20211024 Symptoms of Pure Devotional Service

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 24th, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book Today's chapter is entitled as:

Symptoms of Pure Devotional Service

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.162

‘prema-phala’ pāki’ paḍe, mālī āsvādaya
latā avalambi’ mālī ‘kalpa-vṛkṣa’ pāya

Translation: “When the fruit of devotional service becomes ripe and falls down, the gardener tastes the fruit and thus takes advantage of the creeper and reaches the desire tree of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotee waters the creeper and when it reaches the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, it wraps around His lotus feet, the fruit ripens on the tree on the creeper and when it falls down, then the gardener eats the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa , thus he gets unlimited spiritual bliss.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.163

tāhāṅ sei kalpa-vṛkṣera karaye sevana
sukhe prema-phala-rasa kare āsvādana

Translation: “There the devotee serves the lotus feet of the Lord, which are compared to a wish-fulfilling tree. With great bliss he tastes the juice of the fruit of love and becomes eternally happy.

Purport: The word tāhāṅ indicates that in the spiritual world one can taste the juice of the fruit of devotional service and thus become blissful.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotee who is like a gardener watering the creeper's root with the śravanādī-jal, with chanting and hearing of the holy names, he tastes the ripened fruit and become blissfully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.164

kṛṣṇapremāi caturvarga-dhikkārī paramārtha:—

eita parama-phala ‘parama-puruṣārtha’
yāṅra āge tṛṇa-tulya cāri puruṣārtha

Translation: “To taste the fruit of devotional service in Goloka Vṛndāvana is the highest perfection of life, and in the presence of such perfection, the four material perfections — religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation — are very insignificant achievements.

Purport His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: The highest achievement attained by the jñānīs, or impersonalists, is becoming one with the Supreme, generally known as mokṣa, liberation. The highest achievements of the yogīs are the eight material perfections, such as aṇimā, laghimā and prāpti. Yet these are nothing compared to the eternal bliss of the devotee who returns back to Godhead and tastes the fruit of devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord. The material perfections, even up to the point of liberation, are very insignificant in comparison; therefore the pure devotee is never interested in such things. His only interest is in perfecting his devotional service to the Lord. The pleasure of the impersonalist, monist philosophers is condemned in the following verse, which is also found in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Lalita-mādhava.

Jayapatākā Swami: The highest perfection is to have pure love for Kṛṣṇa. this is the real puruśārtha, or the highest perfection of life and this is achieved only by the bhakti-yogis.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.165

brahmānanda-dhikkārī kṛṣṇa-prema-sevānanda:—

Lalita-Mādhave (5.2)—

ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir
brahmānando gurur api camatkārayaty eva tāvat
yāvat premṇāṁ madhu-ripu-vaśī-kāra-siddhauṣadhīnāṁ
gandho ’py antaḥ-karaṇa-saraṇī-pānthatāṁ na prayāti

Translation: “‘As long as there is not the slightest fragrance of pure love of Kṛṣṇa, which is the perfect medicinal herb for controlling Lord Kṛṣṇa within the heart, the opulences of the material perfections known as the siddhis, the brahminical perfections [satya, śama, titikṣā and so on], the trance of the yogīs and the monistic bliss of Brahman all seem wonderful for men.’

Purport: There are different types of perfections known as siddhi-vraja, and also the perfections of achieving brahminical qualifications, yogic trance and merging into the Supreme. All these material perfections are certainly very attractive for a mundane person, but their brilliance exists only as long as one does not take to devotional service. Devotional service can control the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller of all universal affairs. The five rasas (mellows) in the transcendental world are practiced by the inhabitants of Goloka Vṛndāvana in neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental affection and conjugal love. All these please the Lord so much that He is controlled by the devotees. For instance, mother Yaśodā was so advanced in devotional service that Kṛṣṇa agreed to be controlled by her stick. In other words, the five principal mellows are so great and glorious that they are able to control the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the material world, however, the so-called siddhis, or perfections, manifest their brightness only as long as one is not interested in devotional service. In other words, the perfection of the karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs and others remains attractive only as long as one does not come to the point of devotional service, which is so great and significant that it can control the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Thes so-called attractions of the different material perfections is using the reverse psychology, says it is only significant if one hasn't awakened their devotional service. In other words, if we have devotional service it is so blissful, and the other things are pale in comparison.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.166

śuddha-bhaktira lakṣaṇa—

(1) sādhana-bhakti:—

‘śuddha-bhakti’ haite haya ‘premā’ utpanna
ataeva śuddha-bhaktira kahiye ‘lakṣaṇa’

Translation: “When one is situated in pure devotional service, he develops love of Godhead; therefore let me describe some of the symptoms of pure devotional service.

