Three Types of Bhakti. Lecture 2
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · 2022
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Nam Vishnu Padaya Krishna Prashaya Bhutale Srimate Bhaktividanta Swami Tinamini, Namaste Saraswati Devi Gouravani Pracharini, Nirvisha Sunyavadi, Paschatyadesari, Panchakopataru Veschakripasindu bevacha, patitanampyovaisnavy Namonaha, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhunitananda, Sri Advait, Srivasadh Gora Bhakta Vrindha, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Ajanulam Vita Bujokanaka Vadatu, Sankirtanaikitarokamalaya Takaksha, Vishwambarod Vijawaru Yuga Dharma Palavan Deja Priya Karokarunavatar.
The pursuit of pure devotional service
Yandah Pravishya Mamavachimam Prasuptam Sandjivaya te kila shakti darh svadamna, anyam schahastacharana sramanat vagadim, pranana mu Bhagavate Purusha tubam, swasyastu viswasia kalah prasidatam deantu butani, sivam mitodiyamanaschabadramba ja tatata doksaja, adhesha tam no matiratyaituki.
So we are trying uh to deliberate on a very important topic. Perhaps one of the most important topics.
What is the pure devotional service, how to achieve pure devotional service, what is the fastest and most direct way to achieve pure devotional service?
Actually, most of our problems in the society, in this con and in any other vaiṣṇava society, is that this idea of pure devotional service and the results of pure devotional service in terms of bhava and prema in the course of time becomes uh untenable, little elusive.
We talk about it, but we don't see it so much around us, and therefore uh therefore we try to use the devotional service for some other purposes, to get some power, some prestige, some adoration, some material facilities, this and that.
And devotional service definitely gives these facilities, there's no doubt about it.
But the shift in the motivation only takes place because we lose faith in the devotional service, in pure devotional service as the process and as a result, we don't really uh make it as a tangible goal of our life.
And therefore naturally we set some other goals and try to achieve these goals and may achieve these goals. But ultimately we are cheating ourselves and we're cheating others.
Because we're talking about pure devotional service. That's the talk, you know, that's common for this is what we're supposed to do here. But we don't see really and we don't practice ourselves.
Therefore, it's very important again and again and again to come back to this topic and to analyze oneself first and foremost.
Everyone else, yes, we have to give instructions, but if we only think that we have to give instructions to others and not to give instructions to ourselves, we become hypocrites.
You know, if I'm here sitting in front of you and thinking I'm teaching you, it's very hypocritical because actually I'm not teaching you, I'm teaching myself.
I'm trying to analyze myself and see what's going on within my heart.
Differences between Aropa and Sanga bhakti
Whether I fit to the ideal of pure devotional service or where I am actually in reality and how far I am from this ideal of pure devotional service.
Anyway, so we started with this topic and we described two very common varieties of impure bhakti, which Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī calls
Āropa-siddha-bhakti, which basically means attributive bhakti or superimposition of bhakti on some activity and another
one is Saṅga-siddha-bhakti, some activity which we think will help us to perform pure devotional service whereas in reality pure devotional service does not require any other aids or any other additional processes to be successful.
So just to remind very quickly: what is Āropa-siddha- bhakti and what is Saṅga-siddha-bhakti? Āropa- siddha-bhakti basically any activity which results of which we offer to the Supreme Lord.
And Saṅga-siddha-bhakti is the activity which by its very nature is not the service, is not a devotional service, but it can help to a certain extent, or we may think that it will help us.
For example, you know, the philosophy, I'm not this body, I am not this body has nothing to do with service. Whether I am body or not, I am not going to serve. I may not be the body.
Still, this understanding doesn't make me a positive servant. I'm not serving even if I think I'm not this body.
So but you know to a certain extent this understanding, having this in mind may help us to be more focused in our devotional service.
So these two types of bhakti, āropa-siddha-bhakti and saṅga- siddha-bhakti, differ from each other in two very important ways, which we have to understand.
What is the difference between Āropa-siddha and Saṅga-siddha-bhakti?
First difference is that in case of āropa- Siddha Bhakti, the activity itself can be completely useless in terms of its utility for pure devotional service. It can be anything.
It's basically, it may have nothing to do with devotional service whatsoever, whereas Sangha Siddha Bhakti is somewhat helpful. It's somewhat connected with devotional service in one way or another.
And another very important difference between these two types of bhakti is that when I execute Aropa Siddha bhakti, I don't remember about the Lord during the execution of this activity.
But at the end of it, or in the beginning of it, when I say, Oh my Lord, please take the results of it, I remember about the Lord. Krishna arpaṇam astu. Idam kṛṣṇa idam na mama. This is not mine, this is for Krishna.
But I may not remember about the Lord whatsoever. But whereas when I execute Sangasiddha Bhakti, I still remember about the Lord. I still remember about devotional service.
I may do something which is beneficial for my execution of devotional service. And I to a certain extent remember, yes, I'm doing this because ultimately I want to become a better servant.
I want to become more focused in my devotional activities, this or that. So that's the difference between the two, and in this way, Sangha Siddha Bhakti is better than Arupa Siddha Bhakti, attributive devotion.
Reasons devotees mix devotional service
When we just say this is, you know, this is my, this is for you, the Lord. So, uh, then the question Srila Jiva Goswami asks a very important question. Why do people try to mix?
Why the devotees who have certain faith in the process of devotional service, in the process of śravaṇam, kīrtanam, viṣṇu smaraṇam, etc., arcanaṁ specifically, why do people still cannot really execute pure devotional service?
Why they always try to mix something? Why do we always want to do some bhakti khichdi? Not just, you know, pure bhakti.
So the first reason, very important, and we will get into some details about this today, is that people do this because they have some separate desire. They want to fulfill some specific desire.
And they think that for this, for fulfillment of this specific desire, not necessarily the desire to serve the Supreme Lord, for fulfillment of this desire, some other processes they think is more quick, beneficial, direct, and so on and so forth.
Like, for example, you know, you have some troubles, you are in the middle of sāḍhe-sātī, you know, and you are a devotee, but still you are suffering from transit of Saturn over your moon and your mind is disturbed.
So you go to Shanif and you say, my dear Sani Dev, please free me from these disturbances.
And then we say to Krishna, and I will definitely do it because I want to serve to you. We will remember at one point that Krishna is also there, not only Shani Dev.
So that's one reason, and another reason, second reason, is that people don't have or devotees who execute devotional service don't have the complete faith in the process of devotional service?
We think that you know a mixture admixture of some other processes may make the whole methodology may technique of devotional service more effective so, to speak. So that's another reason.
The very vivid example of this is this brahmacārī whom Caitanya Mahāprabhu drove away from his kīrtana because this brahmacārī, he was a devotee of some sort, definitely. But he was more believing in drinking milk than in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And therefore he was very proud that I am only drinking milk. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, of course. So drinking milk has become only milk. This diet has become an integral part of his devotional service, so to speak. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not happy with this. He actually was very angry at him because he's he was yelling at him. You think that by drinking milk you will go back to back home back to Godhead? It's ridiculous, you know. By drinking milk you may become a calf, not somebody else. But when this particular devotee manifested the genuine humility after being chastised by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he actually accepted this chastisement with a very humble heart and with a very happy heart. He has when he has become happy that he was chastised. That is definitely a manifestation of pure devotional service. Because if we are impure and somebody is chastising us, we will never be happy. No matter who it is, even if it is the supreme personality of God Himself. We will be very, very upset with this person, you know, and we will we will think you know of leaving devotional service all together because all these people they don't understand how great I am and this and that. So when this devotee, this brahmacārī in Śrīvāsa Sangam, he manifested this genuine gratitude and humility and purity of the heart. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, come back.
You're eligible for pure devotional service. So that's very important.
Conditions for making mixed devotion useful
This reaction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very important because he is not happy when we are doing all this kind of mixtures and kichri from the pure devotional service. So to finish this topic about Aropa Siddha and Sangha
Siddha Bhakti, I wanted to say that there are two state, state something very important which Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says.
He says that both Āropa and Saṅga-siddha bhakti are acceptable and even useful to a certain extent, but
there should be two conditions fulfilled for this mixed processes of devotional service or mixed activities of devotional service to be useful and the path of devotional service.
The first condition is that we have to have a proper motive. If the motive is proper, it's proper.
If I want to become closer to God, if I want to become the better servant of God, if if really this is the motive, then it's okay.
And the second one is very important, they can become useful if we execute them under the guidance of one very experienced devotee. Like Śrīla Prabhupāda, he freely engaged his disciples in Āropa Siddha Bhakti.
Or in Saṅga-siddha bhakti to a certain extent.
He was he knew it's necessary, but at the same time he was so expert and in the proper times he would purify the motivations and so on and so forth. For him it was not a problem.
But sometimes when we when we do it on our own without the proper guidance, that may become very poisonous. That may become very contaminating for our devotional service or devotional motivation or for even
you know it it may destroy completely the purity of heart because we and forget about, you know, use the benefits of this āropa-siddha bhakti, saṅga-siddha bhakti and forget about, uh, pure bhakti.
So that's two conditions, proper motivation and proper guidance, guidance of experience.
Then he can do, you know, when Śrīla Prabhupāda told Jayāpatākā Mahārāja, when Jayāpatākā Mahārāja was complaining that he's disturbed in dealing with these Bengali workers, Bengali construction workers by, you know, when they were building long building, and Jayāpatākā Mahārāja said, I just cannot, I just, I just want to give it up and run away somewhere and chant my japa.
So Prabhupāda has the right and he knows how to do this. And he knows when it should be stopped and this and that.
But we should be very careful. When it comes to all this kinds of things especially when they become prevalent in our practices of Bhakti. When they become dominant or very prominent in our practices, it's a matter of concern.
Inherent power of Svarupa-siddha bhakti
If they become, if they start overshadowing the process of devotional service, pure devotional service, svarūpa-siddha bhakti, it's a matter of grave concern.
So now we come to the topic of svarūpa-siddha bhakti, the third type of devotional activities or devotional practices, because we are talking about practices specifically. We are trying to understand sadhana tattva.
What is the truth of sadhana? When sadhana becomes real sadhana, not sadhana-ābhāsa, not the shadow of sadhana.
You know the āropa-siddha bhakti and saṅga-siddha bhakti can become, uh, it's usually, it's a shadow of sadhana. sādhana-ābhāsa or bhajana-ābhāsa. It's not real bhajan.
Although again it can be employed under certain circumstances. So I already gave the definition, but I'll repeat it: svarūpa-siddha bhakti is the activity which by its very nature is the service to the Lord.
And being such, being the service
to the Lord, this kind of activities like śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa, pāda-sevana, arcana, vandana, dāsya, sakhya, ātma-nivedana being the service by its very nature, they have vastu shakti.
Every vastu, every substance in this world, and in a spiritual world, has some shakti, specific shakti, shakti which is specific to this Vastu. And this specific Shakti, like for example, if we take a medicine,
uh you know in chemical medicine, allopathic medicine. On the box of this medicine we will uh see the description of Vastu Shakti of this particular medicine.
This medicine is good to destroy this and this and this and this conditions, and it will also bring this and this and this side effects. But it's basically all together, it's the description of Vastu Shakti.
This is the Vastu, this is the substance, and this is what it can do. This is what it performs.
And you know, like vastu-śakti of a fire is to burn. Vastu-śakti of the water is to liquefy things and to to mix things together. This is what water is necessary it's described in the third canto
of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So what is the Vastu Shakti of Svarūpa Siddha Bhakti, of the activities of svarūpa-siddha bhakti. The vastu-śakti of the activities of svarūpa-siddha bhakti is Bhakti Poshaka. It nourishes our devotion.
It nourishes our bhakti. We hear about the Lord and our bhakti becomes stronger. We do some archana, our bhakti becomes stronger. We are talking, we are preaching, we are doing some kirtan.
This process of nourishing our bhakti is taking place whether we know about it or not, whether we believe in this or not. This will take place because this is the Vastu Shakti, because this is an inherent potency
of these processes. Our bhakti will become stronger. And that's what distinguishes svarupa siddha bhakti from any other kinds of activities which may also be bhakti but not svarūpa svarūpa svarūpa Siddha Bhakti.
So again, the other types of activities can be bhakti, no problem, but they not necessarily have this vastu śakti. So that's a very important point.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī he gives a very beautiful example of this Bhakti Poshaka. He very famous verse from Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and from Skanda Purāṇa ultimately from Prabhāsa Purāṇa. Madhuram adhūram.
Etad maṅgala-maṅgalaṁ sakala-nigama-āli-sat-phalaṁ cit-svarūpam. Sakṛd api parigītaṁ śraddhayā helayā vā bhṛgu-vara nara-mātram tārayat kṛṣṇa-nāma. Tarayat Krishna Nama.
So whether you chant holy name with faith, śraddhayā, or helayā, with some, you know, deriding attitude, it will act. Sakṛd api, even if you do it once. So bhṛgu-vara nara-mātram, yeah, tārayat kṛṣṇa-nāma.
It will it will help you to deliver from all sinful activities.
And to illustrate this vastu śakti, that's the reason why Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in Bhakti-sandarbha and so many Purāṇas gives numerous examples of people who have no faith in devotional service. Somehow or other, accidentally they perform devotional service and it has an effect.
Like Prahlāda Mahārāja, in one of his previous lives, he was a drunkard who didn't believe in devotional service. He was in love with one prostitute and they were they happened to be in the temple
on Ṛṣi-pañcamī tithi and they were fasting the whole night because they were quarreling with each other.
So in one of the next times, you know, he he he achieved such a great benefit, you know, his bhakti was nourished so much that he became Praladmaraj.
So, this is the illustration of this bhakti-pūrakā- śakti, which is inherent to the acts of devotional service belonging to the category of svarūpa-siddha-bhakti.
Now the question is: we are doing so many acts of this devotional service, we do have — well, we have some faith in this devotional service. Why we don't experience all these amazing results?
You know the the um what was it the the fish uh which uh uh the fish has become the you know the four handed associate of Lord Vishnu because it just touched Ganga and we are not becoming the four-handed associates of Lord Vishnu.
Of course, one reason is that we don't want to become four-handed associates of Lord Vishnu. But unfortunately that's not the only reason why we're not becoming such — the, the real reason is that even though even though
the vastu-śakti is there, it's invested, it's inherent,, it's inseparable separable from the acts of devotional service uh in uh in the form of hearing and chanting and so on and so forth,
Impediments blocking the power of devotion
but this vastu-śakti can be blocked, easily blocked. That's the problem. Like I already gave an example that the vastu-śakti of the fire can be blocked. The śakti in the fire to burn is there.
But if we put green grass into the fire, The green grass will not be burnt immediately. Why? Because there is a blockage and this blockage — vyavadhāna. This is a very important point.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda in his poem about the forms of bhakti. He often, very often, most often uses this word vyavadhāna.
Vyavadhāna means the impediment, the blockage, something which is blocking the power of bhakti to manifest, basically stopping the power of bhakti.
So this vyavadhāna or these blockages is the reason, the cause why we are not experiencing the full power of bhakti because there is something which is weakening our bhakti, inherently weakening our bhakti.
This acts of devotion. Otherwise, if these blockages were not there, you know, we would not be here as well. We would be in a spiritual world frolicking with Krishna, no problem.
But because these blockages are still there, we are not experiencing the full force of devotional service, even though formally we perform these acts of chanting and hearing and so on and so forth.
You wanted to ask something, Sutta Paprabhu? Hi Krishna Maharaj. Uh I just thought to ask something based on uh Sibati Sanghasibh before you move on. Do you want me to ask now or I I e yeah you can. Yeah.
I already moved on but thank you Mark for these points.
