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.
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.
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
The pastimes of Krishna, and things favorable for devotional service..
Because we will forget the Supreme Lord if we are satisfied with material happiness, the merciful Lord has created various dangers to test us. Happiness in this material world guarantees the forgetfulness of Krishna.
Hence, miseries are examples of His compassion.
Patramrita – Nectar from letters by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada
Peacefulness and tolerance are favorable for the execution of devotional service.
(Sri Purusottama Matha, Puri, February 5, 1935)
If devotion for the Supreme Lord is manifest then the living entities have no reason to be discontent. Due to our aversion to the Lord’s service, we are forced to enjoy the fruits of our karma. As a result of our deeds, sometimes we enjoy happiness and friendship, and sometimes we suffer distress and envy. If we feel the need for the Lord’s service then all kinds of distress and desires for material happiness cannot harm us.
If you constantly engage your mind in the Lord’s service then no one can harm you. If you are restless or dissatisfied with others then an inclination for the Lord’s service will not be present within your mind. Your words, body, and mind will form a mental displeasure that will not allow you to serve Hari. Therefore become tolerant like a tree, and by the Lord’s will stay at Samanta-pancaka. This will be beneficial for you. Wait for the day when Lord Gaura Hari will send you elsewhere.
Patramrita – Nectar from letters by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada
Devotee: Maharaj, I have one question. I am very much afraid to write anything about Krsna consciousness because I see that I am having so many material desires; but at the same time, when I go out and I speak to people about Krsna, and the sweetness of Krsna, I see how much they are enjoying that. So I am thinking, even though I have no qualification, I should continue to write or to preach. Is this correct?
Srila Sridhar Maharaj: It is laudable that you want to do good to others. Mahaprabhu has given general instruction:
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa
(Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 7:128)
“Wherever you go, whomever you meet, talk with them only about Krsna. Deliver this news to anyone and everyone, and the new light will come to you, which in turn you are to distribute to others. In this way you will have a dynamic and progressive life and there will be no shortage of higher backing. If you obey my command, then you will find that I am there, backing you in this work.”
SERVICE FOR KRISHNA
Service is nourishing. Service is not depleting; it is not killing. Therefore our attempt should not be so much for knowledge, for trying to know everything, but it should be directed towards how we can utilize ourselves in the highest function: service.
Service, service, service.
Don’t be afraid that service is depleting energy. Service is life-giving. It is feeding you properly.
Service!
— Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami
Devotee: When performing bhajan and kirtan, what should be our attitude?
Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Meditation of a formal nature does not have much effect here. We shall try saranagati -surrender. Our whole attention should be concentrated on surrender. Once, a gentleman, a zamindar, took Harinama initiation from our Guru Maharaj and asked,
“While I count on the beads, what should I think of in my mind? Is there any portrait of Krsna or Sri Murti? How can I engage and utilize my mind at that time while counting the Beard?”
Our Guru Maharaj answered: „The mind has nothing to do in the supra-mental area. The mind is like a vulture. As a vulture goes to the cremation ground, so mind and other senses will try to fall there and make it mundane – a cremation ground. This is all mortal. They have got all mortal experience. The mind, the eye, the ear, etc. – everything has got mortal experience.“
So, whenever you take the Holy Name, the other senses, including the mind, will try to make it a mortal field with their prejudices and experiences of this relative world. They fall on it and make it a cremation ground. Do not allow it. Instead, we must try to understand.
