1|Madhya 22-1975: The Process of Devotional Service
2|Chapter 22
3|The Process of Devotional Service
4|In this Twenty-second Chapter, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
>|describes the process of devotional service. In the
>|beginning He describes the truth about the living entity
>|and the superexcellence of devotional service. He then
>|describes the uselessness of mental speculation and mystic
>|yoga. In all circumstances the living entity is recommended
>|to accept the path of devotional service as personally
>|explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The speculative
>|method of the so-called jnanis is considered a waste of
>|time, and that is proved in this chapter. An intelligent
>|person should abandon the processes of karma-kanda, jnana-
>|kanda and mystic yoga. One should give up all these useless
>|processes and take seriously to the path of Krsna
>|consciousness. In this way one's life will be successful.
>|If one takes to Krsna consciousness fully, even though he
>|may sometimes be agitated due to having previously
>|practiced mental speculation and yogic mysticism, he will
>|be saved by Lord Krsna Himself. The fact is that devotional
>|service is bestowed by the blessings of a pure devotee (sa
>|mahatma sudurlabhah ). A pure devotee is the
>|supreme transcendentalist, and one has to receive his mercy
>|for one's dormant Krsna consciousness to be awakened. One
>|has to associate with pure devotees. If one has firm faith
>|in the words of a great soul, pure devotional service will
>|awaken.
5|In this chapter Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has
>|differentiated between a pure devotee and others. He also
>|describes the characteristics of a pure devotee. A devotee'
>|s most formidable enemy is association with women in an
>|enjoying spirit. Association with nondevotees is also
>|condemned because it is also a formidable enemy on the path
>|of devotional service. One has to fully surrender unto the
>|lotus feet of Krsna and give up attraction for women and
>|nondevotees.
6|The six symptoms of fully surrendered souls are also
>|described in this chapter. Devotional service has been
>|divided into two categories-regulative devotional service
>|and spontaneous love. There are sixty-four items listed in
>|regulative devotional service, and out of these sixty-four
>|the last five are considered very important. By practicing
>|even one of the nine processes of devotional service, one
>|can become successful. Speculative knowledge and mystic
>|yoga can never help one in devotional service. Pious
>|activity, nonviolence, sense control and regulation are not
>|separate from devotional service in its pure form. If one
>|engages in devotional service, all good qualities follow.
>|One does not have to cultivate them separately. Spontaneous
>|devotional service arises when one follows a pure devotee
>|who is awakened to spontaneous love of God. Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu has described the symptoms of devotees
>|who are already situated in spontaneous love of God. He has
>|also described the devotees who are trying to follow in the
>|footsteps of the pure devotees
7|Madhya 22.1
8|TEXT 1
9|TEXT
10|vande sri-krsna-caitanya-
11|devam tam karunarnavam
12|kalav apy ati-gudheyam
13|bhaktir yena prakasita
14|SYNONYMS
15|vande-I offer my respectful obeisances; sri-krsna-caitanya-
>|devam-unto Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; tam-unto Him;
>|karuna-arnavam-who is an ocean of mercy; kalau-in this Age
>|of Kali; api-even; ati-very; gudha-confidential; iyam-this;
>|bhaktih-devotional service; yena-by whom; prakasita-
>|manifested.
16|TRANSLATION
17|I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu. He is an ocean of transcendental mercy, and
>|although the subject matter of bhakti-yoga is very
>|confidential, He has nonetheless manifested it so niceIy,
>|even in this Age of Kali, the age of quarrel.
18|Madhya 22.2
19|TEXT 2
20|TEXT
21|jaya jaya sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda
22|jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
23|SYNONYMS
24|jaya jaya-all glories; sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda-to Sri
>|Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu; jaya-all
>|glories; advaita-candra-to Advaita Prabhu; jaya-all glories;
>| gaura-bhakta-vrnda-to the devotees of Sri Caitanya
>|Mahaprabhu.
25|TRANSLATION
26|All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to
>|Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Advaitacandra! all
>|glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
27|Madhya 22.3
28|TEXT 3
29|TEXT
30|eita kahilun sambandha-tattvera vicara
31|veda-sastre upadese, krsna-eka sara
32|SYNONYMS
33|eita-thus; kahilun-I have described; sambandha-tattvera
>|vicara-consideration of one's relationship with Krsna; veda-
>|sastre-all Vedic literature; upadese-instructs; krsna-Lord
>|Krsna; eka sara-the only essential point.
34|TRANSLATION
35|Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "I have described one's
>|relation with Krsna in various ways. This is the
>|subject matter of all the Vedas. Krsna is the center of all
>|activities.
36|Madhya 22.4
37|TEXT 4
38|TEXT
39|ebe kahi, suna, abhidheya-laksana
40|yaha haite pai-krsna, krsna-prema-dhana
41|SYNONYMS
42|ebe-now; kahi-I shall explain; suna-please hear; abhidheya-
>|laksana-one's prime business (devotional service); yaha
>|haite-from which; pai-one can get; krsna-Lord Krsna; krsna-
>|prema-dhana-and the wealth of transcendental love for Him.
43|TRANSLATION
44|"Now I shall speak about the characteristics of devotional
>|service, by which one can attain the shelter of Krsna and
>|His loving transcendental service.
45|Madhya 22.5
46|TEXT 5
47|TEXT
48|krsna-bhakti-abhidheya, sarva-sastre kaya
49|ataeva muni-gana kariyache niscaya
50|SYNONYMS
51|krsna-bhakti-devotional service to Lord Krsna; abhidheya-
>|the real activity of life; sarva-sastre-all Vedic
>|literatures; kaya-say; ataeva-therefore; muni-gana-all
>|saintly persons; kariyache-have made; niscaya-ascertainment
>|.
52|TRANSLATION
53|"A human being's activities should be centered only about
>|devotional service to Lord Krsna. That is the verdict of
>|all Vedic literatures, and all saintly people have
>|ascertained this.
54|Madhya 22.6
55|TEXT 6
56|TEXT
57|srutir mata prsta disati bhavad-aradhana-vidhim
58|yatha matur vani smrtir api tatha vakti bhagini
59|puranadya ye va sahaja-nivahas te tad-anuga
60|atah satyam jnatam murahara bhavan eva saranam
61|SYNONYMS
62|srutih-Vedic knowledge; mata-like a mother who is
>|affectionate to her children; prsta-when questioned; disati-
>|she directs; bhavat-of You; aradhana-worship; vidhim-the
>|process; yatha-just as; matuh vani-the instructions of the
>|mother; smrtih-smrti-sastras, which explain the Vedic
>|literatures; api-also; tatha-similarly; vakti-express;
>|bhagini-like a sister; purana-adyah-headed by the Puranas;
>|ye-which; va-or; sahaja-nivahah-like brothers; te-all of
>|them; tat-of the mother; anugah-followers; atah-therefore;
>|satyam-the truth; jnatam-known; mura-hara-O killer of the
>|demon Mura; bhavan-Your Lordship; eva-only; saranam-the
>|shelter.
63|TRANSLATION
64|" 'When the mother Vedas [sruti] is questioned as to whom
>|to worship, she says that You are the only Lord and
>|worshipable object. Similarly, the corollaries of the sruti-
>|sastras, the smrti-sastras, give the same instructions,
>|just like sisters. The Puranas, which are like brothers,
>|follow in the footsteps of their mother. O enemy of the
>|demon Mura, the conclusion is that You are the only shelter.
>| Now I have understood this in truth.'
65|PURPORT
66|This quotation from the Vedic literature was spoken
>|by great sages.
67|Madhya 22.7
68|TEXT 7
69|TEXT
70|advaya-jnana-tattva krsna-svayam bhagavan
71|'svarupa-sakti' rupe tanra haya avasthana
72|SYNONYMS
73|advaya-jnana-of nondual knowledge; tattva-the principle;
>|krsna-Lord Krsna; svayam bhagavan-Himself the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead; svarupa-personal expansions; sakti-
>|of potencies; rupe-in the form; tanra-His; haya-there is;
>|avasthana-existence.
74|TRANSLATION
75|"Krsna is the nondual Absolute Truth, the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead. Although He is one, He maintains
>|different personal expansions and energies for His pastimes.
76|PURPORT
77|The Lord has many potencies, and He is nondifferent from
>|all these potencies. Because the potencies and the potent
>|cannot be separated, they are identical. Krsna is described
>|as the source of all potencies, and He is also identified
>|with the external potency, the material energy. Krsna also
>|has internal potencies, or spiritual potencies, which are
>|always engaged in His personal service. His internal
>|potency is different from His external potency. Krsna's
>|internal potency and Krsna Himself, who is the potent, are
>|always identical.
78|Madhya 22.8
79|TEXT 8
80|TEXT
81|svamsa-vibhinnamsa-rupe hana vistara
82|ananta vaikuntha-brahmande karena vihara
83|SYNONYMS
84|sva-amsa-of personal expansions; vibhinna-amsa-of separated
>|expansions; rupe-in the forms; hana-becoming; vistara-
>|expanded; ananta-unlimited; vaikuntha-in the spiritual
>|planets known as Vaikunthas; brahmande-in the material
>|universes; karena vihara-performs His pastimes.
85|TRANSLATION
86|"Krsna expands Himself in many forms. Some of them are
>|personal expansions, and some are separate expansions. Thus
>|He performs pastimes in both the spiritual and material
>|worlds. The spiritual worlds are the Vaikuntha planets, and
>|the material universes are brahmandas, gigantic globes
>|governed by Lord Brahma.
87|Madhya 22.9
88|TEXT 9
89|TEXT
90|svamsa-vistara-catur-vyuha, avatara-gana
91|vibhinnamsa jiva-tanra saktite ganana
92|SYNONYMS
93|sva-amsa-vistara-the expansion of His personal forms; catuh-
>|vyuha-His quadruple form; avatara-gana-the incarnations;
>|vibhinna-amsa-His separated forms; jiva-the living entities;
>| tanra-His; saktite-in the category of potency; ganana-
>|calculating.
94|TRANSLATION
95|"Expansions of His personal self-like the quadruple
>|manifestations of Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and
>|Vasudeva-descend as incarnations from Vaikuntha to this
>|material world. The separated expansions are living
>|entities. Although they are expansions of Krsna, they are
>|counted among His different potencies.
96|PURPORT
97|The personal expansions are known as visnu-tattva, and the
>|separated expansions are known as jiva-tattva. Although the
>|jivas (living entities) are part and parcel of the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead, they are still counted among His
>|multi-potencies. This is fully described
>|in Bhagavad-gita :
98|apareyam itas tv anyam
99|prakrtim viddhi me param
100|jiva -bhutam maha -
>|baho
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101|yayedam dharyate jagat
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102|"Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there
>|is a superior energy of Mine, which consists of all living
>|entities who are struggling with material nature and are
>|sustaining the universe." (Bg. 7.5)
103|Although the living entities are Krsna's parts and parcels,
>|they are prakrti, not purusa. Sometimes prakrti (a living
>|entity) attempts to imitate the activities of the purusa.
>|Due to a poor fund of knowledge, living entities
>|conditioned in this material world claim to be God. They
>|are thus illusioned. A living entity cannot be on the level
>|of a visnu-tattva, or the Personality of Godhead, at any
>|stage; therefore it is ludicrous for a living entity to
>|claim to be God. Advanced spiritualists would never accept
>|such a thing. Such claims are made to cheat ordinary,
>|foolish people. The Krsna consciousness movement declares
>|war against such bogus incarnations. The bogus propaganda
>|put out by people claiming to be God has killed God
>|consciousness all over the world. Members of the Krsna
>|consciousness movement must be very alert to defy these
>|rascals who are presently misleading the whole world. One
>|such rascal, known as Paundraka, appeared before Lord Krsna,
>| and the Lord immediately killed him. Of course, those who
>|are Krsna's servants cannot kill such imitation gods, but
>|they should try their best to defeat them through the
>|evidence of sastra, authentic knowledge received through
>|the disciplic succession.
104|Madhya 22.10
105|TEXT 10
106|TEXT
107|sei vibhinnamsa jiva-dui ta' prakara
108|eka-'nitya-mukta', eka-'nitya-samsara'
109|SYNONYMS
110|sei vibhinna-amsa-that separated part and parcel of Krsna;
>|jiva-the living entity; dui ta' prakara-two categories; eka-
>|one; nitya-mukta-eternally liberated; eka-one; nitya-
>|samsara-perpetually conditioned.
111|TRANSLATION
112|"The living entities [jivas] are divided into two
>|categories. Some are eternally liberated, and others are
>|eternally conditioned.
113|Madhya 22.11
114|TEXT 11
115|TEXT
116|'nitya-mukta'-nitya krsna-carane unmukha
117|'krsna-parisada' nama, bhunje seva-sukha
118|SYNONYMS
119|nitya-mukta-eternally liberated; nitya-always; krsna-carane-
>|the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; unmukha-turned toward; krsna-
>|parisada-associates of Lord Krsna; nama-known as; bhunje-
>|enjoy; seva-sukha-the happiness of service.
120|TRANSLATION
121|"Those who are eternally liberated are always awake to
>|Krsna consciousness, and they render transcendental loving
>|service at the feet of Lord Krsna. They are to be
>|considered eternal associates of Krsna, and they are
>|eternally enjoying the transcendental bliss of serving
>|Krsna.
122|Madhya 22.12
123|TEXT 12
124|TEXT
125|'nitya-bandha'-krsna haite nitya-bahirmukha
126|'nitya-samsara', bhunje narakadi duhkha
127|SYNONYMS
128|nitya-bandha-perpetually conditioned; krsna haite-from
>|Krsna; nitya-eternally; bahih-mukha-averse; nitya-samsara-
>|perpetually conditioned in the material world; bhunje-
>|enjoy; naraka-adi duhkha-the tribulations of hellish
>|conditions of life.
129|TRANSLATION
130|"Apart from the ever-liberated devotees, there are the
>|conditioned souls who always turn away from the service of
>|the Lord. They are perpetually conditioned in this material
>|world and are subjected to the material tribulations
>|brought about by different bodily forms in hellish
>|conditions.
