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Qualities of a Devotee

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From the Lectures of Srila Gopal Krishna Goswami

grantha-dvara vaisnava-janer krpa pai vaisnava-krpay krsna-labha hoy bhai

“If all the devotees thus appreciate this book, then I will receive the causeless mercy that they will shower upon me. Oh brothers! And by the mercy of all these Vaisnavas, I will attain devotion to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna.”

(From Sri Sri Kalyana Kalpa-taru by Çréla Saccidänanda Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura)

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Dedication

His Divine Grace a. c. BHaktiveDänta swämi PraBHuPäDaFounder-Äcärya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness


C o n t e n t sAcknowledgementseDitinG : Änand Caitanya Däsa, Sitäräni Devi Däsi Bäl Gopäl Däsa

FunDinG : Umäpati Däsa ISKCON Nairobi (Kenya)

cover DesiGn : Våndävan Vinod Däsa

Layout DesiGn : Anuttam Hari Däsa

transcriPtion anD tyPinG : Navaneet Chora Däsa

sketcHes : Bhaktin Divya Rädhikä

assistance : Nandgopäl Jivan Däsa, Änand Däsa

IntroductIon

Part one 1. Ornaments of a Saintly Person ....................................3

2. Attachment Towards a Sädhu ...................................19

3. Devotee: A True Friend of Everyone .........................33

4. Glories of Sanätan Goswämi .....................................53

5. Principles of Surrender .............................................75

6. Purifying our Impure Mind and Senses .....................87

7. Lord Caitanya's Instructions ...................................101

8. Meditation on the Lord ...........................................123

9. Devotional Qualities ................................................137

10. Kåñëa - The Supreme Personality of Godhead.........151

11. Importance of Pure Devotional Sevrice ...................165

12. Engage yourself in the Service of the Lord .............187

Part two1. The Position of a Devotee .........................................203 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedänta Swämi Prabhupäda

2. Qualities of a True Disciple .......................................213 Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura

3. Good Qualities and Devotion ....................................215 Çrila Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura

IVII


I n t r o d u c t i o nWe all are very fortunate to receive this rarest giftA human form of life. Even greater than this is the opportunity we have received in the form of devotion to Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is said that after hundreds and thousands of lifetimes, a living entity gets the human body. The purpose of getting this human body is to perfect our lives by surrendering to the Supreme Lord Kåñëa by becoming His devotee. If we don’t surrender to Kåñëa then our human form of life is wasted and we are forced to enter the lower species of life again. In a lecture on Bhagavad-gétä (1.36), Çréla Prabhupäda said, “So without becoming Vaiñëava, without becoming a devotee of Kåñëa, you do not think that anyone is a human being. He is simply animal.”

And how should we become a Vaiñëava? We will become a Vaiñëava when we will possess all the qualities of a devotee mentioned in the scriptures. However, it is not that a devotee must work separately to achieve each of these qualities. All good qualities automatically appear in a devotee; there is no need for them to endeavor separately.

In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.1.15) Çukadeva Gosvämé, the son of Vedavyäsa speaks to Parékñit Mahäräja:

kecitkevalayäbhaktyä väsudeva-paräyaëäù aghaàdhunvantikärtsnyena néhäramivabhäskaraù

Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Kåñëa can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.

VI


Just by executing pure devotional service a devotee attains all good qualities. In Bhagavad-gétä (13.8−12), Lord Kåñëa mentions twenty items of knowledge. In the purport, Çrila Prabhupäda explains unalloyed devotional service as the most important item: “If one takes to devotional service in full Kåñëa consciousness, the other nineteen items automatically develop within him.”

“Qualities of a Devotee” is a series of compiled lectures of Çrila Gopäla Kåñëa Goswämi Mahäräja. In this book, Mahäräja explains that all the twenty-six qualities of a devotee are not independent of devotional service and we should strive to behave according to the principles of devotional service so that we may acquire all these qualities. He, by his own experience of over four decades of devotional service, explains that to be a devotee means many things. There are many things a devotee must be accomplished in. All his qualities are sublime; no one can find any fault in him.

This book will prove to be an asset for all the devotees in addition to the ever-expanding literary spiritual legacy produced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedänta Swämi Prabhupäda and his dedicated followers. We hope that by reading this book and following the instructions given herein, the devotees would find it easier to develop these transcendental qualities and advance on the path of devotion.

Sarvasäkñé Däsa 10 August 2014,

Lord Balaräm Appearance, ISKCON Faridabad, (INDIA)

Part one


CHAPTeR ONe

Ornaments of a Saintly Person

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the most merciful of all incarnations and He appears specifically to save the fallen people of Kali-yuga. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu explains twenty-six qualities of a devotee. In the madhya-lélä section of Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, we read about very wonderful instructions that Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu gave to Rüpa Gosvämé and Sanätana Gosvämé. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu explained to Rüpa Gosvämé about how after travelling through many millions of births and deaths, one is fortunate enough to receive the bhakti-latä-béja, the seed of devotional service. Caitanya Mahäprabhu further explains how this seed of devotional service can grow. Just like a good gardener after he plants the seed, he nourishes the seed by the process of watering.

brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja

(Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya 19.151)

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering


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ORNAMeNTS OF A SAINTLy PeRSON

living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kåñëa. By the mercy of both Kåñëa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu explains to Rüpa Gosvämé that one may receive the seed but that seed or béja has to be watered through the process of çravaëaà and kértanam. Without çravaëaà and kértanam, it is impossible for the devotional seed to grow. We should take to the process of chanting and hearing. We often hear that we should chant and hear very attentively; we should also endeavor to avoid the offenses as we chant and hear. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura has explained that if one is just chanting and is not endeavoring to avoid the ten offenses, then gradually one gets attached to sense gratification and impersonalist philosophy. Just like in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, we also read about a very nice story of Rämacandra Puré, who was the spiritual uncle of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Rämacandra Puré had a tendency to find fault especially in sannyäsés and gradually his devotional creeper got curtailed to the point that eventually he became a Mäyävädi. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura has explained very nicely that just chanting but not attempting to avoid the ten offenses actually will also curtail the creeper. That is why we recite the ten offenses every morning in all ISKCON temples, so that regardless of whether one is a new devotee or an old devotee, one gets reminded that if he is not careful -

bahu janma kare yadi çravaëa, kértana tabu ta’ nä päya kåñëa-pade prema-dhana

(Caitanya-caritämåta Adi 8.16)

If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy

name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead that is the ultimate goal of this chanting.

One may go on chanting the names of Kåñëa birth after birth but unless one endeavors to avoid the offenses, one will not be able to develop kåñëa-bhakti.

Attentive Chanting

In addition to avoiding the offenses, one should also be attentive while chanting or in other words one should not be inattentive while chanting. For example- if one is studying for the exams, one likes to study with full concentration and if somebody speaks loudly, he will say, “Please don’t disturb me”. Similarly the chanting of sixteen rounds should not be executed inattentively.

If we chant attentively then chanting will gradually destroy our anarthas as Rüpa Gosvämé has explained. As a result of bhajana-kriyä, anartha-nivåtti takes place. Bhajana-kriyä is the process of chanting and hearing along with the execution of the process of sädhana-bhakti. Why we are not surrendering to Kåñëa? Due to the presence of unlimited anarthas, which are the results of — desires from past lives and sinful activities executed prior to coming to Kåñëa consciousness and unlimited desires that we have accumulated from the environment and the society in which we have grown up and lived. All these anarthas are stumbling blocks. Çrila Prabhupäda used to give an example of a person suffering from cataract, he cannot see clearly just as the clouds cover the sun. These anarthas cover our constitutional position to engage in the service of the Lord. That is why Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has said “ceto-darpaëa-märjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].” As a result of attentive chanting


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and our endeavor to avoid the offenses, one is able to destroy the anarthas and gradually develop niñöhä. But niñöhä by itself is not enough. We have to keep endeavoring, endeavoring and endeavoring and then ultimately niñöhä culminates in kåñëa-prema. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu explained to Rüpa Gosvämé how one has to keep oneself surrounded by good devotees. Just like a gardener builds a strong fencing so that neighborhood animals, individuals etc. may not come and steal. A strong fence means to keep oneself in the association of devotees. By keeping oneself in the association of devotees, especially advanced devotees, not only one has the opportunity to hear about the transcendental topics of the Lord but with the help of the advanced devotees and spiritual master, one can also correct one’s material weaknesses that have the tendency to keep sprouting so that one’s devotional career can go on without any hindrances.

Vaishnava-aparadha

After describing all this, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu further explains the importance of avoiding vaiñëava-aparädhas. He compares vaiñëava-aparädha to a mad elephant. A mad elephant enters into the beautiful garden and spoils the garden, just like if you may have a very nicely decorated house but if you let a small child run all over, then the small child has the capacity to unsettle everything. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu warns us that in the devotional path we should mold our devotional service so that we can avoid committing vaiñëava-aparädha. Vaiñëava-aparädha is an activity that can be executed consciously or unconsciously by anyone — senior or a junior devotee. We have to be very careful so that we always act within the framework of instructions given by guru, çästra and sädhu. After explaining all these points to Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré Caitanya

Mahäprabhu proceeded to describe to Sanätana Gosvämé the process of devotional service. These chapters are so relishable that as many times you read, you will always learn something new which can help you in your spiritual path.

Today we are going to read the twenty six qualities of a devotee that are explained by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu to Sanätana Gosvämé. It is very important to meditate on these different qualities. even in the 3rd canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Devahüti asked her son, “My dear Son, please describe to me how can I become free from the cycle of birth and death?” The Son replied by explaining, “Mother, your question is very glorious. you can become free from the cycle of birth and death by coming in the association of the devotees.” The mother further probed to ask, “How can I acquire bhakti?” The Son replied, “By associating with the devotees.” The mother asked, “How do I recognize the devotees?” The son replied, “By listening to the qualities of devotees.” In the scriptures, we get so much guidance about every aspect of devotional service; we get guidance on the characteristics we should develop; on the qualities we should develop; on the offenses that we should avoid; how we should chant. Almost anything that we need to know is found in the çästras.

kåpälu, akåta-droha, satya-sära sama nidoña, vadänya, mådu, çuci, akiïcana sarvopakäraka, çänta, kåñëaika-çaraëa akäma, anéha, sthira, vijita-ñaò-guëa

mita-bhuk, apramatta, mänada, amäné gambhéra, karuëa, maitra, kavi, dakña, mauné

(Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya 22.78-80)

“Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for


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Truthfulness

There are two types of truths — Absolute Truth and relative truth. A relative truth is truth that is the result of a philosophy, ideology, statements, legislation, etc. For e.g. a government passes a law but later on when the new government comes to power it amends the law; one scientist may say something today but tomorrow another scientist contradicts that. This is all relative truth. It was true yesterday but it is not true today. But in contrast the Absolute Truth doesn’t change with the passage of time. Absolute Truth is eternal. That is why the Vedic philosophy is also known as sanätana-dharma. Sanätana-dharma means the eternal duty of the living entity. Absolute Truth is the words of the Supreme Lord and the words of the Supreme Lord are free from the four types of defects and they are eternally true.

Kåñëa is trikäla-jïa. He knows everything in the past, He knows the present and e knows the future. The philosophy which Kåñëa has given is also eternally true. Just like the philosophy of Bhagavad-gétä. Bhagavad-gétä was first spoken to Sun God, Vivasvän and that was millions of years ago. Being truthful means to accept the instructions of Kåñëa without any deviation; accept the instructions of the spiritual master without any deviation; and being truthful to the instructions that one receives. At the time of initiation, in front of the spiritual master, Supreme Lord, Prabhupäda and Vaiñëavas, we commit ourselves to following certain rules like chanting 16 rounds etc. Being truthful means that one always reminds oneself that I made this promise in front of my guru, to Rädhä and Kåñëa, to Prabhupäda and in front of all the Vaiñëavas — I must fulfill my vow. I must chant my 16 rounds every day; I must follow the regulative principles

etc. That is one aspect of truthfulness — being truthful to the vows one has taken.

Another aspect of truthfulness is that we present Kåñëa as Kåñëa wants to be presented. Arjuna accepted Kåñëa and said that he believed in everything that Kåñëa said. It is not that Kåñëa said this but in the 20th century it needs to be adjusted. No! We accept what Kåñëa said “as it is”. That is why Prabhupäda presented Bhagavad-gétä and called it “Bhagavad-gétä As it is”. We accept the truthful message of God without any distortion. There are so many people who read Bhagavad-gétä and translate it. But they present their own philosophy; their own ideology; their own concoction. Being truthful to Kåñëa means accepting what Kåñëa has spoken and accepting it without distortion. If we accept Kåñëa’s instructions without any distortion then it is going to have the potency. Prabhupäda used to give an example that when a man is potent and he has relationship with a woman, there is procreation. Similarly when we accept the original teachings of the Lord coming through the disciplic succession then it will have its effect. The effect is going to be elimination of anarthas and development of love of God.

We accept the truthful message without any distortion, we keep our vows and we go to preach also without any distortion. We present the truth. We speak in a palatable and skillful way but the truth can never be compromised.


CHAPTeR TWO

Attachment Towards a Sadhu

Lord Kapila Deva is the speaking the “Glories of devotional service” here. Actually the entire Çrémad-Bhägavatam describes glories of devotional service. In this chapter, Lord Kapila Deva talks about various aspects of devotional service including the qualities of a saintly personality in detail. earlier in this chapter Devahüti, the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, inquired from her son about how she can become free from the entanglement of birth and death. She knew that her son was none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead because when He was in her womb, Lord Brahmä had given her that understanding. She knew that her son had a transcendental vision and therefore, she was seeking guidance from Him. Lord Kapila Deva was very happy to hear this inquiry from His mother. Just like when somebody comes to us and wants to know how they can become a devotee; how they can serve Kåñëa; how they can chant Hare Kåñëa, we become happy. Devotees become happy when they get a spiritual customer. Spiritual customers may be of different types — somebody may want to chant; somebody may want to buy books; somebody may want to donate, etc. There are different types of spiritual customers but there is no


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ATTACHMeNT TOWARDS A SADHU

denial that we are looking for spiritual customers and when we get one, we become happy. Devotees become very happy when somebody inquires about the goal of life. Kapila Deva was also very happy to hear His mother’s inquiry just like Çukadeva Gosvämé was also happy when Parékñit Mahäräja inquired from him.

Kapila Deva didn’t present any new philosophy. He said that He was going to present a very ancient philosophy, known as säìkhya-yoga. Kapila Deva established that any kind of yoga is useless unless it culminates in devotional service. In other words, säìkhya-yoga philosophy is also based on the principle of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The perfection of yoga is that which culminates in the devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and devotional service is the only auspicious path.

Cultivation of Devotional Service

In the first canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, there is a dialogue between Närada Muni and Vyäsadeva. Närada Muni was instructing Vyäsadeva on the glories of devotional service and he explains that the perfection of human life is to hear about the transcendental glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By hearing such a narration miseries of life can be overcome.

Kapila Deva further explains how devotional service can be cultivated. Vedic message comes in a very orderly fashion. In the first verse, Kapila Deva establishes that the path of yoga must be the one which is based on the devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then the question arises — how should one cultivate devotional service? In the famous prayer “bhajahü re mana çré-nanda-nandana abhaya-caraëäravinda re”, Govinda däsa Kaviräja says, “My dear mind, you are full of anxiety and if you want to be free of anxiety you have to take shelter of the son

of Nanda Mahäräja.” Normally we take shelter by going to the supermarket and buying something of no spiritual significance.

Here Lord Kapila Deva says —

prasaìgam ajaraà päçam ätmanaù kavayo viduù

sa eva sädhuñu kåto mokña-dväram apävåtam

(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.25.20)

every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.

In the ordinary society, one may say that a learned man is somebody who has a PhD degree. These days being intellectual refers to one who knows the art of speculation. Actually a learned man is not necessarily one who has a material degree but is one who understands the science of self-realization.

Kåñëa says —

räja-vidyä räja-guhyaà pavitram idam uttamam

pratyakñävagamaà dharmyaà su-sukhaà kartum avyayam

(Bhagavad-gétä 9.2)

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

He says that this knowledge is the king of knowledge because it enables us to understand both material and spiritual science and also enables us to understand the goal of life and how to achieve


CHAPTeR SeVeN

Lord Caitanya’s Instructions

Today we will discuss Lord Caitanya’s instructions to Sanätana Gosvämé specifically the six points He gave regarding surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead — “çré-kåñëa-caitanya rädhä-kåñëa nahe anya” — which means that Rädhä and Kåñëa have appeared in the form of Caitanya Mahäprabhu.

The Hidden Avatara

Till Prabhupäda established ISKCON, Lord Caitanya was not widely known. I heard about Lord Caitanya after coming to ISKCON but that doesn’t negate the fact that Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is portrayed in the scriptures also. In ISKCON temples at the left altar, there are Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi and in some temples we only have Gaura-Nitäi. In some temples we have three altars and the Lord appears in different forms. Gaura-Nitäi altar represents Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda. Lord Nityänanda is the incarnation of Lord Balaräma. “Nitya” means eternal and “änanda” means pleasure.


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LORD CAITANyA’S INSTRUCTIONS

It is said that one who takes shelter of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda will receive blessings of the Lord in his life and it is like taking shelter of thousands and millions of moons and suns put together.

There is a very nice prayer by Narottama däsa Öhäkura. Narottama däsa Öhäkura was the son of a king. He was a prince and he gave us many wonderful compositions glorifying Caitanya Mahäprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In one of his famous bhajana he says, “çré-kåñëa-caitanya prabhu doyä koro more tomä binä ke doyälu jagat-saàsäre” — Caitanya Mahäprabhu, please be merciful on to me because you are the most merciful of all incarnations. Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä —

yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati bhärata

abhyutthänam adharmasya tadätmänaà såjämy aham


Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.

Kåñëa says that He appears from time to time to establish dharma. Narottama däsa Öhäkura is praying to Lord Caitanya — “you have appeared specifically to save the fallen people of Kali-yuga and there is nobody more fallen then me.” In Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja Gosvämé says, “Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Anyone who utters my name becomes sinful.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 5.206) The nature of a devotee is that he doesn’t think that he has even a drop of love for God and that is the symptom of an advanced devotee. Whereas a neophyte devotee acts in a way

to show that he has gallons and gallons of love of God and they like to be approached and presented as big paramahaàsa. But an actual devotee thinks that he is most fallen. Narottama däsa Öhäkura says, “I am the most fallen, so my claim on your mercy is foremost.” Just like in a family, the parents give maximum attention to the youngest child because the youngest child is most dependent on the parents. Narottama däsa goes on to say, “hä hä prabhu nityänanda, premänanda sukhé kåpäbalokana koro ämi boro duùkhé — My dear Lord Nityänanda, you are in full bliss because you are fully engaged in the service of the Lord. I am very unhappy, please be merciful to me so that I can also become blissful.”

