01. Ways of devotion to Krishna
The Lord then explained to Sanätana Gosvämé the various types and symptoms of practical devotional service. When devotional service is performed with our present senses, it is called practical devotional service. Actually devotional service is the eternal life of the living entity and is lying dormant in everyone’s heart. The practice which invokes that dormant devotional service is called practical devotional service. The purport is that the living entity is constitutionally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord; the Lord can be compared to the sun, and the living entities can be compared to molecules of sunshine. Under the spell of illusory energy, the spiritual spark is almost extinguished, but by practical devotional service one can revive his natural constitutional position. When one practices devotional service, it should be understood that he is returning to his original and normal liberated position. Devotional service can be practiced with one’s senses under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.
One begins spiritual activities for advancement in Kåñëa consciousness by hearing. Hearing is the most important method for advancement, and one should be very eager to hear favorably about Kåñëa. Giving up all speculation and fruitive activity, one should simply worship and desire to attain to love of God. That love of God is eternally existing within everyone; it simply has to be evoked by the process of hearing. Hearing and chanting are the principal methods of devotional service.
Devotional service may be regulative or affectionate. One who has not developed transcendental affection for Kåñëa should conduct his life according to the directions and regulations of the scriptures and the spiritual master. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.1.5) Çukadeva Gosvämé advises Mahäräja Parékñit:
tasmäd bhärata sarvätmä bhagavän éçvaro hariù
çrotavyaù kértitavyaç ca smartavyaç cecchatäbhayam
“O best of the Bhäratas, it is the prime duty of persons who want to become fearless to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and to chant about Him and always remember Him. Lord Viñëu is always to be remembered; indeed, He is not to be forgotten for even a moment. He is the sum and substance of all regulative principles.”
The conclusion is that when all the rules, regulations, recommended and prohibited activities revealed in scriptures are taken together, the remembrance of the Supreme Lord is invariably the essence of everything. Remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one’s heart is the goal of devotional service. When devotional service is performed purely and affectionately, there is no question of regulative principles. There are no do’s and don’ts.
However, one should generally accept the following principles to properly execute devotional service: (1) take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, (2) receive initiation from the spiritual master, (3) serve the spiritual master, (4) inquire and learn love from the spiritual master, (5) follow in the footsteps of holy persons devoted to the transcendental loving service of the Lord, (6) prepare to give up all kinds of enjoyment and miseries for the satisfaction of Kåñëa, (7) live in a place where Kåñëa had His pastimes, (8) be satisfied by whatever is sent by Kåñëa for the maintenance of the body and hanker for no more, (9) observe fasting on Ekädaçé day (this occurs on the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon. On such days no grains, cereals or beans are eaten; simply vegetables and milk are moderately taken, and chanting Hare Kåñëa and reading scriptures are increased.), (10) show respect to devotees, cows and sacred trees like the banyan tree.
It is essential for a neophyte devotee who is beginning to follow the path of devotional service to observe these ten principles. One should also try to avoid offenses in serving the Lord and in chanting His holy names. There are ten kinds of offenses which one can commit while chanting the holy name, and they should be avoided. These offenses are: (1) blaspheming a devotee of the Lord, (2) considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or thinking that there are many gods, (3) neglecting the orders of the spiritual master, (4) minimizing the authority of the scriptures (the Vedas), (5) interpreting the holy names of God, (6) committing sins on the strength of chanting, (7) instructing the glories of the Lord’s names to the unfaithful, (8) comparing the holy name with material piety, (9) being inattentive while chanting the holy name, (10) remaining attached to material things in spite of chanting the holy names. Ten additional regulations are as follows: (1) one should try to avoid offenses in the service of the Lord and in chanting the holy names of the Lord; (2) one should avoid the association of unholy nondevotees; (3) one should not attempt to have many disciples; (4) one should not take the trouble to understand many books or to understand partially any particular book, and one should avoid discussing different doctrines; (5) one should be composed both in gain and in loss; (6) one should not be subject to any kind of lamentation; (7) one should not disrespect the demigods or other scriptures; (8) one should not tolerate blasphemy against the Supreme Lord and His devotees; (9) one should avoid ordinary topics of novels and fiction, but there is no injunction that one should avoid hearing ordinary news; (10) one should not give any trouble to any living creature, including a small bug.
In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu compiled by Çré Rüpa Gosvämé it is said that one should be very liberal in behavior and should avoid any undesirable activities. The most important affirmative points are that one should accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, be initiated by him and serve him.
In addition to these, there are thirty-five items of devotional service, and they can be analyzed as follows: (1) hearing, (2) chanting, (3) remembering, (4) worshiping, (5) praying, (6) serving, (7) engaging as a servitor, (8) being friendly, (9) offering everything, (10) dancing before the Deity, (11) singing, (12) informing, (13) offering obeisances, (14) standing up to show respect to the devotees, (15) following a devotee when he gets up to go to the door, (16) entering the temple of the Lord, (17) circumambulating the temple of the Lord, (18) reading prayers, (19) vibrating hymns, (20) performing saìkértana, or congregational chanting, (21) smelling the incense and flowers offered to the Deity, (22) accepting prasäda (food offered to Kåñëa), (23) attending the ärätrika ceremony, (24) seeing the Deity, (25) offering palatable foodstuffs to the Lord, (26) meditating, (27) offering water to the tulasé tree, (28) offering respect to the Vaiñëavas or advanced devotees, (29) living in Mathurä or Våndävana, (30) understanding Çrémad-Bhägavatam, (31) trying one’s utmost to attain Kåñëa, (32) expecting the mercy of Kåñëa, (33) performing ceremonial functions with the devotees of Kåñëa, (34) surrendering in all respects, (35) observing different ceremonial functions. To these thirty-five items, another four can be added: (1) marking one’s body with sandalwood pulp to show that one is a Vaiñëava, (2) painting one’s body with the holy names of the Lord, (3) covering one’s body with the remnants of the Deity covers, (4) accepting caraëämåta, the water which washes the Deity. These four additional items make thirty-nine items for devotional service in all, and out of all of these the following five are most important: (1) to associate with devotees, (2) to chant the holy name of the Lord, (3) to hear Çrémad-Bhägavatam, (4) to live in a holy place such as Mathurä or Våndävana, (5) to serve the Deity with great devotion. These items are especially mentioned by Rüpa Gosvämé in his book Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu. The thirty-nine items above, plus these five items, total forty-four items. Add to these the twenty preliminary occupations and there are a total of sixty-four different items for conducting devotional service. One can adopt the sixty-four items with his body, mind and senses and thus gradually purify his devotional service. Some of the items are completely different, some are identical, and others appear to be mixed.
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has recommended that one live in the association of those who are of the same mentality; therefore it is necessary to form some association for Kåñëa consciousness and live together for the cultivation of knowledge of Kåñëa and devotional service. The most important item for living in that association is the mutual understanding of Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam. When faith and devotion are developed, they become transformed into the worship of the Deity, chanting of the holy name and living in a holy place like Mathurä and Våndävana.
The last five items-mentioned after the first thirty-nine-are very important and essential. If one can simply discharge these five items, he can be elevated to the highest perfectional stage, even if he does not execute them perfectly. One may be able to perform one item or many items, according to one’s capacity, but it is the principal factor of complete attachment to devotional service that makes one advance on the path.(TLC Chapter 12)
In the beginning, no one can be elevated to the highest stage of devotional service. Here bhakta means one who does not hesitate to accept the reformatory processes for becoming a bhakta. In order to become a devotee of the Lord, one has to accept a spiritual master and inquire from him about how to progress in devotional service. To serve a devotee, to chant the holy name according to a certain counting method, to worship the Deity, to hear Çrémad-Bhägavatam or Bhagavad-gétä from a realized person and to live in a sacred place where devotional service is not disturbed are the first out of sixty-four devotional activities for making progress in devotional service. One who has accepted these five chief activities is called a devotee.(SB 3.32.42)
Now, the total regulative principles come to an aggregate of sixty-four items. As we have mentioned, the first are the primary ten regulative principles. Then come the secondary ten regulative principles, and added to these are forty-four other activities. So all together there are sixty-four items for discharging the regulative practice of devotional service. Out of these sixty-four items, five items-namely, offering water to the tulasé tree, hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam, associating amongst the devotees, saìkértana and living in Mathurä-are very important.
(Nectar of Devotion 7-1970: Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles)