131|Madhya 22.13
132|TEXT 13
133|TEXT
134|sei dose maya-pisaci danda kare tare
135|adhyatmikadi tapa-traya tare jari, mare
136|SYNONYMS
137|sei dose-because of this fault; maya-pisaci-the witch known
>|as the external energy; danda kare-gives punishment; tare-
>|unto him; adhyatmika-adi-beginning with those pertaining to
>|the body and mind; tapa-traya-the threefold miseries; tare-
>|him; jari'-burning; mare-gives pain.
138|TRANSLATION
139|"Due to his being opposed to Krsna consciousness, the
>|conditioned soul is punished by the witch of the external
>|energy, maya. He is thus ready to suffer the threefold
>|miseries-miseries brought about by the body and mind, the
>|inimical behavior of other living entities and natural
>|disturbances caused by the demigods.
140|Madhya 22.14-15
141|TEXTS 14-15
142|TEXT
143|kama-krodhera dasa hana tara lathi khaya
144|bhramite bhramite yadi sadhu-vaidya paya
145|tanra upadesa-mantre pisaci palaya
146|krsna-bhakti paya, tabe krsna-nikata yaya
147|SYNONYMS
148|kama-of lusty desires; krodhera-and of anger; dasa-the
>|servant; hana-becoming; tara-by them; lathi khaya-is kicked;
>| bhramite bhramite-wandering and wandering; yadi-if; sadhu-
>|a devotee; vaidya-physician; paya-he gets; tanra-his;
>|upadesa-mantre-by instruction and hymns; pisaci-the witch (
>|the external energy); palaya-flees; krsna-bhakti-devotional
>|service to Krsna; paya-obtains; tabe-in this way; krsna-
>|nikata yaya-he goes to Krsna.
149|TRANSLATION
150|"In this way the conditioned soul becomes the servant of
>|lusty desires, and when these are not fulfilled, he becomes
>|a servant of anger and continues to be kicked by the
>|external energy, maya. Wandering and wandering throughout
>|the universe, he may by chance get the association of a
>|devotee physician, whose instructions and hymns make the
>|witch of external energy flee. The conditioned soul
>|thus gets into touch with the devotional service of Lord
>|Krsna, and in this way he can approach nearer and nearer to
>|the Lord.
151|PURPORT
152|An explanation of verses 8 through 15 is given by Srila
>|Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. The Lord
>|is spread throughout the creation in His quadruple
>|expansions and incarnations. Krsna is fully represented
>|with all potencies in each and every personal extension,
>|but the living entities, although separated expansions, are
>|also considered one of the Lord's energies. The living
>|entities are divided into two categories-the eternally
>|liberated and eternally conditioned. Those who are ever
>|-liberated never come in contact with maya, the external
>|energy. The ever-conditioned are always under the
>|clutches of the external energy. This is described
>|in Bhagavad-gita :
153|daivi hy esa guna-mayi
154|mama maya duratyaya
155|"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes
>|of material nature, is difficult to overcome." (Bg. 7.14)
156|The nitya-baddhas are always conditioned by the external
>|energy, and the nitya-muktas never come in contact with the
>|external energy. Sometimes an ever-liberated personal
>|associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends
>|into this universe just as the Lord descends. Although
>|working for the liberation of conditioned souls, the
>|messenger of the Supreme Lord remains untouched by the
>|material energy. Generally ever-liberated personalities
>|live in the spiritual world as associates of Lord Krsna,
>|and they are known as krsna-parisada, associates of the
>|Lord. Their only business is enjoying Lord Krsna's company,
>|and even though such eternally liberated persons come
>|within this material world to serve the Lord's purpose,
>|they enjoy Lord Krsna's company without stoppage. The ever-
>|liberated person who works on Krsna's behalf enjoys Lord
>|Krsna's company through his engagement. The ever-
>|conditioned soul, provoked by lusty desires to enjoy the
>|material world, is subjected to transmigrate from one body
>|to another. Sometimes he is elevated to higher planetary
>|systems, and sometimes he is degraded to hellish planets
>|and subjected to the tribulations of the external energy.
157|Due to being conditioned by the external energy, the
>|conditioned soul within this material world gets two kinds
>|of bodies-a gross material body and a subtle body
>|composed of mind, intelligence and ego. Due to the gross
>|and subtle bodies, he is subjected to the threefold
>|miseries (adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika),
>|miseries arising from the body and mind, other living
>|entities , and natural disturbances caused by demigods from
>|higher planetary systems. The conditioned soul subjected to
>|the threefold material miseries is ceaselessly kicked by
>|maya, and this is his disease. If by chance he meets a
>|saintly person who works on Krsna's behalf to deliver
>|conditioned souls, and if he agrees to abide by his order,
>|he can gradually approach the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead, Krsna.
158|Madhya 22.16
159|TEXT 16
160|TEXT
161|kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas
162|tesam jata mayi na karuna na trapa nopasantih
163|utsrjyaitan atha yadu-pate sampratam labdha-buddhis
164|tvam ayatah saranam abhayam mam niyunksvatma-dasye
165|SYNONYMS
166|kama-adinam-of my masters such as lust, anger, greed,
>|illusion and envy; kati-how many; na-not; katidha-in how
>|many ways; palitah-obeyed; durnidesah -undesirable
>|orders; tesam-of them; jata-generated; mayi-unto me; na-not;
>| karuna-mercy; na-not; trapa-shame; na-not; upasantih-
>|desire to cease; utsrjya-giving up; etan-all these; atha-
>|herewith; yadu-pate-O best of the Yadu dynasty; sampratam-
>|now; labdha-buddhih-having awakened intelligence; tvam-You;
>|ayatah-approached; saranam-who are the shelter; abhayam-
>|fearless; mam-me; niyunksva-please engage; atma-dasye-in
>|Your personal service.
167|TRANSLATION
168|" 'O my Lord, there is no limit to the unwanted orders of
>|lusty desires. Although I have rendered them so
>|much service, they have not shown any mercy to me. I have
>|not been ashamed to serve them, nor have I even desired to
>|give them up. O my Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty,
>|recently, however, my intelligence has been awakened, and
>|now I am giving them up. Due to transcendental intelligence,
>| I now refuse to obey the unwanted orders of these desires,
>|and I now come to You to surrender myself at Your fearless
>|lotus feet. Kindly engage me in Your personal service and
>|save me.'
169|PURPORT
170|This verse is also quoted in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (3.
>|2.35). When we chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra we are
>|saying, "Hare! O energy of the Lord! O my Lord Krsna!" In
>|this way we are simply addressing the Lord and His
>|spiritual potency represented as Radha-Krsna, Sita-Rama ,
>|or Laksmi-Narayana. The devotee always prays to the Lord
>|and His internal energy (consort) so that he may engage in
>|Their transcendental loving service. When the conditioned
>|soul attains his real spiritual energy and fully surrenders
>|unto the Lord's lotus feet, he tries to engage in the Lord'
>|s service. This is the real constitutional position of the
>|living entity.
171|Madhya 22.17
172|TEXT 17
173|TEXT
174|krsna-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhana
175|bhakti-mukha-niriksaka karma-yoga-jnana
176|SYNONYMS
177|krsna-bhakti-devotional service to Lord Krsna; haya-is;
>|abhidheya-pradhana-the chief function of the living entity;
>|bhakti-mukha-of the face of devotional service; niriksaka-
>|observers; karma-yoga-jnana-fruitive activities, mystic
>|yoga and speculative knowledge.
178|TRANSLATION
179|"Devotional service to Krsna is the chief function of the
>|living entity. There are different methods for the
>|liberation of the conditioned soul-karma, jnana, yoga and
>|bhakti-but all are dependent on bhakti.
180|Madhya 22.18
181|TEXT 18
182|TEXT
183|ei saba sadhanera ati tuccha bala
184|krsna-bhakti vina taha dite nare phala
185|SYNONYMS
186|ei saba-all these; sadhanera-of methods of spiritual
>|activities; ati-very; tuccha-insignificant; bala-strength;
>|krsna-bhakti-devotional service to Lord Krsna; vina-without;
>| taha-all these; dite-to deliver; nare-are not able; phala-
>|the desired result.
187|TRANSLATION
188|"But for devotional service, all other methods for
>|spiritual self-realization are weak and insignificant.
>|Unless one comes to the devotional service of Lord Krsna,
>|jnana and yoga cannot give the desired results.
189|PURPORT
190|In Vedic scriptures, stress is sometimes given to
>|fruitive activity, speculative knowledge and the mystic
>|yoga system. Although people are inclined to practice these
>|processes, they cannot attain the desired results without
>|being touched by krsna-bhakti, devotional service. In other
>|words, the real desired result is to invoke dormant love
>|for Krsna. Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) states:
191|sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
192|yato bhaktir adhoksaje
193|ahaituky apratihata
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
194|yayatma suprasidati
195|Karma, jnana and yoga cannot actually awaken love of
>|Godhead. One has to take to the Lord's devotional service,
>|and the more one is inclined to devotional service, the
>|more he loses interest in other so-called achievements.
>|Dhruva Maharaja went to practice mystic yoga to see the
>|Lord personally face to face, but when he developed an
>|interest in devotional service, he saw that he was not
>|being benefited by karma, jnana and yoga.
196|Madhya 22.19
197|TEXT 19
198|TEXT
199|naiskarmyam apy acyuta-bhava-varjitam
200|na sobhate jnanam alam niranjanam
201|kutah punah sasvad abhadram isvare
202|na carpitam karma yad apy akaranam
203|SYNONYMS
204|naiskarmyam-which does not produce enjoyment of the
>|resultant action; api-although; acyuta-bhava-of devotional
>|service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; varjitam-
>|devoid; na-not; sobhate-looks beautiful; jnanam-speculative
>|knowledge; alam-exceedingly; niranjanam-which is without
>|material contamination; kutah-how much less; punah-again;
>|sasvat-always (at the time of practicing and at the time of
>|achieving the goal); abhadram-inauspicious; isvare-to the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead; na-not; ca-also; arpitam-
>|dedicated; karma-activities; yat-which; api-although;
>|akaranam-causeless.
205|TRANSLATION
206|" 'When pure knowledge is beyond all material affinity but
>|is not dedicated to the Supreme PersonaIity of Godhead [
>|Krsna], it does not appear very beautiful, although it is
>|knowledge without a material tinge. What, then, is the use
>|of fruitive activities-which are naturally painful from the
>|beginning and transient by nature-if they are not utilized
>|for the devotional service of the Lord? How can they be
>|very attractive?'
207|PURPORT
208|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.12). Even
>|after writing many Vedic literatures, Vyasadeva felt very
>|morose. Therefore his spiritual master, Naradadeva, told
>|him that he could be happy by writing about the activities
>|of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Up to that time,
>|Srila Vyasadeva had written the karma-kanda and jnana-kanda
>|sections of the Vedas, but he had not written about upasana-
>|kanda, or bhakti. Thus his spiritual master, Narada,
>|chastised him and advised him to write about the activities
>|of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Vyasadeva
>|began writing Srimad-Bhagavatam.
209|Madhya 22.20
210|TEXT 20
211|TEXT
212|tapasvino dana-para yasasvino
213|manasvino mantra-vidah sumangalah
214|ksemam na vindanti vina yad-arpanam
215|tasmai subhadra-sravase namo namah
216|SYNONYMS
217|tapasvinah-those engaged in severe austerities and penances;
>| dana-parah-those engaged in giving his possessions as
>|charity; yasasvinah-those famous in society; manasvinah-
>|experts in mental speculation or meditation; mantra-vidah-
>|experts in reciting the Vedic hymns; su-mangalah-very
>|auspicious; ksemam-real, eternal auspiciousness; na-never;
>|vindanti-obtain; vina-without; yat-arpanam-dedicating unto
>|whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); tasmai-unto that
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead; su-bhadra sravase-whose
>|glory is very auspicious; namah namah-I offer my repeated
>|respectful obeisances.
218|TRANSLATION
219|" 'Those who perform severe austerities and penances, those
>|who give away all their possessions out of charity, those
>|who are very famous for their auspicious activity, those
>|who are engaged in meditation and mental speculation, and
>|even those who are very expert in reciting the Vedic
>|mantras , are not able to obtain any auspicious results,
>|although they are engaged in auspicious activities, if they
>|do not dedicate their activities to the service of the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead. I therefore repeatedly
>|offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead, whose glories are always auspicious.'
220|PURPORT
221|This is also a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.17).
222|Madhya 22.21
223|TEXT 21
224|TEXT
225|kevala jnana'mukti' dite nare bhakti vine
226|krsnonmukhe sei mukti haya vina jnane
227|SYNONYMS
228|kevala-only; jnana-speculative knowledge; mukti-liberation;
>|dite-to deliver; nare-is not able; bhakti vine-without
>|devotional service; krsna-unmukhe-if one is attached to the
>|service of Lord Krsna; sei mukti-that liberation; haya-
>|appears; vina-without; jnane-knowledge.
229|TRANSLATION
230|"Speculative knowledge alone, without devotional service,
>|is not able to give liberation. On the other hand, even
>|without knowledge one can obtain liberation if one engages
>|in the Lord's devotional service.
231|PURPORT
232|One cannot attain liberation simply by speculative
>|knowledge. Even though one may be able to distinguish
>|between Brahman and matter, one's liberation will be
>|hampered if one is misled into thinking that the living
>|entity is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
>|Indeed, one falls down again onto the material platform
>|because considering oneself the Supreme Person, the Supreme
>|Absolute Truth, is offensive. When such a person comes in
>|contact with a pure devotee, he can actually become
>|liberated from material bondage and engage in the Lord's
>|service. A prayer by Bilvamangala Thakura is relevant here:
233|bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad
234|daivena nah phalati divya-kisora-murtih
235|muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate 'sman
236|dharmartha-kama-gatayah samaya-pratiksah
237|"O my Lord, if one engages in Your pure devotional service
>|with determination, You become visible in Your original
>|transcendental youthful form as the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead. As far as liberation is concerned, she stands
>|before the devotee with folded hands waiting to render
>|service. Religion, economic development and sense
>|gratification are all automatically attained without
>|separate endeavor."
238|Madhya 22.22
239|TEXT 22
240|TEXT
241|sreyah-srtim bhaktim udasya te vibho
242|klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
243|tesam asau klesala eva sisyate
244|nanyad yatha sthula-tusavaghatinam
245|SYNONYMS
246|sreyah-srtim-the auspicious path of liberation; bhaktim-
>|devotional service; udasya-giving up; te-of You; vibho-O my
>|Lord; klisyanti-accept increased difficulties; ye-all those
>|persons who; kevala-only; bodha-labdhaye-for obtaining
>|knowledge; tesam-for them; asau-that; klesalah-trouble; eva-
>|only; sisyate-remains; na-not; anyat-anything else; yatha-
>|as much as; sthula-bulky; tusa-husks of rice; avaghatinam-
>|of those beating.
247|TRANSLATION
248|" 'My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the only
>|auspicious path. If one gives it up simply for speculative
>|knowledge or the understanding that these living beings are
>|spirit souls and the material world is false, he undergoes
>|a great deal of trouble. He only gains troublesome and
>|inauspicious activities. His endeavors are like beating a
>|husk that is already devoid of rice. One 's labor becomes
>|fruitless.'
249|PURPORT
250|This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.4).
251|Madhya 22.23
252|TEXT 23
253|TEXT
254|daivi hy esa guna-mayi
255|mama maya duratyaya
256|mam eva ye prapadyante
257|mayam etam taranti te
258|SYNONYMS
259|daivi-belonging to the Supreme Lord; hi-certainly; esa-this;
>| guna-mayi-made of the three modes; mama-My; maya-external
>|energy; duratyaya-very difficult to surpass; mam-unto Me;
>|eva-certainly; ye-those who; prapadyante-surrender fully;
>|mayam-illusory energy; etam-this; taranti-cross over; te-
>|they.
260|TRANSLATION
261|" 'This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three
>|modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But
>|those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond
>|it.'
262|PURPORT
263|This is a quotation from Bhagavad-gita (7.14).
264|Madhya 22.24
265|TEXT 24
266|TEXT
267|'krsna-nitya-dasa'-jiva taha bhuli' gela
268|ei dose maya tara galaya bandhila
269|SYNONYMS
270|krsna-nitya-dasa-eternal servant of Krsna; jiva-the living
>|entity; taha-that; bhuli'-forgetting; gela-went; ei dose-
>|for this fault; maya-the material energy; tara-his; galaya-
>|on the neck; bandhila-has bound.
271|TRANSLATION
272|"The living entity is bound around the neck by the chain of
>|maya because he has forgotten that he is eternally a
>|servant of Krsna.
273|Madhya 22.25
274|TEXT 25
275|TEXT
276|tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana
277|maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana
278|SYNONYMS
279|tate-therefore; krsna bhaje-if one worships Lord Krsna;
>|kare-performs; gurura sevana-service to his spiritual
>|master; maya-jala chute-gets free from the binding net of
>|maya; paya-gets; krsnera carana-shelter at the lotus feet
>|of Krsna.
280|TRANSLATION
281|"If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord
>|and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual
>|master and serves him, he can get out of the clutches of
>|maya and become eligible for shelter at Krsna's lotus feet.
282|PURPORT
283|It is a fact that every living entity is eternally a
>|servant of Krsna. This is forgotten due to the influence of
>|maya, which induces one to believe in material happiness.
>|Being illusioned by maya, one thinks that material
>|happiness is the only desirable object. This material
>|consciousness is like a chain around the neck of the
>|conditioned soul. As long as he is bound to that conception,
>| he cannot get out of maya's clutches. However, if by Krsna'
>|s mercy he gets in touch with a bona fide spiritual master,
>|abides by his order and serves him, engaging other
>|conditioned souls in the Lord's service, he then attains
>|liberation and Lord Sri Krsna's shelter.
284|Madhya 22.26
285|TEXT 26
286|TEXT
287|cari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje
288|svakarma karite se raurave padi' maje
289|SYNONYMS
290|cari varna-asrami-followers of the four social and
>|spiritual orders of life; yadi-if; krsna-Lord Krsna; nahi-
>|not; bhaje-serve; sva-karma karite-performing his duty in
>|life; se-that person; raurave-in a hellish condition; padi'-
>|falling down; maje-becomes immersed.
291|TRANSLATION
292|"The followers of the varnasrama institution accept the
>|regulative principles of the four social orders [brahmana,
>|ksatriya, vaisya and sudra] and four spiritual orders [
>|brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa]. However,
>|if one carries out the regulative principles of these
>|orders but does not render transcendental service to Krsna,
>|he falls into the hellish condition of material life.
293|PURPORT
294|One may be a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, or one
>|may perfectly follow the spiritual principles of
>|brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa, but
>|ultimately one falls down into a hellish condition unless
>|one becomes a devotee. Without developing one's dormant
>|Krsna consciousness, one cannot be factually elevated. The
>|regulative principles of varnasrama-dharma in themselves
>|are insufficient for attainment of the highest perfection.
>|That is confirmed in the following two quotations from
>|Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.2-3).
295|Madhya 22.27
296|TEXT 27
297|TEXT
298|mukha-bahuru-padebhyah
299|purusasyasramaih saha
300|catvaro jajnire varna
301|gunair vipradayah prthak
302|SYNONYMS
303|mukha-the mouth; bahu-the arms; uru-the waist; padebhyah-
>|from the legs; purusasya-of the Supreme Person; asramaih-
>|the different spiritual orders; saha-with; catvarah-the
>|four; jajnire-appeared; varnah-social orders; gunaih-with
>|particular qualifications; vipra-adayah-brahmanas and so on;
>| prthak-separately.
304|TRANSLATION
305|" 'From the mouth of Brahma, the brahminical order has come
>|into existence. Similarly, from his arms the ksatriyas have
>|come, from his waist the vaisyas have come, and from his
>|legs the sudras have come. These four orders and their
>|spiritual counterparts [brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha
>|and sannyasa] combine to make human society complete.
306|Madhya 22.28
307|TEXT 28
308|TEXT
309|ya esam purusam saksad -
310|atma-prabhavam isvaram
311|na bhajanty avajananti
312|sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah
313|SYNONYMS
314|ye-anyone who; esam-of those divisions of social and
>|spiritual orders; purusam-the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead; saksat-directly; atma-prabhavam-the source of
>|everyone; isvaram-the supreme controller; na-not; bhajanti-
>|worship; avajananti-or who neglect; sthanat-from their
>|proper place; bhrastah-being fallen; patanti-fall; adhah-
>|downward into hellish conditions.
315|TRANSLATION
316|" 'If one simply maintains an official position in the four
>|varnas and asramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord
>|Visnu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a
>|heIlish condition.'
317|Madhya 22.29
318|TEXT 29
319|TEXT
320|jnani jivan - mukta - dasa painu kari ,
>| mane
321|vastutah buddhi 'suddha' nahe krsna-bhakti vine
322|SYNONYMS
323|jnani-the speculative philosophers; jivan-mukta-dasa-the
>|stage of liberation even while in this body; painu-I have
>|gotten; kari'-taking; mane-considers; vastutah-factually;
>|buddhi-intelligence; suddha-purified; nahe-not; krsna-
>|bhakti vine-without devotional service to Krsna.
324|TRANSLATION
325|"There are many philosophical speculators [jnanis]
>|belonging to the Mayavada school who consider themselves
>|liberated and call themselves Narayana. However , their
>|intelligence is not purified unless they engage in Krsna's
>|devotional service.
326|Madhya 22.30
327|TEXT 30
328|TEXT
329|ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
330|tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
331|aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
332|patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
333|SYNONYMS
334|ye-all those who; anye-others (nondevotees); aravinda-aksa-
>|O lotus-eyed one; vimukta-maninah-who consider themselves
>|liberated; tvayi-unto You; asta-bhavat-without devotion;
>|avisuddha-buddhayah-whose intelligence is not purified;
>|aruhya-having ascended; krcchrena-by severe austerities and
>|penances; param padam-to the supreme position; tatah-from
>|there; patanti-fall; adhah-down; anadrta-without respecting;
>| yusmat-Your; anghrayah-lotus feet.
335|TRANSLATION
336|" 'O lotus-eyed one, those who think they are liberated in
>|this life but do not render devotional service to You must
>|be of impure intelligence. Although they accept severe
>|austerities and penances and rise to the spiritual position,
>| to impersonal Brahman realization, they fall down again
>|because they neglect to worship Your lotus feet.'
337|PURPORT
338|This verse is quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32).
339|Madhya 22.31
340|TEXT 31
341|TEXT
342|krsna-surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
343|yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara
344|SYNONYMS
345|krsna-Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; surya-sama-
>|like the sun planet; maya-the illusory energy; haya-is;
>|andhakara-darkness; yahan krsna-wherever there is Krsna;
>|tahan-there; nahi-not; mayara-of maya, or the darkness of
>|illusion; adhikara-the jurisdiction.
346|TRANSLATION
347|"Krsna is compared to sunshine, and maya is compared to
>|darkness. Wherever there is sunshine, there cannot be
>|darkness. As soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness, the
>|darkness of illusion (the influence of the external energy)
>|will immediately vanish.
348|PURPORT
349|In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.34) it is stated:
350|rte 'rtham yat pratiyeta
351|na pratiyeta catmani
352|tad vidyad atmano mayam
>|
>|
>|
>|
353|yathabhaso yatha tamah
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
354|Wherever there is light, there cannot be darkness. When a
>|living entity becomes Krsna conscious, he is immediately
>|relieved of all material lusty desires. Lusty desires and
>|greed are associated with rajas and tamas, darkness and
>|passion. When one becomes Krsna conscious, the modes of
>|darkness and passion immediately vanish, and the remaining
>|mode, sattva-guna (goodness), remains. When one is situated
>|in the mode of goodness, he can make spiritual advancement
>|and understand things clearly. This position is not
>|possible for everyone. When a person is Krsna conscious, he
>|continuously hears about Krsna, thinks about Him, worships
>|Him and serves Him as a devotee. If he remains in Krsna
>|consciousness in this way, the darkness of maya certainly
>|will not be able to touch him.
355|Madhya 22.32
356|TEXT 32
357|TEXT
358|vilajjamanaya yasya
359|sthatum iksa-pathe 'muya
360|vimohita vikatthante
361|mamaham iti durdhiyah
362|SYNONYMS
363|vilajjamanaya-being ashamed; yasya-of whom; sthatum-to
>|remain; iksa-pathe-in the line of sight; amuya-by that (
>|maya); vimohitah-bewildered; vikatthante-boast; mama-my;
>|aham-I; iti-thus; durdhiyah-having poor intelligence.
364|TRANSLATION
365|" 'The external illusory energy of Krsna, known as maya, is
>|always ashamed to stand in front of Krsna, just as darkness
>|is ashamed to remain before the sunshine. However, that
>|maya bewilders unfortunate people who have no intelligence.
>|Thus they simply boast that this material world is theirs
>|and that they are its enjoyers.'
366|PURPORT
367|The entire world is bewildered because people are thinking,
>|"This is my land," "America is mine," "India is mine." Not
>|knowing the real value of life, people think that the
>|material body and the land where it is produced are all in
>|all. This is the basic principle behind nationalism,
>|socialism and communism. Such thinking, which simply
>|bewilders the living being, is nothing but rascalism. It is
>|due to the darkness of maya, but as soon as one becomes
>|Krsna conscious, he is immediately relieved from such
>|misconceptions. This verse is quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam
>|(2.5.13). There is also another appropriate verse in Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam (2.7.47):
368|sasvat prasantam abhayam pratibodha-matram
369|suddham samam sad-asatah paramatma-tattvam
370|sabdo na yatra puru-karakavan kriyartho
371|maya paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamana
372|tad vai padam bhagavatah paramasya pumso
373|brahmeti yad vidur ajasra-sukham visokam
374|"What is realized as the Absolute Brahman is full of
>|unlimited bliss without grief. That is certainly the
>|ultimate phase of the supreme enjoyer, the Personality of
>|Godhead. He is eternally void of all disturbances,
>|fearless, completely conscious as opposed to matter,
>|uncontaminated and without distinctions. He is the
>|principal, primeval cause of all causes and effects, in
>|whom there is no sacrifice for fruitive activities and in
>|whom the illusory energy does not stand."
375|This verse was spoken by Lord Brahma when he was questioned
>|by the great sage Narada. Narada was surprised to see the
>|creator of the universe meditating, for he was
>|doubting whether there was someone greater than Lord
>|Brahma. While answering the great sage Narada, Lord Brahma
>|described the position of maya and the bewildered living
>|entities. This verse was spoken in that connection.
376|Madhya 22.33
377|TEXT 33
378|TEXT
379|'krsna, tomara hana' yadi bale eka-bara
380|maya-bandha haite krsna tare kare para
381|SYNONYMS
382|krsna-O my Lord Krsna; tomara hana-I am Yours; yadi-if;
>|bale-someone says; eka-bara-once; maya-bandha haite-from
>|the bondage of conditional life; krsna-Lord Krsna; tare-him;
>| kare para-releases.
383|TRANSLATION
384|"One is immediately freed from the clutches of maya if he
>|seriously and sincerely says, 'My dear Lord Krsna, although
>|I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material
>|world, today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere
>|and serious servant. Please engage me in Your service.'
385|Madhya 22.34
386|TEXT 34
387|TEXT
388|sakrd eva prapanno yas
389|tavasmiti ca yacate
390|abhayam sarvada tasmai
391|dadamy etad vratam mama
392|SYNONYMS
393|sakrt-once only; eva-certainly; prapannah-surrendered; yah-
>|anyone who; tava-Yours; asmi-I am; iti-thus; ca-also;
>|yacate-prays; abhayam-fearlessness; sarvada-always; tasmai-
>|unto him; dadami-I give; etat-this; vratam-vow; mama-My.
394|TRANSLATION
395|" 'It is My vow that if one only once seriously surrenders
>|unto Me, saying , "My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours,"
>|and prays to Me for courage, I shall immediately award
>|courage to that person, and he will always remain safe from
>|that time on.'
396|PURPORT
397|This is a quotation from the Ramayana
>|.
398|Madhya 22.35
399|TEXT 35
400|TEXT
401|bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami 'subuddhi' yadi haya
402|gadha-bhakti-yoge tabe krsnere bhajaya
403|SYNONYMS
404|bhukti-of material enjoyment; mukti-of impersonal
>|liberation; siddhi-of achieving mystic power; kami-desirous;
>| su-buddhi-actually intelligent; yadi-if; haya-he is; gadha-
>|deep; bhakti-yoge-by devotional service; tabe-then; krsnere
>|bhajaya-worships Lord Krsna.
405|TRANSLATION
406|"Due to bad association, the living entity desires material
>|happiness, liberation or merging into the impersonal aspect
>|of the Lord, or he engages in mystic yoga for material
>|power. If such a person actually becomes intelligent, he
>|takes to Krsna consciousness by engaging himself in intense
>|devotional service to Lord Sri Krsna.
407|Madhya 22.36
408|TEXT 36
409|TEXT
410|akamah sarva-kamo va
411|moksa-kama udara-dhih
412|tivrena bhakti-yogena
413|yajeta purusam param
414|SYNONYMS
415|akamah-a pure devotee with no desire for material enjoyment;
>| sarva-kamah-one who has no end to his desires for material
>|enjoyment; va-or; moksa-kamah-one who desires to merge into
>|the existence of Brahman; udara-dhih-being very intelligent;
>| tivrena-firm; bhakti-yogena-by devotional service; yajeta-
>|should worship; purusam-the person; param-supreme.
416|TRANSLATION
417|" 'Whether one desires everything or nothing, or whether he
>|desires to merge into the existence of the Lord, he is
>|intelligent only if he worships Lord Krsna, the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead, by rendering transcendental Ioving
>|service.'
418|PURPORT
419|This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.10).
420|Madhya 22.37
421|TEXT 37
422|TEXT
423|anya-kami yadi kare krsnera bhajana
424|na magiteha krsna tare dena sva-carana
425|SYNONYMS
426|anya-kami-one who desires many other things; yadi-if; kare-
>|he performs; krsnera bhajana-devotional service to Lord
>|Krsna; na magiteha-although not asking; krsna-Lord Krsna;
>|tare-to him; dena-gives; sva-carana-the shelter of His
>|lotus feet.
427|TRANSLATION
428|"If those who desire material enjoyment or merging into the
>|existence of the Absolute Truth engage in the Lord's
>|transcendental loving service, they will immediately attain
>|shelter at Krsna's lotus feet, although they did not ask
>|for it. Krsna is therefore very merciful.
429|Madhya 22.38
430|TEXT 38
431|TEXT
432|krsna kahe,-'ama bhaje, mage visaya-sukha
433|amrta chadi' visa mage,-ei bada murkha
434|SYNONYMS
435|krsna kahe-Krsna says; ama bhaje-he worships Me; mage-but
>|requests; visaya-sukha-material happiness; amrta chadi'-
>|giving up the nectar; visa mage-he begs for poison; ei bada
>|murkha-he is a great fool.
436|TRANSLATION
437|"Krsna says, 'If one engages in My transcendental loving
>|service but at the same time wants the opulence of material
>|enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just
>|like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison.
438|Madhya 22.39
439|TEXT 39
440|TEXT
441|ami-vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kene diba?
442|sva-caranamrta diya 'visaya' bhulaiba
443|SYNONYMS
444|ami-I; vijna-all-intelligent; ei murkhe-unto this foolish
>|person; visaya-material enjoyment; kene diba-why should I
>|give; sva-carana-amrta-the nectar of shelter at My lotus
>|feet; diya-giving; visaya-the idea of material enjoyment;
>|bhulaiba-I shall make him forget.
445|TRANSLATION
446|" 'Since I am very intelligent, why should I give this fool
>|material prosperity? Instead I shall induce him to take the
>|nectar of the shelter of My lotus feet and make him forget
>|illusory material enjoyment.'
447|PURPORT
448|Those who are interested in material enjoyment are known as
>|bhukti. One who is interested in merging into the
>|effulgence of Brahman or perfecting the mystic yoga system
>|is not a devotee at all. Devotees do not have such desires.
>|However, if a karmi, jnani or yogi somehow contacts a
>|devotee and renders devotional service, Krsna immediately
>|awards him love of God and gives him shelter at His lotus
>|feet, although he may have no idea how to develop love of
>|Krsna. If a person wants material profit from devotional
>|service, Krsna condemns such materialistic desires. To
>|desire material opulence while engaging in devotional
>|service is foolish. Although the person may be foolish,
>|Krsna, being all-intelligent, engages him in His devotional
>|service in such a way that he gradually forgets material
>|opulence. The point is that we should not try to exchange
>|loving service for material prosperity. If we are actually
>|surrendered to the lotus feet of Krsna, our only desire
>|should be to satisfy Krsna. That is pure Krsna
>|consciousness. Surrender does not mean that we demand
>|something from the Lord but that we completely depend on
>|His mercy
>|
>|
>|
>|.
449|Madhya 22.40
450|TEXT 40
451|TEXT
452|satyam disaty arthitam arthito nrnam
453|naivarthado yat punar arthita yatah
454|svayam vidhatte bhajatam anicchatam
455|iccha-pidhanam nija-pada-pallavam
456|SYNONYMS
457|satyam-it is true; disati-He awards; arthitam-that which is
>|desired; arthitah-being requested; nrnam-by human beings;
>|na-not; eva-certainly; artha-dah-giving desired things; yat-
>|which; punah-again; arthita-request; yatah-from which;
>|svayam-Himself; vidhatte-He gives; bhajatam-of those
>|engaged in devotional service; anicchatam-even though not
>|desiring; iccha-pidhanam-covering all other desires; nija-
>|pada-pallavam-the shelter of His own lotus feet.
458|TRANSLATION
459|" 'Whenever Krsna is requested to fulfill one's desire, He
>|undoubtedly does so, but He does not award anything which,
>|after being enjoyed, will cause someone to petition Him
>|again and again to fulfill further desires. When one has
>|other desires but engages in the Lord's service, Krsna
>|forcibly gives one shelter at His lotus feet, where one
>|will forget all other desires.'
460|PURPORT
461|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.19.27).
462|Madhya 22.41
463|TEXT 41
464|TEXT
465|kama lagi' krsne bhaje, paya krsna-rase
466|kama chadi' 'dasa' haite haya abhilase
467|SYNONYMS
468|kama lagi'-for fulfillment of one's material desires; krsne
>|bhaje-one engages in the transcendental service of Lord
>|Krsna; paya-he gets; krsna-rase-a taste of the lotus feet
>|of Lord Krsna; kama chadi'-giving up all desires for
>|material enjoyment; dasa haite-to be an eternal servant of
>|the Lord; haya-there is; abhilase-aspiration.
469|TRANSLATION
470|"When someone engages in Lord Krsna's devotional service
>|for the satisfaction of the senses and instead acquires a
>|taste to serve Krsna, he gives up his material desires
>|and willingly offers himself as an eternal servant of Krsna.
471|Madhya 22.42
472|TEXT 42
473|TEXT
474|sthanabhilasi tapasi sthito 'ham
475|tvam praptavan deva-munindra-guhyam
476|kacam vicinvann api divya-ratnam
477|svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace
478|SYNONYMS
479|sthana-abhilasi-desiring a very high position in the
>|material world; tapasi-in severe austerities and penances;
>|sthitah-situated; aham-I; tvam-You; praptavan-have obtained;
>| deva-muni-indra-guhyam-difficult to achieve even for great
>|demigods, saintly persons and kings; kacam-a piece of glass;
>| vicinvan-searching for; api-although; divya-ratnam-a
>|transcendental gem; svamin-O my Lord; krta-arthah asmi-I am
>|fully satisfied; varam-any benediction; na yace-I do not
>|ask.
480|TRANSLATION
481|[When he was being benedicted by the Supreme Personality
>|of Godhead, Dhruva Maharaja said ] " 'O my Lord, because
>|I was seeking an opulent material position, I was
>|performing severe types of penance and austerity. Now I
>|have gotten You, who are very difficult for the great
>|demigods, saintly persons and kings to attain. I was
>|searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found
>|a most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I
>|do not wish to ask any benediction from You.'
482|PURPORT
483|This verse is from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (7.28).
484|Madhya 22.43
485|TEXT 43
486|TEXT
487|samsara bhramite kona bhagye keha tare
488|nadira pravahe yena kastha lage tire
489|SYNONYMS
490|samsara bhramite-wandering throughout the universe; kona
>|bhagye-by some good fortune; keha tare-someone crosses the
>|ocean of nescience; nadira pravahe-in the flow of the river;
>| yena-just as; kastha-wood; lage-sticks; tire-on the bank.
491|TRANSLATION
492|"There are unlimited conditioned souls who are bereft
>|of Lord Krsna's service. Not knowing how to
>|cross the ocean of nescience, they are
>|scattered by waves, time and tide. However , some
>|are fortunate to contact devotees , and by this
>|contact they are deIivered from the ocean of nescience,
>|just as a log , floating down a
>|river , accidentally washes upon the bank.
493|Madhya 22.44
494|TEXT 44
495|TEXT
496|maivam mamadhamasyapi
497|syad evacyuta-darsanam
498|hriyamanah kala-nadya
499|kvacit tarati kascana
500|SYNONYMS
501|ma-not; evam-thus; mama-of me; adhamasya-who is the most
>|fallen; api-although; syat-there may be; eva-certainly;
>|acyuta-darsanam-seeing of the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead; hriyamanah-being carried; kala-nadya-by the stream
>|of time; kvacit-sometimes; tarati-crosses over; kascana-
>|someone.
502|TRANSLATION
503|"Because I am so fallen, I shall never get a chance to
>|see the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This was my false
>|apprehension. Rather, by chance a person as fallen as I am
>|may get to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although
>|one is being carried away by the waves of the river of time,
>| one may eventually reach the shore.'
504|PURPORT
505|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.38.5)
>|.
506|Madhya 22.45
507|TEXT 45
508|TEXT
509|kona bhagye karo samsara ksayonmukha haya
510|sadhu-sange tabe krsne rati upajaya
511|SYNONYMS
512|kona bhagye-by fortune; karo-of someone; samsara-
>|conditioned life; ksaya-unmukha-on the point of destruction;
>| haya-is; sadhu-sange-by association with devotees; tabe-
>|then; krsne-to Lord Krsna; rati-attraction; upa-jaya-
>|awakens.
513|TRANSLATION
514|"By good fortune, one becomes eligible to cross the ocean
>|of nescience, and when one's term of material existence
>|decreases, one may get an opportunity to associate with
>|pure devotees. By such association, one's attraction to
>|Krsna is awakened.
515|PURPORT
516|Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains this point. Is this
>|bhagya (fortune) the result of an accident or something
>|else? In the scriptures, devotional service and pious
>|activity are considered fortunate. Pious activities can be
>|divided into three categories- pious activities that
>|awaken one's dormant Krsna consciousness are called bhakty-
>|unmukhi sukrti . Pious activities that bestow material
>|opulence are called bhogonmukhi , and pious
>|activities that enable the living entity to merge into the
>|existence of the Supreme are called moksonmukhi .
>|These last two awards of pious activity are not actually
>|fortunate. Pious activities are fortunate when they help
>|one become Krsna conscious. The good fortune of bhakty-
>|unmukhi is attainable only when one comes in contact with a
>|devotee. By associating with a devotee willingly or
>|unwillingly, one advances in devotional service, and thus
>|one's dormant Krsna consciousness is awakened.
517|Madhya 22.46
518|TEXT 46
519|TEXT
520|bhavapavargo bhramato yada bhavej
521|janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samagamah
522|sat-sangamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau
523|paravarese tvayi jayate ratih
524|SYNONYMS
525|bhava-apavargah-liberation from the nescience of material
>|existence; bhramatah-wandering; yada-when; bhavet-should be;
>| janasya-of a person; tarhi-at that time; acyuta-O Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead; sat-samagamah-association with
>|devotees; sat-sangamah-association with devotees; yarhi-
>|when; tada-at that time; eva-only; sat-gatau-the highest
>|goal of life; paravarese
>|-the Lord of the universe; tvayi-to You; jayate-
>|appears; ratih-attraction.
526|TRANSLATION
527|" 'O my Lord! O infallible Supreme Person! When a person
>|wandering throughout the universes becomes eligible for
>|liberation from material existence, he gets an opportunity
>|to associate with devotees. When he associates with
>|devotees, his attraction for You is awakened. You are the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead , the highest goal of the
>|supreme devotees and the Lord of the universe.'
528|PURPORT
529|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.51.53).
530|Madhya 22.47
531|TEXT 47
532|TEXT
533|krsna yadi krpa kare kona bhagyavane
534|guru-antaryami-rupe sikhaya apane
535|SYNONYMS
536|krsna-Lord Krsna; yadi-if; krpa kare-shows His mercy; kona
>|bhagyavane-to some fortunate person; guru-of the spiritual
>|master; antaryami-of the Supersoul; rupe-in the form;
>|sikhaya-teaches; apane-personally.
537|TRANSLATION
538|"Krsna is situated in everyone's heart as caitya -
>|guru, the spiritual master within. When He is kind to some
>|fortunate conditioned soul, He personally gives one lessons
>|to progress in devotional service, instructing the
>|person as the Supersoul within and the spiritual master
>|without.
539|Madhya 22.48
540|TEXT 48
541|TEXT
542|naivopayanty apacitim kavayas tavesa
543|brahmayusapi krtam rddha-mudah smarantah
544|yo 'ntar bahis tanu-bhrtam asubham vidhunvann
545|acarya-caittya-vapusa sva-gatim vyanakti
546|SYNONYMS
547|na eva-not at all; upayanti-are able to express; apacitim-
>|their gratitude; kavayah-learned devotees; tava-Your; isa-O
>|Lord; brahma-ayusa-with a lifetime equal to Lord Brahma's;
>|api-in spite of; krtam-magnanimous work; rddha-increased;
>|mudah-joy; smarantah-remembering; yah-who; antah-within;
>|bahih-outside; tanu-bhrtam-of those who are embodied;
>|asubham-misfortune; vidhunvan-dissipating; acarya-of the
>|spiritual master; caittya-of the Supersoul; vapusa-by the
>|forms; sva-own; gatim-path; vyanakti-shows.