Caitanya Mahäprabhu has been described as the hidden avatära, gupta-avatära—He is God but He never advertised Himself as God. He is God appearing in the role of a devotee. In fact whenever someone would address Him as God, He would close His ears and deny it. Lord Caitanya exhibited superhuman qualities; superhuman pastimes. These days we often meet people who advertise themselves as paramahaàsa, Bhagavän, etc. But if we ask them to do even one extraordinary act (lélä), they have nothing to show.

Once, I was taking part in a dialogue and one Svämé who had an excellent academic background came up to me and said, “Why are you people saying that there is only one Kåñëa?”

I asked, “How many Kåñëa are there then?”

He said, “We are all Kåñëa”.

I said, “When Kåñëa appears on the planet, He performs superhuman activities. Can you perform any of them?”

He said, “Just because we haven’t performed them as yet, doesn’t mean that we can’t perform in the future.”


122


vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedänta-kåd veda-vid eva cäham


I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedänta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

“I am in everyone’s heart and from Me comes remembrance and forgetfulness.” Kåñëa sees that if we really want to make advancement; if we want to follow the six principles of surrender, then Kåñëa will help us. If Kåñëa sees that we are not so serious, He reciprocates accordingly. Kåñëa doesn’t force us to do anything. So if we chant and associate with devotees, we will get the strength to follow these six principles of surrender.

Caitanya-caritämåta lecture on 22nd of June 2007 in Washington USA.

CHAPTeR eIGHT

Meditation on The Lord

This chapter is called “The activities of Mahäräja Priyavrata”. Mahäräja Priyavrata was a very elevated devotee of the Lord. In the eleventh canto, when Lord Kåñëa instructs Uddhava about the process of devotional service, He cites the example of Mahäräja Priyavrata as one who has perfected his life by the process of devotional service. In this section of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, reference has been made to the sons of Mahäräja Priyavrata. Mahäräja Priyavrata had eleven children—ten sons and one daughter. Three of his sons were named Kavi, Mahävéra and Savana and these three sons had from their very birth decided to pursue spiritual life. In the previous verse it is described how these three followed the principles of celibacy and in the purport it is also pointed out how important it is for a transcendentalist to control his sex desire; to control his semen. Ayurvedic Science has established that the discharge of semen definitely results in loss of memory. We can see in the materialistic society that the memory is so weak. Why do you think everybody is relying heavily on computers? Why do you think everybody is relying so much on calculators? There was a time when even the most complicated mathematical solutions were done by hand. People’s memory is going


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do not divide the society into friends and enemies.

Prahläda Mahäräja’s father wanted him to be trained in diplomacy so Prahläda Mahäräja’s teacher would instruct him on how to divide and rule; how to make somebody a friend and somebody an enemy. But Prahläda said, “everybody is my friend.” A devotee is equal to everyone. He doesn’t do favoritism; he tries to give everyone Kåñëa consciousness. He deals with everyone equally.

Caitanya-cartitamrita Madhya 22.78-80 on 5-04-1996 in Narobi-Kenya.

CHAPTeR TeN

Krishna - The Supreme Personality of Godhead

This chapter is called “Brahmä’s Prayers for Creative energy” and if we analyze Çrémad-Bhägavatam, we will see that it is nothing but a prayer book — a prayer book in which different devotees are addressing the Lord by offering different prayers. In this chapter of the third canto, Lord Brahmä has mentioned in the opening verse that after many years of penance, he was able to understand the transcendental Personality of Godhead. Brahmä’s penance was for hundred divya years. We may think that hundred years is nothing but his years were hundred divya years. One day of Brahmä is equal to thousand cycles of the four ages. The four ages mean — Satya-yuga ran for 1,728,000 years, Tretä-yuga ran for 1,296,000 years, Dväpara-yuga ran for 864,000 years and Kali-yuga is for 432,000 years. If we add the durations of different yugas, it comes to 4.3 million years. Brahmä’s one day is equal to 4.3 million years multiplied by 1000. And to calculate the duration of his penance, we have to multiply this number with 100. So that is duration of Brahmä’s austerity. When Lord Brahmä appeared, he could not trace his source and he started looking in all four


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KRSNA - THe SUPReMe PeRSONALITy OF GODHeAD

directions and that is why Brahmä became four-headed. He looked left, right, front and back to find out who his creator was. After performing austerities for hundred years, Brahmä was able to see the wonderful, transcendental form of the Lord. Brahmä says —

tapasaiva paraà jyotir bhagavantam adhokñajam sarva-bhüta-guhäväsam aïjasä vindate pumän


“By penance only can one even approach the Personality of Godhead, who is within the heart of every living entity and at the same time beyond the reach of all senses.”

He says that Kåñëa is “adhokñaja”— very difficult to comprehend, but through the medium of tapasya one can actually understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Krsna Breaks Brahma’s Pride

Brahmä’s life span is 411 trillion and 40 billion years. This four-headed Brahmä is the smallest of all the Brahmäs. In Caitanya-caritämåta, one reads about this — Once, when Kåñëa was ruling Dvärakä, Lord Brahmä went to see Him, and the doorman immediately informed Lord Kåñëa of Brahmä’s arrival. When Kåñëa was so informed, He immediately asked the doorman, ‘Which Brahmä? What is his name?’ The doorman therefore returned and questioned Lord Brahmä. When the doorman asked, ‘Which Brahmä?’ Lord Brahmä was surprised. The doorman escorted Lord Brahmä in, and as soon as Brahmä saw Lord Kåñëa, he offered obeisances at His lotus feet. Lord Kåñëa asked him, ‘Why have you come here?’ Just like whenever we would go to see Prabhupäda,

we would pay obeisances and Prabhupäda would ask, “What brings you here?” Lord Brahmä immediately replied, ‘I shall tell you later why I have come. First of all there is a doubt in my mind. Why did you inquire which Brahmä had come to see you? What is the purpose of such an inquiry? Is there any other Brahmä besides me within this universe?’ Brahmä had not even finished asking his question when instantly there appeared innumerable other Brahmäs. Those Brahmäs had different numbers of heads. Some had ten heads, some twenty, some a hundred, some a thousand, some ten thousand, some a hundred thousand, some ten million and others a hundred million. He felt like a rabbit in the midst of elephants. If there are elephants everywhere, a rabbit in their midst would be so insignificant.

Lord Caitanya describes that this cosmic manifestation that we are aware of is only a tiny portion of God’s total creation. Just like if we take out one mustard seed out of a bag of mustard seeds, it is so insignificant. We read in the tenth canto of Bhägavatam that Brahmä, Çiva and Indra, all these predominating demigods acknowledge the position of Kåñëa.

Kåñëa’s says in the Bhagavad-gétä —

janma karma ca me divyam evaà yo vetti tattvataù

tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti mäm eti so ‘rjuna


“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”

Kåñëa’s appearance and disappearance, both are divyam.


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Pastimes of Lord Krishna

Kåñëa performed so many wonderful pastimes like killing the demon Pütanä, Tåëävarta, showing the vision of the universal form to His mother, etc. When the Lord was performing His pastimes and different demons would get killed, the vrajaväsés would say, “This little Kåñëa must be a demigod or maybe He has some special blessings of Näräyaëa due to which every time a demon comes to attack Him, He does the impossible. He is just a young child.” Lord Kåñëa killed Pütanä as a baby, killed Çakaöäsura, the cart-demon as a small child by kicking a huge cart that was heavily loaded and then He killed Tåëävarta, who came like a whirlwind. So Lord Brahmä wanted to test the transcendental nature of this wonder boy.

Once the Lord had gone on a picnic with His friends and the cows and the calves were grazing. The cowherd boys were eating and looking around to keep track of the cows and the calves. Kåñëa said, “Don’t worry, I am with you. eat your lunch and I will keep track of the cows and the calves.” At that time, Lord Brahmä kidnapped those cows and the calves. When Kåñëa went searching, He could not find the cows and the calves. When He came back to where His friends were, Lord Brahmä kidnapped them too. Kåñëa just expanded Himself into the cows and the calves and His cowherd friends. When Kåñëa returned home, the mothers had even greater affection for their children than before. The elderly gopés had a desire to have Kåñëa as their son. That is why Kåñëa expanded Himself to fulfill their desire. This went on for a year and except Balaräma nobody really knew what had happened. One day Brahmä saw the cows and the calves grazing and he became bewildered as he had kidnapped and put them to sleep one year back. When he went back to check, he saw that they were still sleeping. Brahmä could realize

that he was dealing with inconceivable Kåñëa. Therefore, when Kåñëa says, “Think of Me”, He is factually saying that think of Me as one who is “acintya” — inconceivable. It means that we can’t understand the Lord with our material senses.

Prabhupäda used to quote Dr. Frog’s philosophy. Dr. Frog was living perpetually within a well. Somebody informed him that there was another big span of water, Indian Ocean, he simply calculated that “It may be a little more than this well, little more than this well.” But he could not understand how great the ocean was. Lord Brahmä realized that he was insignificant compared to the Supreme Lord and then Brahmä offered very wonderful prayers glorifying the Lord, just like Indra offered wonderful prayers after his attempt to flood Vraja with water failed.

Krishna’s Opulences and Supremacy

So Lord Brahmä, as a result of having performed very extensive austerities, was finally able to see the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and seeing this form gave him immense pleasure just like in the case of Dhruva Mahäräja. Dhruva Mahäräja was performing austerities and he had the opportunity to see the personal form of the Lord which gave him immense pleasure. Brahmä says that the form of the Lord is superior to all the other forms. The transcendental form of the Lord is incomparable and it is full of eternal bliss and knowledge. Paräçara Muni explains that there are six opulences that the Lord possesses in full — “aiçvaryasya samagrasya véryasya yaçasaù çriyaù” (Viñëu Puräëa 6.5.47) — He is the richest, most famous, most beautiful, most knowledgeable, most renounced and the strongest. So who is in possession of all the six opulences to unlimited degree at the same time? It


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is not possible for anyone except for Kåñëa. We can see that one is rich but he may not be strong, somebody is strong but not may be beautiful, somebody is beautiful but may not be rich, somebody is rich but he may not be knowledgeable and somebody may be knowledgeable but he may not be renounced. But Kåñëa simultaneously manifests all these six opulences to unlimited degree.

Then it is described that the Lord is sac-cid-änanda-vigraha — His form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. We are also eternal. So someone may say that if the Lord is eternal and we are also eternal then what is the difference? Nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm eko bahünäà yo vidadhäti kämän(Kaöha Upaniñad 2.2.13) — the Supreme Lord is described as the chief eternal being amongst all other eternal individual beings (nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm) and the one Supreme Lord who maintains innumerable other individual living beings. Therefore, the çästras say that He is eternal and we are eternal, but the difference is that a single eternal is maintaining all other eternals. The Lord is eternal and He is blissful and anyone who links with Him also becomes blissful. Therefore, when people take to the process of Kåñëa consciousness, they realize real bliss. In the material life the so-called bliss is artificial. People make a show of being happy but they are not really happy. But when one engages in the path of devotional service, one can realize real bliss. The Supreme Lord is also the source of all knowledge. We have relative knowledge and He has Absolute knowledge. When Kåñëa was on the planet, He could speak all the languages, He could even speak with the birds and beasts. Can we communicate with the birds? No. But Kåñëa can. So Lord Brahmä is saying, “you are the source of unlimited knowledge, you are the cause of this cosmic manifestation and

I surrender to you.” The perfection of life is to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kåñëa is the cause of the cosmic manifestation.

Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä —

ahaà sarvasya prabhavo mattaù sarvaà pravartate iti matvä bhajante mäà

budhä bhäva-samanvitäù(Bhagavad-gétä 10.8)

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

The Lord is the source of everything material and spiritual and He is untouched by matter. This is important to understand. The Lord doesn’t get contaminated when He comes to the material world. Prabhupäda used to give an example of a king who comes to a prison house: A king may come to the prison house to check the prison house but that doesn’t mean that he comes as a prisoner. When the Lord advents in this material world He seems to become like us. The impersonalists cannot understand the inconceivable nature of the Lord. Therefore, when they look at the arca-vigraha manifestation of the Lord, they say that this is just some statue made of brass or metal or wood. But they don’t understand that the Lord incarnates in the arca-vigraha form, in the Holy name and that He performs inconceivable pastimes.

When Kåñëa appeared in front of Vasudeva and Devaké, He didn’t appear like an ordinary child. He appeared in His four-handed form, beautifully ornamented and decorated and then He was requested by His parents to transform into an ordinary


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child. The Supreme Lord does not get contaminated by the material nature. He always remains sac-cid-änanda-vigraha.

In the purport, Prabhupäda quotes this famous text 55 from the 18th chapter of Bhagavad-gétä. In this chapter, almost in every purport, Prabhupäda quotes this verse —

bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù tato mäà tattvato jïätvä

viçate tad-anantaram(Bhagavad-gétä 18.55)

“One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.”

Kåñëa clearly establishes that He can only be known by the path of devotional service. Prabhupäda mentions that Lord Brahmä became aware of the Supreme Lord also because he performed austerities. So bhakti is the medium through which one can attract the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We cannot attract the Lord by mundane knowledge or by some material logic.

Kåñëa says —

patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati tad ahaà bhakty-upahåtam

açnämi prayatätmanaù(Bhagavad-gétä 9.26)

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.”

So the entire emphasis is on bhakti.

Supremacy of Bhakti-yoga

Vyäsadeva was despondent even after having compiled the vast Vedic literature. We read about this in the first canto of Bhägavatam. Vyäsadeva was feeling despondent, unhappy and he was lamenting. He was trying to understand the cause of his despondency. As he was meditating on this, his spiritual master, Närada Muni appeared on the scene. Närada Muni told him that the real cause was that he had not exclusively presented the path of pure devotional service. Çrémad-Bhägavatam concludes that bhakti is the medium through which Lord can be understood; Bhagavad-gétä concludes that bhakti is the medium through which Lord can be understood.

Prabhupäda also says that the Lord can only be partially known and not fully known. Don’t think that now I am doing bhakti-yoga so I know Kåñëa completely. I know everything. No. even if one is the best, one can only know Kåñëa partially. even Ananta Çeña with unlimited tongues cannot fully describe the unlimited qualities of the Lord. The qualities of the Lord are increasing every moment. When we read about the transcendental activities of the Lord in the scriptures, they are just giving a partial understanding of the Lord’s unlimited transcendental activities and qualities. Through the process of bhakti we can understand the inconceivable nature of the Supreme Lord. We see in our Kåñëa consciousness movement that people who have never heard of Kåñëa, after spending a few years or even in few months in devotional service, have a better understanding of the Supreme Lord than the Sanskrit paëòitas in India. Bhakti is the medium through which one can cleanse the heart, cleanse the impure senses and understand the transcendental nature of the Lord.


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What does bhakti-yoga actually mean? It means to employ the mind, intelligence and senses in the service of the Lord. Initially there may be no spontaneous attraction but Rüpa Gosvämé describes in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu that by following the process of bhakti-yoga, you can get to the stage of rägänuga-bhakti. In other words, by following a certain discipline of rules and regulations one can get to the stage where one spontaneously feels like engaging in the service to the Lord. But that stage is only attainable after one performs the process of bhakti-yoga under some superior direction.

Transcendental Qualities of Lord Krsna

Prabhupäda further quotes in the purport this famous prayer from Brahma-saàhitä. Lord Brahmä composed this very wonderful prayer known as Brahma-saàhitä. Lord Caitanya found this composition in a temple in South-India and He gave great emphasis to this very wonderful offering of Lord Brahmä. Prabhupäda quotes from Brahma-saàhitä —

advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam ädyaà puräëa-puruñaà nava-yauvanaà ca

vedeñu durlabham adurlabham ätma-bhaktau govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi

(Brahma-saàhitä 5.33)

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruña; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.”

Govinda is also known as ädi-puruña. He is the original Personality. He is infallible — acyuta. Advaita means that there

is no difference between His body and soul. anädim ananta-rüpam — He is the cause of all causes but nobody can claim to be His cause and He is ananta-rüpam — He manifests Himself in unlimited forms. One cannot limit God’s potencies. We, Vaiñëavas also worship Lord Varäha, the form of the Lord as a boar. Nobody would like to worship a pig but we worship. The Lord appeared in a half man-half lion form, He appeared as a fish, as a tortoise. Ananta-rüpam — there are unlimited forms in which the Lord can appear. Ädyaà puräëa-puruñaà nava-yauvanaà ca (Brahma-saàhitä. 5.33) — Though He is the oldest but He looks ever youthful. Prabhupäda mentions that during the battle of Kurukñetra, by material standards, Kåñëa was over 100 years of age but He looked like 16-20 years old.

To understand the Lord just by academic study is not possible. even in India, so many uneducated devotees joined but since they are very sincere and they serve nicely, they know who the Supreme Lord is and on the other hand, there are so many scholars who don’t have any understanding of the Supreme Lord. Lord Brahmä is saying that only by devotional service — “vedeñu durlabham adurlabham ätma-bhakta. Durlabham means difficult and adurlabham means the opposite. He is saying that if we try to understand the Supreme Lord by studying the Vedic literature, it is impossible to understand Him but if we take to the process of bhakti, we can easily understand.

In the Brahma-saàhitä, Lord Brahmä also says: “aìgäni yasya sakalendriya våtti-manti.” (Bs. 5.32) — The Supreme Lord is all-pervasive. He is situated in one place but He is all pervasive and any one part of His body can perform the function of any other


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part. For example — when we offer prasäda to the Lord, He eats with His eyes because He can perform any function with any part of His body.

Prabhupäda says that only by devotional service we can understand the transcendental nature of the Lord. Impersonal brahmajyoti is only a partial understanding of the Lord.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam

brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate


“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramätmä or Bhagavän.”

The first canto of Bhägavatam explains how the Lord can be realized in different stages — Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän. Brahman realization is a partial realization just like from a distance when we see a mountain, we only see the mountain top. But as we go closer, we see a bit more and if we go to the top of the mountain, we will be able to see the whole mountain. So similarly Brahman and Paramätmä realizations are only partial realization of the Supreme Lord but the ultimate understanding of the Lord is in His Bhagavän feature.

There are different categories of avatäras of the Lord. Avatära means one who descends from the spiritual world. Different categories of avatäras are — puruña-avatära, lélä-avatära and guëa-avatära, manvantara-avatära, yuga-avatära and çaktyäveça-avatära. These are the six broad categories of incarnations that appear. Prabhupäda makes a reference in the purport to puruña-avatäras — Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, the Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu and the Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. The Lord expands and maintains

different universes through these puruña incarnations. It is being explained very clearly that the impersonal brahman realization is only a partial realization.

Summary

In today’s verse this point is being made that the Supreme Lord doesn’t get contaminated by matter. Those who take to the path of pure devotional service are able to understand the inconceivable nature of the Supreme Lord. Here Lord Brahmä is offering us his mature realization that Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord. Once Prabhupäda was lecturing in New york right after greeting the Deities, and he started his lecture by saying “govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi”. He said that we are not worshipping some bogus personality, we are worshipping Govinda, the ädi-puruñaà — the original person. every day when we greet the Deities, we sing Govindam prayers to acknowledge that the Supreme Lord is the origin of everything; the source of everything; the cause of everything. As a result our natural endeavor should be to be engaged in devotional service.

Lord Brahmä is offering his prayers for creative energy in this chapter. Brahmä is called the creator but it should be recognized that Brahmä is the subsequent creator and the original creator is the Supreme Lord. When Brahmä was given the task of creation, he first created the nescient engagements like self-deception, the sense of death, anger after frustration, the sense of false ownership, and the illusory bodily conception, or forgetfulness of one’s real identity. But then Brahmä realized that he had made a tremendous mistake. He said: Now I have created mäyä — different aspects of illusion and that means that the people will just get bound further. Then he created


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different paths of knowledge. He created the path of austerity; path of jïäna — Säìkhya, to give us knowledge. The living entity can decide which path he wants to follow and he gets the results accordingly.

So Lord Brahmä is the secondary creator and he establishes the Supreme transcendental nature of the Lord. In this chapter, we will see many wonderful prayers where Lord Brahmä is glorifying the Supreme Lord. We devotees should read these prayers and meditate on them and always try to glorify the Supreme Lord by repeating these prayers. If we can’t exactly memorize the prayers, we can memorize the meaning of the prayers and offer the meaning as an offering.

Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.9.3 on 02-08-2007 in New Delhi, India

CHAPTeR eLeVeN

Importance of pure Devotional Service

kñemaà sa kaccid yuyudhäna äste yaù phälgunäl labdha-dhanü-rahasyaù

lebhe ‘ïjasädhokñaja-sevayaiva gatià tadéyäà yatibhir duräpäm


O Uddhava, does yuyudhäna fare well? He learned the intricacies of the military art from Arjuna and attained the transcendental destination which is very difficult to reach even for great renouncers.

In this chapter Vidura is presenting a series of questions to Uddhava and Vidura is referring to a devotee named yuyudhäna. Actually we don’t read much about this devotee, yuyudhäna, in Prabhupäda books. He is hardly mentioned except in the fourth verse of the first chapter of Bhagavad-gétä where the armies have been described. yuyudhäna is also known as Sätyaki and the verse describes that he was trained in the art of military warfare by Arjuna. Sätyaki was a very, very dear devotee of Lord Çré Kåñëa. In fact in the battle of Kurukñetra only seven personalities survived which were — five Päëòava brothers, the Supreme


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IMPORTANCe OF PURe DeVOTIONAL SeRVICe

Lord and Sätyaki. Sätyaki had received training in the military art from Arjuna and he fought from the side of the Päëòavas. He is described in the Bhagavad-gétä to be comparable in strength to Bhéma and Arjuna. Sätyaki was also there when Lord Kåñëa went as a messenger. The Lord tried his best to avoid this battle. The Lord went as a messenger to Duryodhana and Sätyaki went along with the Lord. He accompanied the Lord in that peace mission. Duryodhana did not accept the peace proposal of the Lord and Duryodhana in fact walked out of the discussion and when he walked out of the palace, Sätyaki followed him. Sätyaki saw that Duryodhana was making plans to attack the Lord. So he came and told the Lord about Duryodhana’s vicious plans. Lord Balaräma at one time was talking about that there should not be a war but Sätyaki said that the war was needed as it was a religious war to establish dharma. So here we see reference to a great devotee, yuyudhāna, who is also known as Sätyaki and who attained perfection because of his devotion to the Supreme Lord and by using his skill in the art of warfare in the service of the Lord.

Supreme Lord is Beyond the Material Senses

In the purport Çréla Prabhupäda is talking about the importance of pure devotional service and the pleasure obtained in pure devotional service is beyond the pleasure obtained by any other means. In this verse, the Supreme Lord is described as “adhokñaja” — “lebhe ‘ïjasädhokñaja-sevayaiva”. Amongst various names, one of Supreme Lord’s name is adhokñaja — one who is beyond the reach of the senses; one who is difficult to obtain. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has many names, thousands of names. These different names of the Lord

characterize different pastimes and have different meanings. The Supreme Lord is beyond the reach of senses means that He is beyond the reach of our material senses. In other words, if we want to try and understand the Supreme Lord and if we endeavor to do it with our material senses, we will not be successful. Is there any alternative, any solution?

Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.234) says —

ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù

sevonmukhe hi jihvädau svayam eva sphuraty adaù

(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.2.234)

“Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kåñëa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kåñëa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kåñëa really is.”

If we take to the path of sevä then we can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we try to understand the Supreme Lord through academic learning, speculative knowledge or any other process — mystic yoga etc, we will never be successful. But if we take to the path of devotion then one will be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described as adhokñaja. In practice what this really means is that we need to purify our senses. We can’t understand the Lord through our material senses but through purified senses one can understand Him. The pleasure one derives as a result of execution of pure devotional service is far in excess of the pleasure one can obtain through Brahman realization or material happiness or any other so-called process of mystic yoga.


http://vedabase.net/todo/brs1/2/234

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gets by the process of Brahman realization. We also discussed the characteristics of pure devotional service as given by Rüpa Gosvämé and the symptoms of one who is making spiritual advancement. Our goal should be to cultivate these symptoms because everyone’s goal in Kåñëa consciousness movement should be try to make spiritual advancement and by regularly hearing and chanting we can make spiritual advancement.

Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.1.31 on 01-06-2006 in New Delhi, India.

CHAPTeR TWeLVe

ENGAGE YOURSELF IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD

Çré Çukadeva Gosvämé is the speaker of this verse and in this chapter we are reading about the pastime of a great devotee, Ambaréña Mahäräja and in the following verse we will read about how he was offended by Durväsä Muni. Ambaréña Mahäräja was a great devotee. Çukadeva Gosvämé says that the Supreme Lord was very pleased by the unalloyed devotion of Ambaréña Mahäräja. Ambaréña Mahäräja is one of our spiritual heroes. In material life, people have heroes like movie stars, sport stars, etc. Movie stars and sport stars are virtually like demigods in India and then there are pop stars and so on. They have material heroes whom they worship, adore and follow. So in spiritual life also, we have heroes and one of our heroes is the great king Ambaréña Mahäräja. Ambaréña Mahäräja was the emperor of the whole planet. Now we have so many tiny kingdoms and so many tiny countries but at one time there was one king for the whole planet and that was Ambaréña Mahäräja.

