S'rî
S'uka said: 'Most eager to be of worship for Krishna, o best of
the Kurus, dwelled Nârada frequently in
Dvârakâ, the capital protected by the arms of
Govinda [see also 6.5:
43 &
10.69].
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Eager to engage in the
worship of Lord Krishna, O best of the Kurus, Nârada
Muni stayed for some time in Dvârakâ, which was
always protected by the arms of Govinda. (Vedabase)
Text
2
Who
indeed who has senses and is faced with death coming from all
sides, o King, wouldn't be of worship for the lotus feet of
Mukunda who is so worshipable for even the best of the
immortals?
My
dear King, in the material world the conditioned souls are
confronted by death at every step of life. Therefore, who
among the conditioned souls would not render service to the
lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who is worshipable even for the
greatest of liberated souls? (Vedabase)
Text
3
One
day said Vasudeva the following to the deva-rishi who
came over to his house and was respectfully greeted, worshiped
with paraphernalia and comfortably seated.
One
day the sage among the demigods, Nârada, came to the
house of Vasudeva. After worshiping Nârada with
suitable paraphernalia, seating him comfortably and
respectfully bowing down to him, Vasudeva spoke as follows.
(Vedabase)
Text
4
S'rî
Vasudeva said: 'O great lord, the visit of your good self, of
you who are there just as well for the misers as for all on the
path of Uttamas'loka,
is as the visit of a good father because you appear for the
benefit of all embodied souls.
S'rî
Vasudeva said - My lord, your visit, like that of a father
to his children, is for the benefit of all living beings.
You especially help the most wretched among them, as well as
those who are advanced on the path toward the Supreme Lord,
Uttamas'loka. (Vedabase)
Text
5
What the gods
do, results in as well the misery as the happiness of the
living beings, but what saints like you do who accepted the
Infallible One as their very soul, results in happiness only
[see also 1.2:
25-26,
3.25:
21].
The
activities of demigods lead to both misery and happiness for
living beings, but the activities of great saints like you,
who have accepted the infallible Lord as their very soul,
result only in the happiness of all beings.
(Vedabase)
Text
6
The
gods who behave like one's shadow, care for their worshippers
according the karma one has and the obeisances one makes, but
the saints are of mercy for the fallen souls [irrespective
their actions. See also
B.G. 3:
12,
4:
12,
7:
20-23].
Those
who worship the demigods receive reciprocation from the
demigods in a way just corresponding to the offering. The
demigods are attendants of karma, like a person's shadow,
but sâdhus are actually merciful to the fallen.
(Vedabase)
Text
7
O brahmin,
[even though you maybe didn't think of instructing me,]
nevertheless do I ask you what would be the best thing to do in
order to please the Supreme Lord. To hear about Him with faith
is for those who are destined to die the way to be freed from
all fear [compare 10.2:
30-33].
O
brâhmana, although I am satisfied simply by seeing
you, I still wish to inquire about those duties which give
pleasure to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any mortal
who faithfully hears about them is freed from all kinds of
fear. (Vedabase)
Text
8
A long time ago
[in a previous life], when I worshipped Ananta, the
Lord Awarding Liberation, desired I, bewildered by His
mâyâ, to beget a child in this world and
forgot I about my liberation [see also 10.3:
32-45 and
4.1:
20].
In
a previous birth on this earth, I worshiped the Supreme
Lord, Ananta, who alone can award liberation, but because I
desired to have a child, I did not worship Him for
liberation. Thus I was bewildered by the Lord's illusory
energy. (Vedabase)
Text
9
O
you true to the vow, please instruct us therefore, so that we
by your mercy without much trouble may find liberation from
this world that so full of dangers frightens us at every
step.'
My
dear lord, you are always true to your vow. Please instruct
me clearly, so that by your mercy I may easily free myself
from material existence, which is full of many dangers and
keeps us constantly bound in fear. (Vedabase)
Text
10
S'rî
S'uka said: 'O king, thus questioned by the intelligent
Vasudeva was the deva-rishi pleased to speak to him
because his qualities reminded him of the Lord.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: O King, Devarishi Nârada was
pleased by the questions of the highly intelligent Vasudeva.
Because they suggested the transcendental qualities of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, they reminded Nârada
of Lord Krishna. Thus Nârada replied to Vasudeva as
follows. (Vedabase)
Text
11
S'rî
Nârada said: 'The question you asked about the
bhâgavata-dharma
is the correct one, o best of the Sâtvatas, for the
entire universe is purified by that dharma.
S'rî
Nârada said: O best of the Sâtvatas, you have
quite correctly asked about the eternal duty of the living
entity toward the Supreme Lord. Such devotional service to
the Lord is so potent that its performance can purify the
entire universe. (Vedabase)
Text
12
By hearing or
talking about it, by meditating upon it, accepting it with
reverence or appreciating it when it is done by others,
purifies this righteous respect of the truth immediately even
those who are averse to the gods and the entire
world.
Pure
devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord is
spiritually so potent that simply by hearing about such
transcendental service, by chanting its glories in response,
by meditating on it, by respectfully and faithfully
accepting it, or by praising the devotional service of
others, even persons who hate the demigods and all other
living beings can be immediately purified. (Vedabase)
Text
13
Today
you brought to my mind the Supreme Lord, the Personality of
Godhead Nârâyana [see also 10.87:
5]
about whom chanting and hearing one becomes supremely blissful
and pious.
Today
you have made me remember my Lord, the supremely blissful
Personality of Godhead, Nârâyana. The Supreme
Lord is so auspicious that whoever hears and chants about
Him becomes completely pious. (Vedabase)
Text
14
To
shed light on this matter is often the example related of the
ancient history of a conversation between the sons of Rishabha
and the king of Videha who was a broad-minded
soul.
To
explain the devotional service of the Lord, sages have
related the ancient history of the conversation between the
great soul King Videha and the sons of Rishabha.
(Vedabase)
Text
15
The son of
Svâyambhuva Manu named Priyavrata had a son named
Âgnîdhra; from him there was Nâbhi and his
son is remembered as Rishabhadeva [see also
5.3].
Svâyambhuva
Manu had a son named Mahârâja Priyavrata, and
among Priyavrata's sons was Âgnîdhra. From
Âgnîdhra was born Nâbhi, whose son was
known as Rishabhadeva. (Vedabase)
Text
16
He
appearing in this world with the desire to teach the process of
attaining liberation, is considered a plenary expansion of
Vâsudeva. Of Him there were one hundred sons who
perfectly observed the Vedas.
S'rî
Rishabhadeva is accepted as an expansion of the Supreme
Lord, Vâsudeva. He incarnated in this world to
propagate those religious principles that lead living
entities to ultimate liberation. He had one hundred sons,
all perfect in Vedic knowledge. (Vedabase)
Text
17
Of
them was the eldest one, Bharata
[see
5.7],
completely devoted to Nârâyana. It is by his name
that this wonderful part of the world is honored with the name
Bhârata-varsha
[or India].
Of
the one hundred sons of Lord Rishabhadeva, the eldest,
Bharata, was completely devoted to Lord
Nârâyana. It is because of Bharata's fame that
this planet is now celebrated as the great
Bhârata-varsha. (Vedabase)
Text
18
When
his earthly pleasures ended and he consequently rejected a
material life, left he his home behind and achieved he in three
consecutive births in worship of Lord Hari His destination by
practicing austerities.
King
Bharata rejected this material world, considering all types
of material pleasure temporary and useless. Leaving his
beautiful young wife and family, he worshiped Lord Hari by
severe austerities and attained the abode of the Lord after
three lifetimes. (Vedabase)
Text
19
Nine of His
[Rishabha's] sons were fully sovereign masters over the
nine separate areas [nava-dvîpa] of this
subcontinent while eighty-one other sons were twice-born
brahmins who opened the path of [karma-kânda]
fruitive vedic sacrifices [see 5.2:
19-21].
Nine
of the remaining sons of Rishabhadeva became the rulers of
the nine islands of Bhârata-varsha, and they exercised
complete sovereignty over this planet. Eighty-one sons
became twice-born brâhmanas and helped initiate the
Vedic path of fruitive sacrifices
[karma-kânda]. (Vedabase)
Text
20-21
The nine
remaining sons, Kavi,
Havir, Antarîksha, Prabuddha, Pippalâyana,
Âvirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhâjana were
sages engaged in explaining the Absolute Truth. Because of
their scholarship in the science of spirituality were they
greatly motivated and wandered they around dressed by the wind
only
[naked].
The
nine remaining sons of Rishabha were greatly fortunate sages
who worked vigorously to spread knowledge of the Absolute
Truth. They wandered about naked and were very well versed
in spiritual science. Their names were Kavi, Havir,
Antarîksha, Prabuddha, Pippalâyana,
Âvirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhâjana.
(Vedabase)
Text
22
They
[called the nava-yogendras] wandering the earth
saw the entire universe, consisting of the gross and the
subtle, as one and the same form of the Supreme Lord and as
non-different from the Self [see also 1.5:
20 and B.G.
13:
14 &
15:
7].
These
sages wandered the earth seeing the entire universe, with
all its gross and subtle objects, as a manifestation of the
Supreme Lord and as nondifferent from the self.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
Unimpeded
moving at will go they wherever they like and travel they thus
freely the worlds of the godly, the perfected, the subjected,
the heavenly singers, the treasure keepers, the
[common] humans, the ones of superpower and the
serpentine and visit they the sages, the angels, the ghostly
followers of S'iva, the scientists, the twice-born ones and the
cows.
The
nine Yogendras are liberated souls who travel freely to the
planets of the demigods, the perfected mystics, the
Sâdhyas, the heavenly musicians, the Yakshas, the
human beings, and the minor demigods such as the Kinnaras
and the serpents. No mundane force can check their free
movement, and exactly as they wish they can travel as well
to the worlds of the sages, the angels, the ghostly
followers of Lord S'iva, the Vidyâdharas, the
brâhmanas and the cows. (Vedabase)
Text
24
Once in
Ajanâbha [name of India before Bharata] arrived
they during the soma-sacrifice of the great soul of Nimi
[see also 9.13]
that was carried out to the wishes of the
seers.
Once
in Ajanâbha [the former name of the earth],
they came upon the sacrificial performance of the great soul
Mahârâja Nimi, which was being carried out under
the direction of elevated sages. (Vedabase)
Text
25
Seeing those
pure devotees in their brilliance rivaling the sun, o King,
rose the performer of the sacrifice, the brahmins, everyone,
nay even the fires, up in respect.
My
dear King, seeing those pure devotees of the Lord, who rival
the sun in brilliance, everyone present - the performer of
the sacrifice, the brâhmanas and even the sacrificial
fires - stood in respect. (Vedabase)
Text
26
The ruler of
Videha [Nimi], recognizing them as devotees of
Nârâyana glad about it seated them and was of all
the respect they deserved.
King
Videha [Nimi] understood that the nine sages were
exalted devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, overjoyed at their auspicious arrival, he offered
them suitable sitting places and worshiped them in a proper
way, just as one would worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. (Vedabase)
Text
27
With
humility bowing down to the nine of them who were as
resplendent in their lustre as the sons of
Brahmâ
[see 4.22:
6]
proceeded the king, immersed in transcendental rapture, to
question them.
Overwhelmed
by transcendental joy, the King humbly bowed his head and
then proceeded to question the nine sages. These nine great
souls glowed with their own effulgence and thus appeared
equal to the four Kumâras, the sons of Lord
Brahmâ. (Vedabase)
Text
28
S'rî
Videha [Nimi] said: 'I consider you to be direct
associates of the Supreme Lord, the enemy of Madhu, as servants
of Vishnu traveling around for the sake of purifying all the
worlds.
King
Videha said - I think that you must be direct associates of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is famous as the
enemy of the demon Madhu. Indeed, the pure devotees of Lord
Vishnu wander throughout the universe not for their
personal, selfish interest, but to purify all the
conditioned souls. (Vedabase)
Text
29
I
think that to achieve the association of those dear to the Lord
of Vaikunthha is as difficult as it is for embodied beings to
achieve a human body that any moment can be lost [see also
B.G. 8:
16
& 16:
19-20].
For
the conditioned souls, the human body is most difficult to
achieve, and it can be lost at any moment. But I think that
even those who have achieved human life rarely gain the
association of pure devotees, who are dear to the Lord of
Vaikunthha. (Vedabase)
Text
30
Therefore
I'm asking you, o sinless ones, what the supreme good would be
in this material ocean where for human beings to have but for a
second the association of the truthful is the greatest
treasure.
Therefore,
O completely sinless ones, I ask you to kindly tell me what
the supreme good is. After all, even half a moment's
association with pure devotees within this world of birth
and death is a priceless treasure for any man.
(Vedabase)
Text
31
Please
speak about the science of devotional service if you deem us
qualified enough to hear about it; satisfied by it will He, the
Unborn Lord, even give Himself to the one who took
shelter.'
Please
speak about how one engages in the devotional service of the
Supreme Lord, if you consider me capable of properly hearing
these topics. When a living entity offers loving service to
the Supreme Lord, the Lord is immediately satisfied, and in
return He will give even His own self to the surrendered
soul. (Vedabase)
Text
32
S'rî
Nârada said: 'They, the greatest of the great thus by
Nimi questioned, o Vasudeva, spoke on their turn with reverence
affectionately to the king in the company of the priests and
the members of the sacrificial assembly.
S'rî
Nârada said: O Vasudeva, when Mahârâja
Nimi had thus inquired from the nine Yogendras about
devotional service to the Lord, those best of saintly
persons sincerely thanked the King for his questions and
spoke to him with affection in the presence of the members
of the sacrificial assembly and the brâhmana priests.
(Vedabase)
Text
33
S'rî
Kavi said: 'In my view is by someone who in his intelligence is
constantly disturbed in this world because he takes the
temporal [body] for the true
self, the state of
truly not having to fear from any side found when he worships
the lotus feet of the Infallible One, because all fear ceases
in that state [see 3.9:
6 and e.g.
B.G. 2:
56,
2:
71,
4:
10,
12:
13-14].
S'rî
Kavi said: I consider that one whose intelligence is
constantly disturbed by his falsely identifying himself with
the temporary material world can achieve real freedom from
fear only by worshiping the lotus feet of the infallible
Supreme Lord. In such devotional service, all fear ceases
entirely. (Vedabase)
Text
34
The
proper means are discussed by the Supreme Lord and known
as the
bhâgavata
dharma by
which people wrestling with their intelligence easily may
realize the Supreme Soul.
Even
ignorant living entities can very easily come to know the
Supreme Lord if they adopt those means prescribed by the
Supreme Lord Himself. The process recommended by the Lord is
to be known as bhâgavata-dharma, or devotional
service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Vedabase)
Text
35
A
man accepting that o King, is never
bewildered and
will never come to trip or fall in this, not even closing his
eyes while running [see also the catuh-s'loki
of B.G. 10:
8-11 and verse
5:
17].
O
King, one who accepts this process of devotional service to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never blunder on his
path in this world. Even while running with eyes closed, he
will never trip or fall. (Vedabase)
Text
36
Whatever
one following one's own nature
does with the
body, speech, mind, senses, intelligence or the purified
consciousness, should all be offered to the Supreme with the
thought: 'This is for Nârâyana'
['nârâyanâya iti', compare
B.G.
3: 9 and
9:
27].
In
accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in
conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind,
senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should
offer to the Supreme, thinking, 'This is for the pleasure of
Lord Nârâyana.' (Vedabase)
Text
37
For
the ones who led by the illusory energy and forgetful about
God, turned away in falsely identifying themselves [with
the body] will fear rise because of one's being absorbed in
matters second to the Lord. For
that reason should
an intelligent person be fully and purely devoted to Him, the
Lord and consider his spiritual master as his Lord and Soul
[see B.G. also 4:
34,
1.5:
12 and B.G.
7:
14,
15:
7].
Fear
arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the
material body because of absorption in the external,
illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus
turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own
constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This
bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency
for illusion, called mâyâ. Therefore, an
intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the
unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance
of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as
his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.
(Vedabase)
Text
38
By
the intelligence of the dual experience may one, as in a dream,
be seeing things manifest themselves or notice desires that are
unreal. For that reason should an intelligent person bring the
mind under control
that referring to material activities is committed to positive
and negative desires, and thus be fearless [see also B.G.
6:
35].
Although
the duality of the material world does not ultimately exist,
the conditioned soul experiences it as real under the
influence of his own conditioned intelligence. This
imaginary experience of a world separate from Krishna can be
compared to the acts of dreaming and desiring. When the
conditioned soul dreams at night of something desirable or
horrible, or when he daydreams of what he would like to have
or avoid, he creates a reality that has no existence beyond
his own imagination. The tendency of the mind is to accept
and reject various activities based on sense gratification.
Therefore an intelligent person should control the mind,
restricting it from the illusion of seeing things separate
from Krishna, and when the mind is thus controlled he will
experience actual fearlessness. (Vedabase)
Text
39
Hearing
of the all-auspicious appearances and activities of Him with
the Wheel in His
Hand [see 1.9:
37] Whose
associated names are chanted in this world, should one singing
without the material association [of a wife, home and
children], free and unashamed move in all
directions.
An
intelligent person who has controlled his mind and conquered
fear should give up all attachment to material objects such
as wife, family and nation and should wander freely without
embarrassment, hearing and chanting the holy names of the
Lord, the bearer of the chariot wheel. The holy names of
Krishna are all-auspicious because they describe His
transcendental birth and activities, which He performs
within this world for the salvation of the conditioned
souls. Thus the holy names of the Lord are sung throughout
the world. (Vedabase)
Text
40
Thus
vowed develops one by chanting His so very dear, holy name, the
attachment of a mind dissolved in laughing
and crying loudly
and in getting exited like a madman to which one dances and
sings unconcerned about what others think of it
[*].
By
chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the
stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his
vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually
becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with
ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts.
Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is
indifferent to public opinion. (Vedabase)
Text
41
Ether,
air, fire, water, earth and the luminaries, all
living beings, the
directions, the trees and other immovable beings, the rivers
and oceans and whatever that might exist in the Supreme Lord's
body of creation, one should bow to considering nothing to be
separate [**].
A
devotee should not see anything as being separate from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Ether, fire, air,
water, earth, the sun and other luminaries, all living
beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers
and oceans - whatever a devotee experiences he should
consider to be an expansion of Krishna. Thus seeing
everything that exists within creation as the body of the
Supreme Lord, Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere
respects to the entire expansion of the Lord's body.
(Vedabase)
Text
42
Devotion,
experiencing the presence of the Supreme Lord and detachment
from everything else, are the three [characteristics]
at the same time occurring with someone engaged in the process
of taking shelter - about the way things are with someone
engaged in eating who experiences satisfaction with the
nourishment and the reduction of hunger.
Devotion,
direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from
other things - these three occur simultaneously for one who
has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in
the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from
hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite,
for a person engaged in eating. (Vedabase)
Text
43
For
the devotee who thus is worshiping the feet of Acyuta will
devotion, detachment and knowledge of the Supreme Lord
manifest, o king Nimi, whereupon
he then directly will attain the transcendental peace [see
B.G. 2:
71].'
My
dear King, the devotee who worships the lotus feet of the
infallible Personality of Godhead with constant endeavor
thus achieves unflinching devotion, detachment and
experienced knowledge of the Personality of Godhead. In this
way the successful devotee of the Lord achieves supreme
spiritual peace. (Vedabase)
Text
44
The
king said: 'Please tell me next about the devotee of the
Fortunate One; what are his duties, what is his nature, how
does he behave among men, what does he say and by which
symptoms is he dear to the Lord?'
Mahârâja
Nimi said - Now please tell me in greater detail about the
devotees of the Supreme Lord. What are the natural symptoms
by which I can distinguish between the most advanced
devotees, those on the middle level and those who are
neophytes? What are the typical religious activities of a
Vaishnava, and how does he speak? Specifically, please
describe those symptoms and characteristics by which
Vaishnavas become dear to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. (Vedabase)
Text
45
S'rî
Havir said: 'He is the most advanced one of devotion to the
Lord [an uttama
adhikârî]
who sees this Soul, this basic principle of all existence, in
all forms of existence [of matter and
spirit]
ànd at the same time is able to be of devotional service
to the Supreme Spirit Soul departing from the point of view
that all forms of existence are situated within the
[gigantic universal body of the] Supreme Lord [see
also B.G. 6:
29 & 30].
S'rî
Havir said: The most advanced devotee sees within everything
the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
S'rî Krishna. Consequently he sees everything in
relation to the Supreme Lord and understands that everything
that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.
(Vedabase)
Text
46
In
the previous phase, on the middle platform, is he [the
madhyama] of love for the Supreme
Lord, of
friendship with persons of advancement, of mercy to the
neophytes and disregards he the envious ones [see also
4.24:
57,
7.9:
43,
B.G. 4:
8 &
15:
7 and
***].
An
intermediate or second-class devotee, called
madhyama-adhikârî, offers his love to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all
the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who
are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
Text
47
He
who in his worship for the Lord faithfully engages with the
deity [the
mûrti]
but is not that respectful towards the devotees nor towards the
people in general, is a materialistic devotee [a
prâkrita or a beginner, a kanishthha, see
also B.G. 7:
20 and
3.29:
24-25 &
7.14:
40].
A
devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity
in the temple but does not behave properly toward other
devotees or people in general is called a
prâkrita-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and
is considered to be in the lowest position.
(Vedabase)
Text
48
He
who in spite of the engagement of his senses with the objects
of the senses hates nor rejoices and sees this universe as the
deluding material energy of Vishnu is indeed a first-class
devotee [see
also B.G.
5: 3].
Even
while engaging his senses in contact with their objects, one
who sees this whole world as the energy of Lord Vishnu is
neither repelled nor elated. He is indeed the greatest among
devotees. (Vedabase)
Text
49
He
who by the birth, decay, hunger, fear and thirst of the
body, the life
air, the mind and the intelligence is not bewildered, he who is
not bewildered by the inescapable features of a material life
because he keeps the Lord in mind [see also
6.2:
14], is
the foremost devotee [see also B.G. 2:
56-57].
Within
the material world, one's material body is always subject to
birth and decay. Similarly, the life air
[prâna] is harassed by hunger and
thirst, the mind is always anxious, the intelligence hankers
for that which cannot be obtained, and all of the senses are
ultimately exhausted by constant struggle in the material
nature. A person who is not bewildered by the inevitable
miseries of material existence, and who remains aloof from
them simply by remembering the lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is to be considered
bhâgavata-pradhâna, the foremost devotee
of the Lord. (Vedabase)
Text
50
In
the mind of the one who dwells in Vâsudeva only is there
no chance that the lust [see
B.G.
3:
37-43] or
the karmic craving for results [see also B.G.
6:
4] will
develop; such a one verily is a first class
devotee.
One
who has taken exclusive shelter of the Supreme Lord,
Vâsudeva, becomes free from fruitive activities, which
are based on material lust. In fact, one who has taken
shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord is freed from even the
desire to enjoy material sense gratification. Plans for
enjoying sex life, social prestige and money cannot develop
within his mind. Thus he is considered bhâgavatottama,
a pure devotee of the Lord on the highest platform.
(Vedabase)
Text
51
He
is dear to the Lord who is not attached in the egotistical
sentiment of a bodily concept of existence in the sense of
being of a good
birth, of meritorious acts, a certain varnâs'râma
status orientation or a certain faction or race [see B.G.
2:
71 &
12:
13-14].
Birth
in an aristocratic family and the execution of austere and
pious activities certainly cause one to take pride in
himself. Similarly, if one enjoys a prestigious position
within society because his parents are highly respected
members of the varnâs'rama social system, one becomes
even more infatuated with himself. But if despite these
excellent material qualifications one does not feel even a
tinge of pride within himself, he is to be considered the
dearmost servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Vedabase)
Text
52
He
who is not of a dualistic mind of 'mine' and 'thine' about
property and the body, someone who is equal to and peaceful
with all living
beings, is truly the best of devotees [see B.G.
13:
28-31 &
14:
22-25].
When
a devotee gives up the selfish conception by which one
thinks 'This is my property, and that is his,' and when he
is no longer concerned with the pleasures of his own
material body or indifferent to the discomforts of others,
he becomes fully peaceful and satisfied. He considers
himself simply one among all the living beings who are
equally part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Such a satisfied Vaishnava is considered to be at
the highest standard of devotional service.
(Vedabase)
Text
53
He
who not tempted by the opulence found in the three worlds, not
even for a moment, half a second or a split of a second, moves
away from the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord that are the
refuge of the godly and others for whom - undisturbed in their
remembrance - the Unconquerable One is their very soul,
is the topmost
Vaishnava
[see
also 18:
66].
The
lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are sought
even by the greatest of demigods, such as Brahmâ and
S'iva, who have all accepted the Supreme Personality of
Godhead as their life and soul. A pure devotee of the Lord
can never forget those lotus feet in any circumstance. He
will not give up his shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord
for a single moment - indeed, not for half a moment - even
in exchange for the benediction of ruling and enjoying the
opulence of the entire universe. Such a devotee of the Lord
is to be considered the best of the Vaishnavas.
(Vedabase)
Text
54
Again:
how can of the toes of the feet of the Supreme Lord, the feet
of all those great heroic acts, how can of the
moonshine of the
jewel-like nails that takes away the pain in the hearts, there
for the ones who are of worship be any pain of importance? Can
the burning heat of the sun be of any effect when the moon has
risen [see also 10.14:
58]?
How
can the fire of material suffering continue to burn the
hearts of those who worship the Supreme Lord? The Lord's
lotus feet have performed innumerable heroic deeds, and the
beautiful nails on His toes resemble valuable jewels. The
effulgence emanating from those nails resembles cooling
moonshine, for it instantly relieves the suffering within
the heart of the pure devotee, just as the appearance of the
moon's cooling light relieves the burning heat of the sun.
(Vedabase)
Text
55
He
never leaves the heart of the one whom one calls His foremost
devotee, however accidentally that devotee directly called for
Him [by means of His names], He who, bound by the ropes
of love, destroys the sins
however much they heaped up [see also B.G.
4:
36 and
*4].'
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned
souls that if they call upon Him by speaking His holy name,
even unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to
destroy innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts.
Therefore, when a devotee who has taken shelter of the
Lord's lotus feet chants the holy name of Krishna with
genuine love, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never
give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has thus
captured the Supreme Lord within his heart is to be known as
bhâgavata-pradhâna, the most exalted
devotee of the Lord. (Vedabase)
*:
S'rî Caitanya Mahâprabhu also emphasized this by
quoting: 'harer
nâma harer nâma harer nâmaiva kevalam kalau
nâsty eva nâsty eva nâsty eva gatir
anyathâ [Adi 17.21]':
'In this
age of Kali there is no alternative, there is no alternative,
there is no alternative for spiritual progress but the holy
name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.' Also
S'rîla Bhaktisiddhânta Sarasvatî
Thhâkura recommends to this that one studies the
following verse:
'parivadatu
jano yathâ tathâ vâ nanu mukharo na vayam
vicârayâmah
hari-rasa-madirâ-madâti-mattâ bhuvi
viluthhâmo nathâmo nirvis'âmah': 'Let the
garrulous populace say whatever they like; we shall pay them no
regard. Thoroughly maddened by the ecstasy of the intoxicating
beverage of love for Krishna, we shall enjoy life running
about, rolling on the ground and dancing in ecstasy.'
(Padyâvalî 73) This is what defines
Krishna-consiousness.
**:
S'rîla Bhaktisiddhânta Sarasvatî
Thhâkura has warned us that if we do not see everything
as a manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we
shall become victims of phalgu-vairâgya, or
immature renunciation.
***:The
paramparâ adds here: 'S'rîla
Bhaktisiddhânta Sarasvatî Thhâkura has given
a nice explanation of the difference between arcana and
bhajana. Arcana refers to the platform of
sâdhana-bhakti, in which one serves the
Lord to carry out the rules and regulations of the process. One
who has achieved the shelter of the Lord's holy name and is
totally engaged in the attempt to serve the Lord should be
considered to be on the platform of bhajana, even though
his external activities may sometimes be less strict than those
of the neophyte engaged in arcana. This apparent lack of
strictness, however, refers to laxity not in the basic
principles of sane behavior and renunciation of sense
gratification, but rather in the details of Vaishnava
ceremonies.'
*4:
Nimi, the King of Videha, asked, so helps us the
paramparâ, the following nine questions of the
nine Yogendras, the saintly sons of Rishabha. (1) What is the
highest good? (Chapter Two, verse 30); (2) What are the
religious principles (dharma), natural proclivities
(svabhâva), behavior (âcâra),
speech (vâkya) and outward symptoms
(lakshana) of a bhâgavata, a Vaishnava
devotee of the Lord? (2.44); (3) What is the external energy of
Vishnu, the Supreme Lord? (3.1); (4) How can one become
dissociated from this mâyâ? (3.17); (5) What
is the true identity of Brahman? (3.34); (6) What are the three
types of karma, namely karma based on the enjoyment of the
fruits of work, karma offered to the Supreme Lord, and
naishkarmya? (3.41); (7) What are the various pastimes
of the various incarnations of God? (4.1); (8) What is the aim
or destination of one who is against the Supreme Lord and
devoid of bhakti (in other words, a nondevotee)? (5.1); and (9)
What are the respective colors, forms and names of the four
yugâvatâras, the four incarnations of the
Supreme Lord who appear in the four ages, and what is the
process of worshiping each of Them? (5.19).
The
transcendental answers to these inquiries were given by the
great devotees Kavi, Havir, Antarîksha, Prabuddha,
Pippalâyana, Âvirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and
Karabhâjana. These nine paramahamsas answered the
nine questions, each in turn, in the following verses: (1)
2.33-43; (2) 2.45-55; (3) 3.3-16; (4) 3.18-33; (5) 3.35-40; (6)
3.43-55; (7) 4.2-23; (8) 5.2-18; and (9)
5.20-42.