548|TRANSLATION
549|" 'O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual
>|science could not fully express their indebtedness to You,
>|even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of
>|Brahma, for You appear in two features-externally as the
>|acarya and internally as the Supersoul-to deliver the
>|embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.'
550|PURPORT
551|This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.6). It was
>|spoken by Uddhava after he had been instructed in yoga by
>|Sri Krsna.
552|Madhya 22.49
553|TEXT 49
554|TEXT
555|sadhu-sange krsna-bhaktye sraddha yadi haya
556|bhakti-phala 'prema' haya, samsara yaya ksaya
557|SYNONYMS
558|sadhu-sange-by the association of devotees; krsna-bhaktye-
>|in discharging devotional service to Krsna; sraddha-faith;
>|yadi-if; haya-there is; bhakti-phala-the result of
>|devotional service to Krsna; prema-love of Godhead; haya-
>|awakens; samsara-the conditioned life in material existence;
>| yaya ksaya-becomes vanquished.
559|TRANSLATION
560|"By associating with a devotee, one awakens his faith in
>|devotional service to Krsna. Because of devotional service,
>|one's dormant love for Krsna awakens, and thus one's
>|material, conditional existence comes to an end.
561|Madhya 22.50
562|TEXT 50
563|TEXT
564|yadrcchaya mat-kathadau
565|jata-sraddhas tu yah puman
566|na nirvinno natisakto
567|bhakti-yogo 'sya siddhidah
568|SYNONYMS
569|yadrcchaya-by some good fortune; mat-katha-adau-in talk
>|about Me; jata-sraddhah-has awakened his attraction; tu-but;
>| yah puman-a person who; na nirvinnah-not falsely detached;
>|na atisaktah -not attached to material
>|existence; bhakti-yogah-the process of devotional service;
>|asya-for such a person; siddhi-dah-bestowing perfection.
570|TRANSLATION
571|" 'Somehow or other, if one is attracted to talks about Me
>|and has faith in the instructions I have set forth in
>|Bhagavad-gita, and if one is actually detached
>|from material things and material
>|existence, his dormant love for Me will be awakened by
>|devotional service.'
572|PURPORT
573|This verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.8) was spoken by
>|Krsna at the time of His departure from this material world.
>| It was spoken to Uddhava.
574|Madhya 22.51
575|TEXT 51
576|TEXT
577|mahat-krpa vina kona karme 'bhakti' naya
578|krsna-bhakti dure rahu, samsara nahe ksaya
579|SYNONYMS
580|mahat-krpa-the mercy of great devotees; vina-without; kona
>|karme-by some other activity; bhakti naya-there is not
>|devotional service; krsna-bhakti-love of Krsna or
>|devotional service to Krsna; dure rahu-leaving aside;
>|samsara-the bondage of material existence; nahe-there is
>|not; ksaya-destruction.
581|TRANSLATION
582|"Unless one is favored by a pure devotee, he cannot attain
>|the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of krsna-
>|bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of
>|material existence.
583|PURPORT
584|Pious activities bring about material opulence, but one
>|cannot acquire devotional service by any amount of material
>|pious activity, not by giving charity, opening big
>|hospitals and schools or working philanthropically.
>|Devotional service can be attained only by the mercy of a
>|pure devotee. Without a pure devotee's mercy, one cannot
>|even escape the bondage of material existence. The word
>|mahat in this verse means "a pure devotee ." As confirmed
>| in Bhagavad-gita :
585|mahatmanas tu mam partha
586|daivim prakrtim asritah
587|bhajanty ananya - manaso
>|
>|
>|
>|
588|jnatva bhutadim avyayam
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
589|"O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls,
>| are under the protection of the divine nature. They are
>|fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and
>|inexhaustible." (Bg. 9.13)
590|One also has to associate with such a mahatma who has
>|accepted Krsna as the supreme source of the entire creation.
>| Without being a mahatma, one cannot understand Krsna's
>|absolute position. A mahatma is rare and transcendental,
>|and he is a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. Foolish people
>|consider Krsna a human being, and they consider Lord Krsna'
>|s pure devotee an ordinary human being also. Whatever one
>|may be, one must take shelter at the lotus feet of a
>|devotee mahatma and treat him as the most exalted well-
>|wisher of all human society. We should take shelter of such
>|a mahatma and ask for his causeless mercy. Only by his
>|benediction can one be relieved from attachment to a
>|materialistic way of life. When one is thus relieved, he
>|can engage in the Lord's transcendental loving service
>|through the mercy of the mahatma.
591|Madhya 22.52
592|TEXT 52
593|TEXT
594|rahuganaitat tapasa na yati
595|na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va
596|na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair
597|vina mahat-pada-rajo-'bhisekam
598|SYNONYMS
599|rahugana-O King Rahugana; etat-this; tapasa-by severe
>|austerities and penances; na yati-one does not obtain; na-
>|neither; ca-also; ijyaya-by gorgeous worship; nirvapanat-by
>|renounced order of life; grhat-by sacrifices
>|while living in the home; va-or; na chandasa-nor by
>|scholarly study of the Vedas; na-nor; eva-certainly; jala-
>|agni-suryaih-by those who worship water, fire or
>|scorching sunshine; vina-without; mahat-pada-rajah-of the
>|dust of the lotus feet of a mahatma; abhisekam-the
>|sprinkling.
600|TRANSLATION
601|" 'O King Rahugana, without taking upon one's head the dust
>|from the lotus feet of a pure devotee [a mahajana or
>|mahatma], one cannot attain devotional service. Devotional
>|service is not possible to attain simply by undergoing
>|severe austerities and penances, by gorgeously worshiping
>|the Deity, or by strictly following the rules and
>|regulations of the sannyasa or grhastha order , nor
>| by studying the Vedas, submerging oneself in water,
>| or exposing oneself to fire or scorching sunlight.'
602|PURPORT
603|This verse appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.12.12). Jada
>|Bharata herein tells King Rahugana how he attained the
>|paramahamsa stage. Maharaja Rahugana, the King of Sindhu-
>|sauvira, had asked Jada Bharata how he had attained the
>|paramahamsa stage. The King had called him to carry his
>|palanquin, but when the King heard from paramahamsa Jada
>|Bharata about the supreme philosophy, he expressed surprise
>|and asked Jada Bharata how he had attained such great
>|liberation. At that time Jada Bharata informed the King how
>|to become detached from material attraction.
604|Madhya 22.53
605|TEXT 53
606|TEXT
607|naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
608|sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
609|mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam
610|niskincananam na vrnita yavat
611|SYNONYMS
612|na-not; esam-of those who are attached to household life;
>|matih-the interest; tavat-that long; urukrama-anghrim-the
>|lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
>|credited with uncommon activities; sprsati-touches; anartha-
>|of unwanted things; apagamah-vanquishing; yat-of which;
>|arthah-result; mahiyasam-of the great personalities,
>|devotees; pada-rajah-of the dust of the lotus feet;
>|abhisekam-sprinkling on the head; niskincananam-who are
>|completely detached from material possessions; na vrnita-
>|does not do; yavat-as long as.
613|TRANSLATION
614|" 'Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet
>|of great mahatmas-devotees who have nothing to do with
>|material possessions-mankind cannot turn its attention to
>|the lotus feet of Krsna. Those lotus feet vanquish all the
>|unwanted miserable conditions of material life.'
615|PURPORT
616|This verse appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.32). When
>|the great sage Narada was giving instructions to Maharaja
>|Yudhisthira, he narrated the activities of Prahlada
>|Maharaja. This verse was spoken by Prahlada Maharaja to his
>|father, Hiranyakasipu, the king of demons. Prahlada
>|Maharaja informed his father of the nine basic
>|processes of bhakti-yoga . whoever takes
>|to these processes is to be considered a highly learned
>|scholar. Hiranyakasipu, however, did not like his son to
>|talk about devotional service; therefore he immediately
>|called his teacher, Sandamarka. The teacher
>|explained that he did not teach devotional service to
>|Prahlada but that the boy was naturally inclined that way.
>|At that time Hiranyakasipu became very angry and asked
>|Prahlada why he had become a Vaisnava. In answer to this
>|question, Prahlada Maharaja recited this verse to the
>|effect that one cannot become the Lord's devotee without
>|receiving the mercy and blessings of another devotee.
617|Madhya 22.54
618|TEXT 54
619|TEXT
620|'sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga'-sarva-sastre kaya
621|lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya
622|SYNONYMS
623|sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga-association with pure devotees;
>|sarva-sastre-all the revealed scriptures; kaya-say; lava-
>|matra-even for a moment; sadhu-sange-by association with a
>|devotee; sarva-siddhi-all success; haya-there is.
624|TRANSLATION
625|"The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a
>|moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain
>|all success.
626|PURPORT
627|According to astronomical calculations, lava is one
>|eleventh of one second.
628|Madhya 22.55
629|TEXT 55
630|TEXT
631|tulayama lavenapi
632|na svargam napunar-bhavam
633|bhagavat-sangi-sangasya
634|martyanam kimutasisah
635|SYNONYMS
636|tulayama-we make equal; lavena-with one instant; api-even;
>|na-not; svargam-heavenly planets; na-nor; apunah-bhavam-
>|merging into the existence of the Supreme; bhagavat-sangi-
>|sangasya-of the association of devotees who are always
>|associated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
>|martyanam-of persons destined to die; kim uta-what
>|; asisah-the blessings.
637|TRANSLATION
638|" 'The value of a moment's association with a devotee of
>|the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of
>| heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to
>|speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material
>|prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.'
639|PURPORT
640|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.18.13). This
>|verse concerns the Vedic rites and sacrifices performed by
>|the great sages of Naimisaranya, headed by Saunaka Rsi. The
>|sages pointed out that association with a devotee for even
>|less than a second is beyond comparison to a thousand Vedic
>|rituals and sacrifices, elevation to heavenly planets or
>|merging into the existence of the Supreme.
641|Madhya 22.56
642|TEXT 56
643|TEXT
644|krsna krpalu arjunere laksya kariya
645|jagatere rakhiyachena upadesa diya
646|SYNONYMS
647|krsna-Lord Krsna; krpalu-merciful; arjunere-Arjuna; laksya
>|kariya-aiming at; jagatere-the whole world; rakhiyachena-
>|has protected; upadesa diya-giving instructions.
648|TRANSLATION
649|"Krsna is so merciful that simply by aiming His
>|instructions at Arjuna, He has given protection to the
>|whole world.
650|Madhya 22.57-58
651|TEXTS 57-58
652|TEXT
653|sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah
654|srnu me paramam vacah
655|isto 'si me drdham iti
656|tato vaksyami te hitam
657|man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
658|mad-yaji mam namaskuru
659|mam evaisyasi satyam te
660|pratijane priyo 'si me
661|SYNONYMS
662|sarva-guhya-tamam-most confidential of all; bhuyah-again;
>|srnu-hear; me-My; paramam vacah-supreme instruction; istah-
>|beloved; asi-you are; me-My; drdham iti-very firmly; tatah-
>|therefore; vaksyami-I shall speak; te-to you; hitam-words
>|of benediction; mat-manah-whose mind is always on Me; bhava-
>|become; mat-bhaktah-My devotee; mat-yaji-My worshiper; mam-
>|unto Me; namaskuru-offer obeisances; mam eva-to Me only;
>|esyasi-you will come; satyam-truly; te-to you; pratijane-I
>|promise; priyah asi-you are dear; me-My.
663|TRANSLATION
664|" 'Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to
>|you the most confidential part
>|of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.
>| Always think of Me and become My devotee, worship Me and
>|offer obeisances unto Me. Thus you will come to Me
>|without fail. I promise you this because you are My very
>|dear friend.'
665|PURPORT
666|This is a quotation from Bhagavad-gita (18.64 -65).
667|Madhya 22.59
668|TEXT 59
669|TEXT
670|purva ajna,-veda-dharma, karma, yoga, jnana
671|saba sadhi' sese ei ajna-balavan
672|SYNONYMS
673|purva ajna-previous orders; veda-dharma-performance of
>|Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; karma-fruitive activities;
>|yoga-mystic yoga practice; jnana-speculative knowledge;
>|saba sadhi'-executing all these processes; sese-at the end;
>|ei ajna-this order; balavan-powerful.
674|TRANSLATION
675|"Although Krsna has previously explained the proficiency of
>|executing Vedic rituals, performing fruitive activity as
>|enjoined in the Vedas, practicing yoga and cultivating
>|jnana, these last instructions are most powerful and stand
>|above all the others.
676|Madhya 22.60
677|TEXT 60
678|TEXT
679|ei ajna-bale bhaktera 'sraddha' yadi haya
680|sarva-karma tyaga kari' se krsna bhajaya
681|SYNONYMS
682|ei ajna-bale-on the strength of this supreme order of the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktera-of the devotees;
>|sraddha-faith; yadi-if; haya-there is; sarva-karma-all
>|other activities, material and spiritual; tyaga kari'-
>|leaving aside; se-he; krsna bhajaya-serves Lord Krsna.
683|TRANSLATION
684|"If the devotee has faith in the strength of this order, he
>|worships Lord Krsna and gives up all other activities.
685|Madhya 22.61
686|TEXT 61
687|TEXT
688|tavat karmani kurvita
689|na nirvidyeta yavata
690|mat-katha-sravanadau va
691|sraddha yavan na jayate
692|SYNONYMS
693|tavat-up to that time; karmani-fruitive activities; kurvita-
>|one should execute; na nirvidyeta-is not satiated; yavata-
>|as long as; mat-katha-of discourses about Me; sravana-adau-
>|in the matter of sravanam, kirtanam, and so on; va-or;
>|sraddha-faith; yavat-as long as; na-not; jayate-is awakened.
694|TRANSLATION
695|" 'As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and
>|has not awakened his taste for devotional service by
>|sravanam kirtanam visnoh , one has to act
>|according to the regulative principles of the Vedic
>|injunctions.'
696|PURPORT
697|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.9).
698|Madhya 22.62
699|TEXT 62
700|TEXT
701|'sraddha'-sabde-visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya
702|krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
703|SYNONYMS
704|sraddha-sabde-by the word sraddha; visvasa-faith; kahe-is
>|said; sudrdha-firm; niscaya-certain; krsne-unto Lord Krsna;
>|bhakti-devotional service; kaile-by executing; sarva-karma-
>|all activities; krta-completed; haya-are.
705|TRANSLATION
706|"by rendering
>|transcendental loving service to Krsna , one automatically
>|performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm
>|faith , favorable to the discharge of devotional service
>|, is called sraddha.
707|PURPORT
708|Firm faith and confidence are called sraddha. When one
>|engages in the Lord's devotional service, he is to be
>|understood to have performed all his responsibilities in
>|the material world. He has satisfied his forefathers,
>|ordinary living entities, and demigods and is free from all
>|responsibility. Such a person does not need to meet his
>|responsibilities separately. It is automatically done.
>|Fruitive activity (karma) is meant to satisfy the senses of
>|the conditioned soul. However, when one awakens to Krsna
>|consciousness, he does not have to work separately for
>|pious activity. The best achievement of all fruitive
>|activity is detachment from material life, and this
>|detachment is spontaneously enjoyed by the devotee firmly
>|engaged in the Lord's service.
709|Madhya 22.63
710|TEXT 63
711|TEXT
712|yatha taror mula-nisecanena
713|trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
714|pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
715|tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya
716|SYNONYMS
717|yatha-as; taroh-of a tree; mula-on the root; nisecanena-by
>|pouring water; trpyanti-are satisfied; tat-of the tree;
>|skandha-trunk; bhuja-branches; upasakhah-sub-
>|branches; prana-to the living force; upaharat-from offering
>|food; ca-also; yatha-as; indriyanam-of all the senses;
>|tatha-similarly; eva-indeed; sarva-of all; arhanam-worship;
>|acyuta-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ijya-worship.
718|TRANSLATION
719|" 'By pouring water on the root of a tree, one
>|automatically satisfies the trunk, branches and twigs.
>|Similarly, by supplying food to the stomach, where it
>|nourishes the life air, one satisfies all the senses. In
>|the same way, by worshiping Krsna and rendering Him service,
>| one automatically satisfies all the demigods.'
720|PURPORT
721|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.31.14).
722|Madhya 22.64
723|TEXT 64
724|TEXT
725|sraddhavan jana haya bhakti-adhikari
726|'uttama', 'madhyama', 'kanistha'-sraddha-anusari
727|SYNONYMS
728|sraddhavan jana-a person with faith; haya-is; bhakti-
>|adhikari-eligible for discharging transcendental loving
>|service to the Lord; uttama-first class; madhyama-
>|intermediate; kanistha-the lowest class; sraddha-anusari-
>|according to the proportion of faith.
729|TRANSLATION
730|"A faithful devotee is a truly eligible candidate for the
>|loving service of the Lord. According to one's faith, one
>|is classified as a topmost devotee, an intermediate devotee
>|or an inferior devotee.
731|PURPORT
732|The word sraddhavan (faithful) means understanding Krsna to
>|be the summum bonum, the eternal truth and absolute
>|transcendence. If one has full faith in Krsna and
>|confidence in Him, one becomes eligible to discharge
>|devotional service confidentially. According to one's faith,
>| one is a topmost, intermediate or inferior devotee.
733|Madhya 22.65
734|TEXT 65
735|TEXT
736|sastra-yuktye sunipuna, drdha-sraddha yanra
737|'uttama-adhikari' sei taraye samsara
738|SYNONYMS
739|sastra-yuktye-in argument and logic; su-nipuna-very expert;
>|drdha-sraddha-firm faith and confidence in Krsna; yanra-
>|whose; uttama-adhikari-the topmost devotee; sei-he; taraye
>|samsara-can deliver the whole world.
740|TRANSLATION
741|"One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed
>|scriptures and who has firm faith in Krsna is classified as
>|a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.
742|Madhya 22.66
743|TEXT 66
744|TEXT
745|sastre yuktau ca nipunah
746|sarvatha drdha-niscayah
747|praudha-sraddho 'dhikari yah
748|sa bhaktav uttamo matah
749|SYNONYMS
750|sastre-in the revealed scriptures; yuktau-in logic; ca-also;
>| nipunah-expert; sarvatha-in all respects; drdha-niscayah-
>|who is firmly convinced; praudha-deep; sraddhah-who has
>|faith; adhikari-eligible; yah-who; sah-he; bhaktau-in
>|devotional service; uttamah-highest; matah-is considered.
751|TRANSLATION
752|" 'One who is expert in logic and understanding of
>|revealed scriptures, and who always has firm conviction and
>|deep faith that is not blind, is to be considered a topmost
>|devotee in devotional service.'
753|PURPORT
754|This verse appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.17)
>|by Srila Rupa Gosvami.
755|Madhya 22.67
756|TEXT 67
757|TEXT
758|sastra-yukti nahi jane drdha, sraddhavan
759|'madhyama-adhikari' sei maha-bhagyavan
760|SYNONYMS
761|sastra-yukti-logical arguments on the basis of revealed
>|scripture; nahi-not; jane-knows; drdha-firmly; sraddhavan-
>|faithful; madhyama-adhikari-second-class devotee; sei-he;
>|maha-bhagyavan-very fortunate.
762|TRANSLATION
763|"One who is not very expert in argument and logic based on
>|revealed scriptures but who has firm faith is
>|considered a second-class devotee. He also must be
>|considered most fortunate.
764|Madhya 22.68
765|TEXT 68
766|TEXT
767|yah sastradisv anipunah
768|sraddhavan sa tu madhyamah
769|SYNONYMS
770|yah-anyone who; sastra-adisu-in the revealed scriptures;
>|anipunah-not very expert; sraddhavan-full of faith; sah-he;
>|tu-certainly; madhyamah-second-class or middle-class
>|devotee.
771|TRANSLATION
772|" 'He who does not know scriptural argument very well but
>|who has firm faith is called an intermediate or second-
>|class devotee.'
773|PURPORT
774|This verse appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.18).
775|Madhya 22.69
776|TEXT 69
777|TEXT
778|yahara komala sraddha, se 'kanistha' jana
779|krame krame tenho bhakta ha-ibe 'uttama'
780|SYNONYMS
781|yahara-whose; komala sraddha-soft faith; se-such a person;
>|kanistha jana-a neophyte devotee; krame krame-by a gradual
>|progression; tenho-he; bhakta-devotee; ha-ibe-will become;
>|uttama-first class.
782|TRANSLATION
783|"One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte,
>|but by gradually following the process, he will rise to the
>|platform of a first-class devotee.
784|Madhya 22.70
785|TEXT 70
786|TEXT
787|yo bhavet komala-sraddhah
788|sa kanistho nigadyate
789|SYNONYMS
790|yah-anyone who; bhavet-may be; komala-soft; sraddhah-having
>|faith; sah-such a person; kanisthah-neophyte devotee;
>|nigadyate-is said to be.
791|TRANSLATION
792|" 'One whose faith is not very strong, who is just
>|beginning, should be considered a neophyte devotee.'
793|PURPORT
794|This verse also appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.
>|19).
795|Madhya 22.71
796|TEXT 71
797|TEXT
798|rati-prema-taratamye bhakta-tara-tama
799|ekadasa skandhe tara kariyache laksana
800|SYNONYMS
801|rati-of attachment; prema-and love; taratamye-by comparison;
>| bhakta-devotee; tara-tama-superior and superlative;
>|ekadasa skandhe-in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam;
>|tara-of him; kariyache-has made; laksana-symptoms.
802|TRANSLATION
803|"A devotee is considered superlative and superior according
>|to his attachment and love. In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-
>|Bhagavatam, the following symptoms have been ascertained.
804|PURPORT
805|Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated that if one has
>|developed faith in Krsna consciousness, he is to be
>|considered an eligible candidate for further advancement in
>|Krsna consciousness. Those who have faith are divided into
>|three categories-uttama, madhyama and kanistha (first-class,
>| second -class and neophyte). A first-class devotee has
>|firm conviction in the revealed scriptures and is expert in
>|arguing according to the sastras. He is firmly convinced of
>|the science of Krsna consciousness. The madhyama-adhikari,
>|or second-class devotee, has firm conviction in Krsna
>|consciousness, but he cannot support his conviction by
>|citing sastric references. The neophyte devotee does not
>|yet have firm faith. In this way the devotees are typed.
806|The standard of devotion is also categorized in the same
>|way. A neophyte believes that only love of Krsna or Krsna
>|consciousness is very good, but he may not know the basis
>|of pure Krsna consciousness or how one can become a perfect
>|devotee. Sometimes in the heart of a neophyte there is
>|attraction for karma, jnana or yoga. When he is free and
>|transcendental to mixed devotional activity, he becomes a
>|second-class devotee. When he becomes expert in logic and
>|can refer to the sastras, he becomes a first-class devotee.
>|The devotees are also described as positive, comparative
>|and superlative, in terms of their love and attachment for
>|Krsna.
807|It should be understood that a madhyama-adhikari, a second-
>|class devotee, is fully convinced of Krsna consciousness
>|but cannot support his convictions with sastric reference.
>|A neophyte may fall down by associating with nondevotees
>|because he is not firmly convinced and strongly situated.
>|The second-class devotee, even though he cannot support his
>|position with sastric reference, can gradually become a
>|first-class devotee by studying the sastras and associating
>|with a first-class devotee. However, if the second-class
>|devotee does not advance himself by associating with a
>|first-class devotee, he makes no progress. There is no
>|possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down, even
>|though he may mix with nondevotees to preach. Conviction
>|and faith gradually increase to make one an uttama-adhikari,
>| a first-class devotee.
808|Madhya 22.72
809|TEXT 72
810|TEXT
811|sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed
812|bhagavad-bhavam atmanah
813|bhutani bhagavaty atmany
814|esa bhagavatottamah
815|SYNONYMS
816|sarva-bhutesu-in all objects (in matter, spirit, and
>|combinations of matter and spirit); yah-anyone who; pasyet-
>|sees; bhagavat-bhavam-the ability to be engaged in the
>|service of the Lord; atmanah-of the supreme spirit soul or
>|the transcendence beyond the material conception of life;
>|bhutani-all beings; bhagavati-in the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead; atmani-the basic principle of all existence; esah-
>|this; bhagavata-uttamah-a person advanced in devotional
>|service.
817|TRANSLATION
818|" 'A person advanced in devotional service sees within
>|everything the soul of souls, the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead, Sri Krsna. Consequently he always sees the form of
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the cause of all
>|causes and understands that all things are situated in Him.
819|PURPORT
820|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45).
821|Madhya 22.73
822|TEXT 73
823|TEXT
824|isvare tad-adhinesu
825|balisesu dvisatsu ca
826|prema-maitri-krpopeksa
827|yah karoti sa madhyamah
828|SYNONYMS
829|isvare-unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-
>|adhinesu-to persons who have taken fully to Krsna
>|consciousness; balisesu-unto the neophytes or the ignorant;
>|dvisatsu-to persons envious of Krsna and the devotees of
>|Krsna; prema-love; maitri-friendship; krpa-mercy; upeksa-
>|negligence; yah-anyone who; karoti-does; sah-he; madhyamah-
>|a second-class devotee.
830|TRANSLATION
831|" 'An intermediate, second-class devotee shows love for the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead, is friendly to all devotees
>|and is very merciful to neophytes and ignorant people. The
>|intermediate devotee neglects those who are envious of
>|devotional service.
832|PURPORT
833|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.46).
>|This statement was made by the great sage Narada while he
>|was speaking to Vasudeva about devotional service. This
>|subject was originally discussed between Nimi, the King of
>|Videha, and the nine Yogendras.
834|Madhya 22.74
835|TEXT 74
836|TEXT
837|arcayam eva haraye
838|pujam yah sraddhayehate
839|na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
840|sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
841|SYNONYMS
842|arcayam-in the temple worship; eva-certainly; haraye-for
>|the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pujam-
>|worship; yah-anyone who; sraddhaya-with faith and love;
>|ihate-executes; na-not; tat-bhaktesu-to the devotees of the
>|Lord; ca anyesu-and to others; sah-he; bhaktah-a devotee;
>|prakrtah-materialistic; smrtah-is considered.
843|TRANSLATION
844|" 'A prakrta , or materialistic devotee does not
>|purposefully study the sastra and try to understand the
>|actual standard of pure devotional service. Consequently he
>|does not show proper respect to advanced devotees. He may,
>|however, follow the regulative principles learned from his
>|spiritual master or from his family who worships the Deity.
>|He is to be considered on the material platform, although
>|he is trying to advance in devotional service. Such a
>|person is a bhakta-praya [neophyte devotee], or bhaktabhasa,
>| for he is a little enlightened by Vaisnava philosophy.'
845|PURPORT
846|This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.47). Srila
>|Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one who has full love for
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who maintains a good
>|friendship with the Lord's devotees is always callous to
>|those who envy Krsna and Krsna's devotees. Such a person is
>|to be considered an intermediate devotee. He becomes a
>|first-class devotee when, in the course of advancing in
>|devotional service, he feels an intimate relationship with
>|all living entities, seeing them as part and parcel of the
>|Supreme Person.
847|Madhya 22.75
848|TEXT 75
849|TEXT
850|sarva maha-guna-gana vaisnava-sarire
851|krsna-bhakte krsnera guna sakali sancare
852|SYNONYMS
853|sarva-all; maha-great; guna-gana-transcendental qualities;
>|vaisnava-sarire-in the bodies of Vaisnavas; krsna-bhakte-in
>|the devotees of Lord Krsna; krsnera-of Lord Krsna; guna-the
>|qualities; sakali-all; sancare-appear.
854|TRANSLATION
855|"A Vaisnava is one who has developed all good
>|transcendental qualities. All the good qualities of Krsna
>|gradually develop in Krsna's devotee.