I I just had something I was thinking about just like a reflection on I think in the early days of the movement we saw that the devotees were very much engaged in direct process of the bhakti of preaching and hearing and chanting.
And then later on what happened in the movement is that we saw that uh there was a lot of other things that devotees needed in their lives in order to survive for a lifetime.
So, you know, putting in a lot more emphasis on dharma, finding a varṇāśrama Dharma situation where they could be more stable.
Even for example doing things like astrology before devotees with your party and these kind of things.
And um I'm just wondering how how do we introduce these things in the society which we see are beneficial for devotees to have longevity in their spiritual practice without it becoming a compromise in the the purity of bhakti that will see.
Because I know you mentioned the point that it should be done under the guidance of an advanced Vaishnava, but what we almost find in this one is that these things become a culture. You know any new person coming in just follows So how do we incorporate these things without it becoming a compromise?
See the the reason one reason why it happens is that, you know, during Prabhupada's time everyone, you still can hear me? Do you hear me? Hare Krishna?
Because sometimes it may I think you lost Okay. Alright, you are breaking out. Okay.
So one reason, one very important reason why it's happening is that during Prabhupada's time people had such a glaring example in front of them of somebody who embodied the pure devotional service and therefore having this example just in front of their eyes, they had a very strong face was instrumental of helping them to overcome face was instrumental of helping them to overcome all kinds of impediments.
Now, without this strong face, we need some uh some uh aids, like you mentioned, astrology, varṇāśrama, this and that, which is not strictly speaking pure devotional service, but uh they belong to the category of may belong to the category of Sangha Siddha Bhakti. They may be helpful for devotional service. So they can be introduced.
First of all, we have to still emphasize again and again and again the power of pure devotional service. This is one of his the most common and most important points of his preaching.
He says that when we are preaching about the power of devotional service, of pure devotional service, when we're strengthening the faith of devotees and ourselves in the devotional service, This is the pure devotional service itself.
We may not be pure, but to preach the glory of the pure devotional service is a pure devotional service because it helps
us to be more focused on this process, it helps us to execute it with, you know, with ekānta, with determination and this and that.
So and then this other processes they will not overshadow or they will not really Really uh uh yeah, they will not be a hindrance to the path of devotional service because everyone is established and yes, for some certain help uh we may uh you know employ some other processes.
But at the same time it's very clear what we are doing, what we should do, and that other things is just temporarily like bandage, like you know, some AIDS, some subsidiary AIDS. But you know, when this preaching and
but sometimes people they lose faith because they don't see how and that's why this deliberation on svarūpa-śakti, bhakti, svarūpa-siddha Bhakti is so important. Sometimes we even as a devotee we lose faith.
We sometimes think no no no without varṇāśrama we cannot really do devotional service, there will not be result, or without this we will not do this.
So we lose faith, and therefore, in our preaching, the emphasis becomes also shifted.
We emphasize more these subsidiary things, secondary things. And it's more interesting, and in one sense, it gives some more immediate results, maybe, and this and that. There are many reasons and you know I I've seen it how it happens.
The gradual, gradual shift goes on. And sometimes we become very shy to speak about the pure devotional service. Shy because we are not practicing it ourselves.
So we don't feel like we have the right to preach about the pure devotional service. No, we have the right. This is our inherent right. We are in this parampara of pure devotional service.
Therefore, we should preach pure devotional service whether we practice it ourselves or not. But it will help us. It will help us to become more focused in pure devotional service.
Otherwise, all this other subsidiary, secondary things will proliferate unlimitedly and ultimately, you know, they will totally completely obscure the pure devotional service.
It will just disappear from the surface of the earth. This is what is happening in every religion.
Every religion starts as a very pure revolutionary movement with a very pure ideals, with a very you know high ideals of serving God. And then after you know, a couple of centuries.
Uh and in our case it may happen even quicker because because of the internet, you know. The the first Christians, they didn't have internet and, you know, and that was their good luck.
In our case it may happen very quickly because so many mixtures are there. Therefore it's so important to remind ourselves and to to do this. This is my solution.
And of course, if we see in front of our eyes the examples of devotees who practice pure devotional service and become completely successful in this process. That's the most important.
You know, like Śrīla Gour Govinda Mahārāja. His example is actually such an important factor in the devotional lives of so many people, so many devotees,
even now, you know, because sometimes, you know, we think, okay, you know, Prabhupāda was nitya siddha, he he was just specifically sent. This is again very dangerous philosophy, you know. And who am I, you know.
So in one sense, we should glorify Prabhupāda, nitya-siddha, but uh some he Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, he never emphasized this point. Because that may become very counterproductive for us.
We have to understand that uh pure devotional service is achievable. It's real, it's not something which only nitya-siddhas can practice.
So therefore, you know, whatever we can we can do, Sūta Prabhu. I don't know if I answered your question. But Madana Prabhu, you want to ask something? Is it connected with this or uh I can continue and you will ask.
Okay, Madana, this is in regard to what we have been discussing. Okay. So we are discussing about the bhakti, sorry, bhakti shakti. Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah.
And he was very clearly elaborated on the point by giving the example of Nanda Maharaja, how from his previous life he became the boy of Mathura and became Nanda Maharaja in this life. So this is a clear example of how the bhakti-śakti of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is. Yes.
So now the question is now when somebody is performing this, then other aṅga siddha or sādhana-sādhya,
we took the example of the aṅga-siddha. In Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī quoted from the 13th chapter 8 to 12, the quality is somebody's time quality, with this quality too, which becomes the connection, better devotee. Purifying the consciousness.
So in that, uh, what I see, there is some element of nourishment, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is also seen there, so that this person is gradually getting a footing to become to become a performer of sādhana-bhakti.
So how do you kind of think the difference it can be? Yeah. Yeah, thank you. Very clear.
The act itself does not have this potency. What is nourishing the bhakti is the act of devotion which we do either by offering the results of this activity to the Lord or by meditating on the service of the Lord while performing these other activities.
It's not that the act of like for example the act of you know meditating about the effects uh, what is this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha- doṣānudarśanam?
This you know this meditation on the problems of janma, mṛtyu, jarā and vyādhi, is not the devotional act itself and it doesn't nourish our bhakti. It nourishes our desire to be liberated.
But bhakti is not being nourished.
But if at the same time, while meditating on this miserable condition of material life, we are thinking about the ideal situation in the spiritual world when we serve the Lord then it nourishes our bhakti.
So only bhakti nourishes the bhakti. Only the act of service nourishes the tendency, the bhakti tendency within our heart and makes it stronger.
And if this element of pure bhakti is mixed with other things, we may think that this is also nourishing our bhakti, but actually not. This element of bhakti nourishes our bhakti. Otherwise bhakti is independent.
There is a little bit maybe the intensity of the portion that like you know here he is directly chanting Hare Krishna Mahā-mantra or something, this kind of direct bhakti intensity is very high. But on the other two processes the intensity is kind of almost invisible.
Again, the intensity is in the act of devotion which we invest into these activities.
In activities themselves, there is no vast shakti, but we are aiding this mixture of bhakti by our consciousness and uh and in this way this activity becomes uh also intensifies our bhakti as well. So it's only bhakti.
Bhaktiḥ svayaṁ-sādhyate bhaktyā. Bhakti only depends on bhakti, nothing nothing else. So.
Motivation with simple form Even though the number intensity is less, that is also giving it some sort of hair putting and advancement to the high standard of devotional service.
That cannot be taken as a nourishment in devotional service, Maratha? Yeah, it's nourishment, but what is nourishing the devotional service? The bhakti is nourishing bhakti. Nothing else.
You know, you cannot nourish bhakti by some chemical fertilizer. So something which has complementary nature.
Bhakti can be nourished only by bhakti and the element of bhakti which somehow or other is mixed into this activities by our consciousness helps our bhakti to become stronger. Anyway, let's let's go.
For example, when somebody performing anga-siddha or sādhana-siddha bhakti, maybe percentage of bhakti is like you know maybe make you five percent or 10%, and then in case of solution that is 100%, therefore we can see the nourishment of bhakti very quick and very easy.
No, no. See, for example I'm building a building you know so many people build the buildings it doesn't nourish their bhakti whatsoever but if I'm building the building because my guru told me to build this building.
And uh so and uh while building uh this particular building, I'm meditating on my guru, on the service of my guru, this and that.
Then my bhakti becomes nourished by the same process of building or constructing this building. So construction of the building itself is not nourishing my bhakti.
But because there is an additional element in this construction, not only construction is there, but some sort of you know the desire to please Guru, desire to do something which is anukol to him, which is pleasing to him.
Then you know by building this building I may become a pure devotee. But normally it doesn't happen. process of building the building, then everyone who would build any building would ultimately become a pure devotee.
But it doesn't happen. And it will never happen because that's a that's a different. The nature of the activity does not have this vastu shakti because the vastu is different and therefore the shakti is different.
The vastu shakti of bhakti poshaka is only in the acts of devotion and uh you know, but it may think like this it it we may think like this. We it m we may you know uh it may seem like this, but it's actually not.
Okay, let's go because mm we have so many important things.
How accidental devotion leads to faith
So we uh established this thing that uh the vyavadhan or the blockage, something which is blocking the power of the acts of devotional service is very important and
therefore we have to really understand what is this what is blocking the acts of devotional service, the acts of bhakti, the acts of services actually.
So I said that the acts of devotional service have the power to nourish our bhakti even if there is no face, even if we perform them accidentally. But what does it mean?
Does it mean that by performing bhakti acts of bhakti accidentally, we may achieve the ideal of pure devotional service? The answer is categorical no.
We may achieve some nityar Sitiuk, the eternal eternal Sukriti, eternal pious credits.
But when this Nitya Sukriti, the special type of Sukriti, undestructible Sukriti, the Sukriti which will not be destroyed by experiencing the results of this Sukriti unless you know, not the material Sukriti which will be destroyed.
When this nitya Sukriti, this is what Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains in Jaiva Dharma, will become strong gradually it will turn into Shraddha. So without Shraddha, we cannot really achieve pure devotional service.
Shradha is the first step to the pure devotional service.
But the acts of Swarupsidha Bhakti, the activities of Swarupsi Dha Bhakti will give us nitya Sukriti, Nitya Sukriti help us to develop Shraddha in Ananya Bhakti, in pure bhakti.
Because when we speak about śraddhā, we mean not any kind of faith, we mean the faith in pure devotional service in Ananya Bhakti, unalloyed devotional service.
And that the faith in pure devotional service will bring us in that association of pure devotees, Sadhu Sangha. So this is the process of achieving the pure devotional service.
Yes, we may accidentally perform some acts, non-offensively and then at one point, not immediately, when the nitya-sukṛti becomes and then at one point, not immediately, when the Nitya Sukriti becomes very strong.
And when it develops into faith, we will seek the association of pure devotees, Sadhu Sangha. And this Sadhu Sangha will bring us everything else. So that's how it works. And the example of this is Ajamil.
Ajamila was doing these acts of pure devotional service without investing his consciousness into the acts of pure devotional service by calling Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa.
So then at the moment of Viṣṇu-dūta, quarrel of Viṣṇu-dūtas and Yamadutas, he developed faith in pure devotional service. But then he was not liberated at that point. You know, then he went to Haridwar.
And in Haridwar, he was he went to Haridwar with a specific purpose to perform bhajan in the association of pure devotees, to develop the pure devotional service and go back home back to Godhead.
Otherwise just by saying Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa he could be elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha. But not, you know, the anyway he could be. That's not a problem.
But the pure devotional service or love of God can only be developed in the association of those who have this love. And the mechanical acts of svarūpa-siddhi- -bhakti is not enough for this. That's what I wanted to say.
Pranga Vindha Prabhu, a little later, okay? Let me, let me continue with the topic and then we will have time.
Cheating mentality as a devotional blockage
So basically, what is blocking the power of svarūpa-siddhi-bhakti is this the element of cheating. When there is some kaitava dharma,
when we perform sakaitava-svarūpa-siddhi-bhakti, this element of cheating is the blockage which is there and which deprives the acts of bhakti of its inherent power.
Not deprives but uh stops uh these acts of bhakti to uh really influence our internal uh situation. Uh. So this Sakhaitava, the element, means basically that we use bhakti, practice of bhakti for our own benefit,
in our own interests. In other words, we are trying to exploit the spiritual energy of the Lord, the Bhakti Shakti of the Lord, to derive some benefit from this energy, to employ this energy in our material pursuits.
And this is being described in this 29th chapter of the third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which we read in the beginning of our little seminar. This is basically what we usually call bhakti in
the modes of material nature, bhakti in guṇas. So, a little disclaimer from the very beginning: bhakti cannot be in the modes of material nature because bhakti is the svarūpa-śakti of the Lord.
Svarūpa-śakti of the Lord cannot be in devotion in the guṇas. There cannot be svarūpa-śakti of the Lord in tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa cannot influence svarūpa-śakti of the Lord.
Rajo-guṇa cannot influence svarūpa-śakti of the Lord. Sattva-guṇa cannot influence svarūpa-śakti of the Lord. And bhakti is svarūpa-śakti. So there is no bhakti in the guṇas.
But the consciousness of the performer of the acts of bhakti, of svarūpa-śakti bhakti, can be in the guṇas and therefore his practice is in the guṇas,
even though he performs the acts of pure devotional service, such as śravaṇaṁ, kīrtanaṁ, viṣṇu-smaraṇaṁ, etc.
So he performs svarūpa-śakti bhakti, svarūpa- siddha bhakti, but because his consciousness is in the guṇas then the result of this performance will become different.
It will not become the same result, the same powerful result which is there, which can be expected from the acts of svarūpa-śakti, svarūpa- Siddha Bhakti, performed without this element of cheating.
So and that's what being described in three very important verses of 29th chapter of the third canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Starting with the verse of number 8.
So, we will go into some details into these things because it's very important for us to understand very clearly.
But in the beginning, what Kapiladeva always repeats while describing these types of bhakti, these types of practice of bhakti, or actually not the types of practice of bhakti, but the characteristics of the consciousness of the performer.
He says it is bhinnādhikāra, bhinna-bhāva and pṛthag-bhāva. He basically more or less the same with different shades of meanings, but more or less the same.
It basically, and Śrīla Prabhupāda very consistently translates this as a separatist mentality. And what does it mean, separatist mentality? So this blockage is coming from the separatist mentality,
bhinnādhikāra, the separatist view or being above a separatist mentality, separatist mood, the mood of separatist. Basically, it means that somebody separates his interests from the interests of the Lord.
That's what separatist means. And it's very common. You know, because we all think that we know what is better for me. Isn't it?
You know if somebody tells us do this, do this, it will be better for you, we may even nod our head and say yes, yes, yes, yes. But inside ourselves we know this is better for me. I know. I know myself.
I don't need anyone to tell me what I need. I know my interest.
We are, you know, conditioned living being influenced by the modes of material nature are in this illusion that we know what is good for us, what is within our interest. So that's the main problem.
And because of this, we perform devotional service and our interest in performing devotional service is to get something rather than you know we're not really thinking about the interest of the Lord, and we don't have this mentality that if He will be pleased, I will be happy automatically.
If whatever I do is pleasing to Him, this is my greatest interest. If I somehow or other manage to please Him, this is the best thing which may happen with me.
But instead, we think, yes, yes, I will do this and you know I will try to please him because I want this, this, this, this, this and that. But I will not tell anyone because anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Don't tell about this.
I don't have I don't have any other desires. But I mean you know, you know, Krishna, you know, you know what I need, right? You know. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. I will change your name, no problem.
If you want it, no problem. But you know be serious, you know. I also need something. So this is separatist mentality.
The separatist mentality is the internal mood when we separate our interest from the interest of the Lord. When we think that, you know, I'll be happy separately from the Lord.
If we think that I only be happy if the Lord is pleased with me, this is the pure mood. This is aprākṛta-bhāva. But if we keep our interests little separate, little,
little, little, little separate, I need this, I need to achieve this, I need to come to this position, I need to become a sannyāsī. That may be a very prominent motive.
Instead of saying, you know, Krishna, whatever you want, you know better what is good for me. My duty is to serve you, is to please you, everything else which will happen will happen automatically.
If this mood is very prominent, then it's pure. But if we always keep separate interest in whatever we do, then the power of these acts of pure devotional service like śravaṇam and kīrtanam will become less.
And we will always be concentrated on the side effects of this. I need to get this from derive this from that. And basically again, not understanding that our interest and the interest of the Lord are inseparable.
We are inseparable by nature. So that's the very important point.
Motivations across the three material modes
Yeah. Anyway, so now let's quickly go through this nine different kinds of motivations in three modes of material nature.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that there are 81 kind of impure devotional service or the service in the mode of material nature having in mind that devotional service cannot be in the modes of material nature but for the lack of better language we say that he is performing bhakti in tamo-guṇa, bhakti in rajo-guṇa, although they cannot be bhakti in tamo-guṇa.
So and it basically means nine processes of devotional service and three motivations for each mode of material nature.
So three modes of material nature, three motivations, nine, nine by nine processes of devotional service we have 81 kind of devotional service.
So basically, Kapila-deva explains that in the modes of material nature, there can be three gradations of motives. It's not really one motif, it's the whole continuum of motives, but roughly, we can divide it into three categories in each mode of material nature, and they are progressively more pure.
In other words, there can be tamoguṇa, tamasik tamoguṇa, there can be rajasik tamoguṇa and there can be sāttvik tamoguṇa. They can be tamasik rajoguṇa, rajasik rajoguṇa and sāttvik rajoguṇa.
And they can be tamasik sattvaguṇa, rajasik sattvaguṇa and sāttvik sattvaguṇa. So that's the three things, you know usual gradation, Kanishta Madhyama and Utama.
They can be, uh, they can be lower kind of tamoguṇa, the middle, intermediate kind of tamoguṇa, and the highest, the best tamoguṇa possible. So, and the same for rajoguṇa and the same for sattvaguṇa.
That's what is there and it's very interesting for our analysis and for our self-introspection. So first of all, let's read the first verse.
Abhisandaya Yohim Sam Dambam Matsariam Eva Samrambi Binadrighavam Maikuriat Sa Tamasaha. He is tamasik bhakta sa tamasaha saha tamasaha first very important word here: Abhisandha.
The Sanskrit word abhisandhaya means the intention sankalpa motivation. So if the motif of a person or sankalpa, the determination behind the act of devotional service is of these three types, himsadamba and
matsary, then this is the three motivations in tamoguṇa. But the performance of the performer of this devotional service
is described here by two words, very important words samrambi and binadrik bavam samrambi means he is angry he is he has some anger inside. You know, sometimes we can see devotees who are very angry.
So this they're really not very satisfied and they are you know really manifesting their angry anger when necessary and not necessary usually when it's not necessary.
So they're not happy internally, that's a very important characteristic of the consciousness in tamoguṇa. If we are not satisfied, it means that there is a very strong influence of tamas upon our heart.
And Binadric I already explained his Binadric means his His vision is separate. And Srajivagaswami explains that Binadrik means that this is somebody who only thinks about himself, and he does not really have the ability to feel the happiness and distress of other people.
It's too much you know concentrated upon himself and therefore he's not happy because when our consciousness is uh limited is very uh very much uh you know surrounded by our own interests, we will never become happy.
So, this is a very important characteristic of Tamasi personality.
And when you are predominantly in this mode of material nature, you're always angry, you're always chastising others, you're very sensitive, somebody always you know steps on your false ego and says something which you don't like and you're ready to chastise them.
Sometimes sannyasis become this sort of people. So it's very dangerous, extremely dangerous, because it's a big offense. And in this Tamasiq personality type, actually it's interesting. In um uh in Ayurveda,
in Charaka Samhita I believe, uh there is a description of uh many different types of personalities. In Sattvagun, in Rajagun and in Tamagun.
I believe the one in Tamagun is one in Tamagun is called Matsya, and uh there are some bad words for them. And in Rajagun, there are some Ra Raksasa and this and that.
So the mentality is very clearly explained there, and there are more types of Satvik mentalities according to the different like Krish type or Brahma type or whatever.
uh and um uh n there are very clear characteristics uh uh according to the influence of the modes of material nature, how one uh will behave and uh accordingly there are different kinds of you know treatments and different kinds of disease one develops due to this mentality of predominant influence of particular mode of material nature.
So, here it is said that in Tamagun there are predominantly three motivations, and the lowest one is himsa. Himsa basically means that you want to inflict pain to other people.
You want to yeah you want to inflict suffering to other people and we can see you know so many religious wars were there. And still going on. The religious wars. What is religious war?
One devotee wants to inflict pain to another devotee. They are fighting and they're all praying the same God. And what is their prayer? Let me kill my enemy. My dear Lord, please help me to kill this enemy.
Please help me to inflict him pain. And everyone, and then whoever whoever wins, then they say God helped us, you know, and He didn't help them. It's all ridiculous, it's absurd. It has nothing to do with God.
It's all tamas, tamasic, hiṁsā. And you know, and we can see the examples of this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the example of this tamasic bhakta is Indra himself.
You know, Indra, he is doing, or his mother Aditi... His mother Aditi is performing this payo-vrata. This is a very high vrata. But for what? To, to get the children who will, who will kill the enemies of Indra.
You know, it's just... It's just unbelievable. It happens. It's, it's really, you know. So Indra and Aditi wanted to kill Daityas, the sons of Diti. So, or you know Duryodhana, he also wanted to serve Krishna.
He made such a royal reception to Lord Krishna when Lord Krishna came to Hastināpura to be the, you know, the ambassador of Pandavas. But his idea of this acts of devotional service was he wanted to feed Krishna, he cooked the best food, you know, there were some saṅkīrtana parties all over the city, to please Krishna.
What was his motivation? To kill Pandavas. This is himsa. This is the lowest kind of motivation. To inflict pain to somebody else. Then Dambha. Ḍambha is the rajasic-tamas. Ḍambha basically means hypocrisy.
I want to pass as somebody else. I want to pass as a saint. Let everyone think I'm a saint, you know, and I'm trying to do something. This is the motivation. We're performing the acts of devotional service.
We are chanting many, many rounds, we are, you know, standing, we are fasting
on ekādaśī, we are standing in neck-deep water and chanting gāyatrī and this and that, but ultimately the idea is that oh, I'm the saint, let me, let me become famous as a saint.
So, and this is a very also very common phenomenon, because usually these people, dumb big people, people who have this motivation, hypocritical motivation,
because they want to be something else which they are not really, they have a very strong impetus to criticize others. Only I know what is pure devotional service. Nobody else knows what is pure devotional service.
You should surrender unto me because only I am the pure devotee.
I just recently I spoke with one devotee and he told me about his experience in life when he was really impressed by one devotee who was so scholarly, so knowledgeable.
And you know, but then after some time being in his in his direct circle of followers, he just noticed that he always He just wants to really to get the followers and
he always criticizes others, only I know what is pure devotional service, this and that. This is a very you know hypocritical, this is the sign of hypocrisy, dhambha. I want to become something which I am not.
I want to become famous for this. And of course, Ravana is a very good example. Rāvaṇa has become a sannyāsī. He was a dhambha sannyāsī, he was a cheater.
He wanted to steal Sītā Devī, you know, uh, but he poses as a saintly person to achieve his purposes. Very, very dangerous thing.
You know, and Indra, who wanted to destroy the sacrifice of Pṛthu Mahārāja when Pṛthu Mahārāja was performing the 99th or the hundredth sacrifice, aśvamedha-yajña. So this is all thing, and then mātsarya is
a very interesting thing, the third motivation, so dhambha then uh first hiṁsā, then dhambha, and then mātsarya. The highest possible motivation in tamas is
the envy when I become unhappy if somebody is doing better than myself.
If somebody is a better sannyasi, if somebody is a better devotee, I become envious and I become jealous if somebody is performing, you know, chanting more rounds, if somebody is performing more austerities, and I become not happy and I try to show that I am better.
So that's mātsarya. I'm not inflicting pain on him. But I am unhappy. Instead of being happy that somebody is better than myself. You know, at least if somebody is better than myself, then I have some hope.
You know, if if there's nobody better than my myself and I'm not really up to the highest standard, then I don't have any hope. If somebody is better than myself, then he can help me at least. So this is the matzarya.
It's better because we are not inflicting pain to anyone else, but at the same time we have this competitive spirit, very strong competitive spirit.
Oh, this devotee, he's chanting one lakh. I will do two lakhs. Why two lakhs? Because he's chanting one lakh. If he would chant half lakh, I would chant one lakh, not because I like chanting.
You know, the pure motivation, chanting is so nice, you know. Krishna is pleased with me. But no, no, I am chanting two lakhs because somebody else is chanting one lakh. So that's what it is.
And you know we can see I've seen it in some other temples, especially in South India when they have this Rathyatras every day was for the deity. And then you know somebody comes and you know there are
different, usually different kinds of rathas. The golden ratha, the silver ratha and the wooden ratha. And somebody pays more money, and then you know on his behalf Krishna
is being driven on a golden ratha. Krishna is Krishna. He should always be driven on a golden ratha, not on the s, but this is the motivation.
On Paryaya, and they do some special, very special offering to Lord Krishna. There is this element of competition.
So, this element of competition is especially if behind this is some ill feeling towards some other person whom I want to prove that he is inferior to myself, that's that's tamasic motivation.
Of course, we can say that Śrīla Prabhupāda also kind of was trying to ignite the spirit of competition, transcendental competition.
But Śrīla Prabhupāda again used this motivation which is there within our heart uh for us to be purified. But if we become not so careful, it may be very dangerous, you know.
In the first years after departure of Srila Prabhupada, there was such an acute competition between certain devotees, and ultimately it was not so good.
Devotional practice in the mode of passion
So that's uh this is the uttama tamasic motivation.
Now we come to Rajasic motivation and in Rajasic motivation we have three motivations again: Visayan, Yasha and Aishwarya, Enjoyment, Glory, or the And Aishwarya. Ishwarya here means Ishwarabhava. The word Aishwarya is coming from Ishvara, it basically means influence over people.
Aishwari may mean opulence, but Aishwarya also means the power. So the lowest motivation in rajas-gun, enjoyment.
I want to perform devotional service to get more facilities for enjoyment, to travel to some countries, to have some money in my pocket and this and that. You know the middle motivation is honor and respect and
the highest motivation in rajas-gun is power, influence over people, over other people.
So Śrīla Prabhupāda writes about this in the purport, as mixed devotees or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance think that the interest of the supreme world 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.
I want to exploit the Lord for my own interest, and I don't care whether he's happy or not, I'm doing this devotional service.
When the so-called devotee desires material enjoyment without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, you may desire the enjoyment, but with the reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, if the Supreme Lord is happy, I know I will be happy too.
So his interest or his enjoyment is the first. And then the other one is the side effect.
But if I'm desiring this material enjoyment without reference to the interest of the Supreme Lord, or he wants to become famous or opulent by utilizing mercy or grace of the Supreme Lord, he is in the mode of passion.
So basically Vishya the desire to enjoy the example again is in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when Indra and demigods were churning the ocean of milk.
They basically wanted more facilities and you know to have the heavenly planets in their possession. Yaśas, fame, yaśas and aiśvarya, fame, you know, obvious, no need to elaborate.
And aiśvarya power, you know, Duryodhana, when he came before the war at Kurukṣetra, he came to Krishna and he wanted Krishna's help, which is in one sense a devotional service, act of devotional service.
He surrendered to the Lord, he was so humble, he was sitting next to him, he was begging him. What he wanted, he wanted power. His motivation was power, not to please the Lord. Arjuna came with the same request.
They both came to seek help from Krishna. So act was the same, motivation was different. Krishna was pleased with Arjuna and he said, I will be with you. And he was not pleased with Duryodhana.
Even though it was exactly the same thing. They came exactly the same Tithi, Duryodhana a little earlier. But same situation. But Krishna was pleased with Arjuna because his motivation was pure.
He said, I don't need your army, I need you. I need you to be with me. I need your you know the the facility to be near you. That's what I need. I I don't care about anything else.
And Duryodhana wanted the power of Krishna. So that's aiśvarya. That's the third motivation in the mode of Rajagun.
And very interesting, and I'm sure we can all you know relate to all these motivations which are sometimes hidden within our heart and sometimes not so hidden within our heart.
If we are very pleased, if somebody is glorifying us and we are very pleased within our heart, it basically means that this motivation is there within our heart.
If somebody glorifies us and we feel very sorry that they are, you know, saying this, uh then it means that this motivation is not there.
But if uh somebody is trying to give some honor to us and we become happy about this, that reveals the motivation within ourselves.
And if somebody chastises us and we become unhappy about this, that also reveals the motivation, the wrong motivation. So it's a very common thing which uh Lord Kapiladev says.
And therefore, you know, because of all these motivations, the devotional service is very weak when we perform the devotional service, and it doesn't bring the desired result.
Devotional practice in the mode of goodness
So in the third verse eight nine ten, in the tenth verse, yes. Lord Kapiladev formulates it slightly different. Before that, he would say Abhisandha motivation. But here he says Udisha, the goal. What is the difference?
If we were together in one room, I would probably ask your answers. What do you think is the difference between why Lord Kapiladeva uses the different terminology. He means basically the same motivation or goal.
It's more or less the same, but still, for Tamagun and Rajagun, he uses motivation Abhisandaya and here he uses Udhisha, the goal. Maybe somebody has some answer to this. What is the difference? Yes, Padmana and Prabhu.
What I think is the one in process of attachment, another one is process of detachment. Yeah, but what is the difference? Why he uses the different terminology, different word in describing the.
You know, he wants to explain the motivations of people in different modes of nature and for tamoguna for tamasic and rajasic people he uses motivation and for sattvic people he uses the goal. The word goal.
So rajasic and tamasic people, Maharaj, what I understand is they are more self-oriented to be in the prime position for themselves. Okay.
But someone in Raj karmulharamudishya, she wants to kind of give up his attachment for these activities because he doesn't want any benefit for himself. Okay, okay. So Tapapa Prabhu, what what's your hypothesis?
Trying to say similar, but I was thinking that in tamasic and rajasic the the primary driving is something coming from inside oneself but in subtle source world? Mm-hmm. Very, very close to what I want to say. Yeah.
Thank you. Nanda Kumar Prabhu: Maybe because maybe in sattvaguna we can already see this goal. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yes. More or less.
It's the difference is that in rajas and Tamas it's more subconscious, it's less conscious. There is not so much consciousness inside.
It's just a very strong impetus which is coming from inside us from our subconsciousness.
Whereas udhisha, the goal is something little more clear, something a little more conscious. This is my conscious goal, so to speak.
So the idea here is that sattvic people they are more conscious, whereas tamasic and rajasic people they are less conscious.
There is more element of subconsciousness influencing their decision or their performance of devotional service. So in Satvagun, you are performing with more conscious motivation.
Your motives are more clear to yourself, even. So that's whereas in tamas and rajas you may not even be aware of your hidden motives. You may uh very innocently think that you are performing pure devotional service.
Whereas the real motivation is coming from this sättvik and rajasic portion of your consciousness. So that's the thing. And uh um
so the three motivations in uh uh sattvaguna is uh karma-nirharam, karma-tat-darpanam and Yashtaviyam. Three very important Sanskrit words.
Karmair Nharam means my motivation is that I want to, I myself want to be free from karma. I'm sick and tired, I know that all my sufferings is because of my karma and I won't become free from karma.
And actually Krishna very often in Bhagavad-gītā uses this motivation, inspires Arjuna to employ this motivation Because sättvik people they are like this, they understand that I'm suffering here.
Actually, this is a very important difference between sättvik people and tamasik and rajasik people, especially rajasik people. Rajasic people want more to enjoy. Sättvik people they want more to be free from sufferings.
These two motivations are there. This is basic, the foundational motivation of every human being. We want to enjoy and we want to be free from sufferings.
But the more pure we are, the more this motivation to be free from suffering becomes strong, whereas the motivation to enjoy becomes subsidiary.
Whereas in the lower stages of evolution of consciousness, the predominance of desire to enjoy is more.
And you know, people they are ready to do anything to enjoy, even if they know that they will suffer at the end. Because the drive to enjoy is so strong.
But sättvik people, they're much more wise and they more want to be free from suffering, and they're not ready to take enjoyment and pay the cost of suffering. So that's that's a very important difference.
Again, these three motivations. First is karma-nirharam. It's very clear, no need to explain it. We all know it.
We're sick and tired of our karma and we want to give it to somebody else. If somebody is ready to take it, you know. My dear spiritual master, here it is. Take it.
So uh the second motivation is karma-tad-arpanam. It's very interesting. In Prabhupada's translation uh this distinction may not be very clear, but it's very interesting what Kapila Dev says here.
Tad-arpanam means I'm doing it for you, Krishna. Tad means Krishna and arpanam, I'm I'm uh doing my karma for you. It basically means that I will do everything for you and I will not ask you anything.
But the intention is that you know you still give something to me in exchange. It's much more subtle. We don't say Krishna give me enjoyment. Krishna give me honor. Krishna give me position.
Krishna give me power or Krishna destroy my enemies. We don't say this. We say, oh yeah, I will do this. And but we don't have at the same time the positive desire to please the Lord by our act. Tadarpanam.
Tad-arpanam, I'm giving it to you and the unspoken intention behind this, the abhiprāya, the unspoken abhiprāya intention is that you know I'm doing this for you, I'm not asking you anything, but you know better what I need.
So please don't forget about me. I will not give this example. And the highest motivation, highest possible motivation is yāṣṭavyam. Yāṣṭavyam means I am doing it because I have to do it,
because this is my duty, because I know I'm soul, I belong to you, and I have to do something, so I have to serve the whole. And this is the rule: yāṣṭavyam. It has to be like this. It's the sense of duty.
But basically, I am still indifferent to the Lord. I'm doing it, if I need to do it, I will do it. If I have to do it, I will do it. And pṛthag-bhāva, the separate mentality, separatist mentality, or the mood,
the separatist mood, pṛthag-bhāva, is that the desire for liberation is actually my goal. My goal is not to please the Lord. This is not my positive goal.
My goal is to achieve liberation from sufferings, and I'm employing devotional service for this purpose, and this is what I'm doing.
So that's that's this cheating mentality which deprives the acts of Swarupasida Bhakti of its power. And we have to be really careful and we really have to bring ourselves back into this consciousness.
I am doing it for the Lord. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. Why do I chant? Why? What is the reason behind this? Because I want to please the Lord.
Not because I want some enjoyment in exchange or because I want to experience some enjoyment at the moment. Sometimes people say, you know, I'm chanting so long, I'm not experiencing any enjoyment. Why?
Srila Prabhupada cheated us. He said chant and be happy. I chant and I am not getting happiness. Now this is all cheating. This is all cheating mentality which is there. And um uh and even sattva-guṇa's cheating.
Therefore, it is said that in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all the cheating mentality is totally dharmaḥ kaιṭavaḥ projjhitaḥ, kicked out completely.
And that basically means that all the commentators they explain that projjhita: pra-ujjita, not just ujjita, but pra-ujjita means that including the motivation of liberation of sattva-guṇa.
So that sattva-guṇa is also a cheating because uh it's basically the separate mentality the uh the sense that I'm separated from the Lord and I'm not really connected with Him and I don't really want, I don't care whether I am connected or not.
I have my separate desires for this.
Characteristics of unadulterated pure devotion
Okay, so we still have a very important section before we finish, therefore, I will rush a little bit.
So nirguna, Swarupa Siddha Bhakti, which is nirguna with pure motif, is described by Lord Kapiladeva in this verse mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhā-śaye mano-gati-r avichchinna yathā gaṅgā-mbhaso 'mbudhau lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇaḥ. And rutimatrina mai sarvaguhasha mana manogatiravina yatha
gangā-mbhaso 'mbudhau lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇaḥ. And the next verse also is included into this description.
So the svarūpa-siddhi-bhakti when it is nirguṇa without guṇa is called differently as an akiñcana-bhakti. Why it's called an akiñcana-bhakti?
Not because it's performed by beggars who are akiñcana, but because people who perform it don't want anything from the Lord. Akiñcana means I don't want anything for myself, so I don't have any separate interests.
Therefore it is said yā niṣṭhā bhakti bhagavati akiñcanā. Akiñcana doesn't mean that the bhakti performed by beggars, by paupers.
No, it's the bhakti where which I perform without expecting anything in return from this bhakti. Then only bhakti becomes pure, then only bhakti becomes akiñcana, then only bhakti becomes nirguṇa.
So basically, uh it's a conscious endeavor for us to perform bhakti without expecting anything from the Lord. Why I'm doing this? Because I want to please the Lord.
Because Śrīla Prabhupāda said, because my guru mahārāja wants this. This is why I'm doing this. Conscious endeavor, I'm fighting with these motivations which are there. They are there.
But we can break this vicious circle by placing Kṛṣṇa in the center. I'm doing it for him. And therefore we need guru. Because we don't know whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased with our service or not.
And sometimes we're getting pleased by doing perform devotional service. Sometimes we're not pleased. But when our guru is pleased, and that's visible and it's very clearly seen, then you know we're doing something right.
So that's and actually this is the meaning of parakīya bhāva. Parakīya bhāva means we are not expecting anything because those who have illegal relationships with the lover, they don't expect anything from him.
They don't claim, they don't demand anything from him. That's the inner meaning of parakīya-bhāva. Parakīya bhāva doesn't mean illegal relationship.
Parakīya means that I'm doing it just for him, not because of any other motivation.
I don't expect protection, I don't expect uh bangles, you know, I don't expect jewelry, I don't expect saris in return of my devotion to my pati, I'm doing it without this.
This is actually the parakīya-mañjarī-bhāva. Manjri, they don't expect anything from this. So the translation of these two verses, I will read what how Śrīla Prabhupāda translates them.
The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one's mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone's heart.
Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord.
So very important few elements of purity of devotional service. When the devotional service becomes pure, first is Sruti Matrina. It's Tritivibhakti instrumental case. Sruti matrina. Matrina here means only.
I don't have when uh when uh Madguna Śrūta-mātraiḥ sarva-bhūteṣu mano-gatir avāchi māi — I don't have any other motivation. Sruti Matrina. I just like to hear about somebody whom I like.
You know, and I I don't think, you know, I'm hearing now and I'm don't thinking that you know I hear now and then I will tell this to somebody else and they will be very happy with me. No, this is not the motivation.
They just just little bit hearing immediately attracts my mind. And only hearing attracts my mind. When we love somebody, we love to hear about him. And we don't have any motivation.
What is the motivation behind the hearing? The motivation behind the hearing is the desire to strengthen the relationship with somebody about whom I am hearing. That's the motivation. Why do I want to hear about Krishna?
Because I want my relationship with him to become stronger. I already love him, I already have some relationship with him, but I know that by hearing about him, he becomes closer to me. Therefore, I'm hearing.
That's why Hanumān is always listening. That's why he's doing this all the time, you know, because every time he hears the relationship becomes more thick, more strong.
Whereas in the same chapter, in the 29th chapter, Kapiladeva explains, explains the mixed sadhana, and the sadhana which technically belongs to this category of Sangasiddha Bhakti, and there he says, Adyatmikanu Sravanam. It's element of this Sangasiddha bhakti.
Sravanam is there, but it's specifically Adhyat Mikanu Shravanam. I'm hearing to understand the nature of my mind, I am hearing to understand the nature of my soul.
So we're hearing, but the motivation is to understand the distinction between the spirit and the matter. But here I hear because I like to hear about the Madguna Sruti Matrina, the qualities of the Lord. That's what it is.
No other motivation. So that's the first thing which is there. The motivation is very pure in this regard because I just hear because I like to hear about the Lord. And the more I hear, the more connected I become with Him.
And then Sarvaguhashae, very important element of the whole thing. Sarvaguhashay means that the Lord is in is in within everyone's heart, and He is with my heart
as well, and it basically means that That the motivation which impels me to hear is not coming from my material senses.
Usually when we do something in this material world, we do because we have some previous experience of doing the same thing.
And we have saṁskāras, and the force which is accumulated in this saṁskāras pushes us to do the same thing again. But But Krishna is not visible to us. He is hidden within the heart of living entities.
Therefore, we don't have in the beginning, especially the experience of dealing with Him. So we are not impelled by the experience which we achieved from our external senses.
We are impelled by the experience which we achieved internally by our relationship with God through the acts of devotional service. That's what it means. Sarva Guhashaya.
The impetus to do devotional service is coming from our internal experience, not from our external experience which is motivated by our senses, by the pleasure of our senses.
And then Manogatir Avichina, then the The flow of our mind becomes unimpeded,
there is no impediments to the flow of the mind as much as Ganga is flowing and nobody can impede the flow of the Ganga, Ganga will come to the ocean. It basically means that there is no impediment to this.
So basically, these elements they describe these two things: the pure devotional service, a haituki, there is no material hetu. There is no material motivation. Whether it is experience of my enjoyment or whatever.
And avichina or avyavahita, that means that nothing can really be impediment. You know, like sometimes people, you know, I I'm dealing with one devotee, he says, you're depriving me of my devotional service.
Why you're not giving me the facilities for my devotional service? Why you're not giving me why I cannot preach, why I cannot do this, I cannot do this.
But you know, pure devotional service, nobody, including GBC, can deprive you of pure devotional service. If you have it, you have it. If you don't have it, you don't have it. All this external uh, you know, uh whatever is
forbidden for you, it's not really the problem if if you think that you cannot do devotional service, something is wrong with your devotional service, with your understanding of devotional service, because the pure devotional service by definition does not have any external impediments.
Nothing external can can stop us. And this is explained in the second verse of these two: Lakshanam bhakti-yoga syān nirūpitam, ahaitukī avyāhatā yā bhakti puruṣottame. Ahaitukī avyāhatā. So basically that's it and
then the next this next verse which we just read it answers uh two doubts or dissipates two doubts.
How it is ahaitukī, no material cause causeless because the listening about the qualities of the Lord gives such a pleasure to the soul that we don't need anything else.
And avyāhatā means that actually mind can touch the Lord directly. If or the soul can touch the Lord directly if the soul is completely purified.
So therefore internally there are no external impediments, cannot stop the devotional service. The pure mind, when it becomes pure because of devotional service, it achieves the quality of reflective reflective ability to
reflect the form of the Lord. And therefore we are in direct contact with the Lord by the act of devotional service on the highest stages of devotional service. And therefore it becomes avyāhatā. Ahaituki and Avya Vahita. That's basically it.
And the verse numbers 13 basically illustrates the purity of devotional service. Where Kapiladev says Salokya Sarshi Samipya Sarupya Aikatvam Aputa Diamanam Nagrihnanti Vinamatsevanam Janaha.
A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation, Salokya Sarsti, Samipya, Sarupya, and ekatva even, though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of God Himself.
So, if it is an impediment for the service, the devotee does not accept it, and that's basically the proof of the purity of pure devotional service or nirguṇa bhakti or the power of nirguṇa bhakti, which let us hope to achieve one way or another by associating with pure devotees.
So that's the ideal and the hope which we have, and the description of the reality of our heart, which has different motivations and they are like worms which suck the energy, like if we have in our intestine some worms, then the food which we take does not give us enough energy and nourishment.
In the same way we do devotional service, but because of these worms which are sucking all the energy and all the all the nourishment from devotional service deprives us the results of pure devotional service. That's it.
Clarifying concepts in pure devotional service
Uh we still have one minute to answer all your questions. So Risikumar Prabhu, you have your hand up. Yeah. Marj, uh thank you very much. It has been really nourishing.
The lecture this whole seminar has been nourishing just like the topics you discussed. My question was regarding the three motivations in goodness and he said karma niraram
karma tadharpanam and yastabyam the regarding yastaviam the first thing that came to my mind and I just cross check it is 17 rose of isho finisha where uh the devotee the jiva says that oh Lord enjoy a sacrifice and ultimate beneficiary. Please remember all my sacrifices, please remember all that I have done for you.
And so it's it's actually dhyana mishra bhakti. Yeah it's it's karmatadharpanam. It's karma taarpanam. That's the motivation of karmatadharpanam. Please remember what whatever I've done for you. Okay.
Yes, Padmaan Prabhu Hare Krishna.
Um that is a commentary from Yugoswami in this section. I mean to say writer discussion around it. No, no, no, no, no, no. I definitely read it somewhere, but I know it's not in this section in Bhakti Sandarbha.
But basically that's that's the idea behind what is parakīya bhāva. And bhāva means, you know, we have to this bhāva. When we have svakiya, svakiya basically means some relationship of duty.
You know, you enter into some relationship and this relationship makes you duty bound. Any relationship if they are legal they make you duty bound.
But a legal relationship they don't have this element of uh having a duty because they're illegal and therefore there's no duty. It's only, only bhāva. So that's but it's not in this section of Bhakti Sandarbha. Okay.
I guess that's it. We are done. Huh? Savyasācī prabhu asked the question on chat. Okay. Savyasācī prabhu asked the question on chat. Let me see the chat.
Uh is it possible for someone who is still in the material body to perform Swarupa Siddha Bhakti exclusively? It's obviously possible because
you know, like for example, if I have the consciousness of being a paraphernalia of my Lord. I'm your servant, my dear Lord. I'm your instrument, and whatever I am doing, I am doing just to be the better instrument.
If this consciousness is very clearly and purely established within our heart, I'm worshiping the deity. And I don't have any separate consciousness whatsoever. I am just a paraphernalia of the worship of the Lord.
Then whatever I do is svarūpa-siddha-bhakti, because whatever I do, even if I eat, of course I eat the remnants of the Lord, I sleep, I brush my teeth, but I'm doing it as a part of my archana.
It's not becoming just the brushing of the teeth like saṅga-siddha bhakti or karma or āropa-siddha-bhakti. It's becoming part of my archana, my service to the Lord. So it's possible, but it's
not, you know, it's not cheap, but it is possible
yes uh further to this uh mad actually yesterday uh day for yesterday we said that there are two axes, on one axis we have these three which are the forms of the devotional service, on the other axis are the attitude.
So if we see this Swarupa siddhi and Rupa siddhi and Sanga siddhi, they are primarily referring to the acts per se because this axis has only performed. Yeah. Whereas the other axis has attitudes. Yeah.
When we say that uh one person is performing say brushing teeth, simply to keep the law. Yeah, if this attitude is high, it becomes Swarup. It basically becomes, you may call it Swarupa-siddhi-bhakti.
Although formally you may call it like Sanga-siddhi-bhakti. But uh in reality it will be on this highest level, yes, exactly. Okay, I guess that's it. Thank you very much for your time and attention. Thank you.