service to Krishna | The Hare Krishna Movement

Narada-bhakti-sutra
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

TEXT 8

nirodhas tu loka-veda-vyāpāra-nyāsaḥ

nirodhaḥ—renunciation; tu—moreover; loka—of social custom; veda—and of the revealed scripture; vyāpāra—of the engagements; nyāsa—renunciation.

TRANSLATION

Such renunciation in devotional service means to give up all kinds of social customs and religious rituals governed by Vedic injunction.

PURPORT

In a verse in the Lalita-mādhava (5.2), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes renunciation in devotional service:

ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir
brahmānando gurur api camatkārayaty eva tāvat
yāvat premṇāṁ madhu-ripu-vaśīkāra-siddhauṣadhīnāṁ
gandho ’py antaḥ-karaṇa-saraṇī-pānthatāṁ na prayāti

“Activities such as mystic trance, becoming one with the Supreme, and the religious principles of brahminism, such as speaking the truth and tolerance, have their own respective attractions, but when one becomes captivated by love of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all attraction for mystic power, monistic pleasure, and mundane religious principles becomes insignificant.”

In other words, by discharging pure devotional service one attains the highest stage of love of Godhead and is freed from all other obligations, such as those mentioned in the karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and yoga-kāṇḍa sections of the Vedas. One who engages in pure devotional service has no desire to improve himself—except in the service of the Lord. In such devotional service there cannot be any worship of the impersonal or localized features of the Supreme Lord. The devotee simply performs activities that satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus attains pure love for the Lord.

Samsara Davanala Lidha Loka (Sri Gurvastakam)

Srila Prabhupada sings Sri Gurvastakam Prayers

Sri-Sri-Gurv-astaka
(Eight prayers Glorifying the Spiritual Master)
By Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, who appeared in the latter half of the 17th century, is a great spiritual master in the Krsna Consciousness chain of gurus and disciples. He says that one should loudly chant the following eight prayers, with great care and attention, during the brahma-muhurta, the auspicious time an hour and a half before sunrise when devotional practices are especially potent. Anyone who thus chants these eight beautiful prayers glorigying the spiritual master will certainly get a chance to render direct service to Krsna, the Lord of Vrndavan, after the demise of his body. (from 1974 edition of “Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas)

For complete sanskrit text, translation and purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada…