sva-pāda-mūlam bhajataḥ priyasya
tyaktānya-bhāvasya hariḥ pareśaḥ
vikarma yac cotpatitaṁ kathañcid
dhunoti sarvaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ
When a beloved, leaving all other considerations and fascinations, takes to the Lord’s feet in full worship and adoration, the Supreme Lord lodges intimately in that devotee’s heart and watchfully washes away any ill effects that befall due to any wrong actions or slips.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to direct us to our real interest within:
“You do not know your own heart. You are a foreigner to your own heart and its demand.
There is a wealth within your heart – try to find it: eliminate the foreign things, and you will find your heart to be a temple of Krishna. With the help of a
proper guide, search your own heart and you will find Krishna there. This is not a foreign thing to you.
Every heart is a temple of the Lord. It is your property, it is your home. Back to God, back to home.”
Divine Words of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar deva Goswami
–sermons, vol 1
apani palabe sabashuniya gobinda raba
simha-raba jena kari-gana
sakala vipatti jabe mahananda sukha pabe
jara haya ekanta bhajana
When lust and his friends hear the word Govinda” they immediately begin to flee, as a herd of elephants flees when it hears a lion’s roar. If one engages in single-pointed devotional service to Lord Krishna, then the worshiper attains transcendental bliss, and all kinds of calamities flee from him.
na kariha asat-ceshtalabha puja pratishtha
sada cinta’ gobinda-carana
sakala santapa jabeparananda sukha pabe
prema-bhakti parama-karana
Don’t sin. Take no interest in profit, adoration, and distinction. Instead meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. In this way all sufferings will go far away, and transcendental bliss and pure love for Lord Krishna will spontaneously come.
From:Premabhaktichadrika
Srila Narottam das Thakur
vāṇī guṇānukathane śravaṇau kathāyāṁ
hastau ca karmasu manas tava pādayor naḥ
smṛtyāṁ śiras tava nivāsa-jagat-praṇāme
dṛṣṭiḥ satāṁ darśane ’stu bhavat-tanūnām
Henceforward, may all our words describe Your pastimes, may our ears engage in aural reception of Your glories, may our hands, legs and other senses engage in actions pleasing to You, and may our minds always think of Your lotus feet. May our heads offer our obeisances to everything within this world, because all things are also Your different forms, and may our eyes see the forms of Vaishnavas, who are nondifferent from You.
We will receive help from the revealed Scriptures, and from the many saints and agents who are also coming from that plane to bring us into harmony.
The religion of highest harmony has been given by Mahāprabhu Śrī Chaitanyadeva who explained devotion on the basis of Śrīmad Bhagavatam, the book which is understood to be the real conclusion of all the revealed scriptures.
In this way, He explained that energy or power is not the highest thing, but knowledge is above it. Knowledge can control power and give a beneficial result, but further, knowledge itself also holds a lower position: above it is love and affection, and that is the highest. Neither knowledge nor power, but only affection can give us fulfilment of life.
Mercy is higher than justice. Justice only exists where there is the necessity of laws, rules, etc., but in the realm of the Absolute Autocrat, who is the Absolute Good, there can be no question of any apprehension about Him. He is Absolute Good, an Absolute Good is an Absolute Love and Affection, and that is home!
DIVINE WORDS of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar deva Goswami
Glories of Lord Sri Krishna
aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā
Synonyms:
aśeṣa — unlimited; saṅkleśa — miserable conditions; śamam — cessation; vidhatte — can perform; guṇa-anuvāda — of the transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia, etc.; śravaṇam — hearing and chanting; murāreḥ — of Murāri (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), the Personality of Godhead; kim vā — what to speak of; punaḥ — again; tat — His; caraṇa-aravinda — lotus feet; parāga-sevā — to the service of the flavorful dust; ratiḥ — attraction; ātma-labdhā — those who have gained such self-achievement.
Simply by chanting and hearing of the transcendental name, form, etc., of the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna, one can achieve the cessation of unlimited miserable conditions. Therefore what to speak of those who have attained attraction for serving the flavor of the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet?
(SB 3.7.14)
Pandita: How does one develop devotional service to Krishna?
Srila Prabhupada: Simply by hearing Krishna-katha with attention and a service attitude from nonduplicitous devotees who worship the Supreme Lord and who have no duty other than to constantly glorify Krishna.
Sri Sarasvati Samlapa
Conversation 3
prabala bhaktir ajitendriyan api visaya-bhogad-uddharati –
badhyamano ‘pi mad-bhakto, visayair ajitendriyah
prayah pragalbhaya bhaktya, visayair nabhibhuyate
SB.11.14.18
Intense devotion delivers even persons of uncontrolled senses from worldly enjoyment –
“A person adopting the path of devotion may suffer the obstacle of his mind loitering somewhat in thoughts of mundanity, due to former habits of sensual dalliance. As he cultivates devotion, his service aptitude develops. And the more his boldness to serve increases, the more that materialistic devotee is gradually able to curb his attraction for the mundane. The only cause of failure for such aspirants is their lack of sincerity.”
Srila B.R Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj
The foremost duty is to associate with the spiritual master and other Vaisnavas.
(Residence of Sri Atul Chandra Banerjee, Dhanvad, September 30, 1921)
Association with devotees is the main criteria by which a human being develops a propensity for worshiping Lord Hari. By associating with nondevotees, one can make material advancement, and by the influence of associating with devotees, the soul progressively becomes absorbed in the service of Lord Hari. This is the main support and most important asset of human existence. Do not ever become averse to this association. There will definitely be tangible results by associating with devotees. We spend our lives uselessly without the association of devotees. Other duties and works only replace the service of Lord Hari.
Consider this maxim: sreyamsi bahu vighnani, or “for anything beneficial or auspicious, there are always many obstacles” and discuss the following verse (Srimad -Bhagavatam 11.9.29) with great care:
labdhva su-durlabham idam bahu-sambhavante
manusyam artha-dam anityam apiha dhirah
turnam yateta na pated anu-mrtyu yavan
nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat
“After many, many births and deaths, one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is possible only for a human being..”
PATRAMRITA Nectar from the Letters of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada
“So the Lord’s search for His lost servants is a loving search; it is not ordinary but from the heart. And the Lord’s heart is not an ordinary heart. Who can estimate what type of search He is engaged in? Although He is full in all respects, still He feels pangs of separation for every one of us, however small we may be.
In spite of His supreme position, He has room for us in a corner of His loving heart. This is the nature of the infinite. Such an absolute autocrat, absolute good, is Krishna. An autocrat is not under the law. It is not that if Krishna gives Himself to one, another will be lacking. The infinite is not like that; rather there is an infinite supply at His command. So He is the Emporium of Rasa [akhila-rasamrta murtih].
And He is searching for His lost servants, to bring them home.”
Loving Search for the lost servant.
Divine Words of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami
