Hearing precedes meditation. We should hear also about Krsna’s form, qualities,
activities and how to render service to His lotus feet. Naturally if one hears there is no limitation on how
much we should hear until the point of saturation, 24hours a day – this is perfection. To become Krsna
conscious one has to be saturated, completely immersed of Krsna-katha. That is the ideal. And if we think
we are too busy to hear, “O I am busy, I am doing practical service”, then that ‘service’ will not last too
long. If we think we are too busy preaching that we cannot hear, we should know that unless Krsna-katha
is going into our ears, from a pure source, then only nonsense will come out of our mouths. If we are
going to be preaching, the most important thing to do is to be always hearing. That is how to gain potency.
Of course it is not just by hearing that everything happens automatically, but gradually, by the process of
hearing, the heart becomes cleansed. The sound vibration of sudha-satva is transcendental, it is nectar. It
is a nectarean river flowing from the moon-like faces of great personalities. If we think that the words are
nectar but actually they are not even words – this sound vibration is transcendental, is sva-tantra, is
independent and it is using the ‘medium’ of the sad hus’ words to travel. It is coming from ‘Goloka
Vrndavana’ and is using the sadhu as the medium. How pure and important the sastra is specially coming
from a sadhu. Srila Prabhupada’s books are first of all meant to be read which is the same as hearing. If
we hear the books and our appre ciation deepens about this Krsna-katha, then how much more power ful
our actual preaching will be. We will be able to touch the heart of another, which means that our words
will be used as a medium of this transcendental sound vibration. That is real preaching – it takes so much
hearing, so much realization and chanting – it is not cheap. Sukadeva Goswami is not compared with
a suka, parrot, because he just repeats what he has heard. It is because, by his potency, by the
sweetness of his realizations, what is coming out of his mouth is extra sweet. When the parrot touches
the fruit with his beak it becomes extra sweet. Similarly we should dive deeply in the hearing and
understanding and realizations, so we don’t only repeat words without very much potency.

2) Expecting the Lord’s mercy.

tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano

bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam

hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan mamas te

jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

“My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while
patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectfull obeisances, with his
heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” (SB 10.14.8)

Tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano. Samiksamano means that ‘he is hoping for’, eagerly awaiting Krsna’
mercy. And what is the highest mercy that the Lord offers? – Prema-bhakti. We shouldn’t think that when
the Lord gives us His mercy, our physical prob lems will go away. When the Lord’s mercy comes means
that we will become purified of all material attachments and be able to render better service to the Lord.

Bhujana evatma-krtam vipakam. Bhujana, enduring; atma-krtam vipakam, the results of fruitive activities
performed by oneself. The atheists, they blame the Lord. Also the neophytes they also may blame the
Lord, thinking ‘ O I’ve done so much for the Lord, why the Lord has done this to me?’. Actually the
devotee should think that “I have done so many sinful activities, I actually deserve to be suffering worse,
but the Lord is so kind that He has minimized the suffering, or He is giving me the suffering for the sake of
purification”.

Hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te. And he offers his obei sances with his heart, body and words.
Jiveta yo. Anyone who lives like that. In Sridhara Swami commentary on this verse, he says ‘just as the
son has to do nothing but remain alive to inherit the property of his father, similarly a devotee just has to
remain alive in Krsna conscious ness, following the regulative principles of devotional service and
tolerating the miseries, he will get the right to enter into the kingdom of God. Daya-bhak, the literal
translation is ‘lawful heir’. This is actually the secret of Krsna consciousness. It has two parts, this verse:

i) either something good or something bad happens to one, he sees Krsna’s touch in that. For a devotee,
he doesn’t see even his karma, he sees Krsna minimizing his karma and he sees Krsna slowly acting in
such a way towards him, that is bringing him closer and closer. That vision of seeing Krsna in that way,
actually gives birth to bhakti.

ii) “Always paying obeisances within the core of his heart.”

This also is a practice that attracts Bhaktidevi. And both together it is very powerful. “Offering Krsna
respectful obeisances from the core of his heart”. The heart is the essence of these obeisances, not the
mind, the body or the words. One has to be in a prayerful deep mood and taking shelter – that is
‘obeisances’. And then natural ly if the ‘inside’ is right, then the mind, the body and words will come in the
right perspective.

These two practices are both very powerful: seeing Krsna’s mercy in everything that happens to us and
always paying obei sances to the Lord in the core of one’s heart. Then…jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-
bhak, one becomes ilegible to go to Krsna’s lotus feet naturally as the son inherites the property of the
father.

When Sarvabhauma Battacarya became a bhakta, he didn’t like this word ‘mukti-pade’, so he changed it
to ‘bhakti-pade’. Then Mahaprabhu explained to him: “Krsna is mukti-pade. He is the One that Mukti takes
shelter of.”

Another verse quoted from Prthu Maharaja by Srila Rupa Goswa mi: part of it is that Prthu Maharaja is
surrendering to the Lord just like the child surrenders to the father. What is the right mood for the child in
his surrender? – “I don’t know what is best for me, therefore whatever You do for me, I trust that is the
best for me.”

What can be the cause of any anxiety for a person who has full faith in Krsna? Because he sees
everything happening to him as the Lord’s mercy and he has so much trust in the Lord, that the Lord is
just simply, slowly or quickly, bringing him back to Him. What can possibly be wrong then? Everything is
alright when one is in Krsna’s presence. And where can we go in this world and be outside of Krsna’s
presence? With that faith and the tolerance that comes from it, the devotee is completely free from
anxiety. This is the secret of being in Vaikuntha everywhere.

And ‘living in Vrndavana is like sitting on the lap of Krsna’, Srila Prabhupada said. What bad thing can
happen to someone who is sitting on the lap of Krsna?

A ‘slap’ from Krsna is the sign of Krsna’s affection towards us. In that sense there is no karma for a
devotee even though we may get what superficially appears to be karma. We see Krsna, slowly bringing
us towards Him.

Because the purpose of the Creation is to purify the condi tioned soul of his enjoying spirit, the reactions
to sins that we commit are meant to purify us of the desire that lead to the action. If though the devotee is
not liable to suffer sinful reactions because he is surrendered to Krsna, when Krsna that the devotee still
have traces of material desires, He may give to the devotee something that resemble a sinful reactions so
that the devotee becomes purifyied of the last traces of material desires. Because the devotee is very
eager to attain pure devotional service, to go back to Godhead, when he experiences some painful
situation, he thinks that the pain that he is suffering for becoming purified is a small price to pay to
become ilegible to go back to Krsna. Therefore he takes the pain as the mercy of the Lord. He sees the
Lord as his father, “my father knows what is best for me, I don’t know what is best for me therefore I
accept what He does to or for me”.

If the devotee accepts everything that comes to him as the Lord’s mercy, and then receiving the Lord’s
mercy he increases his resolve to serve the Lord with body, mind and words, and offers obeisances to the
Lord from within, then he becomes ilegi ble to enter into the Kingdom of God.

“Expecting the Lord’s mercy” – for a devotee he is always getting the mercy, he sees nothing but the
Lord’s mercy, and therefore he is safe.

3) Remembrance. Krsna instructs in Bhagavad-gita to always remember Him, This is the goal of
sadhana-bhakti – always remem ber Krsna and never forget Him.

“Someway or other, if someone establishes in his mind his continuous relationship with Krsna, this
relationship is called remembrance.” Almost the entire middle six chapters of the Bhagavad-gita are just
to establish this – to teach us how to see Krsna everywhere in His material energy.

4) Meditation. Dhyanam, intense contemplation on the form, the activities, the qualities of the Lord and
His service. There is no limitation to our service to Krsna, except for one thing: the lack of desire. Nothing
can stop us in our service to Krsna, when we know this secret of meditation. ( the example of the
brahmana who worshiped the Lord in meditation).

There are many forms that the Deity take: jewels, sand, stone, paitings,…. and also manasah, the mind.
We can offer Krsna anything that we like in this way. But it should be with devo tion.

These are different angas, more ideas of how we can practice bhakti-yoga to soften the heart and
increase our devotion.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

ASPECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL SERVICE

47) Servitorship.

There is a controversy about servitorship in sadhana-bhakti. One opinion, as Srila Prabhupada states in
the purport, the opinion of the karmis, fruitive workers, offering the result of karma is called servitorship.
But according to the Vaisnava acaryas, like Srila Rupa Goswami, servitorship means constant
engagement in some kind of service to the Lord.

This servitorship mentioned here is not one of the rasas. It is not dasya-rasa. Here it is dasya sadhana-
bhakti. Different vaisnava acaryas take different positions on this subject matter. The controversy is this, it
is epitomized by the two verses in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26-27): patram puspam phalam toyam… (26),
when someone is offering Krsna what He wants, that is considered the beginning of bhakti. That means
surrender as Krsna says ‘sarva dharmam parityaja…, one has to surrender first and do what the Lord
wants. That is the beginning of bhak ti. Bhakti doesn’t take place without first occuring surrender. Krsna
wouldn’t even instruct Arjuna until he said, sisyas te’ham sadhi mam tvam prapanam. Before there is
bhakti-yoga there must be surrender. Yet the verse 9.27 says, yat karosi yad-asnasi/ taat kurusva mad-
arpanam. Arpanam or karma-arpanam means offering Krsna the fruit of one’s karma, “whatever you are
doing, whatever you are giving away, whatever austerities you perform, whatever charity you perform ,
this should as an offering to Me.” That means that one is attached to do a particular type of thing and he
gives the result of that work to Krsna – this is called karma-arpanam.

It is exemplified here by Srila Prabhupada: someone who is performing karma or varnasrama rules and
regulations, he will do it as an offering to Krsna being dettached from the fruits of work for his own sense
gratification. This is called niskama karma. This is not considered bhakti but because it leads to bhakti it is
sometimes considered bhakti. Real bhakti begins with surrender. Baladeva Vidyabhusana says that it is
bhakti and Viswanatha C. Thakura says that it isn’t. They are speaking from different perspectives:
offering the fruits of one’s work to Krsna will lead to bhakti, therefore Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana
considers it bhakti. And because it is not yet bhakti, Viswanatha C. Thaku ra considers it as not-bhakti.
Srila Prabhupada says that this type of karma-yoga is bhakti because if he would make the standard of
bhakti too high, we would all become discouraged. He explains things in way that is very suitable to keep
us always increasing our Krsna conscious ness. That is the essence of the controversy, it is not a big
thing.

Srila Rupa Goswami’s opinion is that one should be engaged in surrender. And what is that surrender? –
Being always engaged in sravanam kirtanam visnu-smaranam…, the nine different angas of devotional
service according to Prahlada Maharaja. This what devotional service is – being always engaged in
chanting, hearing and remembering Visnu, etc, etc., to be always working as Krsna wants.

That brings a question: what was Arjuna’s prescribed duty? – To fight! Therefore Krsna told him to fight
since he was a ksa triya. Was that bhakti? Actually Krsna told Arjuna to fight in three different levels: (1) in
the middle of the 2nd chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna told him to fight and he would attain svarga – that
was fighting on the sakama-yoga level; (2) Krsna told him to fight by being detached from his work,
detached from the fruits of his work. That was called buddhi-yoga – it was the niskama karma level, and
(3) Krsna told him at the end: sarva dharmam parityaja…, “give up all your prescribed duties yet fight and
surrender to Me.” – that is bhakti. Although superfi cially the same fighting is going on, but one is attached
another is detached, and another is devotional. It depends on one’s consciousness, by the external
activity we cannot tell.

Also in the 12th chapter, Krsna explains the different stages of devotional service. The first one is ‘always
engage your mind in Me’ then, ‘if you cannot do that, practice the rules and regulations of bhakti-yoga and
you will attain that stage’ then Krsna says ‘if you cannot do that you should work for Me, and by working
for Me you will attain perfection’. For these three (they are all direct stages of bhakti), the results are
given: (i) ‘you will come to Me’, (ii) ‘you will be able to always remember Me’ and (iii) ‘gradually you will
attain the perfectional stage’.

Then after that, Krsna says: ‘if you cannot work for Me, then offer Me the fruits of your work’. Here no
result is given by Krsna, this is because one can offer the fruits of his work to Krsna and still not attain
Krsna consciousness. One has to come up to full surrender – this is Srila Rupa Goswami’s conclusion.

Servitorship means to do what the Lord wants, not what we want. Surrender is the beginning of devotional
service, and one should continuously practice this surrender.

The result of just offering the fruits of one’s work to Krsna is described in the 11th canto of the SB – the
result is knowl edge. Krsna says if one is doing his devotional service, thinking ‘I am the Lord’s servant’,
that is dasya sadhana-bhakti.

According to dharma-sastra, a person is advised to not give up his responsabilities with family, but that is
just to keep sanity in society for persons who are still very attached to sense enjoyement. But according
to bhakti-sastra we must surrender to what Krsna wants. (see page 96, 2nd para.)

This is not pure bhakti, it is karma-arpanam, but that mood must be there: ‘I am the Lord’s servant’. If we
don’t acquire this mood through good association, then our situation is very precarious. That starts by ‘I
am the guru’s servant.’

The 3rd para. on page 96, the quote of Naradyia-purana,is the aproximate translation of:

iha yasya harer dasye

karmana manasa gira

nikhilasv apy avasthasu

jivan-muktah sa ucyate

(B.R.S 1.2.187)

48) Devotional service in friendship.

Similarly this anga is divided in two parts:

(i) to act as the confidential servant of the Lord. This means a devotee who has faith, confidence in
devotional service of the Lord and follows the rules and regulations with the faith that one day he will
achieve the platform of transcendental life. The example given is Draupadi. Such a difficult situation she
was put into, but because she had full faith in Krsna, therefore she could maintain her very life. (Draupadi
is not an example of sadhana-bhakta, she is a prema-bhakta but yet her example is given for this anga of
sadhana-bhakti.)

(ii) to act as the well-wisher of the Lord. This is actually a very advanced and rare thing. This is actually
raganuga-bhakti, where one is feeling friendship to the Lord just as one feels to ordinary persons in this
material world. (see page 97, 3rd para)

This is a raganuga-bhakta, who spontaneous, out of his friend ly affection for Krsna, he may lay down in
the temple to further his friendly dealings with the Lord.

Although this is also done in siddha-bhakti but someon even in bondage may practice raganuga-bhakti
and may act like that. It may arise in his heart this sakhya-rasa and spontaneously he may act in that way.
Therefore Srila Rupa Goswami included it in sadhana-bhakti. It can also be manifested by a longing for
this service even while in the bound or unliberated stages of sadhana.

49) Surrendering everything to the Lord (atma-nivedanam). This is also very, very rare. As sakhyam is
very rare, also this atma-nivedanam is very rare. But sakhyam is even more rare. ‘Giving everything to the
Lord’ doesn’t have to be as focused on a particular relationship with the Lord as friendhip is.

When one is so advanced that he has given everything to the Lord. completely protected by the Lord –
with that type of full faith, this atma-nivedanam is a very wonderful and rare anga of devotional service.

Sometimes the word ‘atma’ is defined as the self. Sometimes is defined as the body or the mind. Even
though this last definition is related with the illusory self, yet should be engaged in Krsna’s service and
then it is perfect. But specially this ‘I’, the self, so much cultivated in modern materialistic society as to be
turned to ‘I am Krsna’s servant’, or even better ‘I am Krsna’s and Krsna is mine’. And if ‘I am Krsna’s
servant’, then ‘my body, my mind, everything in my possession, I offer to my Lord in His service – He can
do whatever He likes’.

(see quote in page 98, 3rd para.) Therefore, following this very important statement of what atma-
nivedana is, Srila Prabhu pada puts in the quote by Srila Rupa Goswami that devotional service in
friendship and devotional service in atma-nivedanam is very rare. They are two difficult processes. (see
last para. of this anga in page 98)

When the surrender is mixed with sincere ecstatic devotion, means towards Krsna in a particular way
such as friendship, parental affection, madhurya-rasa, etc. These are very rare, even rarer then just
surrender and dependence. This can be possible even int he sadhana platform, but it is very rare.

There are six principles of surrender:

50) Offering a favorite article.

There are two meanings of this: (i) one meaning is that one should offer the best thing in his possession,
unto Krsna; (ii) the second meaning is given to Krsna an article that is favorite to Him, such as a peackok
feather, gunja-mala, etc.

51) Performing all endeavors for Krsna.

Whatever one is doing, he should do it for Krsna.

52) Being a surrendered soul.

(see first quote on page 99 on this anga)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains six divisions in surren der: (i) accept whatever is favorable for the
discharge of devo tional service (without any personal consideration), (ii) reject whatever is unfavorable
for devotional service, (iii) be firmly convinced that Krsna gives one protection (this is called faith), (iv) be
convinced that Krsna is his supreme maintainer and mas ter. He should not think that he has been
protected by any demi god. The devotee should be convinced that within the three worlds there is no
other protector or maintainer than Krsna, (v) self-surrender means remember that one’s activities and
desires are not independent. We may want to be successful in something but if Krsna doesn’t want it then
it will not happen. Before we attempt to do anything and while we are doing it, we should always be
thinking of Krsna and praying to Him to help us in our attempts to serve Him, (vi) the devotee is meek and
humble.

53) Serving trees as the Tulasi.

This is a very powerful anga. (see quote page 99) The result of serving Tulasi properly is attainement of
Krsna- prema. The nine ways of serving Tulasi devi (see last quote of this anga on page 100)

Tulasi devi is the internal energy of the Lord – she is Vrnda devi’s expansion. Vrndadevi is also worshiped
in his own form, a gopi form.

CHAPTER TWELVE:

FURTHER ASPECTS OF TRANSCENDENTAL SERVICE

54) Hearing the revealed scriptures.

This means those books which establish bhakti. One should worship such literature. Keeping such books
nicely is also bhak ti.

55) Residing in Mathura.

(see the quotes)

56) Rendering service to devotees.

Here there is the important statement of Lord Siva, about the importance of the service to the Vaisnavas.
It is from the Padma-purana:

aradhananam sarvesam

visnor aradhanam param

tasmat parataram devi

tadiyanam samarcanam

This is the most important anga or item to invoke Krsna con sciousness and to increase Krsna
consciousness. Everywhere in the SB such a topic is discussed. Without the service to the devotees one
cannot be fixed in Krsna consciousness.

This is the thing that one has to cultivate more and more. And this will make our lives sucessful and our
movement successful – when the serving mood predominates instead of the master mood. The serving
mood to the Vaisnavas is the essence of Krsna consciousness whereas the master mood is the cause of
our being in this material world. Krsna doesn’t accept direct service to Him, only through His devotees.
We have to serve the Master as He wants to be served. The service atitude is the result of hearing and
chanting about Krsna. If one hears and chants but doesn’t devellop this service atitude it means he is
commiting aparadha. The fruit of hearing and chanting is service and the fruit of service is hearing and
chanting.

57) Serving the Lord according to one’s position.

(to be continued in File NOD4)

(continuation from file NOD3)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

FIVE POTENT FORMS OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

The five kinds of devotional service, namely,(i)’residing in Mathura’, (ii) ‘worshiping the Deity’, (iii) ‘reciting
the Sri mad-Bhagavatam’,(iv) ‘serving the devotees of the Lord’ and (v)’chanting Hare Krsna maha-
mantra’, are so potent that even a small attachment for anyone of these five items, can arouse devotional
ecstasy, bhava-bhakti, even in a neophyte. But one must be offenseless for this to occur. Specifically on
these most potent items of devotional service we should not underestimate their power whether one has
knowledge of them, whether one has faith in them or not, they are very, very powerful. They can bring
incredible results. It is always worthwhile to put time unto these and to recommend to others the
importance of following the morning program.

1) Residing in Mathura/ Vrndavana.

Even those who are considered the lowest of men in Vrndavana (we know that they are not the lowest)
are considered the highest in human society. Somehow or other they are always uttering the names of
Vrndavana!, Mathura!, Radha Kunda!, Govardhana! (at the bus stand), Radha-Syama!

These people are more fortunate than any famous and powerful materialistic people.

The purpose of opening our temple in Vrndavana was to give a possibility to the western devotees to be
‘recharged’ spiritually in the Holy Dhama. To associate with the devotees, to hear and chant in Vrndavana
Dhama – how potent this is.

Service done in Vrndavana gives a very great result in one’s program in spiritual life. On the other hand,
offenses commited in Vrndavana specially illicit sex gives horrible results. If one does some mistake in
Vrndavana he should behave very humbly and repent very deeply. He should ask for forgiveness from
Vrndavana and should be ready to accept whatever mercy Sri Vrndavana choses to award him.

2) Hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most glorious literature. The first reason is because there is no cheating
process taught in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is completely transcendental as devotional
service is also transcendental. It deals with the highest perfection of life which is Krsna-prema. It is
relishable by liberated souls because it describes the transcendental quali ties of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.

Dharma projjhita-kaitavo’tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam – “Completely rejecting all religious activities
which are materi ally motivated…” (SB 1.1.2). All cheating processes are reject ed in Srimad-
Bhagavatam. What is the cheating for the devotees? – Desires others than Krsna or Krsna-bhakti.
Everything else is cheating.

We are not sannyasis, brahmanas, brahmacaris, sudras, etc, etc., we are ‘gopi bhartuh kamalayor dasa
dasanudasa’. In Sri mad-Bhagavatam the constitutional occupation of the living enti ties is described.
Krsna is also described in His real position. And the relationships between Krsna and His devotees is also
de scribed. It gives a clear conception of what we are, who God is and what should we do. No other
scripture gives such a perfect knowledge.

3) Chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

“The Holy Name of Krsna is transcendentally blissful, He bestows all spiritual benediction for He is Krsna
Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krsna’s name is complete and is the form of all transcendental
mellows. It is not a material name under any condition and He is no less powerful than Krsna Him self.
Krsna’s name is not contaminated by the material energy. There is no question of His being involved with
maya. Krsna’s name is always liberated and spiritual and never conditioned by the laws of material
nature. This is because the Name of Krsna and Krsna Himself are identical.”

A question can be raised: ‘when the Holy Name who is not different from Krsna, and when Krsna is pure
(sudha), mukta (liberated), how can we, who are not pure and not liberated, approach the Holy Name,
touch the Holy Name, or actually chant the Holy Name?

Srila Rupa Goswami answers to this question with the verse from the Padma Purana: atah sri-krsna-
namadi/ na bhaved grahyam indriyaih/ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau/ svayam eva sphuraty adah. Because
Krsna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes are all in the absolute platform, material senses cannot
appreciate Krsna’ Holy Name, form, qualities and pastimes. When the conditioned soul is awakened to
Krsna consciousness and renders service by using the tongue to chant the Holy Name and take the
remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified and gradually one becomes to under stand who
actually Krsna is. By engaging the senses in the serv ice of the Lord, beginning with the tongue, the
senses become purified and as the senses become purified, they become more and more qualified to
chant and hear.

The Holy Name is Krsna and as we surrender to Krsna through His Holy Name, Krsna reciprocates
accordingly (ye yatha mam prapadyante/ tams tathaiva bhajamy aham…). If we please Krsna by our
service, Krsna will be pleased to reveal Himself to us.

Srila Prabhupada explains also this in a very nice way: ‘by serving Krsna the senses become purified; as
the senses become purified we become free from offenses and as we become free from offenses the
Holy Name reveals to us more and more. The Holy Name is progressively manifested: least in the nama-
aparadha stage, then more in the stage of clearing offenses and completely mani fested when we chant
purely.

Trnad api sunicena/ taror api sahisnuna/ amanina manadena/ kirtanya sada-harih. We have to have some
qualification and in this verse Lord Caitanya gives direction on how to become quali fied. Also as Krsna is
revealed through the mercy of the spiritu al master so the Holy Name is also revealed by the mercy of the
spiritual master. The Holy Name is revealed to be Krsna.

Srila Jiva Goswami writtes that if one chants Hare Krsna or other Krsna’s names, Krsna’s attention is
directed to the chant er. When we chant Krsna’s name, Krsna thinks: “The chanter of My name is Mine.
He should be protected by all means.” When Krsna hears the devotee chanting His name, He feels
obliged to His devotee. There is so much sweetness in the name of the Lord. When Haridasa Thakura
heard one verse from Srila Rupa Goswami in Jaganatha Puri, he said: “I knew the opulence of Nama-
sankirtana, but I never heard about the sweetness of this chant ing.” He chanted one verse where
Radharani said: “When the name of Krsna dances on my tongue, one’s desires arisen spontaneously in
the mind that I should have laks and laks of tongues and when I hear the name of Krsna, the desire to get
millions and millions of ears arises. In this way I don’t know how much nectar is included in Krsna’s
name.” It is most sweet.

In congregational chanting, one’s chanting of the holy names is supported by the intensity of other’s
chanting and many living entities can take advantage of it. It is more powerful.

4) Worshiping the Deity of the Lord.

This Deity worship is practical devotional service. We are eternal servants of Krsna and this Deity worship
allows us to begin our service to Krsna – to cook for Him, to dress Him, to sing for Him. In this way we
learn how to serve properly the Lord. It is practical. The main reason of 2nd initiation is to allow us to
practice Deity worship and thus come closer to Krsna. When one sees the Deity he becomes attracted by
that form because by Krsna’s mercy if one has some affection for the Deity, one does not see metal or
stone, he sees Krsna and his heart becomes soft, full of love to see the beautiful form of the Deity. And
when one is seeing the beautiful form of Krsna in his heart, with his bhava, then he will not become
attached to the form of the wife, children, etc, etc…

5) Serving the devotees of the Lord.

The devotees of the Lord are spiritually ‘infected’. If one wants to conteract such infection, one should
associate with the devotees very intensly, then he will be spiritually ‘ contaminat ed’.

If one associates with a devotee even for a moment, Srila Prabhupada explains, he will tell him about
Krsna consciousness, and if one begins the path of Krsna consciousness he will get all perfection. In a
fraction of second (lava-matra) of association with a devotee of the Lord one can receive the seed of
bhakti which will fructify in due course of time.

The bhagavata, he has bhakti in his heart (bhakti is composed of samvit-sakti and lhadini-sakti). In many
references of the scriptures it is said that the bhakti-sakti that lives within the heart of the bhakta can be
transfered to any person who is able to receive it. The lhadini-sakti can be transfered from the heart of a
bhagavata through the dust of his feet, the remnants of his food and his instructions.

Krsna has given to His devotees, His krpa-sakti, that means that He allows His devotees to distribute His
own mercy – He will not do it Himself. He gives that power of attorney to His devo tees.

In the end of the 18th chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna tells Arjuna: “Surrender to Me and I will protect
you, I will bestow My mercy on you. Viswanatha C. Thakura says in his commentary that Krsna’s mood is
that “I am right before you and will make an exception in your case, that I will bestow My mercy on you di
rectly, otherwise I never do this – but in your case I make an exception.”

Srila Prabhupada explains: “because we are social beings, if we don’t devellop very intimate heart to
heart relationships with the devotees, we will be forced to associate with non-devotees. If one associates
with non-devotees he will not be able to follow the rules and regulations.” Because everyone’s association
is infectious, one either catch karma-bija, jnana-bija, maya-bija, any kind of tendency or one will catch the
‘contamination’ of Krsna consciousness from a devotee. asat-sanga-tyaga- ei vaisnava-acara It is
essential to devellop relationships with the devotees. Srila Rupa Goswami wrotte five verses in
glorification of the five potent forms of devotional service. First he said that the five kinds of devotional
service are so potent that a small attachments for everyone of this five items can arouse devotional
ecstasy even in a neophyte.
We may wonder how we neophytes even after engaging in the five potent forms of devotional service has
not fully awaken to devo tional ecstasy (bhava). Srila Rupa Goswami says that the power of these five
forms of devotional service is very wonderful and difficult to reconcile. Even without faith in them, a
person who is offenseless can experience dormant love of Krsna by being a little connected with them.
The word ‘offenseless’ is very impor tant. In other words, the process has great potency and if the
devotee executes it without offenses, he can very quickly come to experience bhava. The Holy Name, the
spiritual master and the Vaisnavas are very merciful so they give us some taste and they help us to
become free from the offenses.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

DEVOTIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

This chapter has some similarities of chapter five “The purity of devotional service”, because it explains
how bhakti is inde pendent of all other processes.

Some people propose that the performance of varnas and asrmas are angas of bhakti but this is not a
fact. At what stage is one allowed not to follow the injunctions for varna and asrama? – Lord Krsna gives
the answer in SB saying that as not one is not satiated by fruitive activities and as long as one’s taste for
chanting and hearing is not awaken, one must continue to follow the regulative principles of varna and
asrama. The implication is that when one finishes with karma and he is attracted to bhakti, specially
chanting and hearing, then one doesn’t have to follow the regulative principles of varna and asrama
although one may do so to not disturb the society and to set the example for others.

This last chapter describing vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti has some very important points to make right at the
end. Srila Prabhupada opens this chapter by saying: “Some scholars recommend that knowledge and
renunciation are important factors for elevating oneself to devotional service.” The refutation of this and
the establishment of what are the important factors for being in devotional service are the essence of this
chapter.

When it is referred to knowledge it means jnana, not knowledge about Krsna. There is no criticism or
minimizing knowledge about Krsna. That knowledge mentioned above in Srila Prabhupada’s statements,
is knowledge of oneness, impersonal knowledge that leads to our merging with the Lord. And what is
referring as renunciation is the ascetism, when one is thinking basically that ‘this world is false, and I have
nothing to do with this world, therefore I should not touch this world, I should have nothing to do with it,
because it is false’. Therefore such people are engaged in ascetism, completely minimizing every body’s
needs.

The first point made is that devotional service itself is sva-tantra, is independent of these things – jnana
and vairagya, although these two processes, knowing that we are not the body and knowing that we are
spirit (jnana) and being detached from the material world (vairagya) can be, not need to be, used as a
step to get to bhakti. Because if one is enamored thinking that the material world is everything and how
wonderful it is to enjoy the material world, some people may take the first step of becom ing renunciants
or understanding ‘aham brahmasmi’, that ‘I am spirit’. Some people may take that as a step and that step
seem to be useful for them, for actually engaging in devotional serv ice, but ultimately these two paths
must be given up for actual bhakti-yoga, because they are not angas of sadhana-bhakti or any kind of
bhakti. In the 64 angas of bhakti they are not mentioned, therefore one must engage his entire mind, body
and words in the angas of bhakti-yoga exclusevely, with nothing extraneous. These, jnana and vairagya
are ultimately extraneous when they are defined in the way just defined. Jnana as these three things, (i)
knowledge meaning that ‘I am spirit’, (ii) the absolute spirit, and (iii) ‘I am that’, the identification of oneself
with the Supreme. And ascetism.

Jnana and vairagya they bring fruits. One may get mystic powers or even some type of liberation. But
devotional service is so powerful that if even one has desires for those fruits there is no need whatsoever
for him to engage in jnana or vairagya. Krsna will award him any result if he just take to bhakti.
But a devotee who takes to bhakti if it is pure devotional service, he has no other desires. This is what we
have been studying right from the beginning of the Introduction: anyabhila sita sunyam/ jnana-karmady
anavrtam…, there is nothing to do with karma or jnana, there is no contamination, no attachments to
these things or the results in devotional service. But if one does have some results, he is not attached to
them. If one has the right mixture of these desires for some type of opulence, he may get one of the four
types of liberation in Vaikuntha.

There are two ways that one can be situated in those four types of liberation: (i) as service to the Lord or
(ii) with slight tinges of personal desires although they cannot be consid ered material.

There is no need for anything but bhakti. Srila Rupa Goswami is bringing this up here to remind us, after
his description of vaidhi sadhana-bhakti, to encourage us to completely take shelter of the practices of
sadhana. There is no loss, there is only gain.

Gradually if one has some slight material attachments, by the mercy of the actual association with these
angas, these material attachments will be removed, and naturally the fruits or results of bhakti will come
by the causeless mercy of the Lord. Therefore one should engage simply in bhakti-yoga.

Those two definitions of jnana and vairagya should not induce us to engage in sense indulgence saying
that we are not ascetics. No, what we should not do is to engage in phalgu-vairagya, false vairagya,
superficially giving up everything in the material world without understanding that everything in the
material world comes from Krsna and it is Krsna’s energy. We may be giving up everything but just below
the surface our material desires are raging.

There is a river called the phalgu river, a false river. On its surface it looks dry sand but underneath the
river is flowing very, very strongly. This is phalgu-vairagya – on the surface ‘I am a great renunciate’ but
behind closed doors or within our minds all kinds of nonsenses are going on.

We should not try to give up the objects of the senses as if they were ours. It is like if one would say ‘I am
giving up Bhakta X’s watch’. How ridiculous, how can I give it up if it is not mine?

Srila Rupa Goswami quotes here:

anasaktasya visayan

yatharham upayunjatah

nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe

yuktam vairagya ucyate

The karmis they see the material world and they want to enjoy it, they want to exploit it. They try to take
God’s property from God and exploit it. The jnanis, they cultivate renunciation, they that by try to exploit
the material energy they become entangled and ultimately they are punished by the material nature. They
think that they had enough suffering in the material world, they don’t try to enjoy the material world again,
they want to leave it. The bhakta he sees everything as the energy of Krsna, meant for Krsna’s service –
that is yukta-vairagya.

In one hand we can’t deal with material things for the sake of sense gratification and at the same time we
can’t reject material things that can be used in Krsna’s service. It is a very fine line and we have to be
always very careful not to try to enjoy material things and not to reject material things that can be used in
Krsna’s service.

By example the six Goswamis of Vrndavana were famous for their renouncement and we worship them
but here we are condemning renouncement. Some body may say that they were sleeping under a
different tree every night to demonstrate detachment. But there is a more intimate reason why they
behaved like that. All throughout Vrndavana, Radha and Krsna and Their eternal associ ates haver Their
pastimes, so every night when the six Goswamis were resting under a different tree, the pastimes of the
Lord that were enacted in that particular place were revealed to them. They were not practicing dry
renunciation. They were not sleeping under a different tree every night as a sort of self-inflicted
punishment. Yukta-vairagya is not phalgu-vairagya. It means that one recognizes everything as Krsna’s:
bhumir apo’nalo vayuh/ kham mano buddhir eva ca/ ahankara itiyam me/ bhinna prakrtir astadha this is
Krsna’s energy. Everything is Krsna’s, so let me use everything in Krsna’s service and engage the senses
in this way. This is real vairagya, not phalgu-vairagya. Srila Rupa Goswami doesn’t criticize vairagya but
false vairagya. This is the actual state of consciousness that the devotee should be in. And Srila
Prabhupada explains that the Krsna consciousness movement is practically based on that. Utility is the
principle.

Again we can use the utility as the principle but uneless we have purity as the force, we will misuse the
utility as the principle. Instead of using everything in Krsna’s service when purity is the force, we will use
everything in the service of our senses and we will not be even phalgu-vairagis, we will be simply sense
enjoyers, in the name of religion. Both sides are very dangerous. Not only the artificial false renunciation
but also real sense gratification. They are very dangerous. Srila Prabhupada explains this very nicely in
one sentence: “with such sentiments for Krsna or Krsna consciousness, we can accept everything but the
sentiments for Krsna’s pleasure has to be there.” How to instal sentiments for Krsna within our heart?
That is what has been studied.

There are five potent forms of devotional service.

There are three essential items in devotional service.

There are 64 different ways to engage our senses and mind, continuously, in Krsna’s service 24 hours a
day. This is what we have been studying, and from this comes ruci. The envigoration or awakening of that
ruci, or taste, is what will be discussed in the next section of sadhana which is called

raganuga sadhana-bhakti.

But that ruci has to be awaken in the heart. And how to do that? – We have just studied that. We must
know how to do that. And if we don’t have a taste, we should not give up. We should know the urgency of
getting that taste and we should spend time specially on these five main angas of bhakti.

There are two types of phalgu-vairagya that we have to be careful of(they are mentioned in the
comments): (i) unbalanced attachment, improper detachment. When we are offered a flower garland we
may be not eager to take it – this is offensive de tachment. If we don’t ask for it, we see a flower garland
but we are not eager to get it – this is offensive. We must take it, we must take a little prasada even if we
don’t feel eating anything. These are improper and offensive atitudes. (ii) Jiva Goswami and Viswanatha
C. Thakura, both speak about the practicing devotional service through wealth and disciples. That is
called slack devo tion, it is not and anga of uttama-bhakti. Like some people, because they are very
wealthy, they may engage, through payement, brahmanas to do the puja of their Deities in their temples.
Or a guru engaging his disciples to do the service that he is supposed to do as part of his duties.

We all have the experience when there are some facilities we tend to be slack in devotional service. The
acaryas have comment ed that ‘jnana-karmady anavrtam’, pure devotional service should n’t be covered
by jnana, karma and ‘adi’ which means ‘etc’. This ‘etc’ includes also ‘slackness’. All the qualities will come
as jnana and vairagya will come. Everything will come through devotional service, there is no need to do
anything when one gets bhakti. And bhakti will come if we follow properly the process. Some people may
raise the point that the development of good qualities like non-violence, are items of devotional service.
But again Srila Rupa Goswami says no. The cultivation of good quali ties like cleanliness, non-violence,
etc, are not themselves items of devotional service. By the cultivation of pure devotion al service one
devellops all good qualities.
Charity, sacrifices, vows, austerities, offering the mind to Krsna, offering one’s bodily activities, praising,
…, so many differents things, all these will come if we simply, strongly, take to the process of devotional
service. They appear automati cally. The example given is in the Skanda-purana, the story of the hunter
Mrgari. He had no good qualities and he didn’t prac tice any austerity, he didn’t practice anything good, he
had no jnana, but just by the mercy of Narada Muni, he took to devotion al service and all good qualities
came. He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. And before he would enjoy seeing the animals flapping in their death
throes. (there is no need for separate vegetarianism preaching)

Srila Rupa Goswami quotes that those good qualities that we are all longing for they don’t come, actually
they take shelter of the devotee – they are longing for the shelter of the devotee.

Why is all these being spoken? – Because Srila Rupa Goswami wants to establish within us a firm faith
and desire to strongly take to bhakti in all its different angas. Nothing else is need ed. It is independent as
Krsna is independent. It is eternal, it is unlimited. It is what we are looking for. We can either prac tice
bhakti ekanga, one limb, (therefore Srila Prabhupada quotes the different nine angas and how different
devotees attained perfection by following just one of those angas), or we can practice all the different
angas of devotional service.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

SPONTANEOUS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE.

There are eternal associates of Krsna, like Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yasoda, Subala, Sudama, Lalita,
Visakha, Radharani, they are called ragatmika devotees because they have raga, deep at tachment for
Krsna which is beyond the regulative principles. The residents of Vrndavana they don’t follow any
regulative princi ples, because they have spontaneous love for Krsna. And devotion al service which
follows in the wake of the love of the residents of Vrndavana, is raganuga-bhakti. It is not that everyone
goes to raganuga-bhakti. If someone becomes attracted by the devotional service of Krsna’s associates
in Vrndavana, then he can practice raganuga-bhakti. He wants to follow in their footsteps and become like
the cowherd boys or like Mother Yasoda or Nanda Maharaja or like the gopis. But someone can engage
in vaidhi-bhakti and not become attracted by the devotional service of the eternal residents of Vrndavana.
He may be attracted to Narayana or other form of Krsna. He will continue vaidhi-bhakti and by becoming
purified in vaidhi-bhakti he can go to bhava-bhakti or prema-bhakti but he will not go to Goloka-Vrndavana
he will go to Vaikuntha or Ayod hya.

One only enter into raganuga-bhakti from vaidhi-bhakti if he has the seed of devotion to the eternal
associates of Vrndavana. If someone has the seed of love for Laksmi-Narayana, he will not want to follow
in the footsteps of Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda or any other inhabitant of Vrndavana, because he doesn’t
have the seed for that type of devotional service. But if he has the seed for that type of devotional service
like the inhabitants of Vrndavana and if he gets the association of raganuga Vaisnavas and if he
sufficiently advanced, beeing freed from anarthas, then he can practice raganuga-bhakti.

Raganuga-bhakti applies only to Goloka. And in Goloka there are three sections: Gokula,
Mathura and Dwaraka. Mainly it ap plies to Gokula (Vraja), but one can have the desire to follow in the
wake of the Queens or other associates of Krsna in Dwaraka.

Navadvipa-dhama is non-different from Vrndavana-dhama, but in Navadvipa-dhama, the devotees do not

enter into the higher rasas like in Vrndavana. In Navadvipa-dhama everyone has awe and rever ence for
Lord Caitanya. Take the example of Gadadhara Pandita who is Radharani. In Krsna-lila, Radharani is not
submissive to Krsna, She doesn’t think that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, She just thinks
that He is a very beautiful boy who She loves and Krsna thinks that She is a very beautiful girl who He
loves. Here love doesn’t mean desire for sense gratification but the desire to please one’s lover.
Radharani gives more pleasure to Krsna by not being submissive. Krsna gets more pleasure from Her
crooked behaviour. But with Gadadhara Pandita and Lord Caita nya there is nothing like that. Gadadhara
is always submissive and respectful to Lord Caitanya. Even if it seems that Lord Caitanya is submissive
to the will of His mother or Nityananda or Jagadananda, He neverthless is always in control, He decides
what He wants, no one can stop Him, He is independent. If He decides to take sannyasa, no body stops
Him; if He decides to send Nitya nanda to Bengal, Nityananda goes. Lord Caitanya is worshiped and
respected by all, but in Vrndavana, Krsna is not in control, he comes under the control of the devotees.

In Vaikuntha there is only santa-rasa, dasya-rasa and the lower portion of sakhya-rasa, meaning
friendship with reverence (like Uddhava or any of the friends of Krsna in Dwaraka). But in Vrndavana
there is pure friendship, like the cowherd boys. They have no reverence, they fight with Krsna as equals
and if they defeat Krsna, He has to carry them on His shoulders.

In Navadvipa one doesn’t serve Lord Caitanya in the higher rasas but Lord Caitanya came to give the
higher rasas.

From bhajana-kriya to asakti this is all within sadhana-bhakti. Then there is bhava and prema-bhakti. In
the first paragraph, by the end of page 119, where it is written ‘raganuga-bhakti’ to describe the
spontaneous friendly atitude of the cowherd boys in relation to Krsna, we should read ragatmika-bhakti.

Raga means intense attachment and absorption in some object, spontaneous attachment. The residents
of Vrndavana, they are ragatmika bhaktas, they are practically speaking, the only ragat mika bhaktas.
That means that their spontaneous love and affec tion for Krsna, their attachment to Him in spontaneous
love outruns everything else. The eternal associates of Krsna, like Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yasoda,
Subala, Sudama, Lalita, Visakha, Radharani, they are called ragatmika devotees because they have
raga, deep attachment for Krsna which is beyond the regulative principles. The resi dents of Vrndavana
they don’t follow any regulative principles, because they have spontaneous love for Krsna. And devotional
service which follows in the wake of the love of the residents of Vrndavana, is raganuga-bhakti.

Vaidhi bhakti which is practiced with awe and reverence, with deference to rules and regulations, it is not
accepted in raga-bhakti. If some person hears the discussions about Krsna with the residents of
Vrndavana, with the cowherd boys or Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, the gopis, and he becomes attracted
by their mood of devotion, and if he thinks “I would like to serve Krsna in the same mood as the cowherd
boys or the elderly members of the cowherd community, or the young gopis…”, and he develops tran
scendental covetousness or greed “I want that same mood of serv ice!”, then he becomes eligible for
raganuga-bhakti. Raganuga-bhakti means bhakti which follows (anuga) the mood of the ragat mika
devotees, the devotees who have raga-bhakti.

Srila Rupa Goswami uses the word lobha, greed. That is the only qualification for entering into raganuga-
bhakti. Such ‘greed’ cannot be created by any ammount of pious activity. That ‘greed’ is the only price that
one can pay to attain raganuga-bhakti. Raganuga-bhakti is called ‘spontaneous’, it doesn’t depend in any
ammount of pious activities, it doesn’t depend on the injunctions of the scriptures. For example Hanuman
wanted to serve Lord Rama as servant. Any person can tell him, that accord ing to the scriptures, Krsna is
the Supreme Personality of God head, so many relationships with Krsna are higher than the rela tionship
of service with Rama, but Hanuman won’t care because his love for Rama is not based on the injunctions
of the scriptures, it is natural, spontaneous.

In order to attain this ‘greed’ for raganuga-bhakti one must be beyond the stage of ‘anartha-nivritti’,
because before this stage one is full of desires and offenses, to have such greed for Krsna. It can start at
the stage of ruci and become stronger at the stage of asakti.

A question may be raised: ‘the effects of aparadha can contin ue even to the stage of prema so how this
relates to the practice of raganuga-bhakti?’ – After anartha-nivrtti comes the stage of nistha where the
person is fixed in the execution of devotional service, but fixed in devotional service on the basis of intel
ligence. With intelligence he knows that he is a spiritual soul, part and parcel of Krsna, and his real
relationship is with Krsna not with Maya, therefore he endevors without deviation to develop his
relationship with Krsna and free himself to any attachments to Maya – that is nistha. But nistha matures
into ruci where the person has actual taste for devotional service. Certainly raganu ga-bhakti cannot begin
before the stage of ruci, because raganu ga-bhakti is not based on the intelligence, it is based on spon
taneous attraction. But that would be just the very beginning stage of it; it could develop more in the stage
of asakti. Asakti means ‘one gets so much pleasure from devotional service that he becomes deeply
attached to Krsna and the process of bhakti’. Then the process of raganuga-bhakti can become more fully
developed.

Raganuga is a process of following the ragatmika bhaktas and it continues through bhava and prema. It
can start in the stage of sadhana but the principle of following the eternal residents of Vrndavana is
eternal and it continues. Is not that there is a progression from vaidhi-bhakti to raganuga-bhakti to bhava-
bhakti to prema-bhakti. Raganuga is a different process that can begin at the advanced stage of sadhana
and continues through all the other stages until one enters the pastimes of the Lord in Vrndavana and
then one becomes a ragatmika bhakta. Raganuga is a special process for entering in Vrndavana. Every
living entity has an eternal relationship with Krsna which means that every living entity has in his heart the
seed of a very specific relationship with Krsna. One only enter into raganuga- bhakti from vaidhi-bhakti if
he has the seed of devotion to the eternal associates of Vrndavana. If someone has the seed of love for
Laksmi-Narayana, he will not want to follow in the footsteps of Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda or any other
inhabitant of Vrndavana, because he doesn’t have the seed for that type of devotional service. But if he
has the seed for that type of devotional service like the inhabitants of Vrndavana and if he gets the
association of raganuga Vaisnavas and if he is sufficiently advanced, beeing freed from anarthas, then he
can practice raga nuga-bhakti.

Having greed for service in the mood of the residents of Vrndavana has the potency to take one to the
highest stage but one may yet in the stage of sadhana. And someone else may be already a sidha, a
perfect devotee in the association with the Lord in Vaikuntha or Ayodhya but he won’t be ilegible to enter
into Vrndavana, whereas a person may be yet a sadhaka but have the illegibility, due to the seed in his
heart, to do things that a devotee associated with Krsna in Ayodhya or Vaikuntha can not do. The story of
Bhima with King Samudra Sena illustrates this.

Raganuga-bhakti is a process, it is not stage.

In the Caitanya-Caritamrta there are a few verses explaining what raganuga-bhakti is:

virajantim abhivyaktam

vraja-vasi-janadisu

ragatmikam anusrta

ya sa raganugocyate

“Devotional service in spontaneous love is vividly expressed and manifested by the inhabitants of
Vrndavana. Devotional serv ice that accords with their devotional service is called raganu ga-bhakti, or
devotional service following in the wake of sponta neous loving service.” (CC Mad 22:154)

In the next verse Srila Rupa Goswami explains the ilegibility:

tat-tad-bhavadi-madhurye

srute dhir yad apeksate

natra sastram na yuktim ca

tal lobhotpatti-laksanam

“When an advanced realized devotee hears about the affairs of the devotees of Vrndavana – in the
mellows of santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya – he becomes inclined in that way, and his
intelligence becomes attracted. Indeed, he begins to covet that particular type of devotion (his lobha, that
is the main requiremnt). When such covetousness is awakened, one’s intelligence no longer depends on
the instruction of sastra, revealed scripture, logic or argument.” (CC Mad 22:155)

Actual greed does not depend on the injunctions of the scrip tures or reason and arguments – rather it is
spontaneous. Just like if someone sees some nice rasagulla and he decides “I must have that!”. If he
looks in his pockets if he has enough money to purchase it – that is not greed. But if he decides “I must
have it whether I have the money or not; by begging, by borrowing or by stealing, I must have it!” – that is
greed. If someone hears about the Vrndavana residents’ love for Krsna and thinks “I am so lowly, I am so
fallen, that is such a high thing, I could never had that” – that is not greed. Greed is: “I may be a fool, a
rascal, I may be a nonsense, still I must have it and somehow or other I will get it. I must get it!” – that is
greed. But this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t follow the process. He follows the process with greed. He
follows the same process that the devotees in vaidhi-bhakti follow, but he doesn’t follow with the idea that
“he scriptures say that I have to do it so I have to do it”. He follows with the idea that “at the end I will get
what I want!”.

How to follow the process?

seva sadhaka-rupena

siddha-rupena catra hi

tad-bhava-lipsuna karya

vraja-lokanusaratah

“The advanced devotee who is inclined to spontaneous loving service should follow the activities of a
particular associate of Krsna in Vrndavana. He should execute service externally as a regulative devotee
as well as internally from his self-realized position. Thus he should perform devotional service both exter
nally and internally.” (CC Mad 22:158)

Here service with two types of bodies is mentioned. Seva sadhaka-rupena means service with the
external body as a devotee practicing regulative devotional service; siddha-rupena, with a body suitable
for eternal self-realized service.

This may very difficult to conceive in the conditioned stage, still we can understand from the scriptures
that within the material body there is a spiritual body but that spiritual body is not developed. Srila
Prabhupada has given the example of a coconut. As the coconut matures and dries, the milk inside the
coconut solidifies and becomes like a white flesh. That flesh becomes harder and harder and ultimatelly
separates from the shell. The same way, the spiritual body existes within the mate rial body and it
gradually becomes manifested. The point is that when one’s greed becomes very intense and when one
is in the stage of asakti, just entering the stage of rati or bhava, then the spiritual body comes out. Then
with the spiritual body inter nally, he serves the eternal associates of Krsna in Vrndavana. Let’s supose
that one’s greed is to become a cowherd boy. So his spiritual body will manifest as a cowherd boy. Then,
internally with the spiritual body, he will become an assistant of Subala and if any cow wanders away from
the herd, he will chase her and bring her back as his service to Subala who is his leader. That is internal
service, but externally he will act just like a regulative devotee. Specifically, we are rupanugas, followers
of Srila Rupa Goswa mi. Internally we can think of the eternal associate that we want to serve, and
externally we think of Srila Rupa Goswami and we will serve as Srila Rupa Goswami serve (like what we
sing in the prayers to the Six Goswamis), always engaged in kirtana, in studying the scriptures, chanting
prescribed number of rounds, offering obeisances, going to different places in Vrndavana, or has we have
seen our spiritual master doing (chanting Hare Krsna, discussing Srimad-Bhagavatam, preaching,
worshiping the Deity, visiting Holy places, everything…). The regulative activities don’t stop but the other
activities go on internally. (internally means ‘not visible to others’ Next question will be: who are
the sahajiyas?; what are dif ferences between the sahajyas and what Srila Rupa Goswami recom mends?
– The sahajyas may have sraddha, they have some faith like we have. But on the basis of faith and its
development, one cannot get a spiritual body. One really attains the spiritual body at the stage of rati or
bhava. But the sahajyas try to experience the ecstasy or they try to manifest the spiritual body before they
actually come to the stage of bhava. Therefore Srila Prabhupada translates the word sahajya as those
who take things very cheaply. They think that without the qualification of bhava-bhakti, or aproaching
bhava-bhakti, one can imagine the spiritual body, or one can imagine one’s eternal relationship with
Krsna. Srila Rupa Goswami says very clear, seva sadhaka-rupena, one should externally do service like
an ordinary sadhaka but inter nally one engages in his spiritual activities. But the sahajyias sometimes
they try to manifest their so-called internal service with the same body, the external body, so they dressed
up like the gopis. That is a farce. That is ‘travestti’. They try to manifest or experience the ecstasy or
experience the spiritual body without the qualification. Srila Rupa Goswami was never seen dressed in a
sari, with bangles, etc….

The so-called siddha-pranali is also a different kind of sahajiya where people without being in the stage of
rati or bhava are told about their spiritual forms and services in Goloka. This is very much condemned by
our acaryas. Raganuga-bhakti can only be attained by the grace of Krsna through the spiritual master.
Therefore in any stage we should always remain submissive to the guidance of guru and sastra. We can
pray to have greed. To desire to have greed is a sort of greed. If one has greed for a relationship in
conjugal love with Krsna but he doesn’t follow the gopis in Vrndavana then he goes to Dwaraka, not to
Vrndavana. Laksmidevi had the greed for the association of Krsna in Vrndavana but she didn’t follow the
process so she couldn’t enter in Vrndavana.

Raganuga-bhakti applies only to Goloka. And in Goloka there are three sections: Gokula,
Mathura and Dwaraka. Mainly it applies to Gokula (Vraja), but one can have the desire to follow in the
wake of the Queens or other associates of Krsna in Dwara ka.

Navadvipa-dhama is non-different from Vrndavana-dhama, but in Navadvipa-dhama, the devotees do not

enter into the higher rasas like in Vrndavana. In Navadvipa-dhama everyone has awe and rever ence for
Lord Caitanya. Take the example of Gadadhara Pandita who is Radharani. In Krsna-lila, Radharani is not
submissive to Krsna, She doesn’t think that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, She just thinks
that He is a very beautiful boy who She loves and Krsna thinks that She is a very beautiful girl who He
loves. Here love doesn’t mean desire for sense gratification but the desire to please one’s lover.
Radharani gives more pleasure to Krsna by not being submissive. Krsna gets more pleasure from Her
crooked behaviour. But with Gadadhara Pandita and Lord Caita nya there is nothing like that. Gadadhara
is always submissive and respectful to Lord Caitanya. Even if it seems that Lord Caitanya is submissive
to the will of His mother or Nityananda or Jagadananda, He neverthless is always in control, He decides
what He wants, no one can stop Him, He is independent. If He decides to take sannyasa, no body stops
Him; if He decides to send Nitya nanda to Bengal, Nityananda goes. Lord Caitanya is worshipable and
respected by all, but in Vrndavana, Krsna is not in control, he comes under the control of the devotees.

In Vaikuntha there is only santa-rasa, dasya-rasa and the lower portion of sakhya-rasa, meaning
friendship with reverence (like Uddhava or any of the friends of Krsna in Dwaraka). But in Vrndavana
there is pure friendship, like the cowherd boys, they have no reverence, they fight with Krsna as equals
and if they defeat Krsna, He has to carry them on His shoulders.

In Navadvipa one doesn’t serve Lord Caitanya in the higher rasas but Lord Caitanya came to give the
higher rasas. From bhajana-kriya to asakti this is all within sadhana-bhakti.

Then there is bhava and prema-bhakti.

Sometimes we say that the residents of Vrndavana don’t know about aisvarya, the opulence of Krsna,
they don’t know about Krsna’s supreme position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but this is not
exactly true because when Uddhava came to talk to the gopis and when speaking to Srimati Radharani,
she began to say: “We all know, don’t tell us anything about Krsna, we are not interested in hearing about
Him anymore. We know all about Him from Gargamuni. In one life He was Rama, He had no principles,
no character, He shot Bali in the back, something unbefitting a kstriya. We know all about Krsna, we don’t
want to hear about Him anymore”. They knew who Krsna was.
There is aisvarya-jnana, knowledge of Krsna’s great opulent position and then there is madhurya, the
sweetness which perme ates and controls everything in Sri Vrndavana-dhama. The resi dents of
Vrndavana have so much attraction for the sweetness of the relationship with Krsna, thinking of Him as
‘our village friend’. They think about Him in a village relationship. And if they were thinking that He is God
all the time, they couldn’t carry on with them that great spontaneous affection that they do.

The aisvarya-jnana is there but the madhurya, the sweetness of their spontaneous love for Krsna
overpowers their aisvarya-jnana. Just like Arjuna, he is not a resident of Vrndavana, he is a resident of
Hastinapura, he has a friendly relationship with Krsna. In the 11th chapter of Bhagavad-gita when he sees
the universal form he becomes terrified, he looses his equilibrium, he asks Krsna to take it away finally.
He prays in a trembling voice. The aisvarya aspect of Krsna overpowers his friendly relationship with
Krsna. He even apologizes “O Krsna, sometimes I called ‘You Yadava!’, sometimes we have set in the
same bed to gether, this is very offensive, I didn’t realize who You were previously. Please forgive me, I
am offering my obeisances”. The aisvarya-jnana of Krsna overpowered the madhurya, the sweetness of
the relationship.

But on the other end, when Mother Yasoda asked Krsna to open His mouth and see if it was true that He
had eaten dirt, like His friends had told her, when she saw inside Krsna’s mouth, she saw that universal
form. She looked at it and thought ‘what is this?’. She didn’t think ‘ O Krsna I didn’t know who You were, I
tied You up sometimes; sometimes I chastised You, please forgive me for all such offenses’. Not for one
second she thought like that. That aisvarya of Krsna could not overpower the madhurya, the sweetness of
her love. That is the special characteristic of the relationships of the residents of Vrndavana. Their love for
Krsna is so powerful, is madhurya-rati, madhurya-bhava. that overpowers everything else. They become
angry at Krsna, they chastise Him, they sometimes feel chivalrous towards Him, but always the prema is
dominant. Their great love in this particular way is called ragatmika-bhakti.

This ragatmika-bhakti means that they don’t have to learn anything, they are perfect. Nitya siddha krsna
preme sadhya…, they have already achieved the sadhya or the goal of pure love of Krsna to the highest
degree. They are nitya-siddhas, not that they have achieved it, they are situated in that, and they don’t
have anything to do with the sadhana that we have been discuss ing.

Sadhana are the practices to obtain sadhya, bhava or love of Krsna – prema-bhakti. The residents of
Vrndavana they have no need to practice any sadhana, they are beyond all the rules and regulations. The
purpose of rules and regulations is to help us to attain love for Krsna, but their love of Krsna is so strong,
they are perfectly situated in that love.

The spontaneous atitude that the cowherd boys have, the gopis have, Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja,
Upananda, have, Cittra, Patraka, etc, etc, have – that is called ragatmika-bhakti. Their love for Krsna is so
great and spontaneous, their all lives are spontaneously without any need for any order from anyone,
always centered around Krsna, always pleasing Him.

Srila Rupa Goswami has defined ragatmika-bhakti as ‘a sponta neous attraction for something while
being completely absorbed in thought of it with an intense desire of love’. This is the per fection.
Devotional service executed with such feelings of spon taneous love, this is ragatmika-bhakti.

This ragatmika-bhakti can be divided into two different sec tions: (i) kama-rupa, sensual attraction and
(ii) sambhanda-rupa, loving Krsna in relationship. This only applies to the residents of Vrndavana. Those
who are in the category of kama-rupa in ragatmika-bhakti, are the gopis of Vrndavana. And in
sambhanda-rupa are those Vraja bhaktas who are impelled by their relation ship of love with Krsna –
parental, friendship, servitorship, bhaktas.

The residents of Dwaraka are also considered ragatmika-bhaktas in sambhanda-rupa. The Queens of
Dwaraka as well as the other devotees in Dwaraka or Vrndavana in the mood of friendship, parentalhood
or servitorship, they are all sambhanda-rupa devo tees.
Kama-rupa only exists in Vrndavana in the gopis. The Queens of Dwaraka desire to have conjugal
relationship with Krsna but with formality – this is not kama-rupa bhakti.

There are raganuga bhaktas for all these different kama-rupa and sambhanda-rupa positions. But to be a
raganuga devotee one can be sambhandanuga.

There are two types of kamanuga devotees: (i) one desires to have keli, or direct union with the Lord
which is not following in the line of Rupa Goswami; (ii) the other type wants to indi rectly serve Radha-
Krsna and help unite Them – this is the desire for manjari or sakhi-bhava. These are the followers of Srila
Rupa Goswami as Rupa-manjari.

In Vaikuntha only the Laksmis would be considered ragatmika devotees.- their conjugal relationship is
with some formality.

One who is following and develloping that mood of the resi dents of Vrndavana or even the devotees of
Dwaraka, he is called raganuga-bhakta (sambhandanuga or kamanuga).

Srila Rupa Goswami is going to describe, first in this chapter and in the first section of the next chapter,
ragatmika-bhakti. Then he will describe raganuga-bhakti. Ragatmika-bhakti is a deep, deep thirst to serve
Krsna, not caused by sastra, not caused by Krsna’s position, but just spon taneous love.

Next there is a definition or showing this point, by quoting the 7th canto of SB 1.28.32. This is referring to
the process of sadhana in raganuga. How by thinking of Krsna in a particular way, one becomes purified
and situated in that position. The verse says: “A grassworm confined in a hole of a wall by a bee, always
thinks of the bee in fear and enemity,and later become a bee simply because of such remembrance.
Similarly, if the condi tioned souls, somehow or other think of Krsna, who is sat-cit-ananda-vigraha, they
will become free from their sins. Whether thinking of Him as their worshipable Lord or enemy, because of
constantly thinking of Him, they will regain their spiritual bodies” . This is pointing to one of the key points
of raganuga-bhakti which is remembering.

“Many, many persons have attained liberation simply by think ing of Krsna with great attention and giving
up sinful activi ties. This great attention may be due to lusty desires, inimical feelings, fear, affection or
devotional service. I shall now explain how one receives Krsna’s mercy simply by concentrating one’s
mind upon Him. My dear King Yudhisthira, the gopis by their lusty desires, Kamsa by his fear, Sisupala
and other kings by envy, the Yadus by their familial relationship with Krsna, you Pandavas by your great
affection for Krsna, and we, the general devotees, by our devotional service, have obtained the mercy of
Krsna”. (Narada Muni to Maharaja Yudhisthira)

“Somehow or other one must consider the form of Krsna very seriosly, then by one of the five different
processes mentioned above, one can return home, back to Godhead. Atheists like King Vena, however,
being unable to think of Krsna’s form in any way of these five ways, cannot attain salvation. Therefore one
must somehow or other think of Krsna, whether in a friendly way or inimically.”

Here the essence was described: thinking of Krsna. But think ing of Krsna in what way? – Thinking of
Krsna in a specific relationship that will purify one and situate him, ultimately, in that relationship with
Krsna as a resident of Vrndavana. That is what the points of these verse are.

One of the examples is the gopis, other example is the Panda vas, and other examples are Kamsa and
Sisupala. In this verse it is said that they all attained perfection. But we should know that the perfection
that Kamsa attained by thinking of Krsna out of fear and that of Sisupala thinking of Him in envy, is not the
same perfection attained by the Pandavas or the Vraja-gopis. They received the perfection of going to the
spiritual realm. General ly such persons obtain sahujya-mukti or occasionally, as in the case of Putana or
Paundraka, they may attain some kind of saru pya-mukti. They may attain this param gatim but not Vraja-
bhakti.
Krsna gives the sahujya-mukti to the impersonalists as He gives to the demons, because the
impersonalists, mayavadis, are great offenders. It is not a very elevated and glorious spiritual position as
a fruit of all their hard work, of all their austeri ties and tapasya. Krsna gives them the same thing He gives
to the demons – sahujya-mukti. The achievements mentioned above they are not equal, but yet they all
attain the spiritual platform.

Another example of raganuga-bhakti is the verse quoted in page 122, 2nd para. In the purport to this
verse Srila Prabhupada states: “According to acarya Sri Jiva Goswami, the few srutis such as Gopala-
tapani-upanisad, who identify the cowherd boy Krsna with the Absolute Brahman in its highest aspect,
had so far being patiently waiting. (this is already in verse 23 of the ‘Prayers by the personified Vedas’.
They have heard so many prayers by sruti and Vedas, that they are not thinking of Krsna as the Absolute
Truth, so they have been patiently waiting ac cording to Srila Jiva Goswami) But hearing the other srutis
offering prayers opening glorifying the Lord’s personality, these intimate srutis can no longer contain
themselves. So they spoke out of turn in this verse. Speaking for themselves, the personi fied Vedas,
here state that they prefer to devellop love for God by learning to emulate the favorable surrender of the
Lord’s confidential devotees, specially the young gopis of Vraja. Though they appear to be simple women
attracted conjugally to the Lord’s physical beauty and strength, the goddess of Vraja exhibit the highest
perfection of meditation. The srutis wish to become just like them.”

This is a definition of raganuga-bhakti. To be attracted by the love of the ragatmika-bhaktas one wants to
devellop those same loving sentiments.

In this regard, Lord Brahma relates the following historical account in the suplement to the Brhad-Vamana
Purana: “The infi nite world of spiritual bliss is called Vaikuntha. There the Supreme Truth lives being
glorified by the personified Vedas who are also present there. Once after the Vedas have elaborately
praised Him, the Lord felt specially satisfied and spoke to them in a voice whose source remained
invisible: ‘My dear sages, I am very satisfied with you, please ask of Me some benediction that you
secretly desire.’ The srutis replied:’We have devellop the desire to become like the cowherd women of the
mortal world who inspired by lust worship You in a mood of lover.'” This inspired by love, this kamarupa,
has nothing to do with the lust of this material world. It is like lust, it looks like lust. It is de scribed as
kama, but has nothing to do with material lust. Krsna dasa Kaviraja Goswami has described the
difference between lust and love as the difference between gold and iron. In lust one thinks about his own
satisfaction and in love one thinks about the satisfaction of one’s beloved. There is no tinge of mundane
selfishness or lust in the so-called ‘lust’, the spiritual senti ment of conjugal love experienced by the gopis.
“After hearing the prayer of the srutis, the Lord then said: ‘The desire of yours is difficult to fulfill, indeed it
is almost impossible, but since I am sanctioning it, your wish must inevi table come true. When the next
Brahma takes birth to faithfully execute his duties of Creation, when the deva’s life called the sarasvata-
kalpa arise, you will all appear in Vraja as gopis. On the earth, in the land of Bharata, in My own district of
Mathura, in the forest of Vrndavana, I will become Your beloved in the circle of the rasa dance. Thus
attaining Me as your paramour, you will gain all the most exhalted and steadfast pure love for Me and in
this way you will fulfill all your ambitions.'” (This is very intimate and most confidential truth.)

Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Prabhupada have so kindly explain all these to us and why? Why have
they open all these most confi dential truths? Because it is the desire of Sri Caitanya Maha prabhu.

That was an example how by the pleasure of the Lord, the srutis were benedicted with that love. And this
is explained further by Viswanatha C. Thakura’s purports to the 10th canto, in describing the rasa dance
and the different groups of gopis that dance with Krsna.

Very much stress is given by Srila Prabhupada making sure we don’t in any way compare the lust that
exist between a man and a woman in this material world as having nothing to do with the relationship
between Krsna and His most dear gopis.

Srila Prabhupada says: “In the material world there no such thing as a lover’s wanting to please the
senses of his beloved. Actually in the material world everyone want mainly to gratify his own personal
senses.”
To prove this there is some further examples and quotes. The first example is Uddhava. He was a jnani
and he was aspiring to serve the feet of the gopis and become a lump of grass that the gopis would step
upon. If it was mundane lust, why would Uddhava be attracted to it? And Sukadeva Goswami who was
fixed in the Brahman platform? And Caitanya Mahaprabhu who was the strictest of the sannysis

that He wouldn’t even hear the voice of a woman singing and banished Chotta Haridasa for a very minor
infraction? Such a strict sannyasi, He said that the gopis’ love was the perfection of devotional service,
and He would sing about this in the most intimate and confidential association with Svarupa Damodara
and Ramananda Raya.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

SPONTANEOUS DEVOTION FURTHER DESCRIBED

What is the adhikari or ilegibility for raganuga-bhakti? Where that lobha, greed , comes from? Where the
increased taste come from? Srila Prabhupada explains in page 130, 2nd para.: ” This spontaneous love
for Krsna can be develloped only by the special mercy of Krsna or His pure devotee.”

This is the last verse in B.R.S. on this section of raganuga sadhana-bhakti, which concludes the all
section on sadhana-bhakti.

Quote from CC, a conversation between Lord Caitanya and Sana tana Goswami: “The original inhabitants
of Vrndavana are attached to Krsna spontaneously in devotional service; nothing can compare to such
spontaneous devotional service which is called ragatmika-bhakti. When a devotee follows in the footsteps
of the devotees of Vrndavana, his devotional service is called raganuga-bhakti. When one becomes
attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his natural inclination to love is fully absorbed in
thoughts of the Lord – that is called transcendental attachment, and devo tional service according to that
attachment is called ragatmika, or spontaneous devotional service. The primary characteristic of
spontaneous love is deep attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Absorbtion in Him is a
marginal characteristic (one who is so attached as a result one’s consciousness is always absorbed in
Him). Thus devotional service which consists of raga, deep attachment, is called ragatmika, spontaneous
devotional service.

If a devotee covets or strongly desires such a position he is considered to be most fortunate. If one
follows in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, out of such transcendental covetousness (intense
lobha, greed), he doesn’t care for the injunctions of reasonings of sastra. This is the way of raganuga or
spontaneous love. Devotional service in spontaneous love is vividly expressed and manifested by the
inhabitants of Vrndavana. Devotional service that accords to their devotional service is called raganuga-
bhakti. or devotional service following in the awake of spontaneous devotional service. When a advanced
realized devotee hears about the affairs of the residents in Vrndavana in the mellows of santa, dasya,
sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya, he becomes inclined in that way and his intelligence becomes at tracted.
Indeed he begins to covet that particular type of devo tion. When such covetousness is awaken, one’s
intelligence no longer depends on the instructions of sastra, revealed scrip tures, or logic or argument. (he
is not dependent in the sastra, to do anything, he is impelled by the greed within his heart).

There are two processes by which one can execute this raganu ga-bhakti: external and internal. When
self-realized, the ad vanced devotee externally remains like a neophyte and executes all the sastric
injunctions specially hearing and chanting. However within his mind, in his original purified self-realized
position, he serves Krsna in Vrndavana in his particular way. He serves Krsna twenty-four hours, all day
and night. The advanced devotee who is inclined to spontaneous loving service, should follow the
activities of a particular associate of Krsna in Vrndavana. He should execute service externally as a
regulative devotee as well as internally from his self-realized position. Thus he should perform devotional
service both externally and internally.
Actually the inhabitants of Vrndavana are very dear to Krsna and if one wants to engage in spontaneous
devotional service he must follow the inhabitants of Vrndavana and constantly engage in devotional
service within his mind. The devotee should always think of Krsna within himself and one should chose a
very dear devotee of Krsna who is a servant of Krsna in Vrndavana. One should constantly engage in
topics about that servitor and his loving relationship to Krsna and one should live in Vrndavana. However
if one is physically unable to go to Vrndavana, he should mentally live there. Krsna has many types of
devotees. Some are servants, some are friends, some are parents, some are conjugal lovers. Those who
are situated in one of those atitudes of spon taneous love according to their choice, are considered to be
on the path of spontaneous devotional service.”

“My dear mother Devahuti, O emblem of peace, My weapon, the disc of time, never vanquishes those to
whom I am very dear, for whom I am the Supersoul. the son, the friend, spiritual master, well-wisher,
worshipable deity and desired goal. Since the devo tees are always attached to Me, they are never
vanquished by the agents of time.”

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances again and again, to those who are always eagerly meditating
upon the Supreme Person ality of Godhead as a husband, son, friend, brother, father or intimate friend.”
(Brs)

“If one engages in spontaneous devotional service to the Lord, his affection to the lotus feet of Krsna
gradually increases. In the seed of affection there is attachment which goes by two
names: rati and bhava. The Supreme Personality of Godhead comes under the control of such
attachment. (This will be explained in the section about bhava-bhakti which is rati and finally prema-
bhakti). That by which one can attain loving service to the Lord or prema-seva I have described in detail
as the execution of devotional service, called abhidheya. My dear Sanatana, I have briefly described the
process of devotional service in practice (sadhana-bhakti) which is the means for attaining love of Krsna.
It cannot be described broadly. Whoever hears the process of practical devotional service very soon
attains shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna in love and affection.”

According to the previous acaryas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisidhanta, Srila Prabhupada,
one’s svarupa becomes manifest at a very advanced stage, when one enters bhava. They never aproved
of the so-called siddha-pranali process where devotees who are not at all at the stage of bhava or rati are
given the so-called siddha-pranali – that is sahajiya.

In the 2nd para. of NOD page 127, Srila Prabhupada says:

“Srila Rupa Goswami says that learned acaryas recommended that we follow the regulative principles
even after the development of spontaneous love for Krsna.” In this regard Srila Viswanath C. Thakura
comments that one must be submissive to the guidance of the spiritual master, because by the mercy of
the spiritual master one can come to the stage of raganuga-bhakti. And without such mercy not only one
cannot enter raganuga-bhakti but he won’t be able to maintain it. If he looses the grace of the spiritual
master he will fall down.

There is also a comparison made between the kama-rupa of Krsna that the gopis had and the kama-
praya, or ‘almost like material lust’, that Kubja had.

The quote mentioned by the acaryas is in the SB 10.42.9: After Krsna had asked Kubja for the
sandalwood paste and ointments, she smeared on His body and He was very pleased with her. Then He
straighten her out since she was hunchback. And as soon as He did that, she became a very, very
beautiful woman. And then when she looked at Krsna… “Now endowed with beauty caracter and generos
ity, ‘Sivakra’ (her body was curbed in three places), she began to feel lusty desires for Lord Kesava.
Taking hold of the end of His upper cloth, she smiled and addressed Him as follows: ‘Come O hero, let us
go to my house. I cannot bear to leave You here. O best of males please take pity on me since You have
agitated my mind’.” And Krsna laughed and replied to her making arrangements to go to her house later
on in order to please her wishes.
The acaryas have explained that when she approached Krsna, her mood was different from that of the
gopis. It is called kama-praya or ‘almost like material lust’. It resembles, it verges on actual material kama.
But because the center of that kama was Krsna, (she wanted to satisfy her own desires, she became at
tracted to Krsna’s beauty), it is almost like material lust, but it is not because it is centered on Krsna. But it
is a completely different mood from that of the gopis who dressed themselves, who comb nicely
themselves, who put their earrings on , put their beautiful saris on, simply to give Krsna pleasure. But
Kubja had the desire to enjoy Krsna.

There are two different ways to be a kama-rupa-raganuga-bhakta: (i) one way is as Srila Prabhupada
says, to be directly attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in conjugal love. This is called keli,
when one through his own spontaneous desire wants to, as Srimati Radharani enjoys directly with Krsna,
as Lalita devi who is a nayaki, she is enjoying directly with Krsna and also Krsna’s eight principal gopis do
– so one wants this direct relatioship with Krsna. (ii) The other way is that one doesn’t want to enjoy
directly with Krsna, but rather he wants to assist Radha and Krsna in Their enjoyement, indirectly. He is
getting enjoyement by the direct pleasure and meeting of Radha and Krsna.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura said in one of his songs that his pleas ure is in seeing the meeting of Radha and
Krsna. This is the actual mood of raganuga devotional service that this sampradaya is in. Not to become
a competitor of Srimati Radharani.

As Srila Viswanatha C Thakura sings in his ‘Gurvastakam’:

nikunja-yuno rati-keli-siddhai

ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya

“The spiritual master is very dear because he is expert in assisting the gopis, who at different times make
different taste ful arrangements for the perfection of Radha-Krsna’s conjugal loving affairs within the
groves of Vrndavana.” The word “yuktir’ means arrangements. This is sometimes called sakhi-
bhava or manjari-bhava. The manjaris they just want to see that Krsna and Radha meet together. In CC it
is said that when the gopis see Radharani meeting with Krsna, their pleasure is millions and millions of
times more that when they meet directly with Krsna.

The gopis make arrangements for the meeting of Radharani with Krsna and Radharani make
arrangements for the meeting of the other gopis with Krsna.

The next point is about parenthood or friendship which means sambhandanuga. There is also a subtility
in this. There are also two ways in becoming a sambhandanuga devotee: (i) one is that one wants to
serve in the mood of Nanda, Yasoda or Subala, (ii) or one wants to become Nanda, Yasoda or Subala.

If one wants to become Subala what can happen to him is that he can merge in the body of Subala. Or if
one wants to become Nanda or Yasoda, he can go to hell. These are not also in the mood of our
sampradaya. The proper mood is that one wants to take up the mood of service of Nanda, Yasoda, in
parental affection, but not try to replace Nanda or Yasoda with ourselves.

We should consider ourselves like a parent and have that sweet mood of always trying to serve Krsna,
not to consider ourselves like Nanda and Yasoda.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN :

ECSTATIC LOVE

Up to this point everything that has been described, has been in the category of sadhana-bhakti. And in
sadhana-bhakti there is klesa-aghni, or the removal of all disturbances, distresses.
Now Srila Rupa Goswami is going to describe bhava-bhakti or sadhya, the goal. There are two stages of
the goal:

(1) Rati. This is the stage where Krsna’s mercy appears in the heart of the devotee. It is the beginning
stage or prior stage to prema-bhakti. It is sometimes called premankore(?), the first sprout of prema. It is
also compared to a ray of prema. Bhava-bhakti is so glorious. One loves Krsna in a particular way
through bhava-bhakti or rati by the mercy of Krsna, by the de scent of His mercy. It is so glorious and yet
it is only compared to a ray of prema. As the ray of the sun is liken to the entire sun…

Bhava is the goal, sadhya, of all the sadhana. This is the fulfillement of that definition of sadhana-bhakti
where one uses his senses, purifies his heart, makes it very, very soft and after taste and attachment
grows (ruci and asakti). Then if Krsna desires, one attains this platform of bhava-bhakti. This is the fruit or
the goal or the effect of all spiritual practices. And it is the cause of the future loving exchanges with Krsna
– there fore it is called premankore, the sprout of prema.

What is this bhava-bhakti?

The commentators explain bhava as ‘when Krsna’s internal energy, His cognitive factor or samvit sakti,
and His lhadini sakti, the pleasure-giving potency, they combine together and they awaken the love of
God which is within our heart’.

This has been also described by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Harinama-cintamani, how this energy of the
Lord descends and awakens the inherent potency within the jiva. Without this mercy of the Lord, the
samvit and lhadini saktis, there is no question of becoming a lover of Krsna, a bhava-bhakta or a prema-
bhakta.

What does evoke this mercy of the Lord?

Srila Rupa Goswami has already in the beginning of his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, described how bhava-
bhakti is sudurlabha.

When one practices his Krsna consciousness with great taste, ruci, and when that taste devellops into
attachment or absorp tion, asakti, when one’s consciousness is naturally always ab sorbed in Krsna, if
one practices sadhana in this way, then Krsna may be inclined to bestow His internal energy upon the
devotee and then he comes to the level of bhava-bhakti.

There are two direct ways that this occurs. This is described by Srila Prabhupada (page 132, 2nd para.):
“Elevation to this stage of ecstasy (bhava-bhakti) can be possible in two ways. One way is by constant
association with pure devotees. The other way is by the special mercy of Krsna or by the mercy of a pure
devo tee of Krsna.”

Srila Prabhupada describes the first way in a little more detail in the next paragraph by saying: “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 Narada, which is described to Vyasadeva in Srimad-Bhagavatam.” It is not only
by the constant association with pure devotees, one has also to follow the rules and regulations of vaidhi-
sadhana on the order of the pure devotees, in their association.

The sages, the bhaktivedantas, Narada Muni was associating with, during the catur-masya period, they
were always engaged in hearing and chanting and he took the remnants of their prasada. They ordered
Narada to follow and he followed their order. He heard the discourses and discussions about Krsna
consciousness. By their association, by hearing, by following the order of their vidhi, instructions, their
rules and regulations, he became very attracted within his heart to Krsna and Krsna consciousness. Then
he became so eager to hear those topics that he gradually devel loped within himself, an ecstatic love for
Krsna (bhava). (see quote of SB 1.5.28)
The purpose of the process of sadhana is to gradually purify and soften the heart. In the material world
everyone’s heart is impure and hard. Why is it hard? – Because everyone is attempting to become happy
on his own, thinking himself the enjoyer and the controller in the material world. Therefore because of that
illusion, their hearts become extremely hard. One has to become calous to reality, he has to exploit
others, due to the potency of this illusion. And by the sinful reactions of this mentality, his heart becomes
harder and harder. He is trying to devollop ‘master consciousness’ and his heart becomes harder as he
tries to exploit the material world. He sees himself as his body and he sees everything in the material
world as his and meant for his sense enjoyement.

The process of sadhana-bhakti, practicing before the actual love devellops, it is the process of serving
Krsna. One may in a higher stages engage in the same activities as in the lower stages – like hearing and
chanting – but his consciousness in the latter stages is completely different, full of softness, full of love –
love of Krsna.

Gradually by hearing the sound vibrations of these bhaktive dantas, Narada became purified. “And 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.” This is the process of
associationg with devotees, which is one of the main parts of sadhana-bhakti.

Another quote is Kapiladeva saying: “My dear mother, when a person is actually in association with pure
devotees, the sublime potency of My devotional service can be experienced.”

And finally there is the example from the Padma-purana, which is actually not vaidhi but raganuga. The
story of a neophyte devotee who, in order to raise herself to the ecstatic platform, danced all night to
invoke the Lord’s grace upon her. She was named Candrakanti, she danced and danced for the pleasure
of the Lord. She wanted to attain a place in the rasa-dance with Krsna, so she went in front of the Deity
form of Krsna and danced all night and was finally elevated, by the grace of Krsna, to the bhava platform.
These were explanations of attaining bhava-bhakti through sadhana. Next is how to attain this special
mercy of the Lord (bhava-bhakti). “Sometimes it is found that without undergoing any devotional process,
one, all of sudden, devellops devotions for Lord Krsna. This sudden development of the devotional atitude
in a person must be understood as a special mercy of Krsna or of His devotee.” This is the second way.

But one should not sit around and wait for the special mercy of the Lord. One may receive and ‘honorary
degree’ of a universi ty, without going through all the different classes in the uni versity, but one will not
just sit around and wait upon this ‘honorary degree’ to fall upon him. That may will never happen, because
it is very rare to achieve such a special mercy.

One has to endeavor to follow the different practices but ultimatelly both the special mercy of the Lord and
the attainment of bhava through regulative principles will come through the krpa, the mercy of a devotee.
By the mercy of a devotee this is ultimately how one will attain this higher stage. By executing the process
of sadhana in the proper association and just by Krsna’s mercy one is awarded with bhava-bhakti. There
are four different examples mentioned in this chapter, of attaining the special mercy of the Lord and thus
attaining the bhava platform. There are examples of the Lord’s mercy by speak ing, by glancing and by
His good-wishes. These are three examples of how the Lord personally bestows His mercy, bhava-bhakti,
upon His devotees.

Then, following that, there will be examples of how the Lord, through His own devotee, giving him the
power of attorney, He bestows bhava-bhakti.

Out of the two cases, Krsna Himself bestowing bhava-bhakti is very, very rare. Generally speaking are the
devotees who do this. Even when Krsna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita: sarvam dharmam parityaja…,
He tells Arjuna: “I will bestow My mercy upon you and will protect you and will give you the highest
platform of Krsna consciousness, I make an exception for you, usually I just give this ability to bestow
krpa and raise a person to this ecstatice platform, through My devotee. But in your case I make a special
exception, I will give it Myself.”
It is actually very rare when the Lord Himself gives this mercy. The first example, simply by speaking, is
shown when Lord Krsna said to Narada: “O best of the brahmanas, I wish that you may devollop
unalloyed devotional service to Me, which is full of transcendental bliss and all auspiciousness.”

The example of glancing: “When the inhabitants of Jangala province saw the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Krsna, they were so stricken with feeling, that they could not withdraw their glance from
Him.”

And the last one is the manifestation of the Lord’s mercy in the heart through the heart-felt wishes of the
Lord. Narada told to Vyasadeva: ” You have a son who is the greatest devotee of the Personality of
Godhead, and I can observe that without any fol lowing of the regualative principles of devotional service,
he is already enriched with many of the symptoms achieved by the execu tion of devotional service after
many, many births.” This means, because Sukadeva Goswami was in the womb and he was already in
this exalted platform, and inside the womb of his mother he could not achieve the glance of the Lord, nor
did the Lord talk to him and by His words benedicted him with bhava-bhakti, then, the remaining
possibility, just by the well-wishes of the Lord did he devellop the highest platform of Krsna
consciousness. By the process of elimination one come to this conclusion.

Then there are the examples of Prahlad Maharaja and of the hunter. By the mercy of Narada Muni, in
both cases, be bestowed Prahlad with perfectional devotional service and also the hunter Mrgari.

This ecstatic love, the sthayi-bhava, or the spontaneous way that one loves Krsna on the bhava or prema
platform, this is divided into loving Krsna either neutraly, or in dasya-rasa, or in sakhya-rasa or in
vatsalya-rasa, or in madhurya-rasa. These five divisions of how to love Krsna in a specific way, they are
going to be described later on, in great detail, by Srila Rupa Goswami.

[The living entity possesses in small quantity, the lhadini, samvit and sandini potencies (happiness,
knowledge and eternity). But when he comes to bhava he gets more of these potencies and in prema he
gets still more, all by the mercy of Krsna or His pure devotees. Everything is already there, but Krsna
adds more to it – it is like a bonus for doing devotional service.] (to be continued in File NOD5)

(continuation from File NOD4)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

CHARACTER OF ONE IN ECSTATIC LOVE

The beginning of this chapter is quite simple because Srila Rupa Goswami describes the characteristics
of a person who has actually devolloped his ecstatic love for Krsna.

There are nine characteristics (see page 135). One by one, the devotee devellops these. The
impersonalists may superficially have these types of characteristics but the main quality of bhava-bhakti is
that a person has a deep, deep attachment and love for Krsna. If someone has some of these qualities
without that attachment for Krsna, that is not bhava-bhakti. One should know the essence. This is how
bhava-bhakti will be manifested (the external symptoms):

1) Utilization of time. The devotee is always anxious. He never waists a moment, he is always serving
Krsna.

2) Forbearance (santi). The devotee is indifferent to the external world. He is so much absorbed in love of
Krsna that whether something good is happening to him, or something bad is happening to him, externally
it doesn’t affect him. There are no transformations on him.

3) Distaste, indifference or detachment from material pleas ures. For the devotee there is no question of
desiring material sense enjoyement. Like Bharata Maharaja.
4) Pridelessness (manasunyat). The devotee is pure, he is humble. The example given is Lal Babu.

5) Great hope (asabandha). It is a sort of combination of hopefulness and hopelessness. It is

hopelessness in one’s capaci ty and somehow a hopefulness in the great incomparable mercy of Radha
and Krsna. But this is executed on the bhava platform.

Srila Rupa Goswami says: “I have no love for Krsna, nor for the causes of develloping love of Krsna,
namely hearing and chanting. (he is thinking that he has no ability to attain per fection in karma, jnana or
yoga) And the process of bhakti-yoga, by which one is always thinking of Krsna and fixing His lotus feet in
the heart, is also lacking in me.” (see quote in page 137, under ‘great hope’). “Even my hopes (he is
thinking), are filled with material desires for my own happiness. My desires to attain You are mixed with
desires for my own pleasure, not even just desires to please You. So, my desire to attain Your lotus feet
which is the root of my hope right now is contaminated by my selfish desires. What should I do, what can I
do, what hope do I have?” This is called ‘the hope against hope’, of someone in the bhava platform.

6) Eagerness for acheiving the desired success.

7) Attachment to chanting the holy name of the Lord. He has a taste for constant chanting.

8) Eagerness to describe the Lord’s transcendental qualities.

Always very eager to hear and talk about Krsna. And he is so realized about this.

9) Attraction for living in a place where Krsna has His pas times. He has a great taste for living in
Vrndavana. These are qualities of someone who is in this bhava platform. Next Srila Rupa Goswami
describes rati-abhasa, or the reflec tions.

It is very important to understand the true softness of heart that a devotee has. It may seem similar to
what an impersonalist has but it is not. The impersonalist can show some external manifestations but that
softness of heart is not compared to what the devotee has. The internal potency of the Lord has
practically taken over his consciousness. Just like the iron rod in contact with fire takes on the proprieties
of the fire. It takes on the energy of the fire, the heat takes over the entire iron rod to such a degree that it
can act as fire. Similarly the mixing of the internal energy of the Lord with the consciousness of the atma,
is very special that the impersonalists don’t have anything like this. Only by kevala-bhakti does this rati
comes.

Ther are two kinds of rati-abhasa: (i) chaya and (ii) prati bimbha. In these two kinds of rati-abhasa it
means that one will have the symptoms of bhava without having achieved bhava-bhakti. This may happen
in the association of pure devotees.

“Simply by the association of pure devotees, the moon-like 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.” This inquisi tiveness is chaya.

In the association of a pure devotee, either someone may be an impersonalist or have great desires for
material enjoyement and they may chant in the kirtana for those things (moksa and kama) – this is called
pratibimbha, reflexion like in a mirror. In the hearts of these people there is reflecting something that looks
like the potency but it is not actually the potency, because they have desire for liberation and desire for
material enjoyement. Then there is this chaya (shadow). These people are curious. They may not come to
satisfy their desires of liberation or material enjoyement, but they can also exhibit this rati-abhasa.

The glorious thing about this rati-abhasa is that this attach ment is so powerful that if such attachment is
seen in some common man by the association of a pure devotee, it can bring one to the perfectional
stage. Such attachment for Krsna cannot be invoked in a person without being sufficiently blessed by the
association of a pure devotee. This is the actual essence of this – even if a person is unqualified, he can
obtain this mercy. The mayavadis, they cannot get this mercy but by the continuous association with a
pure devotee, this rati-abhasa can be actually elevated to actually rati or bhava. But of course they have
to give up their material attachments. This is just proving the potency of a pure devotee, because this
bhava platform ultimately it comes by the blessings of a pure devotee.

The next point is that “as attachment can be invoked by the association of pure devotees, so attachment
can also be extin guished by offenses commited at the lotus feet of pure devotees”.

This warning is not only for those experiencing rati-abhasa ecstasy. Actually the potency of chanting Hare
Krsna and follow ing sadhana-bhakti is so great that it will bring one to this platform, but one has to be
aware of the offenses. The offenses inhibit our becoming advanced. We should be very careful to
understand the seva aparadhas, nama-aparadhas, and avoid them.

Another point: if someone seems to very quickly become ad vanced, it means that he has some purva
samskara, or he is just picking up from a previous life.

The final point: when someone is in this bhava platform, is not meant to be criticized, he is always
glorious even if seems to manifest what appears some material tinge. One should be very careful to not
criticize him – this is the greatest of fense.

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IN PURE LOVE OF GOD.

By sadhana the heart becomes soft. By bhava the heart becomes really, really soft! The intense desire, in
bhava, to attain Krsna and satisfy Him softens the heart even more. And the excessive attachment to
Krsna in prema-bhakti softens the heart even more. In his book Ujjvala-nilamani, Srila Rupa Goswami
describes the devellopment of prema-bhakti up to the point of maha-bhava. The first association with the
sadhus creates faith in sastra. That is the first thing that has to be done in preaching: one has to break
people’s faith in the material world by criticizing the material society and gradually establish people’s faith
in the sastras. This is the purpose of preaching – to establish sraddha. And then, latter on, one learns to
apply the sastra in his practical life by the association of devotees. And then, gradually by the association
of devotees, the taste comes. The all process from sraddha to prema it is dependent on the associa tion
of devotees.

There are two different aspects ruci:

i) one is dependent on the externals (the quality of the kirtana or the way they dress the Deity beautifully);

ii) the, higher than that is when one does not depend on the externals, he actually has a taste for the
sweetness of the Name of Krsna, the form of Krsna…

Above that is asakti ,when one’s mind is completelly absorbed in Krsna, all the time. The taste has
thicken to the degree of absorbtion. ( in ruci one may have the taste but the mind wanders to other things)

And then in bhava-bhakti by the mercy of Krsna or His devo tees, the internal potency actually descends
within one’s heart.

Even though asakti is in the category of sadhana bhakti, from that point to bhava there is practically
nothing, because one’s desire is already so intense that Krsna will reciprocate with that.

(DS) Prema is when the bhava becomes intensified. Prema is bhava. In the state of bhava one may have
the desire to be Krsna’s friend, to have a strong desire to love Krsna, but when that sentiment intensifies
and one becomes completely overwhelmed by that love and really sees Krsna as his friend, – that is
prema.
According to Bhismadeva “love means reposing one’s affection completely upon one person, withdrawing
all afinities for any other person.”

In prema one’s meditation becomes complete. Is not that one just desires and have ecstasy in that mood
(bhava or raganuga), but his actual relationship becomes intensified. This is the goal of life, ‘prema pum-
artho mahan’, the highest and ultimate goal of life for human beings.

The higher rasas have all the components found in the lower rasas. Ex. in madhurya rasa, the parental
affection, friendship, servitorship, are all present.

Prema is present even in Vaikuntha. Someone in neutral relationship, like the four Kumaras, they have
that realization that Krsna is God and is so prominent in their meditation, there is no relationship, they are
just relish ing Krsna’s position. Therefore they don’t even care to meet Him personally. Whether they
meditate on Krsna or see Him personally is the same – Krsna is God.

Summarizing: first one devellops the ambition (raganuga), then the ecstasies come (bhava), then finally
one has his relationship with Krsna (prema).

There are two ways in which prema manifests:

i) out of ecstasy. This is more or less by practice. By bhava, one’s emotional ecstasies for Krsna devellop
into prema. (ex, of Candrakanti, page 144, 2nd para) This is by vaidhi bhakti-marg.

ii) by the mercy of the Lord or His pure devotee.

By vaidhi-bhakti one gets prema in Vaikuntha because is subor dinated to awe and reverence. By vaidhi
one gets to raganuga or also can get directly to prema.

In raganuga one desires to have a relationship with Krsna free from awe and reverence – this is only
found in Vraja and some times in Dwaraka. One can have even a superior position than Krsna.

In vaidhi there is always subordination, therefore it leads one to Vaikuntha, whereas raganuga leads one
to Vraja.

There are two definitions given to raganuga:

i) it may mean attachment in following different rules and practices of sadhana;

ii) or it may mean ‘an ambition to serve Krsna free from awe and reverence’.

Vaidhi when it gets up to even bhava or Vaikuntha-prema, obviously it is spontaneous but it is not called
raganuga because that is still checked by the position that Krsna is God and one is His servant. Checked
by some type of etiquette, some type of rules. But it is still prema – it is just a different type of relationship.

But from raganuga one gets to prema where he forgets complete ly that Krsna is God – therefore it is
called spontaneous.

Raga means complete absorption because there is no check of any reverence. (DS)

More on this story:

Study of Bhakti Rasamrta-sindhu

Ten Subjects of Srimad-Bhagavatam