Six Principles for Success in Devotion

Essential qualities for spiritual progress

0:00[translated throughout by Hṛdayānanda]

0:00Prabhupāda: So I thank you very much for your kindly receiving me in this temple, and I was very happy.

0:12So my request is that you continue your devotional service very faithfully and rigidly, then in this life you will be able to see Kṛṣṇa face to face. That is a fact.

0:54So you follow the advice, as given by Rūpa Gosvāmī, utsāhāt. The first thing is enthusiasm, that "I must see Kṛṣṇa." You are seeing Kṛṣṇa. The Deity of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa is not different. But even personally you can see.

1:20Simply we have to continue the enthusiasm. Enthusiasm means to take things very seriously, utsāhād dhairyāt, and patiently.

1:52Although we are determined to go back to home, back to Godhead, so we should patiently follow the rules and regulations.

Six principles for successful devotion

2:17So these are the six principles = endeavor..., mean, enthusiasm, and firm determination, and patience, and executing the regulative principles, tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, and sato vṛtteḥ, means behavior must be very honest, no duplicity, and...

2:50Utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, and sato vṛtteḥ, dealing must be very honestly, no hypocrisy, tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sādhu-saṅga, and in the association of devotees.

3:09If you follow these six principles, namely enthusiasm, determination, patience, and executing the regulative principle and keep yourself honest and in the association of devotee, if you follow these six principle, then your success is sure.

3:52So these are the six principle, positive. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. By following these six principle, success is assured.

Obstacles and material habits to avoid

4:01Similarly, there are opposite number. What is that? Atyāhāraḥ, eating too much. Atyāhāraḥ means eating too much or unnecessarily collecting too much.

4:32And prayāsaḥ. Prayāsaḥ means too much endeavoring for a thing, mean, unnecessarily taking some anxiety. Don't do that.

4:57Atyāhāraḥ prayāsas prajalpaḥ, and talking nonsense, gossiping some subject matter which has no concern with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are accustomed to do that. We should avoid it.

5:04Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ [NoI 2]. Niyamāgrahaḥ means the positive rules and regulation, simply make a show but not actually realize it.

Association and guidance in service

5:23Niyamāgrahaḥ, laulyam, and to become very greedy, and jana-saṅgaś ca, and mixing with persons who are not devotee. These six things should be avoided, and the first things should be followed.

5:39Then your success in devotional service is sure. [Hṛdayānanda begins to translate and pauses] Prajalpaḥ, unnecessary gossiping. Just like people are wasting time taking one newspaper and talking for hours. These things should be avoided.

6:09And to associate with nondevotees. And greediness. These things should be avoided. NoI 2atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś caprajalpo niyamāgrahaḥjana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ caṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyatiOne’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.

6:27If you indulge in these six items, then your devotional service will be finished. And the first six principles means, NoI 3utsāhān niścayād dhairyāttat-tat-karma-pravartanātsaṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyatiThere are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.

7:05By these six principles, you will advance, and the other six principles, you will fall down. So under the guidance of your leaders in this temple, especially Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja, and if followed...

7:26One life, just take little trouble. It is no trouble; it is very happy life. But because we are accustomed to these material habits, we think it is trouble. No. It is not trouble. It is very pleasing.

7:39Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam BG 9.2In the Bhagavad-gītā it is..., "To execute devotional service is very pleasing." I think... Thank you very much for your [indistinct].

8:04Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]