Crossing over māyā is sometimes compared to crossing an ocean. At the time of death the conditioned soul has to transmigrate to another material body, and even if he is born in a higher planet, he still has to suffer repeated birth and death. To cross the limits of this ocean of saḿsāra, he has to go back to Godhead. But this is very difficult, because any material desires, whether sinful or pious, will plunge the conditioned soul back into saḿsāra.
However, Lord Kṛṣṇa makes the process easy. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14) He states,
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
"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."
Nārada is now giving detailed information on how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and cross over the powerful ocean of illusion. In this sūtra he mentions renouncing attachment, associating with great souls, and becoming free of possessiveness. One has to attempt all these and other favorable methods, but at the same time one must understand that he cannot swim across the ocean on his own. By one's sincere acts of devotion, Kṛṣṇa is moved to come to the rescue. Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna, "But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service — for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death" (Bg. 12.6-7). In his purport Śrīla Prabhupāda states, "Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare — a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination easily and happily, but this destination cannot be approached by any other process of religion."
As already stated, the mercy of the Lord is best obtained from His pure devotees. They enable one to take shelter of the Lord's lotus feet, which act like a boat to carry one across the vast ocean of māyā:
O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one's meditation on Your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of mahā-janas [great saints, sages, and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. [Bhāg. 10.2.30]
Nārada is giving more ways to cross beyond māyā. The first is solitude (vivikta-sthānaḿ sevate). Several times in the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa advises that one practice spiritual life alone. Solitude is particularly stressed in meditative yoga, which requires that one live alone in a secluded place (rahasi sthitaḥ ekākī) (Bg. 6.10). And in the Thirteenth Chapter, when listing the items of knowledge, Lord Kṛṣṇa includes vivikta-deśa-sevitvam, "aspiring to live in a solitary place" (Bg. 13.11). Again, in the Eighteenth Chapter, when describing a person who has been elevated to the position of self-realization, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that he "lives in a solitary place" (vivikta-sevī) (Bg. 18.52).
Neophyte devotees, however, are not advised to live alone. Although solitary bhajana was practiced by Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and sometimes by Lord Caitanya, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura criticized devotees who prematurely wanted to chant in a solitary place. He wrote, "My dear mind, why are you so proud of being a Vaiṣṇava? Your solitary worship and chanting of the holy name of the Lord are based on a desire for cheap popularity, and therefore your chanting of the holy name is only a pretension" (quoted in Kṛṣṇa, p. 882).
A sacred and solitary place, as mentioned in the Gītā, also refers to a place of pilgrimage. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "In India the yogīs — the transcendentalists or the devotees — all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayāga, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Hṛṣīkeśa, and Hardwar and in solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamunā and Ganges flow" (Bg. 6.11-12, purport). For devotees of Kṛṣṇa, the most sacred place of pilgrimage is Mathurā-maṇḍala, the district that includes Mathurā and Vṛndāvana. Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends living in Mathurā-maṇḍala as one of the five main principles of bhakti-yoga, and Śrīla Prabhupāda praises Mathurā-maṇḍala as follows in his summary study of Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:
A pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa resides in the district of Mathurā or Vṛndāvana and visits all the places where Kṛṣṇa's pastimes were performed.... Actually, if someone goes to Vṛndāvana, he will immediately feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, who performed such nice activities when He was present there. [The Nectar of Devotion, p. 139]
Śrīla Prabhupāda worked hard for many years to establish temples in Vṛndāvana and in Māyāpura, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, so that Westerners could come and be purified by living in the dhāma. Of Vṛndāvana Śrīla Prabhupāda states, "The places in the eighty-four-square-mile district of Mathurā are so beautifully situated on the banks of the river Yamunā that anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world.... Transcendental feelings are aroused immediately without fail after one arrives in Mathurā or Vṛndāvana" (The Nectar of Devotion, p. 111). The essential benefit of a solitary place is that it provides freedom from worldly people and passions. For devotees, this can best be attained in the dhāma, in the association of like-minded souls.
Nārada also says that one who wants to overcome māyā must break the bonds of material attachment and live above the modes of nature. These are some of the natural results of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. In the Fourteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa describes how the three modes of nature — goodness, passion, and ignorance — bind the living entity in saḿsāra. To become free of the modes, one has to hear the truth from the spiritual master. Then one will gradually understand his original spiritual nature and how one is entrapped by the modes. If one lives in the association of transcendentalists and serves Lord Kṛṣṇa along with them, one will not be controlled by the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. The ācāryas tell us that living in the forest is in the mode of goodness, living in a town is in the mode of passion, and living in a brothel is in the mode of ignorance — but to live in a temple of Viṣṇu, in the society of devotees, is Vaikuṇṭha. Indeed, another meaning of "secluded and sacred place" is the temple of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "In this bhakti-yoga system, the temple is considered the sacred place. The temple is nirguṇa, transcendental" (The Path of Perfection, p. 38).
Nārada also recommends renouncing anxieties for acquisition and maintenance: yoga-kṣemaḿ tyajati. Lord Kṛṣṇa also mentions yoga-kṣema in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.22):
ananyāś cintayanto māḿ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
"But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."
Dependence on the Lord for maintenance is an advanced stage of spiritual life, but it is not based on imagination. The principle is that one should not want more than what is absolutely necessary. Wanting anything beyond that will simply cause anxiety. In any case, whether one is a poor brāhmaṇa, a mendicant sannyāsī, a businessman, or an administrator in a religious institution, he or she should realize that the Supreme Lord is the actual maintainer. If we live simply, engaging in Kṛṣṇa's service and not creating unnecessary demands, we will be able to reduce concerns for maintenance and enter the spirit of yoga-kṣemaḿ tyajati, as recommended by Nārada Muni.
[Who can cross beyond illusion?] That person who renounces material duties and their profits, thus transcending duality.
A devotee has faith that Lord Kṛṣṇa will supply his needs. But this does not mean that he becomes lazy or inactive. He works for Kṛṣṇa. By dedicating all acts to the Lord, the devotee becomes free from karmic reactions. As long as one continues to work under the influence of the modes of nature, one must experience duality — good and bad, hot and cold, rich and poor, pleasure and pain, and so on. As Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.27),
icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata
"O scion of Bhārata, O conqueror of foes, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate." And in his purport, Prabhupāda explains,
Deluded persons, symptomatically, dwell in dualities of dishonor and honor, misery and happiness, woman and man, good and bad, pleasure and pain, etc., thinking, "This is my wife; this is my house; I am the master of this house; I am the husband of this wife." These are the dualities of delusion. Those who are so deluded by dualities are completely foolish and therefore cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The delusion of duality stems from identifying the self with the body. When a person understands that he is not the body but an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, the delusion of duality ceases for him. A devotee can break the bonds of duality even while living in the material world. When a devotee feels bodily heat or cold, pleasure or pain, he sees it in terms of the body, and he continues to perform his service without distraction. Early in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna to remain equipoised in both happiness and distress. Later, Kṛṣṇa expresses His pleasure with the devotee who transcends duality: "One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things — such a devotee is very dear to Me" (Bg. 12.17).
It should be obvious by now that bhakti is not merely pious thoughts of "love" but rather fearless action. Nārada asks nothing less of the bhakta than complete surrender and complete dedication unto the will of Bhagavān. But if at any point one feels himself unable to reach the ideals taught by Nārada, he is not condemned. Lord Kṛṣṇa also says that if we cannot achieve the topmost surrender, then we should do what we can and try to progress gradually (see Bhagavad-gītā 12.8-12). But we should be humble about our inability to fully surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa. We should not attempt to change the uncompromising teachings in order to justify our weakness. Nārada and the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas are asking us to change our lives in order to become bhaktas, because that alone will make us eternally happy. The difficulties we feel in making these changes are due to our material attachments.
Lord Kṛṣṇa gives a stern order in Bhagavad-gītā (3.30):
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
"O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight." And Śrīla Prabhupāda was also stern, cautioning his followers, "An easy-going life and Kṛṣṇa consciousness go ill together." Māyā dictates to us to take it easy and stay in the material world, but her suggestions are only a deception. She will tell us not to perform austerities in devotional service, but if we fall under her influence, we will be forced to labor and suffer in lower species of life, birth after birth. Nārada is asking us to undergo a little trouble now in order to cross over the ocean of māyā and be free of all suffering forever.
By "renouncing the Vedas" Nārada means renouncing the fruitive sacrifices recommended in the Vedas' karma-kāṇḍīya portions, which are for those pursuing fruitive results. Lord Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna, "The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes.... All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them" (Bg. 2.45-46). The karma-kāṇḍīya instructions are for gradual development, but the ultimate goal is to know Lord Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes (see Bhagavad-gītā 15.15). If one is attached only to the rituals and not the goal, then he cannot rise to the transcendental stage.
Similarly, the study of the Vedānta-sūtra is meant for understanding Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Great Devotees write  "Vedānta is the last word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedānta philosophy is Lord Kṛṣṇa; and the highest Vedāntist is the great soul who takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord" (Bg. 2.46, purport).
Śrīla Vyāsadeva begins the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2) with the declaration that no lesser forms of religion will be taught: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Only pure devotional service is taught in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa also concludes His instructions to Arjuna by advising him, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me." (Bg. 18.66)
Still, although a pure devotee ignores the karma-kāṇḍīya portion of the Vedas and gives up all forms of dharma save bhakti, he never defies the bhakti-śāstras or gives up following their injunctions. In fact, liberated souls always relish hearing the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead from transcendental books like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and the works of the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. .. is purely transcendental literature which can be understood only by the pure devotees of the Lord who are transcendental to competitive sense gratification" (Bhāg. 1.1.2, purport). Śrīla Vyāsadeva says, "O thoughtful devotees, as long as you are not absorbed in transcendental bliss, you should continue tasting the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and when you are fully absorbed in bliss you should go on tasting its mellows forever" (Bhāg. 1.1.3). The sages at Naimiṣāraṇya declare, "We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who enjoy association with Him relish hearing His pastimes at every moment" (Bhāg. 1.1.19).
Even great souls who were liberated in Brahman realization became attracted to the narrations of Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. As Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit, "My dear King, although I was fully situated in the transcendental position, I was nonetheless attracted to the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from my father." (Bhāg. 2.1.9) And Lord Caitanya, though God Himself, constantly relished hearing the Bhāgavatam and other Vaiṣṇava literatures, as well as the poetry of Vaiṣṇava saints, which He discussed among His intimate devotees. So renouncing the karma-kāṇḍīya rituals of the Vedas does not mean giving up the eternal pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
For those who are striving for perfection, certainly the relevant part of the Vedas is not to be rejected. But sometimes devotees in the spontaneous stage appear to come into conflict with Vedic customs. Once Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had to explain this stage of spontaneous love to King Pratāparudra. The king had observed the devotees of Lord Caitanya arriving in Purī without following some of the customary rules. The king asked Sārvabhauma, "Why have they not observed the regulations for visiting the pilgrimage place, such as fasting and shaving the head? Why have they first eaten prasādam?" Sārvabhauma replied to the king, "What you have said is right according to the regulative principles governing the visiting of holy places, but there is another path, which is the path of spontaneous love. According to those principles, there are subtle intricacies involved in the execution of religious principles"  personally present and distributing prasādam from His own hand, His intimate devotees neglected the regulative principle of fasting.
Nārada uses the word kevalam, which indicates that one's love for Kṛṣṇa must be undivided and unalloyed. Bhakti as taught by Nārada is not part-time service, or devotion only up to a certain point. In the spontaneous stage, all considerations except bhakti are unimportant, as in the gopīs' rejection of family and social considerations. The gopīs did not disregard their duties consciously, but they were simply unable to think of anything but going to Kṛṣṇa.
When a devotee reaches the stage Nārada describes here, his devotional service flows uninterruptedly. Queen Kuntī aspired for that stage: "O Lord of Madhu," she prayed, "as the Ganges ever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else" (Bhāg. 1.8.42). Śrīla Prabhupāda describes Nārada Muni's own flow of devotional service:
Such a flow of devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. [Bhāg. 1.5.28, purport]
Neophyte devotees complain of sporadic enthusiasm. They are sometimes eager to chant and hear of Kṛṣṇa, but at other times they are troubled by thoughts of sense pleasure and a lack of taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This up-and-down syndrome is not unusual for beginners. Every soul's original state is to experience a spontaneous flow of love of God, but this love has been covered by countless millions of years of conditioning in the material world. This conditioning is not easy to overcome. In the early stages of bhakti, therefore, determination is of the utmost importance. At the same time, we may be inspired by the reality of spontaneous love as described by Nārada and exhibited by devotees who serve the Lord in prema-bhakti.
If things are made easy, this affords facility for the person who has made them easy and also for others who follow the same principles. The process recommended for crossing the ocean of nescience is easy not only for the devotee but for common persons who follow the devotee (mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ). [Bhāg. 10.2.30, purport]
Pure devotees help others in many ways. Sometimes they give lectures, and at other times they meet with both devotees and nondevotees. When persons come forward for more serious instruction, the pure devotee acts as spiritual master and trains disciples to render service to the Personality of Godhead. Sometimes pure devotees become authors. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "It is the duty of the ācārya to publish books that will help future candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord." Sometimes the liberated souls recruit disciples who then go out and preach, following the example of their spiritual master. Great souls sometimes begin movements or societies in which devotees can live and practice bhakti. And sometimes they construct temples where the public can come to see the Deity form of Lord Kṛṣṇa and taste His prasādam, the remnants of food offered to Him. Thus both by personal example and by precept, and even after their disappearance from the mortal world, the great souls help the conditioned souls who have forgotten their love for Kṛṣṇa. As Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura so eloquently put it:
He reasons ill who says that Vaiṣṇavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaiṣṇavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around.
Although Nārada has been expertly analyzing bhakti from the beginning stages up to parā bhakti, he now says that it is inexpressible. Bhakti is particularly inexplicable to unqualified persons. Until a person practices devotion with faith, how can he know of it just by inquiring from a sage? Sometimes when devotees would ask Śrīla Prabhupāda questions on subjects that were beyond their ability to understand, he would give the analogy of a small boy trying to understand sexual pleasure. Because the child is physically immature, he cannot know what sex is, but once he reaches puberty, he automatically understands. When I first began typing Prabhupāda's manuscript of Teachings of Lord Caitanya, I was curious about some esoteric aspects of parā bhakti. Lord Caitanya described that when a devotee reaches perfection, he chooses to follow a particular eternal resident of Vṛndāvana and learn of his own rasa from that resident. In March of 1967 I wrote to Prabhupāda asking more about this subject. He replied as follows:
When we are in the perfect stage of devotional service, we can know our eternal relation with Krishna, and as such one of the associates of Lord Krishna becomes our ideal leader. This acceptance of leadership by one of the eternal associates of the Lord is not artificial. Do not therefore try it at present; it will be automatically revealed to you at the proper time.
It is not only immature young bhaktas who are barred from understanding parā bhakti. This advanced stage of devotion is even beyond the ability of erudite scholars to fathom. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja writes, "The pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa are uncommonly full of transcendental potency. It is characteristic of such pastimes that they do not fall within the jurisdiction of experimental logic and arguments" (Cc. Antya 19.103). Rūpa Gosvāmī echoes this statement: "The activities and symptoms of that exalted personality in whose heart love of Godhead has awakened cannot be understood even by the most learned scholar" (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.17).
To say that bhakti is inexpressible is not merely an evasive reply given to an outsider. In the higher stages especially, bhakti is inconceivable. The most intense expression of love of Godhead was displayed by Lord Caitanya. As described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted to know the love that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī felt for Him, and so He appeared as Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya's ecstatic feelings and expressions were recorded in notes kept by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, memorized by Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and related by Raghunātha dāsa to Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. But in telling these pastimes in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja confessed his limitations:
Even Anantadeva, who possesses thousands of mouths, cannot fully describe the ecstatic transformations that Lord Caitanya experienced in a single day. What can a poor creature like me describe of those transformations? I can give only a hint of them, as if showing the moon through branches of a tree. This description, however, will satisfy the mind and ears of anyone who hears it, and he will be able to understand these uncommon activities of deep ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. Ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa is wonderfully deep. By personally tasting the glorious sweetness of that love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us its extreme limits. [Cc. Antya 17.64-67]
Although prema-bhakti is beyond words, whatever can be conveyed by authorized devotees is appreciated by those who are sincere and faithful. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja says,
Just try to hear these topics with faith, for there is great pleasure even in hearing them. That hearing will destroy all miseries pertaining to the body, mind, and other living entities, and the unhappiness of false arguments as well.
Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee bhāgavata or the book bhāgavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are the facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant's son in his previous life. [Bhāg. 1.2.18, purport]
Although the guru-disciple relationship is a subtle one, it can be understood by the standard qualifications of both persons. For example, although Nārada was a young boy, the bhaktivedānta sages who visited his home found him a fit candidate, and so they blessed him. Nārada recalls the incident:
Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedānta blessed me with their causeless mercy. As far as I was concerned, I was self-controlled and had no attachment for sports, even though I was a boy. In addition, I was not naughty and I did not speak more than required. [Bhāg. 1.5.24]
The sages at Naimiṣāraṇya praised the speaker Sūta Gosvāmī in a similar way:
And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them. [Bhāg. 1.1.8]
For realization of the most advanced spiritual knowledge, such as the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, the devotee has to be extremely well qualified. As Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja says, "Unto one who is able to understand, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown mercy by giving him the association of the servant of His own servant" (Cc. Madhya 2.83). The spiritual knowledge Lord Caitanya conveyed to Rāmānanda Rāya was so completely out of the range of mundane vision that Lord Caitanya said that "only a madman can understand it." Lord Caitanya confided to Rāmānanda:
Please rest assured that I have nothing to hide from you. Even if I do try to hide something from you, you are such an advanced devotee that you can understand all My secrets.... The facts which I have disclosed to you cannot be understood by materialistic people. When they hear of this, they will simply laugh at Me. You can understand this yourself and keep it to yourself. [Teachings of Lord Caitanya, p. 346]
In his later years, when Lord Caitanya exhibited His pastimes of entering intensely into the mood of Rādhārāṇī in separation from Kṛṣṇa, He shared this rasa only with His most intimate devotees, such as Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara. They could understand the Lord's moods, which sometimes produced displays of seeming madness and which ordinary words or behavior could not express.