Though the king has full opulence with all the facility, Ambaréña Mahäräja gives an ideal example of how a head of state should perform. He dedicated all his senses constantly in


CHAPTeR ONe

The position of a DevoteeHis Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedänta Swami Prabhupäda

Apreciation from the Supreme Lord

There are three stages of devotional life. In the lowest stage, a devotee is simply concerned with the Deity in the temple, and he worships the Lord with great devotion, according to rules and regulations. In the second stage the devotee is cognizant of his relationship with the Lord, his relationship with fellow devotees, his relationship with persons who are innocent and his relationship with persons who are envious. Sometimes devotees are ill-treated by envious persons. It is advised that an advanced devotee should be tolerant; he should show complete mercy to persons who are ignorant or innocent. A preacher-devotee is meant to show mercy to innocent persons, whom he can elevate to devotional service.

everyone, by constitutional position, is an eternal servant of God. Therefore, a devotee’s business is to awaken everyone’s Kåñëa consciousness. That is his mercy. As for a devotee’s treatment of other devotees who are his equals, he should maintain friendship with them. His general view should be to


CHAPTeR TWO

Qualities Of a True Disciple

The following are the list of maxims given by His Divine Grace Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura which gives the definition, qualities and mood of a sincere disciple for achieving kåñëa-prema.

1. A true disciple knows his Gurudeva to be someone who is extremely dear to Lord Kåñëa, who is sent by Kåñëa, and who is the servitor Lord (sevaka bhagavän).

2. A sincere disciple has the same devotion for His Gurudeva as he has for the Supreme Lord. And he worships and serves him the same way.

3. Those who do not serve their Gurudeva this way, fall from their position as a disciple.

4. No one can chant the holy name purely unless they see Gurudeva as non different from Kåñëa, as Kåñëa’s manifestation.

5. I shall serve Çré Çré Guru and Gauräìga with simplicity and sincerity under the guidance of Gurudeva.

6. My Gurudeva has the words of the Supreme Lord and I will be obedient to that word in the proper way.


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7. I will not disrespect my Gurudeva under the influence of anyone in this world. If I have to become proud, if I have to become a beast, if I have to go to hell, by carrying out the order of Gurudeva, who is sent by Kåñëa, then I want to sign a contract to go to hell for all eternity, I will not listen to anything anybody says, other than the order of my Gurudeva.

8. By the power that has come to me from the lotus feet of Gurudeva, I will throw out all other currents of consciousness of the world with a punch of my fist.

9. With just a particle of dust from the pollen of the lotus feet of Çré Gurudeva, millions of people of this world will be delivered.

10. There is no scholarship; there is no good concept in the fourteen worlds that is heavier than a particle of dust from the lotus feet of my Gurudeva.

11. A true disciple will have this kind of firm faith and determination.

CHAPTeR THRee

Good Qualities And Devotion

Çrila Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura

All good qualities automatically appear in a devotee; there is no need to endeavor for them. In the book Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, auspiciousness (çubhadä) has been described as one of the six glories of bhakti. The question, “How many kinds of auspiciousness are there?” is answered as follows:

çubhäni préëanaà sarva- jagatäm anuraktatä

sad-guëäù sukham ity ädény äkhyätäni manéñibhiù

(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.1.27)

Learned sages have described the meaning of auspiciousness as love for the entire creation, caring affection for all living entities, saintly character, happiness, and other such qualities. The person in whom bhakti has arisen bestows affection to the whole world and becomes the object of attachment for everyone in the world. He effortlessly becomes the recipient of all saintly qualities and attains all types of pure happiness and auspiciousness. Learned scholars have described all these


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attributes as symptoms of auspiciousness. All good qualities, and the demigods themselves, reside in bhagavad-bhaktas.

The following words of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam (5.18.12) describe that devotee who possesses all good qualities:

yasyästi bhaktir bhagavaty akiïcanä sarvair guëais tatra samäsate suräù haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëä

manorathenäsati dhävato bahiù

“One who has unflinching devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy.”

All good qualities along with the devatäs take shelter of that person who has akiïcana bhakti for Bhagavän. How can all good qualities appear in a nondevotee whose mind always runs towards temporary worldly affairs? The Skanda Puräëa states:

ete na hy adbhutä vyädha tavähiàsädayo guëäù

hari-bhaktau pravåttä ye na te syuù para-täpinaù

“O hunter! Good qualities, like non-violence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those who are engaged in hari-bhakti are by nature never inclined to give pain to others.”

antaù-çuddhir bahiù-çuddhis tapaù çänty adayas tathä amé guëäù prapadyante hari-seväbhikäminam

“Internal and external purity, austerity, peacefulness and so on, take shelter of a person desiring to serve Hari.”

GOOD QUALITIeS AND DeVOTION

The Good Qualities of A Vaishnava

A list of good qualities has been compiled in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 22.78-80):

kåpälu, akåta-droha, satya-sära sama nidoña, vadänya, mådu, çuci, akiïcana sarvopakäraka, çänta, kåñëaika-çaraëa akäma, anéha, sthira, vijita-ñaò-guëa

mita-bhuk, apramatta, mänada, amäné gambhéra, karuëa, maitra, kavi, dakña, mauné

Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for everyone. They are peaceful, surrendered to Kåñëa and desireless. They are indifferent to material acquisitions and are fixed in devotional service. They completely control the six bad qualities—lust, anger, greed and so forth. They eat only as much as required, and they are not inebriated. They are respectful, grave, compassionate and without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic, expert and silent.

All these good qualities accompany bhakti. Now the following question arises: Does Bhaktidevi manifest after the appearance of all these qualities, or do all these good qualities take shelter of the bhakta in whom bhakti appears?

No Need for a Seperate Endeavor

The above question is answered as follows. According to the bhakti çästras a jéva develops faith in bhakti on the strength of sukrti caused by a desire to perform bhakti. On attaining faith in bhakti, the jéva takes shelter at the feet of a sädhu and engages in bhajana. Immediately before engaging in bhajana,


grantha-dvara vaisnava-janer krpa pai vaisnava-krpay krsna ... filequalities of a devotee back to...

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