Purport: In the Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) it is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. One cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in truth unless he takes to devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya is giving out the pure devotional service, we can see that this so wonderful. By pure devotional service one is even able to control Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, normally Kṛṣṇa does not give His devotional service freely but Lord Caitanya is more merciful, He gives out the devotional service fairly freely, if we don’t take the mercy of Lord Caitanya at this time when it is offered, then we are really unfortunate.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.167

samagra bhāgavatera sāra-kathā:—

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11)—

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ
bhaktir uttamā

Translation: “‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.’

Purport: This verse is also found in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11). As we can understand from the Bhagavad-gītā (9.34 and 18.65), the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants everyone to think of Him always (man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ). Everyone should become His devotee, not the devotee of a demigod. Everyone should engage in His devotional service, including arcana (Deity worship) in the temple.

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru.

Everyone should offer obeisances, from moment to moment, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These are the desires of the Supreme Lord, and one who fulfills His desires favorably is actually a pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender unto Him, and devotional service means preaching this gospel all over the world.

The Lord says openly in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.69),

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ:

One who preaches the gospel of the Bhagavad-gītā for the benefit of all is most dear to Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord so that human society can be perfectly organized from all angles of vision — politically, socially, economically, philosophically and religiously. From any point of view, human society can be reformed by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; therefore one who spreads this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of all conditioned souls in the universe is perfect in pure devotional service.

The criterion is that a devotee must know what Kṛṣṇa wants him to do. This understanding can be achieved through the medium of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, ādau gurv-āśrayam. One who is serious in wanting to render pure devotional service to the Lord must take shelter of a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, one cannot find out the real purpose of devotional service. Therefore one has to accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and agree to be directed by him. The first business of a pure devotee is to satisfy his spiritual master, whose only business is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one can satisfy the spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa is automatically satisfied — yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. This is the success of devotional service. This is the meaning of the word ānukūlyena — that is, favorable devotional service to the Lord. A pure devotee has no plans other than those for the Lord’s service. He is not interested in attaining success in mundane activities. He simply wants success in the progress of devotional service. For a devotee, there cannot be worship of others or demigod worship. A pure devotee does not engage himself in such pseudo devotional service. He is interested only in satisfying Kṛṣṇa. If one lives only for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, it does not matter whether he belongs to this order of life or that order of life. One’s only business should be to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This process is completely manifest in the activities of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It has been actually proved that the entire world can accept devotional service without failure. One simply has to follow the instructions of the representative of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: We see that taking initiation, following the representative of Kṛṣṇa is so important and the representative of Kṛṣṇa should thoroughly understand the instructions of Krsna from the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-bhāgavatam and then he should favorably be rendering devotional service and engaging his disciples in Kṛṣṇa’s favorable service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.168

prathama dui pāda—‘taṭastha’ o śeṣokta dui pāda—

śuddha-bhaktira ‘svarūpa’ lakṣaṇa:—

anya-vāñchā, anya-pūjā chāḍi’ ‘jñāna’, ‘karma’
ānukūlye sarvendriye kṛṣṇānuśīlana

Translation: “A pure devotee must not cherish any desire other than to serve Kṛṣṇa. He should not offer worship to the demigods or to mundane personalities. He should not cultivate artificial knowledge, which is devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he should not engage himself in anything other than Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. One must engage all one’s purified senses in the service of the Lord. This is the favorable execution of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, devotional service is quite simple for one has to be completely sincere and offer their service to Kṛṣṇa without other desires, and if it is done in this way they serve Kṛṣṇa, then doesn’t matter what order of life they are in, they can achieve all success.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.169

śuddha-bhakti-rūpa abhidheya haitei kṛṣṇa-prema-rūpa ‘prayojana’, —

ihāi sātvata pañcarātra o bhāgavatera mata:—

ei ‘śuddha-bhakti’—ihā haite ‘premā’ haya
pañcarātre, bhāgavate ei lakṣaṇa kaya

Translation: “These activities are called śuddha-bhakti, pure devotional service. If one renders such pure devotional service, he develops his original love for Kṛṣṇa in due course of time. In Vedic literatures like the Pañcarātras and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, these symptoms are described.

Purport: One has to develop his devotional service under the directions of a pure devotee, the spiritual master, and in accordance with the Vedic directions given in the Pañcarātra and Bhāgavata systems. The Pañcarātra system includes methods of temple worship, and the Bhāgavata system includes the spreading of Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy through the recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the discussion of philosophy with people who are interested. Through discussion, one can create an interest and understanding of the Pañcarātra and Bhāgavata systems.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the system of Pañcarātra, the temple worship and Bhāgavata dharma, preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the system of Pañcarātra, the temple worship and Bhāgavata dharma, preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By following both the systems one gradually awakens pure love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.170

samagra pañcarātrera mata:—

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.12)-

dhṛta śrī-nārada-pañcarātra-vākya —

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ 
bhaktir ucyate

Translation: “‘Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’

Purport: This verse quoted from the Nārada-pañcarātra is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.12).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, one being freed from all material designations like caste, creed, color, gender all these are designations of the body, if one is freed from that, as pure spirit soul they engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

Haribol!