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāyate
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatāra, even Kṛṣṇa Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given — pure love of Kṛṣṇa."
What passes for love in the material world often sounds and appears like bhakti, at least to those who are untrained in devotional service. But Nārada Muni makes it clear in this sūtra that bhakti is always different from material loving affairs.
The word guṇa-rahitam means "above the modes of nature." Nārada has already mentioned this quality of bhakti in Sūtra 47. Bhakti is not like any kind of behavior governed by the modes of ignorance, passion, or goodness. We should never think that Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs and cowherd boys are mundane. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are, in fact, the original activities of love, and whatever resembles love in any way within this material world comes originally from Kṛṣṇa.
If there is any opulence within this material world, the cause of the opulence is Kṛṣṇa. If there is any reputation within this material world, the cause of the reputation is Kṛṣṇa. If there is any strength within this material world, the cause of such strength is Kṛṣṇa. If there is any wisdom and education within this material world, the cause of such wisdom and education is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the source of all relative truths. [Kṛṣṇa, p. 27]
The word kāmanā-rahitam means "without selfish desire." This quality, too, has appeared before — in Sūtra 27, where Nārada said, "There is no question of lust in the execution of devotional service in pure love of God, because in it all material activities are renounced."
Unlike the pleasure that comes from exchanges of material so-called love, the pleasure of bhakti is pratikṣaṇa-vardhamānam (increasing at every moment) and avicchinnam (uninterrupted). This is the nature of the Lord's spiritual pleasure potency, known as hlādinī-śakti, which conducts the loving exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. In sex passion, satiation soon brings an end to the mounting feelings of pleasure, but in the loving exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and His eternal associates there is an eternal competition, bringing ever-
increasing pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is very pleased to see the beauty of His gopīs, and when the gopīs see that Kṛṣṇa is pleased with them they become many times more happy, and this increases their beauty. In turn, this increases Kṛṣṇa's beauty and pleasure. And so the devotee and the Lord enjoy loving exchanges, but without interruption.
Unlike mortal love affairs, in bhakti the love does not break by quarrel or death of one of the partners.
Lord Kṛṣṇa describes this stage of perfection in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.30),
yo māḿ paśyati sarvatra sarvaḿ ca mayi paśyati
Such a person may appear to see all the separate manifestations of the material nature, but in each and every instance he is conscious of Kṛṣṇa, knowing that everything is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy." [Bg. 6.30, purport]
This is samādhi, or trance, and whether one achieves it by the eightfold yoga system or by bhakti-yoga, it is the same. In the case of the bhakti-yogī, he is fixed in devotional service at all times, and whatever he sees contributes to his meditation on Kṛṣṇa.
To help us understand pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the ācāryas give us examples of samādhi-like states, even in ordinary affairs. When a mother sees the shoes of her little child, she doesn't just perceive them as neutral objects: she feels protection and love for her child. Similarly, when a lover picks up his beloved's comb (especially if he is in separation from her) he may feel intense emotions of love. In the case of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything is His energy. So wherever the bhakta goes or whatever he perceives throughout the universe, he is reminded of the Lord. Moreover, this recognition is not merely an intellectual habit but a total, overpowering state of love.
In his Brahma-saḿhitā (5.38), Lord Brahmā describes the devotional qualification for seeing Kṛṣṇa always and everywhere:
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself, with inconceivable, innumerable attributes, and whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love."
The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the jīva. The form of Kṛṣṇa is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion.
What prevents most of us from seeing Kṛṣṇa with eyes of love? We have a "cataract" on our eyes that consists of our material attachments. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa states,
nāhaḿ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible" (Bg. 7.25). Lord Kṛṣṇa does not hide from us; He wants us to be with Him. He is like the sun that always blazes in the sky. No cloud is big enough to cover the sun, but from our earthly vantage point even a small cloud can block our view of the sun. In the same way, the clouds of our desire and hatred prevent us from seeing our beloved Lord and block us from enjoying the happiness and peace that come from serving Him. To realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore, we have to rise above our upādhis, the false designations that make us think the body is the self and make us identify with our mental concoctions.
