Lecture

The Nectar of Devotion

Pradyumna: [reading:] "...as given by Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Kṛṣṅa. In order to keep the purity of such Kṛṣṅa conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire.

"And philosophical speculation refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Kṛṣṅa conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā itself.

"The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Kṛṣṅa, with the understanding that Kṛṣṅa is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti."

Prabhupāda: There is a verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ vāsudeva-paraṁ gatim [SB 1.2.28-29]. So unless one is led to the conclusion vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg 7.19],

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

jñāna-vairāgya-karma, anything that you are trying to achieve, if it is not targeted to the realization of Vāsudeva, then it... Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8].

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

That is the conclusion of Bhāgavata. Whatever you do, the ultimate goal should be realization of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

All Vedic conclusions should be ultimately to realize Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṅa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg 7.19]. This realization is achieved after many, many births of philosophical speculation, mystic yogic exercise or fruitive activities. Koṭi-karmī-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha [Cc Madhya 19.147].

[Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.]

To become karmī is the third-class stage of life. One has to make progress further, so that one may become self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ [Bg 5.24].

[One whose happiness is within, who is active within, who rejoices within and is illumined within, is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme.]

So out of many, many karmīs, one jñānī, or one who has realized his identification, he's better. And out of many millions of jñānīs who are trying to realize his self by philosophical speculation, brahma-jñāna [Cc Ādi 4.67], so one mukta, or liberated soul, is better. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, it is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is very rare to find out a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa.

The conclusion is, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa is picked up out of many, many liberated person. Mukta-saṅgasya jāyate [SB 1.2.20]. Kṛṣṅa realization, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Bhagavat-tattva, the truth, the Absolute Truth, which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Tattva means truth, and that is Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti [SB 1.2.11].

[Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.]

Brahman realization is not all. One has to go further. Paramātmā realization—one has to go further. When one comes to realization of Bhagavān, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṅa-bhagavān [Cc Madhya 25.33]—Bhagavān means full with six kinds of opulences, person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam [Bs 5.1]—that is ultimate goal of life.

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

Such kind of mahātmā is very rare.

That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, and confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: koti-mukta-madhye durlabha kṛṣṅa-bhakta [Cc Madhya 19.148].

[Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated [mukta], and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṅa is very difficult to find.]

Kṛṣṅa-bhakta, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṅa, is very rarely to be found out amongst the muktas, amongst the liberated soul. Others are trying to become liberated, but a kṛṣṅa-bhakta is above liberation. Pañcama-puruṣārtha [Cc Ādi 7.85]. People are busy for dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90].

[Any person who desires the fruits of the four principles religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, liberation, should engage himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for worship of His lotus feet yields the fulfillment of all of these.]

Some of them are busy to become religious. Of course, without religious life, there..., there is no human society. Dharmeṅa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ [Hitopadeśa 25].

[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]

Unless a society takes to religiosity, it is not human society.

Therefore we see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism or Buddhism or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society.

In the... Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So may be a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also... Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship. This type of discussion cannot be present in the animal society.

So dharma artha kāma mokṣa [Cc Ādi 1.90]. Generally religious system is taken for improving social and economic condition. Artha. Artha means economy. Artha is required for sense gratification. We require economic development for our sense gratification. And when one is completely satisfied, then he can cultivate about spiritual realization, mokṣa, āpavarga.

So dharmasya āpavargyasya arthaḥ na arthāya upakalpate [SB 1.2.9].

[All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.]

So dharma is not meant for developing economic condition. That is secondary. But dharma is meant for ultimate goal of liberation. People do not know that. People are not educated that what is the ultimate goal of life. Still, they take to religious life as a compromise between the contending elements, that "We must live peacefully under religious system."

The aim is how to live in this material world peacefully. Sometimes religion and God is conceived in that way, that "If we have some conception of God, then we shall be moral, we shall be peaceful. Otherwise, there is no need of presenting God in the society." There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature.

But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Kṛṣṅa, or God. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

That is Bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended culture of this Bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhāgavata-dharma. The, the process... And dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavān. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, viṁśati-prakāśa, dharma-śāstra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prāyeṅa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāu asmin yuge janāḥ [SB 1.1.10].

[O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.]

People are very short-living, and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. They have got different mataḥ, opinion or path. And the so-called svāmīs, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha.

But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

If you are actually serious to know God, or Kṛṣṅa, then you must take to this process of devotional service. Without this, you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]. That is stated clearly in the Bhagavad...

But people do not know it. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje [SB 1.7.6]. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upaśama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body—this is also not wanted. But somehow or other we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give up. But by yukta-vairāgya [Cc Madhya 23.105], everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Kṛṣṅa consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Kṛṣṅa. That is our success of life.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Kṛṣṅa, his activities are unfavorable to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Actually, Kṛṣṅa consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are nine different processes, besides which, everything done is unfavorable to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Thus one should always be guarding against falldowns."

Prabhupāda: So we should directly take to the nine different processes of devotional service, śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ [SB 7.5.23].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

That we are stressing specifically every time, that hearing about Kṛṣṅa is very important. Śravaṅam. As it is described in the Bhāgavatam, śṛṅvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṅaḥ [SB 1.2.17].

[Śrī Kṛṣṅa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.]

Śṛṅvatām. Simply hearing, śṛṅvatām, those who are hearing... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also recommended, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ [SB 10.14.3].

[Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.]

One may stay in his position as a brāhmaṅa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya or as a śūdra. Everyone can hear about Kṛṣṅa. This assembly which we are holding, there is no such thing that only the brāhmaṅas will come here or the kṣatriyas will come here. Anyone can come and hear about Kṛṣṅa.

That is the process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. We try to invite everyone, from every corner of the world, to hear about Kṛṣṅa. And that is becoming successful also. Simply by hearing about Kṛṣṅa—Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—and reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply talking about Kṛṣṅa, they are become successful. So we should take... In the Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go step by step. It is not possible. Therefore by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the easiest path has been recommended:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc Ādi 17.21]

[In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.]

Actually, we cannot accept various path for self-realization. That is not [indistinct]. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jñāna and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process... Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Kṛṣṅa Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so.

So the yoga system or the jñāna system or the karma-kāṅḍa system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Immediately take to Kṛṣ..., directly take to Kṛṣṅa, and your life will be successful.

Kṛṣṅa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

The yoga system, karma system, jñāna system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Kṛṣṅa recommends—not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends—five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. "I'll give you protection," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jñāna-karmādi. This karmādi, or fruitive work, consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Kṛṣṅa conscious devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Karma... Rūpa Gosvāmī has directly recommended, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11].

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

Actually, we find so many yogīs, jñānīs, karmīs, they cannot understand even what is the benefit of this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Because we say directly, "You take to devotional service," sometimes they are not satisfied. But what can be done? This is the process recommended.

And we are preaching through the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that this process of kṛṣṅa-kīrtana..., paraṁ vijayate kṛṣṅa-saṅkir..., saṅkīrtanam.

ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṅaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṅāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc Antya 20.12]

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam. So go anywhere and everywhere, chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, and you'll become victorious. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings. It is not our invention. And practically we are getting result. All over the world, our only means is to chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra.

Recently we have become victorious, very recently, in Melbourne. You know, our men were being arrested and prosecuted. But one, the chief clergyman, archbishop, he has recommended that "These people are very nice people, God conscious. Don't give them trouble." Yes. And the government has stopped harassing. Now we are free to move on the street and go anywhere. This recent news we have got from Melbourne. Madhudviṣa Mahārāja has sent this news.

Similarly, we were harassed in London also, and other places. In USA also, San Francisco. I do not know whether we were harassed in New York. But more or less... And in Japan also, they are talking that "You become bona fide religious organization. Otherwise you cannot come on the street."

So although there is harassment by the governing agents, still we are coming out successful. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam. All glories to the śrī-kṛṣṅa-saṅkīrtanam! Practically. So you stick to this principle, go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra anywhere it is possible, and you'll be victorious. That is the blessings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Believe in it and you'll be successful. Yes.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also quoted a definition from the Nārada Pañcarātra as follows: 'One should be free from all material designations and must be cleansed of all material contamination by Kṛṣṅa consciousness. He should be restored to his pure identity, where he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses.' So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc Madhya 19.170].

[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, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

Bhakti, devotional service, does not mean inertness. Not simply sitting down or meditate. It is activity, engaging all the senses. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Hṛṣīka means these senses—not these senses, but purified senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Just like pranair arthair dhiyaḥ vaca. Prana, life; artha, riches, money; dhiya, intelligence; and vaca, speeches.

So everyone using... Just like for national cause people are engaging life, they are sacrificing life. So many, for attainment of independence in India, so many Indians gave up their life. Pranaiḥ. So many people gave up their everything. We know during national movement, Mr. C. R. Das, a great leader of the Congress group, he sacrificed everything. He was a big, very big lawyer, barrister. He sacrificed his profession, he sacrificed his life—everything. So as we are sacrificing everything for attainment of some so-called national independence, the same thing if we sacrifice for Kṛṣṅa, then our life becomes successful. Prāṅair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṅaṁ sadā [SB 10.22.35].

So it is not inactivity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu or his followers, they were not inactive. They were acting. This Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was so active that he could not sleep at night even for more than one and one half hour. They retired from the material activities. He was minister. He gave up his job and joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In old age he came to Vṛndāvana not to live a retired life, but a very active life.

nana-śāstra-vicaraṅaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau radha-kṛṣṅa-padaravinda-bhajananandena-mattalikau vande rupa-sanātana raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau [Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2]

Here is, sitting, Śrī Gosvāmījī. He's coming from Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.

So all these six Gosvāmīs, they were not inactive. They were always active. As we are active in the karma, karmī life, so bhakti life is also activity. It is not sitting down idly or gossiping. One must find out some job to serve Kṛṣṅa. That is bhakti life. Hṛṣīkeṅa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc Madhya 19.170]. Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva... Sevā means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasādam, everything. Sevā, activity.

So that activity and karmīs' activity, there is difference. The karmīs' activity is on upādhi. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." With this upādhi we are acting. But bhakti means without upādhi. Sarvopādhi-virnirmuktam. Activity without upādhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upādhi. When we purely think that "We are...," or "I am servant of Kṛṣṅa. My only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṅa," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-mārga. This is upādhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligence.

Kṛṣṅa-bhakta... Vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ [Padma Purāṅa]. If one thinks of Vaiṣṅava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Nārakī. That is called nārakī-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ arcye śilādhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye śilā-dhīr; guruṣu, nara-matiḥ, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaiṣṅave jāti-buddhiḥ, and if we take a Vaiṣṅava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaiṣṅava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision.

When you come to this vision, that is bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. A bhakta has to become purified. Tat-paratvena, being dovetailed with the service of tat, om tat sat. Tat-param. This is the process of devotional service. One should not be designated: "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." No. The world should unite. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is so nice that one should forget that he's Indian or Hindu or Christian or American or Indian. Everything should unite as servant of Kṛṣṅa. That is bhakti-mārga.

Unfortunately, they distinguish between American Vaiṣṅava and Indian Vaiṣṅava: brāhmaṅa Vaiṣṅava, śūdra Vaiṣṅava. No. A Vaiṣṅava is Vaiṣṅava. Viṣṅur asya devataḥ iti vaiṣṅava. One who has accepted Viṣṅu as "my Lord," he has no designation. A Vaiṣṅava has no such distinction. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

So this is the sūtra given by Nārada. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet [SB 7.11.35].

[If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.]

So we must follow the path of mahājana, the instruction of the ācārya. Then we can become purified. And unless we are purified, there is no question of pure devotional service. Sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛta [SB 11.2.47]. If one does not want to become advanced, if one does not want to become purified, then he remains a prakṛta-bhakta.

Prakṛta-bhakta means executing devotional service under the instruction of spiritual master and the regulative principles of śāstra, but he's still on the platform of material understanding. That is called prakṛta-bhakta. A prakṛta-bhakta cannot understand how another bhakta is transcendental. A prakṛta-bhakta cannot understand that Vṛndāvana is always transcendental.

Therefore Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has discussed this point in his Tattva-sandarbha, that we cannot accept any manufactured ideas. Because everyone is defective by the four defects of material life, we have to accept the version of Vedas, Purāṅas. He has tried to establish Purāṅas as Vedic supplementary. Others, they reject Purāṅas out of the Vedas. But Jīva Gosvāmī established. All the Gosvāmīs. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has given,

śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi- pāñcarātrikī vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātayaiva kalpate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

It is utpātā, disturbance. If you do not follow the principles of śruti, smṛti, purāṅa, pāñcarātriki-vidhi... Just like we were discussing this point, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170].

This is pāñcarātriki-vidhi. So if we do not follow these principles... Without following these principles, the so-called devotional service, hari-bhakti, utpātā, simply disturbance, simply a disturbance.

Therefore we have to follow the principles laid down by the Gosvāmīs, ṣaḍ-gosvāmī. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. And then our attempt will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotee: Haribol. [end]