856|Madhya 22.76
857|TEXT 76
858|TEXT
859|yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
860|sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
861|harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
862|mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih
863|SYNONYMS
864|yasya-of whom; asti-there is; bhaktih-devotional service;
>|bhagavati-unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akincana-
>|without material desires; sarvaih-all; gunaih-with good
>|qualities; tatra-there; samasate-live; surah-the demigods;
>|harau-unto the Lord; abhaktasya-of the nondevotee; kutah-
>|where; mahat-gunah-the high qualities; manah-rathena-by
>|mental concoction; asati-to temporary material happiness;
>|dhavatah-running; bahih-externally.
865|TRANSLATION
866|" 'In one who has unflinching devotional faith in Krsna,
>|all the good qualities of Krsna and the demigods are
>|consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to
>|the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good
>|qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction
>|in material existence, which is the external feature of the
>|Lord.'
867|PURPORT
868|This was spoken by Bhadrasrava and his followers,
>|who were offering prayers to Nrsimhadeva (Srimad-Bhagavatam
>|5.18.12).
869|Madhya 22.77
870|TEXT 77
871|TEXT
872|sei saba guna haya vaisnava-laksana
873|saba kaha na yaya, kari dig-darasana
874|SYNONYMS
875|sei saba guna-all those transcendental qualities; haya-are;
>|vaisnava-laksana-the symptoms of a Vaisnava; saba-all; kaha
>|na yaya-cannot be explained; kari-I shall do; dik-darasana-
>|a general review.
876|TRANSLATION
877|"All these transcendental qualities are the characteristics
>|of pure Vaisnavas, and they cannot be fully explained, but
>|I shall try to point out some of the important qualities.
878|Madhya 22.78-80
879|TEXTS 78-80
880|TEXT
881|krpalu, akrta-droha, satya-sara sama
882|nidosa, vadanya, mrdu, suci, akincana
883|sarvopakaraka, santa, krsnaika-sarana
884|akama, aniha, sthira, vijita-sad-guna
885|mita-bhuk, apramatta, manada, amani
886|gambhira, karuna, maitra, kavi, daksa, mauni
887|SYNONYMS
888|krpalu-merciful; akrta-droha-not defiant; satya-sara-
>|thoroughly true; sama-equal; nidosa-faultless; vadanya-
>|magnanimous; mrdu-mild; suci-clean; akincana-without
>|material possessions; sarva-upakaraka-working for the
>|welfare of everyone; santa-peaceful; krsna-eka-sarana-
>|exclusively surrendered to Krsna; akama-desireless; aniha-
>|indifferent to material acquisitions; sthira-fixed; vijita-
>|sat-guna-completely controlling the six bad qualities (lust,
>| anger, greed, etc.); mita-bhuk-eating only as much as
>|required; apramatta-without inebriation; mana-da-respectful;
>| amani-without false prestige; gambhira-grave; karuna-
>|compassionate; maitra-a friend; kavi-a poet; daksa-expert;
>|mauni-silent.
889|TRANSLATION
890|"Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to
>|all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They are
>|without material possessions, and they perform welfare work
>|for everyone. They are peaceful, surrendered to Krsna and
>|desireless. They are indifferent to material acquisitions
>|and are fixed in devotional service. They completely
>|control the six bad qualities-lust, anger, greed and so
>|forth. They eat only as much as required, and they are not
>|inebriated. They are respectful, grave, compassionate and
>|without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic, expert
>|and silent.
891|Madhya 22.81
892|TEXT 81
893|TEXT
894|titiksavah karunikah
895|suhrdah sarva-dehinam
896|ajata-satravah santah
897|sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
898|SYNONYMS
899|titiksavah-very forebearing; karunikah-merciful; suhrdah-
>|who are well-wishers; sarva-dehinam-to all living entities;
>|ajata-satravah-without enemies; santah-peaceful; sadhavah-
>|following the injunctions of the sastra; sadhu-bhusanah-who
>|are decorated with good character.
900|TRANSLATION
901|" 'Devotees are always tolerant, forebearing and very
>|merciful. They are the well-wishers of every living entity.
>|They follow the scriptural injunctions, and because they
>|have no enemies, they are very peaceful. These are the
>|decorations of devotees.'
902|PURPORT
903|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.21). When
>|the sages, headed by Saunaka, inquired about Kapiladeva,
>|the incarnation of Godhead, Suta Gosvami, who was the
>|topmost devotee of the Lord, quoted talks about self-
>|realization between Maitreya, a friend of
>|Vyasadeva , and Vidura. It was then that the topic
>|of Lord Kapila came up and His
>| discussions with His mother,
>|wherein He stated that attachment to material things
>|is the cause of conditional life. When a person becomes
>|attached to transcendental things, he is on the path of
>|liberation.
904|Madhya 22.82
905|TEXT 82
906|TEXT
907|mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
908|tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam
909|mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta
910|vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye
911|SYNONYMS
912|mahat-sevam-the service of the pure devotee spiritual
>|master; dvaram-door; ahuh-they said; vimukteh-of liberation;
>| tamah-dvaram-the door to darkness; yositam-of women and
>|money; sangi-sangam-association with those who enjoy the
>|association; mahantah-great souls; te-they; sama-cittah-
>|equally disposed to all; prasantah-very peaceful;
>|vimanyavah-without anger; suhrdah-well-wishers of everyone;
>|sadhavah-who are endowed with all good qualities, or who do
>|not look for faults in others; ye-those who.
913|TRANSLATION
914|" 'It is the verdict of all sastras and great personalities
>|that by serving a pure devotee , one attains the path
>|of liberation. However, by associating with
>|materialistic people who are attached to material enjoyment
>|and women , one attains the path of darkness. Those who are
>|actually devotees are broadminded, equal to everyone and
>|very peaceful. They never become angry, and they are
>|friendly to all living entities.'
915|PURPORT
916|This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.5.2).
917|Madhya 22.83
918|TEXT 83
919|TEXT
920|krsna-bhakti-janma-mula haya 'sadhu-sanga'
921|krsna-prema janme, tenho punah mukhya anga
922|SYNONYMS
923|krsna-bhakti-of devotional service to Krsna; janma-mula-the
>|root cause; haya-is; sadhu-sanga-association with advanced
>|devotees; krsna-prema-love of Krsna; janme-awakens; tenho-
>|that same association with devotees; punah-again; mukhya
>|anga-the chief principle.
924|TRANSLATION
925|"The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krsna is
>|association with advanced devotees. Even when one's dormant
>|love for Krsna awakens, association with devotees is still
>|most essential.
926|Madhya 22.84
927|TEXT 84
928|TEXT
929|bhavapavargo bhramato yada bhavej
930|janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samagamah
931|sat-sangamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau
932|paravarese tvayi jayate ratih
933|SYNONYMS
934|bhava-apavargah-liberation from the nescience of material
>|existence; bhramatah-wandering; yada-when; bhavet-should be;
>| janasya-of a person; tarhi-at that time; acyuta-O Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead; sat-samagamah-association with
>|devotees; sat-sangamah-association with the devotees; yarhi-
>|when; tada-at that time; eva-only; sat-gatau-the highest
>|goal of life; paravarese -the Lord of the
>|universe; tvayi-to You; jayate-appears; ratih-attraction.
935|TRANSLATION
936|" 'O my Lord! O infallible Supreme Person! When a person
>|wandering throughout the universes becomes eligible for
>|liberation from material existence, he gets an opportunity
>|to associate with devotees. When he associates with
>|devotees, his attraction for You is awakened. You are the
>|Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal of the
>|supreme devotees and the Lord of the universe.'
937|PURPORT
938|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.51.53).
939|Madhya 22.85
940|TEXT 85
941|TEXT
942|ata atyantikam ksemam
943|prcchamo bhavato 'naghah
944|samsare 'smin ksanardho 'pi
945|sat-sangah sevadhir nrnam
946|SYNONYMS
947|atah-therefore (due to the rareness of seeing pure devotees
>|of the Lord) ; atyantikam-supreme; ksemam-auspiciousness;
>|prcchamah-we are asking; atyantikam-supreme; ksemam-
>|auspiciousness; prcchamah-we are asking; bhavatah-you;
>|anaghah-O sinless ones; samsare-in the material world;
>|asmin-this; ksana-ardhah-lasting half a moment; api-even;
>|sat-sangah-association with devotees; sevadhih-a treasure;
>|nrnam-for human society.
948|TRANSLATION
949|" 'O devotees! O you who are free from all sins! Let me
>|inquire from you about that which is supremely auspicious
>|for all living entities. Association with a pure devotee
>|for even half a moment in this material world is the
>|greatest treasure for human society.'
950|PURPORT
951|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.30).
952|Madhya 22.86
953|TEXT 86
954|TEXT
955|satam prasangan mama virya-samvido
956|bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah
957|taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani
958|sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati
959|SYNONYMS
960|satam-of the devotees; prasangat-by the intimate
>|association; mama-of Me; virya-samvidah-talks full of
>|spiritual potency; bhavanti-appear; hrt-to the heart; karna-
>|and to the ears; rasa-ayanah-a source of sweetness; kathah-
>|talks; tat-of them; josanat-from proper cultivation; asu-
>|quickly; apavarga-of liberation; vartmani-on the path;
>|sraddha-faith; ratih-attraction; bhaktih-love;
>|anukramisyati-will follow one after another.
961|TRANSLATION
962|" 'The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be
>|properly discussed only in a society of devotees, and it is
>|greatly pleasing to hear in that association. If one hears
>|from devotees, the way of transcendental experience quickly
>|opens, and gradually one attains firm faith that in due
>|course develops into attraction and devotion.'
963|PURPORT
964|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.25). For
>|an explanation see Adi-lila (1.60 ).
965|Madhya 22.87
966|TEXT 87
967|TEXT
968|asat-sanga-tyaga,-ei vaisnava-acara
969|'stri-sangi'-eka asadhu, 'krsnabhakta' ara
970|SYNONYMS
971|asat-sanga-tyaga-rejection of the association of
>|nondevotees; ei-this; vaisnava-acara-the behavior of a
>|Vaisnava; stri-sangi-who associates with women for sense
>|gratification; eka-one; asadhu-unsaintly person; krsna-
>|abhakta-one who is not a devotee of Lord Krsna; ara-another.
972|TRANSLATION
973|"A Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary
>|people. Common people are very much materially attached,
>|especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the
>|company of those who are not devotees of Lord Krsna.
974|Madhya 22.88-90
975|TEXTS 88-90
976|TEXT
977|satyam saucam daya maunam
978|buddhir hrih srir yasah ksama
979|samo damo bhagas ceti
980|yat-sangad yati sanksayam
981|tesv asantesu mudhesu
982|khanditatmasv asadhusu
983|sangam na kuryac chocyesu
984|yosit-krida-mrgesu ca
985|na tathasya bhaven moho
986|bandhas canya-prasangatah
987|yosit-sangad yatha pumso
988|yatha tat-sangi-sangatah
989|SYNONYMS
990|satyam-truthfulness; saucam-cleanliness; daya-mercy; maunam-
>|silence; buddhih-intelligence; hrih-modesty; srih-beauty;
>|yasah-fame; ksama-forgiveness; samah-controlling the mind;
>|damah-controlling the senses; bhagah-opulence; ca-and; iti-
>|thus; yat-of whom; sangat-by the association; yati-goes to;
>|sanksayam-complete destruction; tesu-among them; asantesu-
>|who are restless; mudhesu-among the fools; khandita-atmasu-
>|whose self-realization is spoiled; asadhusu-not saintly;
>|sangam-association; na-not; kuryat-should do; socyesu-who
>|are full of lamentation; yosit-of women; krida-mrgesu-who
>|are like toy animals; ca-also; na-not; tatha-so much; asya-
>|of him; bhavet-there may be; mohah-illusion; bandhah-
>|binding; ca-and; anya-other types; prasangatah-from
>|association; yosit-sangat-by association with women; yatha-
>|as; pumsah-of the man; yatha-as well as; tat-sangi-sangatah-
>|by association with persons attached to women.
991|TRANSLATION
992|" 'By association with worldly people, one becomes devoid
>|of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual
>|intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness,
>|control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all
>|opportunities. One should not at any time associate with a
>|coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-
>|realization and who is no more than a toy animal in the
>|hands of a woman. The illusion and bondage that accrue to a
>|man from attachment to any other object are not as complete
>|as that resulting from association with a woman or with men
>|too attached to women.'
993|PURPORT
994|These verses, quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31.33-35),
>|were spoken by Kapiladeva, an incarnation of the Supreme
>|Personality of Godhead, to His mother. Herein Kapiladeva
>|discusses pious and impious activities and the symptoms of
>|those who are devoid of devotional service to Krsna.
>|Generally people do not know about the miserable conditions
>|within the womb of a mother in any species of life. Due to
>|bad association, one gradually falls into lower species.
>|Association with women is greatly stressed in this regard.
>|When one becomes attached to women or to those who are
>|attached to women, one falls down into the lower species.
995|purusah prakrti-stho hi
996|bhunkte prakrti- jan gunan
997|karanam guna-sango 'sya
998|sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
999|"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways
>|of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to
>|his association with that material nature. Thus he meets
>|with good and evil among various species." (Bhagavad-gita
>|13.22)
1000|According to Vedic civilization, one's association with
>|women should be very much restricted. In spiritual life
>|there are four asramas-brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha
>|and sannyasa. The brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi are
>|completely forbidden to associate with women. Only
>|grhasthas are allowed to associate with women under certain
>|very restricted conditions-that is, one associates
>|with women to propagate nice children. Other reasons for
>|association are condemned.
1001|Madhya 22.91
1002|TEXT 91
1003|TEXT
1004|varam huta-vaha-jvala-
1005|panjarantar-vyavasthitih
1006|na sauri-cinta-vimukha-
1007|jana-samvasa-vaisasam
1008|SYNONYMS
1009|varam-better; huta-vaha-of fire; jvala-in the flames;
>|panjara-antah-inside a cage; vyavasthitih-abiding; na-not;
>|sauri-cinta-of Krsna consciousness, or thought of Krsna;
>|vimukha-bereft; jana-of persons; samvasa-of the association;
>| vaisasam-the calamity.
1010|TRANSLATION
1011|" 'It is better to accept the miseries of being encaged
>|within bars and surrounded by burning flames than to
>|associate with those bereft of Krsna consciousness. Such
>|association is a very great hardship.'
1012|PURPORT
1013|This is a quotation from the Katyayana-samhita.
1014|Madhya 22.92
1015|TEXT 92
1016|TEXT
1017|ma draksih ksina - punyan kvacid
>|api
1018|bhagavad-bhakti-hinan
>|manusyan
1019|SYNONYMS
1020|ma-do not; draksih-see; ksina-punyan-who are bereft of all
>|piety; kvacit api-at any time; bhagavat-bhakti-hinan-who
>|are bereft of Krsna consciousness and devotional service;
>|manusyan-persons.
1021|TRANSLATION
1022|" One should not even see those who are bereft of
>|devotional service in Krsna consciousness and who are
>|therefore devoid of pious activities.
1023|Madhya 22.93
1024|TEXT 93
1025|TEXT
1026|eta saba chadi' ara varnasrama-dharma
1027|akincana hana laya krsnaika-sarana
1028|SYNONYMS
1029|eta saba-all these; chadi'-giving up; ara-and; varna-asrama-
>|dharma-the regulative principle of four varnas and four
>|asramas; akincana-without any attachment for anything
>|material; hana-becoming; laya-he takes; krsna-eka-sarana-
>|exclusive shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord.
1030|TRANSLATION
1031|"Without hesitation, one should take the exclusive shelter
>|of Lord Krsna with full confidence, giving up bad
>|association and even neglecting the regulative principles
>|of the four varnas and four asramas. That is to say, one
>|should abandon all material attachment.
1032|Madhya 22.94
1033|TEXT 94
1034|TEXT
1035|sarva-dharman parityajya
1036|mam ekam saranam vraja
1037|aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
1038|moksayisyami ma sucah
1039|SYNONYMS
1040|sarva-dharman-all kinds of occupational duties; parityajya-
>|giving up; mam ekam-unto Me only; saranam-as shelter; vraja-
>|go; aham-I; tvam-unto you; sarva-papebhyah-from all the
>|reactions of sinful life; moksayisyami-will give liberation;
>| ma-don't; sucah-worry.
1041|TRANSLATION
1042|" 'After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational
>|duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of
>|Godhead, and take shelter, I shall give you protection from
>|all of life's sinful reactions. Do not worry. '
1043|PURPORT
1044|This is a quotation from Bhagavad-gita (18.66) spoken
>|by Lord Krsna. For an explanation, refer to Madhya-lila (8.
>|63 ).
1045|Madhya 22.95
1046|TEXT 95
1047|TEXT
1048|bhakta-vatsala, krtajna, samartha, vadanya
1049|hena krsna chadi' pandita nahi bhaje anya
1050|SYNONYMS
1051|bhakta-vatsala-very kind to the devotees; krta-jna-grateful;
>| samartha-full of all abilities; vadanya-magnanimous; hena-
>|such; krsna-Lord Krsna; chadi'-giving up; pandita-a learned
>|man; nahi-does not; bhaje-worship; anya-anyone else.
1052|TRANSLATION
1053|"Lord Krsna is very kind to His devotees. He is always very
>|grateful and magnanimous, and He possesses all abilities. A
>|learned man does not give up Krsna to worship anyone else.
1054|PURPORT
1055|An intelligent person gives up the company of those who are
>|attached to women and bereft of Krsna consciousness. One
>|should be free from all kinds of material attachment and
>|should take full shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna.
>|Krsna is very kind to His devotees. He is always grateful,
>|and He never forgets the service of a devotee. He is also
>|completely opulent and all-powerful. Why, then, should one
>|take shelter of a demigod and leave Lord Krsna's shelter?
>|If one worships a demigod and leaves Krsna, he must be
>|considered the lowest fool.
1056|Madhya 22.96
1057|TEXT 96
1058|TEXT
1059|kah panditas tvad-aparam saranam samiyad
1060|bhakta-priyad rta-girah suhrdah krtajnat
1061|sarvan dadati suhrdo bhajato 'bhikaman
1062|atmanam apy upacayapacayau na yasya
1063|SYNONYMS
1064|kah-what; panditah-learned man; tvat-aparam-other than Your
>|Lordship; saranam-shelter; samiyat-would take; bhakta-
>|priyat-who are affectionate to Your devotees; rta-girah-who
>|are truthful to the devotees; suhrdah-who are the friend of
>|the devotees; krta-jnat-who are grateful to the devotees;
>|sarvan-all; dadati-gives; suhrdah-to Your well-wishers;
>|bhajatah-who worship You by devotional service; abhikaman-
>|desires; atmanam-Yourself; api-even; upacaya-increase;
>|apacayau-and diminution; na-not; yasya-of whom.
1065|TRANSLATION
1066|" 'My dear Lord, You are very affectionate to Your devotees.
>| You are also a truthful and grateful friend. Where is that
>|learned man who would give You up and surrender to someone
>|else? You fulfill all the desires of Your devotees, so much
>|so that sometimes You even give Yourself to them. Still,
>|You neither increase nor decrease by such activity.'
1067|PURPORT
1068|This is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.48.26).
1069|Madhya 22.97
1070|TEXT 97
1071|TEXT
1072|vijna-janera haya yadi krsna-guna-jnana
1073|anya tyaji', bhaje, tate uddhava-pramana
1074|SYNONYMS
1075|vijna-janera-of an experienced person; haya-there is; yadi-
>|if; krsna-guna-jnana-knowledge of Krsna's transcendental
>|qualities; anya-others; tyaji'-giving up; bhaje-he engages
>|in devotional service; tate-in that connection; uddhava-
>|Uddhava; pramana-the evidence.
1076|TRANSLATION
1077|"Whenever an experienced person develops real knowledge of
>|Krsna and His transcendental qualities, he naturally gives
>|up all other engagements and renders service to the Lord.
>|Uddhava gives evidence concerning this.
1078|Madhya 22.98
1079|TEXT 98
1080|TEXT
1081|aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam
1082|jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvi
1083|lebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato 'nyam
1084|kam va dayalum saranam vrajema
1085|SYNONYMS
1086|aho-how wonderful; baki-Putana, the sister of Bakasura; yam-
>|whom; stana-on the two breasts; kala-kutam-the deadly
>|poison; jighamsaya-with a desire to kill; apayayat-forced
>|to drink; api-although; asadhvi-dangerously inimical to
>|Krsna; lebhe-achieved; gatim-the destination; dhatri-for a
>|nurse; ucitam-suitable; tatah-than Him; anyam-other; kam-to
>|whom; va-or; dayalum-the most merciful; saranam-shelter;
>|vrajema-shall take.
1087|TRANSLATION
1088|" 'Oh, how wonderful it is! Putana, the sister of Bakasura,
>|wanted to kill Krsna by smearing deadly poison on her
>|breasts and having Krsna take it. Nonetheless, Lord Krsna
>|accepted her as His mother, and thus she attained the
>|destination befitting Krsna's mother. Of whom should I take
>|shelter but Krsna, who is most merciful?'
1089|PURPORT
1090|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.23).
1091|Madhya 22.99
1092|TEXT 99
1093|TEXT
1094|saranagatera, akincanera-eka-i laksana
1095|tara madhye pravesaye 'atma-samarpana'
1096|SYNONYMS
1097|saranagatera-of a person who has fully taken shelter of
>|Krsna; akincanera-of a person who is free of all material
>|desires; eka-i laksana-the symptoms are one and the same;
>|tara madhye-of them all; pravesaye-enters; atma-samarpana-
>|full surrender.
1098|TRANSLATION
1099|"There are two kinds of devotees-those who are fully
>|satiated and free from all material desires and those who
>|are fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord. Their
>|qualities are one and the same, but those who are fully
>|surrendered to Krsna's lotus feet are qualified with
>|another transcendental quality-atma-samarpana, full
>|surrender without reservation.
1100|Madhya 22.100
1101|TEXT 100
1102|TEXT
1103|anukulyasya sankalpah
1104|pratikulyasya varjanam
1105|raksisyatiti visvaso
1106|goptrtve varanam tatha
1107|atma-niksepa-karpanye
1108|sad-vidha saranagatih
1109|SYNONYMS
1110|anukulyasya-of anything that assists devotional service to
>|the Lord; sankalpah-acceptance; pratikulyasya-of anything
>|that hinders devotional service; varjanam-complete
>|rejection; raksisyati-He will protect; iti-thus; visvasah-
>|strong conviction; goptrtve-in being the guardian, like the
>|father or husband, master or maintainer; varanam-acceptance;
>| tatha-as well as; atma-niksepa-full self-surrender;
>|karpanye-humility; sat-vidha-sixfold; sarana-agatih-
>|process of surrender.
1111|TRANSLATION
1112|" 'The six divisions of surrender are the acceptance of
>|those things favorable to devotional service, the rejection
>|of unfavorable things, the conviction that Krsna will give
>|protection, the acceptance of the Lord as one's guardian or
>|master, full self-surrender and humility.
1113|PURPORT
1114|One who is fully surrendered is qualified with the six
>|following characteristics. (1) The devotee has to accept
>|everything that is favorable for the rendering of
>|transcendental loving service to the Lord. (2) He must
>|reject everything unfavorable to the Lord's service. This
>|is also called renunciation. (3) A devotee must be firmly
>|convinced that Krsna will give him protection. No one else
>|can actually give one protection, and being firmly
>|convinced of this is called faith. This kind of faith is
>|different from the faith of an impersonalist who wants to
>|merge into the Brahman effulgence in order to benefit by
>|cessation of repeated birth and death. A devotee wants to
>|remain always in the Lord's service. In this way, Krsna is
>|merciful to His devotee and gives him all protection from
>|the dangers found on the path of devotional service. (4)
>|The devotee should accept Krsna as his supreme maintainer
>|and master. He should not think that he is being protected
>|by a demigod. He should depend only on Krsna, considering
>|Him the only protector. The devotee must be firmly
>|convinced that within the three worlds he has no protector
>|or maintainer other than Krsna. (5) Self-surrender means
>|remembering that one's activities and desires are not
>|independent. The devotee is completely dependent on Krsna,
>|and he acts and thinks as Krsna desires. (6) The devotee is
>|meek and humble. As stated in Bhagavad-gita:
1115|sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
1116|mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
1117|vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
1118|vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
1119|"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 Vedanta,
>| and I am the knower of the Vedas." (Bg
>|
>|
>|
>|. 15
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|
>|.15)
1120|Situated in everyone's heart, Krsna deals differently
>|according to the living entity's position. The living
>|entity's position is to be under the protection of the
>|illusory energy or under Krsna's personal protection. When
>|a living entity is fully surrendered, he is under the
>|direct protection of Krsna, and Krsna gives him all
>|intelligence by which he can advance in spiritual
>|realization. The nondevotee, however, being under the
>|protection of the illusory energy, increasingly forgets his
>|relationship with Krsna. Sometimes it is asked how Krsna
>|causes one to forget. Krsna causes His devotee to forget
>|material activities, and through the agency of maya, Krsna
>|causes the nondevotee to forget his devotional service to
>|the Lord. This is called apohana.
1121|Madhya 22.101
1122|TEXT 101
1123|TEXT
1124|tavasmiti vadan vaca
1125|tathaiva manasa vidan
1126|tat-sthanam asritas tanva
1127|modate saranagatah
1128|SYNONYMS
1129|tava-His; asmi-I am; iti-thus; vadan-saying; vaca-by
>|words; tatha-so; eva-certainly; manasa-with the mind; vidan-
>|knowing; tat-sthanam-His place; asritah-taken shelter of;
>|tanva-by the body; modate-he enjoys; sarana-agatah-fully
>|surrendered.
1130|TRANSLATION
1131|" 'One whose body is fully surrendered takes shelter at the
>|holy place where Krsna had His pastimes, and he prays to
>|the Lord, "My Lord, I am Yours." Understanding this with
>|his mind, he enjoys spiritual bliss.
1132|PURPORT
1133|These last two verses appear in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (11.
>|417 , 418).
1134|Madhya 22.102
1135|TEXT 102
1136|TEXT
1137|sarana lana kare krsne atma-samarpana
1138|krsna tare kare tat-kale atma-sama
1139|SYNONYMS
1140|sarana lana-taking shelter; kare-does; krsne-unto Krsna;
>|atma-samarpana-fully surrendering; krsna-Lord Krsna; tare-
>|him; kare-makes; tat-kale-immediately; atma-sama-one of His
>|confidential associates.
1141|TRANSLATION
1142|"When a devotee thus fully surrenders unto Krsna's lotus
>|feet, Krsna accepts him as one of His confidential
>|associates.
1143|Madhya 22.103
1144|TEXT 103
1145|TEXT
1146|martyo yada tyakta-samasta-karma
1147|niveditatma vicikirsito me
1148|tadamrtatvam pratipadyamano
1149|mayatma-bhuyaya ca kalpate vai
1150|SYNONYMS
1151|martyah-the living entity subjected to birth and death;
>|yada-as soon as; tyakta-given up; samasta-all; karma-
>|fruitive activities; nivedita-atma-a fully surrendered soul;
>| vicikirsitah-desired to act; me-by Me; tada-at that time;
>|amrtatvam-immortality; pratipadyamanah-attaining; maya-with
>|Me; atma-bhuyaya-for becoming of a similar nature; ca-also;
>|kalpate-is eligible; vai-certainly.
1152|TRANSLATION
1153|" 'The living entity who is subjected to birth and death
>|attains immortality when he gives up all material
>|activities, dedicates his life to the execution of My order,
>| and acts according to My directions. In this way he
>|becomes fit to enjoy the spiritual bliss derived from
>|exchanging loving mellows with Me.'
1154|PURPORT
1155|This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.34).
>|Krsna was advising His most confidential servant, Uddhava,
>|about sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. These concern one'
>|s relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
>|the activities of that relationship, as well as the
>|perfection of life. The Lord also described the
>|characteristics of confidential devotees.
1156|Madhya 22.104
1157|TEXT 104
1158|TEXT
1159|ebe sadhana-bhakti-laksana suna, sanatana
1160|yaha haite pai krsna-prema-maha-dhana
1161|SYNONYMS
1162|ebe-now; sadhana-bhakti-regulative principles for executing <