Nārada is describing the ultimate stage of bhakti. This stage is rare, but one can achieve it by the mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas who teach bhakti-yoga. One who reads the Vedic literature with a speculative attitude will never know Kṛṣṇa.
The preparatory stages of bhakti are called secondary devotion, and they are necessary for those who are still affected by the modes of nature. Lord Kṛṣṇa describes the motivations for such secondary devotion in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.16):
catur-vidhā bhajante māḿ janā sukṛtino 'rjuna
"O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me: the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."
This Bhagavad-gītā verse occurs just after Lord Kṛṣṇa describes the four kinds of persons who never surrender to the Lord. Those who are devoted to the Supreme Lord, even while seeking to fulfill material desires, are called sukṛtinaḥ, or pious souls. Their good qualification is that they have turned to God. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.10), Śukadeva Gosvāmī encourages everyone, no matter what his present condition, to take up kṛṣṇa-bhakti:
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
"A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead."
The sukṛtīs who are not yet on the platform of unalloyed devotion can be purified by association with pure devotees. Of course, if one remains stuck in this lower stage, then he will be discontented. What prevents a devotee from advancing is the desire for bhukti (enjoyment of material objects) or mukti (liberation). In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.22), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes bhukti and mukti as two witches who haunt the conditioned souls and keep them from experiencing the bliss of bhakti. Actual devotional service is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya, service rendered favorably to the Lord without desire for material profit or speculation (see Bhagavad-gītā 7.16, purport).
The devotees who serve Kṛṣṇa in order to satisfy selfish desires are called sakāma-bhaktas. Those who serve purely, without such desires, are akāma devotees. When a sakāma devotee continues to render devotional service, the Supreme Lord turns him from a sakāma- into an akāma-bhakta. The devotee begins to realize that the taste of serving Kṛṣṇa is the real goal and pleasure, and his desires for other things begin to dwindle. This auspicious change of heart occurs by the potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa working through the process of bhakti. As stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.19.27),
The Supreme Personality of Godhead fulfills the material desires of a devotee who approaches Him with such motives, but He does not bestow benedictions upon the devotee that will cause him to demand benedictions again. However, the Lord willingly gives the devotee shelter at His feet, even though such a person does not aspire for it, and that shelter satisfies all his desires. That is the Supreme Personality's special mercy.
Worship of the Lord in the mode of goodness (sattva) is better than worship in passion (rajas), and worship in the mode of passion is better than worship in ignorance (tamas). In His teachings to His mother, Lord Kapiladeva explains devotional service executed under the influence of the three modes:
O noble lady, there are multifarious paths of devotional service in terms of the different qualities of the executor. Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, hypocritical, violent, and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness. The worship of Deities in the temple by a separatist, with a motive for material enjoyment, fame, and opulence, is devotion in the mode of passion. When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers Him the results of his activities in order to free himself from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness. [Bhāg. 3.29.7-10]
In his purport to this passage, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the key word bhinna-dṛk, meaning "possessed of a separatist vision":
The word "separatist" must be understood carefully.... A separatist is one who sees his interest as separate from that of the Supreme Lord. Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality.
Still, despite their separatist mentality, such mixed devotees are blessed, for if they begin executing devotional service under the guidance of teachers who are in pure goodness (śuddha-sattva), they can be gradually elevated to pure bhakti. As stated in the verse previously quoted (Bhāg. 2.3.10), all classes of worshipers are encouraged to turn to the supreme father, even with their material desires. In his purport Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "As the unmixed sun ray is very forceful and is therefore called tīvra, similarly unmixed bhakti-yoga of hearing, chanting, etc. (tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena [SB 2.3.10]), may be performed by one and all, regardless of inner motive."
Nārada assures us that everyone can speedily advance by practicing bhakti-yoga — because it is the easiest way. This is an extremely important qualification, especially for us in the present age, the Age of Kali. As stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.10),
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
"O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky, and, above all, always disturbed."
Even in former ages, when more difficult processes were recommended, the goal was always bhakti, or devotion to the Supreme Lord. In this age the most accessible form of bhakti is sańkīrtana, or congregational chanting of the holy names of God. It is recommended as the yuga-dharma, or religion of the age. As stated in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa, "In the Age of Kali no effective means of God realization is possible except the chanting of the holy names." The same thing is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where the nine sages known as the Yogendras declare that in Kali-yuga intelligent persons will take to the process of sańkīrtana. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells Mahārāja Parīkṣit that the chanting of the holy names is the saving grace of this age:
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
"My dear king, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom" (Bhāg. 12.3.51).
In ignorance and defiance of the recommended yuga-dharma, unauthorized teachers make a business of teaching yoga and meditation. But since almost no one is qualified to practice the severe austerities of meditation, streamlined versions are taught, which are mostly a form of cheating. Even if a person seriously takes up the path of karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, or aṣṭāńga-yoga, he will meet with many difficulties. For example, the jñānī may become very attached to accumulating knowledge for its own sake, up to the point where he tries to merge with the Absolute Truth. The karma-yogī, or man of action, too often forgets to dedicate his activities to God and instead becomes attached to the fruits of his work or to fame. The aṣṭāńga-yogīs, if they are able to progress at all in the eightfold system, are liable to get sidetracked by the siddhis, or powers, that come to them. But bhakti, by its very nature, purifies one's senses, actions, and motives. Moreover, one doesn't have to go painfully and slowly through every single step on the yoga ladder from karma to jñāna to bhakti. At any moment, whenever one decides to surrender, and wherever one gets the association of pure devotees, one can take the express elevator of bhakti-yoga. As Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends,
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
"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" (Bg. 7.14).
Pramāṇa means proof. Vaiṣṇava philosophers condense all the different types of pramāṇas into three: pratyakṣa, anumāna, and śabda. Pratyakṣa means direct evidence by the senses. But since the senses are imperfect, pratyakṣa often has to be corrected by higher knowledge. Anumāna refers to deductive and inductive logic, which depends on the validity of its premises and reasons, and so cannot prove anything with final certainty. Śabda means receiving knowledge from authoritative sources. Vedic knowledge is śabda-pramāṇa. This is particularly applicable to transcendental subject matter, which cannot be understood by the empirical and theorizing methods. Even in ordinary affairs, there are many things we have to accept on authority. We can learn the identity of our father from our mother, the only foolproof authority. Aside from the mother there is no way to know for sure who our father is. When the source of information is perfect, as in Vedic knowledge, then śabda-pramāṇa, or śabda-brahma, becomes the ultimate proof. As Śrīla Prabhupāda states, "As far as the soul's existence is concerned, no one can establish his existence experimentally beyond the proof of śruti, or Vedic wisdom" (Bg. 2.25, purport).
Aside from the proof of śāstra and guru, Nārada has taught that the truth of bhakti is proven by one's directly experiencing its fruits in one's own life. In Sūtras 31 and 32, Nārada gives the analogy of how a man's hunger cannot be appeased just by looking at a meal. It is not enough to hear that a particular food preparation has a very sweet and delicious flavor. Even if you know all the dish's ingredients, that knowledge will not satisfy your hunger. In the same way, mere theoretical knowledge of God does not bring pleasure — either to God or to the individual soul. Bhakti has to be directly perceived. Śrīla Prabhupāda used to say that when you become Kṛṣṇa conscious no one has to give you a certificate or diploma saying, "You are now Kṛṣṇa conscious." You'll know it for yourself.
The potency of bhakti to purify one's heart is proved by the loss of material desires. Those who come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness after years of sinful life know this proof very well. Their renunciation of meat-eating, intoxicants, and illicit sex is not an act of repression but is based on tasting a higher pleasure. And so bhakti is its own proof.
Nondevotees may ask for empirical proof: "Show us your Kṛṣṇa. Prove that He is God. We want to see Him lift Govardhana Hill." But their demand for proof cannot be satisfied in that way. Lord Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself in His original form only to His devotees:
nāhaḿ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible" (Bg. 7.25).
To the atheists, God gives proof of His existence when He appears as death and takes everything away. But God does not manifest His internal potency to the faithless. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "Even if one is perfected by realization of impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā, he cannot possibly understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, without being in Kṛṣṇa consciousness" (Bg. 7.26, purport).
This sūtra is further proof that bhakti is the best process for spiritual advancement. Lord Kṛṣṇa's personal form, name, and varied activities attract His devotees, who experience a love filled with śānti (peace) and paramānanda (supreme ecstasy). Indeed, the very nature of bhakti is peace and happiness.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa tells us who is eligible for śānti:
bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ sarva-loka-maheśvaram
"One in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries" (Bg. 5.29).
Śrīla Prabhupāda calls this verse "the peace formula," the sure method for achieving both individual and collective tranquillity. When people who temporarily control some property ignore the Lord's proprietorship over all that be and claim that they themselves are the sole proprietors and enjoyers of the world, and when people in positions of leadership claim to be the best friends of their dependents but fail to give them a chance to acquire transcendental knowledge, then the result is not peace but agitation, chaos, and war. Peace comes when we recognize Lord Kṛṣṇa as the supreme ruler, proprietor, and friend.
three types: "(1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness" (The Nectar of Devotion, p. 10). Rūpa Gosvāmī's conclusion is that happiness derived from pure bhakti is the highest because it is eternal, whereas material enjoyment and even oneness with Brahman are bound to be disrupted. Happiness in devotional service is open to all, but those who try to increase their own importance cannot know the sweet taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Happiness comes not by trying to be the master but by becoming the servant of the servant of the supreme master. While praying to the Supreme Lord for relief from his suffering, Gajendra praised the happiness of the devotees:
Unalloyed devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Lord, worship Him in full surrender and always hear and chant about His activities, which are most wonderful and auspicious. Thus they always merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. Such devotees never ask the Lord for any benediction. [Bhāg. 8.3.20]
This sūtra holds various meanings. First, the devotee should not worry about his worldly situation. Having surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa, he is on the most auspicious path, going back to Godhead. Even if he suffers financial loss or ill health, he realizes that Lord Kṛṣṇa is giving him token punishment for his past sinful activities. And so he converts the losses into spiritual assets by remaining steadfast in devotional service, despite the disturbances (see Bhāgavatam 10.14.8).
In the beginning of his commitment, a devotee may fear that he is somehow jeopardizing his future by fully surrendering to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna worried that if he took up the meditative yoga process Kṛṣṇa outlined in the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā he might become an "unsuccessful transcendentalist, who in the beginning takes to the process of self-realization with faith but who later desists due to worldly-mindedness" (Bg. 6.37). If that were to happen, Arjuna reasoned, he would have "no position in any sphere" and could thus enjoy neither material success nor spiritual profit. But Lord Kṛṣṇa assured His disciple, "A transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil" (Bg. 6.40). Even if a devotee does fall short in his attempt at full surrender, whatever devotional service he performs is eternally counted in his favor. At the time of death, one's material success is taken away, but whatever devotional service one has performed, even if "unsuccessfully," is a profit for the next life. As Nārada Muni himself states in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17),
tyaktvā sva-dharmaḿ caraṇāmbujaḿ harer
"One who has forsaken his material occupation to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything" (Bhāg. 1.5.17).
Not only should a devotee reject the idea that he is somehow missing out on material happiness, but he should also be free of worry that he is neglecting his worldly responsibilities. It is a fact that everyone born into the material world has many obligations and moral debts. But a life of dedication to the Supreme Lord frees one — at least from the Lord's point of view — from all other duties:
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāḿ pitṝṇāḿ
"Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation, giving up all other obligations, and has taken to the path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind, or fore-fathers" (Bhāg. 11.5.41).
If a sincere devotee is accused of being irresponsible, or if his life is endangered and it seems as though the cause is his attempt to surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa, he has no recourse but to pray for the mercy of the Lord. The devotee has surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he cannot take back that surrender in a misguided effort to "save" himself. As Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings,
mārabi rākhabi — yo icchā tohārā
"Now if You like You can kill me, or if You like You can give me protection. Whatever You like You can do. I am Your eternal servitor. You have every right to deal with me in any way You please."
Lord Kṛṣṇa has strongly criticized the pseudo renunciants who live at the cost of society: "One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender" (Bg. 3.7). A householder can also reach this destination [Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa] by regulated service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the śāstras, and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that way make progress. A sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a living. [Bg. 3.7, purport]
This does not mean, however, that ordinary work is itself the fulfillment of human life. The karmī slogan "Work is worship" is not the same as working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But one has to do both: work to earn one's living and at the same time work for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "Any other work done in this material world will be a cause of bondage, for both good and evil work have their reactions, and any reaction binds the performer."
How to maintain oneself and one's family and at the same time work for Kṛṣṇa is a great art, and as such it requires the guidance of the Lord's devotee. If obligations to family and society conflict with one's basic spiritual vows, then one must give first priority to the spiritual duties. One who has taken initiation into spiritual life should never give up his vow to chant a quota of holy names daily and to fulfill the basic orders of the spiritual master.
Whether a Vaiṣṇava works in the business world or lives as a renunciant, he should never be embarrassed to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness or doubt the value of preaching. Even if we consider preaching work a debt to humanity, it is a crucial social commitment.
The surrendered devotee, therefore, does not worry about his worldly situation, nor does he support mundane welfare causes. But to satisfy Lord Caitanya and the spiritual masters descending from Him in disciplic succession, he works magnanimously on behalf of all living beings by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(Continued ...)



(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and for the collection)