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.171

ahaitukī vā aikāntikī śuddha-bhakti haitei kṛṣṇa-prāpti:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3.29.11-14)—

mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa
mayi sarva-guhāśaye
mano-gatir avicchinnā
yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ’mbudhau

Translation: “‘Just as the celestial waters of the Ganges flow unobstructed into the ocean, so when My devotees simply hear of Me, their minds come to Me. I reside in the hearts of all.

Purport: This verse and the following three verses are quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.11-14). They were spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of Kapiladeva.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.172

lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya
nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam
ahaituky avyavahitā
yā bhaktiḥ puruṣottame

Translation: “‘These are the characteristics of transcendental loving service to Puruṣottama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: it is causeless, and it cannot be obstructed in any way.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.173

sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya-
sārūpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti
vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ

Translation: “‘My devotees do not accept sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya or oneness with Me — even if I offer these liberations — in preference to serving Me.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.174

sa eva bhakti-yogākhya
ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ
yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ
mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

Translation: “‘Bhakti-yoga, as described above, is the ultimate goal of life. By rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one transcends the modes of material nature and attains the spiritual position on the platform of direct devotional service.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, these verses have explained how one becomes so attached to serving Kṛṣṇa, that without service to Kṛṣṇa he doesn’t accept any other perfection, how he completely had unified with service to Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.175

kaitava vā aparādha thākile koṭi-janma sādhana, samastai vṛthā:—

bhukti-mukti ādi-vāñchā yadi mane haya
sādhana karile prema utpanna nā haya

Translation: “If one is infected with the desire for material enjoyment or material liberation, he cannot rise to the platform of pure loving service unto the Lord, even though he may superficially render devotional service according to the routine regulative principles.

Purport His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that if one maintains within his heart the desire to enjoy the result of good work, or, being embarrassed by the material world, the desire to get out of material entanglement, one will never be able to attain the transcendental mellows of devotional service. In other words, one must not desire material profit when rendering devotional service. Even if one follows all the sixty-four regulative principles, he cannot attain pure devotional service with a contaminated heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we should be motivated by desire to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa and if our motivation is other, then it will be an impediment. Even if we want to get out of the material suffering. But if we don’t desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then it’s not complete, that will not yield love of godhead. So we have to be very careful, that our attachment for Kṛṣṇa increases.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.176

bubhukṣā o mumukṣā-piśācī—bhaktira lopakāriṇī:—

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1/2/22)—

bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat
piśācī hṛdi vartate
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra
katham abhyudayo bhavet

Translation: “‘The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.’

Purport: This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.22).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, desire for anything material or desire to leave the material suffering without the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa are like witches, which are hunting the devotees and impeding the devotees from pure love of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.177

sādhana-bhakti haite (2) bhāva-bhakti vā rati, rati-haite (3) prema-bhakti:—

sādhana-bhakti haite haya ‘rati’ra udaya
rati gāḍha haile tāra ‘prema’ nāma kaya

Translation: “By regularly rendering devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When that attachment is intensified, it becomes love of Godhead.

Purport: The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.2) gives the following information about sādhana-bhakti:

kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-
bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya
prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā

The process of devotional service — beginning with chanting and hearing — is called sādhana-bhakti. This includes the regulative principles that are intended to awaken one to devotional service. Devotional service is always dormant in everyone’s heart, and by the offenseless chanting of the holy names of the Lord, one’s original dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened. This awakening to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti. This can be divided into many different parts, including faith, association with devotees, initiation by the spiritual master, engagement in devotional service under the instructions of a spiritual master, steadiness in devotional service and the awakening of a taste for devotional service. In this way, one can become attached to Kṛṣṇa and His service, and when this attachment is intensified, it results in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

The word rati is explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.41) as follows:

vyaktaṁ masṛṇatevāntar-
lakṣyate rati-lakṣaṇam
mumukṣu-prabhṛtīnāṁ ced
bhaved eṣā ratir na hi

“When a tenderness of the heart is manifested, there is rati, or attachment. But those who are interested in being liberated from material bondage will not manifest this tenderness.” This attachment is not like material attachment. When one is free of material contamination, attachment for Kṛṣṇa’s service awakens and is called rati. In the material world there is attachment for material enjoyment, but this is not rati. Transcendental rati can be awakened only on the spiritual platform.

Ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa (prema) is described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.41) as follows:

samyaṅ masṛṇita-svānto
mamatvātiśayāṅkitaḥ
bhāvaḥ sa eva sāndrātmā
budhaiḥ premā nigadyate

“When the heart is completely softened and devoid of all material desires and when one’s emotional feelings become very strong, one becomes very much attached to Kṛṣṇa. Such purified emotion is known as pure love.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, from sādhana bhakti one achieves bhāva-bhakti or the attachment to Kṛṣṇa. when the bhāva-bhakti is more intense that is prema or pure love that is the highest perfection of human life.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Symptoms of Pure Devotional Service 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī