20211206 Devotees Who Attained Perfection by Executing Only One of the Nine Processes of Devotional Service

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 6th December 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, 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 is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

Devotees Who Attained Perfection by Executing Only One of the Nine Processes of Devotional Service
Under the section: The Process of Devotional Service

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.128

tanmadhye sādhu-saṅgādi pāñcaṭī bhaktyaṅgera sarvaśreṣṭhatva:--

sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, bhāgavata-śravaṇa
mathurā-vāsa, śrī-mūrtira śraddhāya sevana

Translation: One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, reside at Mathurā and worship the Deity with faith and veneration.

Jayapatākā Swami: Reside in Mathurā means reside in a holy place, that could be Jagannātha Purī, Vraja dhāma, Dvārakā, Māyāpur in Navadvīpa dhāma or in an ISKCON temple, or near a temple with twelve śālagrāma-śilās. So, these five things are recommended.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.129

tāhādera āṁśika anuṣṭhāna-prabhāvei kṛṣṇa-premodaya:—

sakala-sādhana-śreṣṭha ei pañca aṅga
kṛṣṇa-prema janmāya ei pāṅcera alpa saṅga

Translation: These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura points out that there are thirty-five items up to the point of observing special vows in the month of Kārttika. To these thirty-five items, another four are added — namely marking tilaka on different parts of the body, writing the names of the Lord all over the body, accepting the Deity’s garland and accepting caraṇāmṛta. These four items are understood to be included by Kavirāja Gosvāmī within arcana, worship of the Deity. Although these items are not mentioned here, they are to be added to the previous thirty-five items. Thus the total number becomes thirty-nine. To these thirty-nine should be added five others: association with devotees, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly, residing in Mathurā, the birthplace of Kṛṣṇa, and worshiping the Deity with great respect and veneration. The thirty-nine items plus these five come to a total of forty-four. If we add the previous twenty items to these forty-four, the total number becomes sixty-four. The five items mentioned above repeat previously mentioned items.

In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states:

The glorification of these five items [association with devotees, chanting the holy name and so on] is to make known the complete superiority of these five practices of devotional service.”

The sixty-four items of devotional service include all the activities of the body, mind and senses. Thus the sixty-four items engage one in devotional service in all respects.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by executing these sixty-four items, one is fully engaged through mind, body and senses in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus this can quickly awaken love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.130

viśeṣataḥ śrī-vigraha-pūjā, śrī-nāma-saṅkīrtana o śrī-dhāma-vāsera māhātmyaḥ–

śraddhā viśeṣataḥ prītiḥ śrī-mūrter aṅghri-sevane

Translation: With love and full faith one should worship the lotus feet of the Deity.

This verse and the following two verses are found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.90-92)

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.131

sādhu-saṅga o bhāgavata-śravaṇa-kīrtana-vidhi —

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.90-91)—

śrīmad-bhāgavatārthānām
āsvādo rasikaiḥ saha
sajātīyāśaye snigdhe
sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare

Translation: One should taste the meaning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and who are endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.

Purport: The words sajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare are very important. One should not associate with professional Bhāgavatam reciters. A professional Bhāgavatam reciter is one who is not in the disciplic succession or one who has no taste for bhakti-yoga. Simply on the strength of grammatical knowledge and word jugglery, professional reciters maintain their bodies and their desires for sense gratification by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One should also avoid those who are averse to Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees, those who are Māyāvādīs, those who offend the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, those who simply dress as Vaiṣṇavas or so-called gosvāmīs, and those who make a business by selling Vedic mantras and reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to maintain their families. One should not try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from such materialistic people. According to the Vedic injunctions, yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam can be recited only by one who has unflinching faith in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, the spiritual master. One should try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the spiritual master. The Vedic injunction states, bhaktyā bhāgavataṁ grāhyaṁ na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā. One has to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam through the process of devotional service and by hearing the recitation of a pure devotee. These are the injunctions of the Vedic literature — śruti and smṛti. Those who are not in the disciplic succession and who are not pure devotees cannot understand the real mysterious objective of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here the professional recitation of Śrīmad-bhāgavatam just to maintain one’s family is not recommended for listening rather pure devotees who lecture on the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam in love and devotion should be heard and associated with.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.132

viśeṣataḥ śrī-vigraha-pūjā, śrī-nāma-saṅkīrtana o śrīdhāma-vāsera māhātmya —

nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ śrīman- mathurā-maṇḍale sthitiḥ

Translation: One should congregationally chant the holy name of the Lord and reside in Vṛndāvana.’

Purport: Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung:

śrī gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yeba jāne cintāmaṇi,
tāra haya vrajabhūmi vāsa

One who understands the transcendental nature of Navadvīpa and its surrounding area, where Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu enacted His pastimes, resides always in Vṛndāvana.” Similarly, living in Jagannātha Purī is as good as living in Vṛndāvana. The conclusion is that Navadvīpa-dhāma, Jagannātha Purī-dhāma and Vṛndāvana-dhāma are identical.

However, if one goes to Mathurā-maṇḍala-bhūmi for sense gratification or to make a livelihood, he commits an offense and is condemned. Whoever does so must be penalized in the next life by becoming a hog or a monkey in Vṛndāvana-dhāma. After taking on such a body, the offender is liberated in the next life. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that residing in Vṛndāvana with a view to enjoy sense gratification surely leads a so-called devotee to a lower species.

Jayapatākā Swami: In Vṛndāvana one gets for every devotional service one thousand times benefit, but also if one commits an offense in Vṛndāvana, they get a thousand times the effect of the offense. Siddha Jagannātha dāsa bābājī, he felt Vṛndāvana was too heavy so he came to Navadvīpa-dhāma, which is known as audārya-dhāma it is like Vrndavana but different from Vṛndāvana-dhāma, in that one gets a thousand times benefit for every devotional service offered, but the offenses are not considered so much. So, Navadvīpa-dhāma is the special abode of mercy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.133

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.236)

durūhādbhuta-vīrye ’smin
śraddhā dūre ’stu pañcake
yatra sv-alpo ’pi sambandhaḥ
sad-dhiyāṁ bhāva-janmane

Translation: The power of these five principles is very wonderful and difficult to understand. Even without faith in them, a person who is offenseless can awaken his dormant love of Kṛṣṇa simply by being a little connected with them.’

Purport: This verse is also found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.238).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, just by visiting the holy dhāma, hearing the holy name or chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa māha-mantra and engaging in any of these five activities can awaken one’s devotion and love of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.134

ihādera pratyekera anuśīlane nairantaryya-phale kṛṣṇa-prema-lābha—

‘eka’ aṅga sādhe, keha sādhe ‘bahu’ aṅga
‘niṣṭhā’ haile upajaya premera taraṅga

Translation: When one is firmly fixed in devotional service, whether he executes one or many processes of devotional service, the waves of love of Godhead will awaken.

Purport: The nine processes of devotional service are śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam/ arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. (See Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.121 of this chapter.)

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one does even one of the nine process of devotional service that can awaken one’s love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.135

nava-vidhābhaktira madhye kāhārao eka ekaṭī aṅgānuśīlane, kāhārao sarvāṅgānuśīlane siddhi vā bhagavatprema-prāpti—

‘eka’ aṅge siddhi pāila bahu bhakta-gaṇa
ambarīṣādi bhaktera ‘bahu’ aṅga-sādhana

Translation: There are many devotees who execute only one of the nine processes of devotional service. Nonetheless, they get ultimate success. Devotees like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa execute all nine items, and they also get ultimate success.

Jayapatākā Swami: Whether they do one or more or all of the nine process, just by doing that they can achieve the ultimate success.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.136

nava-vidhābhaktira eka ekaṭī aṅgānuśīlanarata bhaktera nāma—

Padyāvalīte (53) o bhaḥ raḥ siḥ (1.2.263)—

śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane prahlādaḥ smaraṇe tad-aṅghri-bhajane lakṣmīḥ pṛthuḥ pūjane akrūras tv abhivandane kapi-patir dāsye ’tha sakhye ’rjunaḥ sarva-svātma-nivedane balir abhūt kṛṣṇāptir eṣāṁ parā

Translation: Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained the highest perfection, shelter at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, simply by hearing about Lord Viṣṇu. Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained perfection simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja attained perfection by remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune attained perfection by massaging the transcendental legs of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahārāja Pṛthu attained perfection by worshiping the Deity, and Akrūra attained perfection by offering prayers unto the Lord. Vajrāṅgajī [Hanumān] attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Rāmacandra, and Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Kṛṣṇa’s friend. Bali Mahārāja attained perfection by dedicating everything to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.’

Purport: This verse appears in the Padyāvalī (53) and the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.265).

Jayapatākā Swami: This demonstrates how even by practicing one process of the nine one can achieve all success in devotional service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.137-139

ambarīṣera sarverndriyadvārā kṛṣṇānuśīlana:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (9.4.18-20)—

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane
karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye

mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparaśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam
ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite

pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane
kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā yathottamaḥśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ

Translation: Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the spiritual world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his hands in cleansing and washing the Lord’s temple, his ears in hearing topics about the Supreme Lord, his eyes in seeing the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the temple, his body in embracing Vaiṣṇavas or touching their lotus feet, his nostrils in smelling the aroma of the tulasī leaves offered to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, his tongue in tasting food offered to Kṛṣṇa, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage like Vṛndāvana and Mathurā or to the Lord’s temple, his head in touching the lotus feet of the Lord and offering Him obeisances, and his desires in serving the Lord faithfully. In this way Mahārāja Ambarīṣa engaged his senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As a result, he awakened his dormant loving propensity for the Lord’s service.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.18-20).

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows how Ambarīṣa Mahārāja did the nine process of ātma-nivedanam.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.140

ekānta śaraṇāgata bhakta kṛṣṇa vyatīta anya kāhārao nikaṭa bādhya nahena —

kāma tyaji’ kṛṣṇa bhaje śāstra-ājñā māni’
deva-ṛṣi-pitrādikera kabhu nahe ṛṇī

Translation: If a person gives up all material desires and completely engages in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, as enjoined in the revealed scriptures, he is never indebted to the demigods, sages or forefathers.

Purport: After birth, every man is indebted in so many ways. He is indebted to the demigods for their supplying necessities like air, light and water. When one takes advantage of the Vedic literatures, one becomes indebted to great sages like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala and Asita. When one takes birth in a particular family, he becomes indebted to his forefathers. We are even indebted to common living entities like cows, from whom we take milk. Because we accept service from so many animals, we become indebted. However, if one is completely engaged in the Lord’s devotional service, he is absolved of all debts. This is confirmed in the following verse, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.41).

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.141

vaidhībhaktyadhikārīra pañcayajñādi karma-kāṇḍe anāvaśyakatā—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.5.41)—

devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam

Translation: One who has given up all material duties and taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, who gives shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even his forefathers who have passed away.’

Purport: adhyāpanaṁ brahma-yajñaḥ pitṛ-yajñas tu tarpaṇam / homo daivo balir bhauto nṛ-yajño ’tithi-pūjanam

By offering oblations with ghee, one satisfies the demigods. By studying the Vedas, one performs brahma-yajña, which satisfies the great sages. Offering libations of water before one’s forefathers is called pitṛ-yajña. By offering tribute, one performs bhūta-yajña. By properly receiving guests, one performs nṛ-yajña.” These are the five yajñas that liquidate the five kinds of indebtedness — indebtedness to the demigods, great sages, forefathers, living entities and common men. Therefore one has to perform these five kinds of yajñas. But when one takes to the saṅkīrtana-yajña (the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra), one does not have to perform any other yajña. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni made a statement about the systematic performance of bhāgavata-dharma in connection with statements previously made by the nine Yogendras before Mahārāja Nimi. The sage Karabhājana Ṛṣi explained the four incarnations of the four yugas, and at the end, in this verse (Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.141), he explained the position of Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotee and how he is absolved of all debts.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since ultimately everyone is indebted to the Supreme Lord, by rendering pure devotional service to Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa one is absolved from all debts. Although one still receives guests in the house and does other things in a Kṛṣṇa conscious way, Offering krsna-prasāda and reading Śrīmad-bhāgavatam, etc.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.142

vaiṣṇava kakhanao pāpī nahena, athavā pāpī kakhanao vaiṣṇava nahe—

vidhi-dharma chāḍi’ bhaje kṛṣṇera caraṇa
niṣiddha pāpācāre tāra kabhu nahe mana

Translation: Although the pure devotee does not follow all the regulative principles of varṇāśrama, he worships the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he naturally has no tendency to commit sin.

Purport: The varṇāśrama institution is planned in such a way that one will not commit sinful activities. Material existence continues due to sinful activity. When one acts sinfully in this life, he gets a suitable body for the next life. When one again acts sinfully, he takes on another material body. In this way one is continuously under the influence of material nature.

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of material nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.” (Bg. 13.22)

Due to our association with the modes of material nature, we get different types of bodies, good and bad. One cannot be liberated from the cycle of birth and death, known as transmigration of the soul, unless one is completely freed from all sinful activities. The best process, therefore, is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without being freed from all sinful activities. Naturally one who is very serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness is freed from all sinful activity. Consequently a devotee is never inclined to commit sins. If one is pressured by the law or obligations to give up sinful activity, one cannot do so. However, if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can very easily give up all sinful activity. This is confirmed herein.

Jayapatākā Swami: By engaging in devotional service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one naturally avoids all sinful activities and if one does not do devotional service then naturally they get entangled in sinful activities.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.143

daivāt sādhakera pāpa haileo kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya tāṅhāra sampūrṇa pāpa-nivṛtti—

ajñāne vā haya yadi ‘pāpa’ upasthita
kṛṣṇa tāṅre śuddha kare, nā karāya prāyaścitta

Translation: If, however, a devotee accidentally becomes involved in a sinful activity, Kṛṣṇa purifies him. He does not have to undergo the regulative form of atonement.

Purport: Kṛṣṇa purifies from within as the caittya-guru, the spiritual master within the heart. This is described in the following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.42).

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.144

antaryāmi-caittya-guru-rūpe pāpa-śodhana— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.5.38)—

sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya tyaktānya-bhāvasya hariḥ pareśaḥ
vikarma yac cotpatitaṁ kathañcid dhunoti sarvaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ

Translation: One who has given up everything and taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. If he is involved in some sinful activity by accident, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated within everyone’s heart, removes his sins without difficulty.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how one is protected by Lord Kṛṣṇa by taking shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet he gets purified automatically, therefore we should always think good of a devotee even though they accidently do some abominable thing.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.145

manodharma jñāna o vairāgya kakhanao ātmadharma bhaktira aṅga nahe, bhaktira anugāmī putradvayamātra—

jñāna-vairāgyādi—bhaktira kabhu nahe ‘aṅga’
ahiṁsā-yama-niyamādi bule kṛṣṇa-bhakta-saṅga

Translation: The path of speculative knowledge and renunciation is not essential for devotional service. Indeed, good qualities such as nonviolence and control of the mind and senses automatically accompany a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Purport: Sometimes a neophyte devotee or ordinary person thinks highly of speculative knowledge, austerity, penances and renunciation, thinking them the only path for advancement in devotional service. Actually this is not a fact. The path of knowledge, mystic yoga and renunciation has nothing to do with the pure soul. When one is temporarily in the material world, such processes may help a little, but they are not necessary for a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, such activities end in material enjoyment or merging into the effulgence of the Supreme. They have nothing to do with the eternal loving service of the Lord. If one abandons speculative knowledge and simply engages in devotional service, he has attained his perfection. The devotee has no need for speculative knowledge, pious activity or mystic yoga. All these are automatically present when one renders the Lord transcendental loving service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows how devotional service is so self-reliant and it doesn’t need any other process, pure devotional service is complete in itself and continues with all other processes.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.146

bhakti-vyatīta jñāna-vairāgye śreyolābha haya nā—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.20.31)—

tasmān mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-ātmanaḥ
na jñānaṁ na ca vairāgyaṁ/ prāyaḥ śreyo bhaved iha

Translation: For one who is fully engaged in My devotional service, whose mind is fixed on Me in bhakti-yoga, the path of speculative knowledge and dry renunciation is not very beneficial.’

Purport: The path of devotional service is always independent of other activity. The path of speculative knowledge and mystic yoga may be a little beneficial in the beginning, but it cannot be considered part of devotional service. This verse (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.31) was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa when He was speaking to Uddhava before His departure from this material world. These are important instructions given directly by Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Uddhava asked the Lord about the two kinds of instructions given in the Vedas. One instruction is called pravṛtti-mārga, and the other is called nivṛtti-mārga. These are directions for enjoying the material world according to regulative principles and then giving up the material world for higher spiritual understanding. Sometimes one does not know whether to practice speculative knowledge and mystic yoga for advancement in spiritual knowledge. Kṛṣṇa explains to Uddhava that the mechanical process of speculative knowledge and yoga is not necessary for advancing in devotional service. Devotional service is completely spiritual; it has nothing to do with material things. It is awakened by hearing and chanting in the association of devotees. Because devotional service is always transcendental, it has nothing to do with material activity.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, engaging in the nine processes of devotional service is transcendental, and by that alone we can be completely transcendental to the different material processes. So we don’t need any other process. We dont need speculative knowledge or mystic yoga or material activities as devotional service is independent.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.147

Śuddha-bhakta anyake udvega dena nā— Skānda-vacana—

ete na hy adbhutā vyādha tavāhiṁsādayo guṇāḥ
hari-bhaktau pravṛttā ye na te syuḥ para-tāpinaḥ

Translation: O hunter, good qualities like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those who are engaged in the Lord’s devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa. It was spoken by Nārada Muni to the reformed hunter Mṛgāri.

Jayapatākā Swami: Mṛgāri was half-killing the animals he enjoyed their suffering, but when he was given enlightenment by Nārada Muni, he started to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa before a tulasī plant and he developed all the good qualities like non-violence due to the mercy of his spiritual master Nārada Muni.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Devotees Who Attained Perfection by Executing Only One of the Nine Processes of Devotional Service

Under the section: The Process of Devotional Service