First of all, I offer my humble, respectful daṇḍavat-praṇām to the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Nitya-līlā Praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and to Nitya-līlā Praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Similarly, I offer my humble, respectful daṇḍavat-praṇām to the lotus feet of my Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Gaura Govinda Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktirakṣaka Śrīdhara Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. I offer my respects to all senior devotees, all Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs, and all of my respected guests present here. [00:53]
I want to speak about bhakti. Everybody says that bhakti means devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. This bhakti implies a sevā-vṛtti, a tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. [01:27]
The Sanskrit definition is bhajyate sevyate iti bhaktiḥ. The verbal root is bhaj, which means ‘to serve.’ However, this sevā-vṛtti, or mood of service, is only perfectly applied to Kṛṣṇa; it is kṛṣṇa-sevā. Generally, people use the word ‘service’ or ‘bhakti’ in different ways. Service to one’s mother is called mātṛ-bhakti. Service to one’s father is called pitṛ-bhakti. Service to one’s country is called deśa-bhakti, or patriotism. Are these applications right or wrong? Materialistic people (jaḍavādī) are especially enthusiastic about the word patriotism: “My country!” If you are born in one country now, you say, “This is my country.” But in your next life, you may be born in another country, and then you will say, “That is my country.” Is this true or not? It means this identity is changeable. [03:08]
But the word bhakti is eternal and transcendental. Do you understand? People in the material world, who do not know the real meaning of bhakti, use this word for different purposes: mātṛ-bhakti, pitṛ-bhakti, deśa-bhakti. “I love my mother, so I serve my mother; this is mātṛ-bhakti.” But actual bhakti is transcendental and eternal. For this reason, it relates to Kṛṣṇa, who is eternal and transcendental. Everything except Kṛṣṇa is temporary. You must understand this. [04:14]
For this reason, our Gosvāmīs have explained that the word bhakti applies only to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explained, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’. Through the association of a sādhu (a saintly person), Kṛṣṇa-bhakti will manifest in our hearts. The root cause of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is the association of a sādhu (sādhu-saṅga). Mundane people are running here and there, pursuing karma (fruitive activities), jñāna (knowledge), yoga (mysticism), and tapasya (austerity). But these are not permanent; they are temporary. And they all lead to a kind of self-gratification. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—tāre bali ‘kāma’ | kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma. When you serve for the gratification of your own senses, it is called lust (kāma), and it is temporary. Lust, anger, and envy—are they permanent or temporary? They are temporary and also changeable. But bhakti, the sevā-vṛtti or tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa, is eternal and transcendental. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is eternal and transcendental. For this reason, the Sanskrit word bhakti actually applies only to Kṛṣṇa and cannot be applied elsewhere. Mundane people apply it elsewhere due to their lack of knowledge. But when they associate with a sādhu, a śuddha-bhakta (pure devotee), they can understand. [06:33]
But how does one get the association of a sādhu? It happens when one’s sukṛti (spiritual merit) matures and accumulates. The Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya gives this evidence: bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate | sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ. This happens when sukṛti has matured and accumulated. Do you understand the word sukṛti? What is its meaning? Su means beautiful and kṛti means activities. It refers to spiritual pious activities. To be more clear, while sukṛti and puṇya (worldly pious activities) may look the same, they are completely different. The English phrase we use is “spiritual pious activities.” This means any activity that is related to Kṛṣṇa and a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is called sukṛti. And any pious activity not related to Kṛṣṇa or His devotee is called puṇya-karma. [08:19]
Let’s try to understand the difference between puṇya-karma and sukṛti. Charity, donations, and helping people in general are called puṇya-karma. If you give charity to mundane people, it is a good act. I am not saying this is bad. The scriptures (śāstra) say you should help people. Why? Because you have compassion. If a person is hungry and you have a lot of food, you should feed them, shouldn’t you? Unless you are a miserly or cruel person. A hard-hearted person’s hand is very closed, not open. [09:35]
In India, there is a very nice story about a miser. He went to a Hanumān temple. On Saturdays and Tuesdays, people worship Hanumān. So this miser came to the Hanumān temple and noticed the pujārī (priest) was performing the āratī with a ghī lamp. According to Indian culture, after the worship, the pujārī goes to the people with a small donation box. People receive the blessings from the lamp and give some donation—one coin, two coins, one penny, two pennies, as they like. So the miser noticed this and thought, “Oh my God, everyone is giving something. I have to give something, or everyone will look at me.” So he started backing away as the pujārī came toward him. [12:12]
Finally, he took one coin and held it very tightly in his palm. It was summertime, and his hand was sweating. After ten or fifteen minutes, when the pujārī came to him, he opened his palm and saw that the coin was completely wet with his sweat. He looked at the coin and said, “Oh coin, why are you crying? No, no, I will not give you to anyone.” He put the coin back in his pocket and ran away. This is called being a miser—not having an open heart. [13:24]
I am saying this because helping people comes from the heart melting. “Oh, he is hungry, I must feed him. He has no medicine; I must help him.” This is compassion, a nature that comes from the inner core of the living entity’s heart. These types of activities—helping poor people, giving charity—are called puṇya-karma, or pious activities. [14:04]
The other type of activity is called sukṛti. Sukṛti means giving some charity or donation to a devotee of the Lord. That is called a spiritual pious activity. One is a pious activity (puṇya), and the other is a spiritual pious activity (sukṛti). If you give one coin in charity to a Vaiṣṇava who is chanting the holy name and performing bhajana and sādhana, that is sukṛti. Even offering water to Tulasī Devī creates sukṛti. When you chant the holy names on your japa-mālā—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—this is also sukṛti. This is a spiritual pious activity. So, is it clear what pious activities are and what spiritual pious activities are? One is puṇya, and the other is sukṛti. [16:22]
In this way, when your spiritual pious activities, your sukṛti, become matured and accumulated over not just one birth, but over millions of births, then Yogamāyā-śakti will arrange for you to get the association of a sādhu. Your coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a small thing. It is not as simple as it seems. So many things have happened in your past. You are wearing tilaka, chanting the holy names, and coming to the temple. This is not a small thing. You do not know what great fortune lies behind this life of yours. Why have you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? You have not come on your own. Your sukṛti has brought you to the association of a sādhu. The Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya mentions this: bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate | sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ. Pūrva-sañcitaiḥ means that these spiritual pious activities have been accumulating for many, many previous births. Then, Yogamāyā arranges for you to come and associate with a sādhu. By associating with a sādhu and listening to hari-kathā, the desire to practice pure bhakti (śuddha-bhakti) will come. This is not a small thing. You must first understand your great fortune, your saubhāgya. [19:23]
Many people are running here and there. Now Christmas is coming. I travel around the world every year, and I see how people become so enthusiastic. They decorate the parks and their houses so beautifully and attractively. For a month or two, especially in December, they decorate everything very nicely and sing about Jesus. According to their religion, what they are doing is good. We must give respect to all religious people. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explained that you have to give respect to all religious people for what they are doing. However, are their activities sukṛti? They are generating puṇya-karma. Sukṛti is something else. As I will explain, if it is related to Kṛṣṇa and the Vaiṣṇavas, it is sukṛti. But what other religions do is not my subject to discuss. Our subject is how to give respect to all religious people. Mahāprabhu Himself said, jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ kṛṣṇa-adhiṣṭhāna. He taught that you should give respect to all living entities because Kṛṣṇa resides in their hearts as Paramātmā, the Super Soul. The Super Soul resides in the hearts of all living entities—trees, birds, cows, dogs, and brāhmaṇas. Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā says, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ—the learned see with equal vision. So there is no need to interfere with others. [22:36]
I want to speak about sukṛti and puṇya-karma. If you perform pious activities—charity, donations—you will go to heaven. The Bhagavad-gītā says, te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti. After death, those who performed such acts go to the heavenly planets (svarga-loka) and enjoy many kinds of sense gratification. But when their pious credits are finished, they come back down to this material world (martya-loka). Then they perform pious activities again, and again they go up. Their situation is like that of an elevator operator, just going up and down, up and down. This is what puṇya-karma brings. [24:20]
But bhakti, which comes from sukṛti, is not like this. Sukṛti means spiritual pious activities. The acts may seem the same, but the context is different. If you give charity to mundane people, it is puṇya-karma. If you help the Vaiṣṇavas, it is sukṛti, because it is related to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. In this way, when these types of sukṛti, these spiritual pious activities, become matured and accumulated, you get the association of a sādhu. And from the association of that sādhu, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti will manifest in your heart. This is why the verse states, bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate | sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ. Pūrva-sañcitaiḥ indicates that this sukṛti has been accumulating for many, many births. [25:43]
These spiritual pious activities (sukṛti) become matured and accumulated over many births. Then you will get the association of a sādhu (sādhu-saṅga). Through the association of a sādhu, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti will manifest in your heart. [26:19]
For this reason it is said, bhaktis tu bhakta-saṅgena prajāyate. Sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ. Pūrva-sañcitaiḥ means this sukṛti has been accumulated from many previous births. Now you have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. [26:49]
I will also explain this from a philosophical perspective, as a little philosophy is also needed. We must understand the concept of the conscious being, the cetana-padārtha. [27:32]
How many types of conscious beings are there? We are conscious beings, cetana, are we not? Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda have explained that there are five types of consciousness, or conscious beings. The first is called ācchādita-cetana. Please write this down. [28:08]
In this state, consciousness (cetana) is there, but it is covert and enveloped. It is concealed, enclosed. The consciousness of the living entities (jīvas) in this state is completely covered. In Sanskrit, this is called ācchādita-cetana. Don’t forget this. The first is ācchādita-cetana. Consciousness is there—the power of feeling, willing, and knowing is inside—but it is completely covered, like in trees. They have feelings. Do trees feel cold or not? It is not only you who feels it; the trees feel it also. But they cannot do anything about it. If a fire is coming, they cannot run away. If one side of a tree is burning in a forest fire, it cannot do anything. They are suffering. They feel pain, don’t they? They have consciousness, this is true. If there is no water, they suffer. This type of consciousness is called ācchādita-cetana—completely covered. [05:04]
The second type of consciousness is called saṅkucita-cetana. Their cetana is shrunken. This is seen in birds and animals. They are in the stage of saṅkucita-cetana. When they feel cold, they fly from one place to another. In the summertime, they go to another place. The consciousness of these types of living entities is called saṅkucita-cetana. [05:58]
The third type of conscious being is called mukulita-cetana. We are all conscious beings because we are all part and parcel of the Lord. Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’. We are not servants of māyā (māyā-dāsa); we are the eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. Believe it or not, this is the absolute truth. Everyone here is a servant of Kṛṣṇa. In the stage of mukulita-cetana, the consciousness is like a bud, just before the flower blossoms. Do you understand? That is what mukulita-cetana means, and this stage applies to human beings. [07:29]
However, there are differences even among human beings. One in the stage of mukulita-cetana is a human being who has compassion in his heart and shows love and affection to everyone. They follow the rules and regulations of society. Within this group, some are sā-īśvaravādī (theists, who believe in God) and some are nirīśvaravādī (atheists, who do not). Many people in this material world follow the rules of society—they give charity, they are affectionate to others—but they do not believe in God. They are moralistic, but atheistic. Others are both moral and theistic, following the rules of society while also having faith in God. [10:54]
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura classified people in this way. But I tell you, those who only follow morality but have no faith in the Lord and do not serve Kṛṣṇa are actually in the category of asuras. This may be a bitter word, but it is true. [37:51]
Personalities like Kāla Yavana, Jarāsandha, Rāvaṇa, and Kumbhakarṇa were not ordinary. They also gave charity and performed great deeds. Consider Karṇa. He followed the codes of morality, but he had no faith in the Lord and no love or affection for the Lord’s devotees. For this reason, his name is on the list of asuras. This may seem like a bitter truth, but many people in this world appreciate morality but have no faith in God. They say, “I follow society’s rules and I am helpful to people, but I have no faith in God.” There are many such people. [39:41]
Just to mention the name of Karṇa, I will tell you his history. Once, Kṛṣṇa met with Karṇa and said, “He Karṇa, listen. You should give your love and affection to the Pāṇḍavas. They—Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadī—are My devotees.” But Karṇa refused. He would follow rules and give charity, but he had no faith in the Lord or the Lord’s devotees. Because he followed morality without devotion, he is listed as an asura. [41:16]
If you look at the list of great donors, Karṇa’s name is first. He is called Dātā Karṇa, the great giver. He was very proud of this. “I am the best donor,” he thought. To test him, Kṛṣṇa once manifested in the form of a brāhmaṇa and came before Karṇa as he was going to a river to bathe. He had nothing with him, not even a checkbook. The brāhmaṇa asked for a donation. Karṇa thought, “This brāhmaṇa has come, so I must give him some charity.” Karṇa had one tooth made of gold (svarṇa-danta). He took a stone, broke his own tooth, and gave it to the brāhmaṇa. He thought, “I don’t know if I will return from my bath. A crocodile could catch me and I could die, and then I would not be able to give this donation.” Because of this act, Karṇa’s name is at the very top of the list of donors. Everyone uses this name, Dātā Karṇa, number one charitable giver. But his name is not on the list of devotees. Kṛṣṇa, in the form of that brāhmaṇa, was showing how Karṇa was a great donor, but not a devotee. This is a teaching for us. [45:03]
Once, Karṇa asked Kṛṣṇa, “He Kṛṣṇa, tell me, what is my life? I heard that when I was born, my mother, who was a virgin, placed me in a basket and put me in the river. I don’t even know who my mother is.” He continued, “What bad karma did I do that my own mother would reject me? Why?” [47:22]
“Not only this, but when I grew up, I wanted to learn archery. I went to Droṇācārya, but he rejected me. He was teaching the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, but he told me, ‘You do not belong to the royal family.’ So he rejected me. What is my life? To learn any knowledge, it shouldn’t matter which family you belong to. Everyone has the right to learn. But Droṇācārya did not accept me.” [49:49]
“Then I went to Paraśurāma,” Karṇa said, opening his heart to Kṛṣṇa. “Paraśurāma is an incarnation of the Lord. I asked him, ‘I want to learn archery from you.’ Paraśurāma asked me, ‘What is your caste? Are you a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya?’ He said, ‘I will not give lessons to a kṣatriya. I have seen that the kṣatriya kings are very cruel, so I took a vow not to teach them. I will only give this lesson to a brāhmaṇa. Are you a brāhmaṇa?'” [52:08]
“What could I do?” Karṇa said. “I pretended. I told Paraśurāma, ‘Yes, I am a brāhmaṇa.’ I did this because I had to learn archery to defeat Arjuna; that was my goal. So I learned everything from Paraśurāma by pretending to be a brāhmaṇa boy.” [53:14]
“But on the last day, something happened. Paraśurāma and I were wandering in the forest, and he said, ‘He Karṇa, you are a brāhmaṇa boy. I am going to take some rest on your lap.’ So Paraśurāma laid his head on my lap as if it were a pillow. Then, a very poisonous insect, a vajrakīṭa, began to drill into my thigh. It was an incredibly painful, poisonous insect, and so much blood came out that it covered Paraśurāma’s head. After a few minutes, he woke up and saw the blood. ‘He Karṇa, why is there so much blood?'” [55:40]
“I told him, ‘Gurudeva, a poisonous insect was drilling into my thigh.’ Then Paraśurāma asked, ‘Karṇa, tell me honestly, are you a brāhmaṇa boy? A brāhmaṇa could not tolerate this kind of pain. Only a kṣatriya can tolerate such pain. You broke my vow!’ He continued, ‘I took a vow not to give this knowledge to any kṣatriya. You have cheated me, so I give you this curse: at the time of your greatest need in the battlefield, you will forget all the mantras for your weapons!'” [58:23]
“So, Karṇa said, ‘He Kṛṣṇa, He Govinda, He Mādhava, listen to my life history. What is my life? Later, I went to Draupadī’s marriage ceremony, her svayaṁvara. But there, Draupadī insulted me. She said, ‘You are the son of a charioteer, not a kṣatriya! You cannot take part in this ceremony.’ I became very upset. At that moment, Duryodhana gave me a kingdom, Aṅga. That is why I am also called Aṅgarāja Karṇa. I am completely indebted to Duryodhana.” [01:02:10]
Kṛṣṇa then asked, “You know that Duryodhana and Duśāsana are stupid, cruel, and wretched. They tried to burn the Pāṇḍavas in a house of lac and fed poison to Bhīma. You know all of this, don’t you? So why do you side with Duryodhana?” Karṇa replied that it was his vow of loyalty. [01:03:02]
Then Kṛṣṇa told him, “He Karṇa, I have listened to your entire life history.” [01:03:16]
After listening to Karṇa’s story, Kṛṣṇa replied, “Now, He Karṇa, listen to My life history. I am the son of Devakī. I was born in the jail of Kaṁsa. At that time, My father and mother were inside that jail. This was My life. Even when I was in the womb of My mother, Devakī, Kaṁsa was counting the days until My birth, planning to kill Me. Every day he would come to the jail, watching and waiting. ‘When Devakī gives birth to the baby, I will kill Him.’ This means that every second, every moment, I was on what you would call a death line. Imagine a sword hanging over your head, ready to fall at any second. My life was the same way.” [01:05:04]
“Anyhow, I took birth from My mother’s womb. Then, Yogamāyā arranged for My transfer to Gokula. But My troubles did not end there. When I was in Gokula, Kaṁsa sent a new demon every single day to kill Me. Now, compare your life and My life. But I am always following dharma. Do you understand? And you are following adharma.” Kṛṣṇa asked him, “He Karṇa, why are you following adharma? You think you are a great donor, giving so much in charity, but that is useless if it is not connected to dharma. Yes, you will get the fruits of your actions, but I am telling you that the word bhakti truly applies only to Me, Kṛṣṇa.” [01:06:29]
For this reason, this verse is very important: bhaktis tu bhakta-saṅgena prajāyate. And, sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ. When your sukṛti, or spiritual merits, become mature and accumulated, you will get the association of a sādhu (sādhu-saṅga). And through that association, Bhakti-devī will manifest in your heart. [01:06:51]
Those who are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and practicing pure devotional service (śuddha-bhakti) are not ordinary people. This is the mercy of the Lord, bhagavat-kṛpā. Others are pursuing karma, jñāna, yoga, and tapasya—many different paths. But all of those things are temporary because they are not the spontaneous, constitutional nature of the soul. Bhakti, however, is eternal and transcendental. [01:07:28]
First, you must understand your own great fortune, your saubhāgya. You are not durbhāgā, or unfortunate. People may say, “I am unfortunate,” but you are not. You are greatly fortunate. I am telling you this with 100% confidence because you have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Soon, you will realize your own true conscious being, your cetana. Right now, you are on the bodily platform. Through the association of a sādhu, your consciousness begins to blossom. This is called vikasita-cetana. [01:08:19]
As Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has explained in Jaiva-dharma, vikasita-cetana means the consciousness is blossoming for those who are practicing sādhana-bhakti—śravaṇam, kīrtanam, viṣṇu-smaraṇam, and so on. The fifth and final stage is called pūrṇa-vikasita-cetana, where bhakti and consciousness are completely blossomed. This is the stage of one who has reached bhāva and prema. The path of sādhana-bhakti consists of śraddhā, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, ruci, and āsakti. This path is the stage of vikasita-cetana. Your consciousness becomes completely blossomed, pūrṇa-vikasita-cetana, when you come to the stage of bhāva-daśā or prema-daśā. [01:09:35]
So, which stage have you come to? You have already crossed the mukulita-cetana stage; you have been upgraded. As I said before, those who follow rules but do not wear kaṇṭhī-mālā or chant the Holy Name are in the stage of mukulita-cetana. But you are chanting the Holy Names and following the rules of śāstra. Therefore, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explained, your consciousness is vikasita-cetana. Pūrṇa-vikasita-cetana is when a sādhu comes to the stage of bhāva and prema-daśā. So now, which stage are you in? Vikasita-cetana. Your ātmā, your conscious being, is slowly opening, just like a flower bud opens into a flower. The full flower will blossom when one reaches the stage of bhāva or prema. [01:11:45]
So, you are greatly fortunate. You are very close to attaining the Lord—only two fingers’ distance away. Not far at all. You have already crossed the other stages. It has been a long way, this is true, but you have crossed that long way. You are almost there. [01:12:42]
An Upaniṣad gives a beautiful example. A saintly person was climbing to the top of a mountain. After walking for many years, he was almost at the top when he started thinking, “Oh, maybe I will not reach the highest place.” He became a little upset, nirutsāha. His enthusiasm waned. He sat down, wondering how he could go on. In the meantime, an aerial voice said, “He Sādhu, why are you upset? First, look down and see how far you have come.” The sādhu thought, “Oh, yes! I have come so far. There is only a little bit left. Why should I be upset?” Bhakti is like this. This small story tells us that in bhakti, one should always be enthusiastic, utsāha. As Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmīpāda composed in Upadeśāmṛta: utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt | saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. [01:14:22]
I am telling you, all of you have almost achieved your perfectional goal. It is just two fingers away. But these two fingers mean that one finger is your endeavor, your ceṣṭā, and the other finger is the mercy of the Lord, bhagavat-kṛpā. So do not become lose-hearted. Always be interested, thinking, “Yes, I will achieve my perfectional goal.” You have spent millions of births in different forms, and you have performed many acts of charity and donation. Now, you have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is not an ordinary thing. [01:15:37]
Bhakti is the topmost path. The mood of service (bhajate sevyate iti bhaktiḥ) applies only to Kṛṣṇa. And the root cause of that Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is sādhu-saṅga. Now let us come to the definitions of bhakti. Śāṇḍilya-sūtra says, sā parānuraktir īśvare—”Deep attachment to the Lord is called bhakti.” A second definition is given: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam | hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. [01:17:13]
Then, Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmīpāda has given the topmost, unique, and unparalleled definition of uttamā-bhakti, pure devotional service: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam | ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also gives a definition: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje | ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. There are many definitions, but the one given by Rūpa Goswāmīpāda is the highest. [01:18:09]
Gaura Premānande! Hari Haribol! Jay Jay Śrī Rādhe! Hare Kṛṣṇa. [01:18:21]
(Devotee comments:) I like Gurudeva’s definition, quite simple. The second one about association with the sādhu will bring all the auspiciousness. [01:18:25]
(Kīrtana begins) Sādhu-saṅga. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. [01:18:41] Bolo Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. [01:18:56] Nitāi-Gaura Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Gaur Premānande! Hari Haribol! Bolo Vṛndāvana Bihārī Lāl kī! Jay Jay Śrī Rādhe! [01:19:16]
Footnotes (Cited Verses)
- bhajyate sevyate iti bhaktiḥ [01:31, 01:15:59]: A grammatical definition from the verbal root √bhaj, meaning “to serve.” It translates as “Service is called bhakti.”
- kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’ [04:30, 12:54, 01:16:11]: “The root cause of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is association with advanced devotees.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.83)
- ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā—tāre bali ‘kāma’ | kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma || [05:17]: “The desire to gratify one’s own senses is called lust (kāma). The desire to please the senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa is called love (prema).” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.165)
- bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate | sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ || [06:50, 18:27, 25:28, 26:29, 01:06:29]: “Devotion (bhakti) is born from the association of the Lord’s devotees. This association with saints (sat-saṅga) is achieved by persons who have accumulated spiritual merit (sukṛti) in previous lives.” (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, 13.2)
- jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ kṛṣṇa-adhiṣṭhāna [21:45]: “One should honor all living beings, knowing that Kṛṣṇa resides within them.” (A teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.)
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini | śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ || [22:26]: “The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste).” (Bhagavad-gītā, 5.18).
- te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti [22:57, 24:13]: “When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again.” (Bhagavad-gītā, 9.21)
- jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ [32:15]: “The constitutional position of the living being is to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 20.108)
- utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt | saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati || [01:14:06]: “There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles, (5) abandoning the association of non-devotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.” (Upadeśāmṛta, Verse 3)
- sā parānuraktir īśvare [01:16:29]: “Bhakti is the state of supreme attachment to the Lord.” (Śāṇḍilya Bhakti Sūtra, 1.1.2)
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam | hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate || [01:17:08]: “Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, 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, simply by being employed in the service of the Lord, one’s senses are purified.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, 1.1.12)
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam | ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā || [01:17:29]: “One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, 1.1.11)
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje | ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati || [01:17:43]: “The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 1.2.6)