Having just attended the Ratha-yatra Festival in New York, my wife was reading to me from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta some of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. And there is this one very poignant sentence:
…By the Lord’s mercy one gets the association of a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of the guru, one gets a chance to render devotional service. Devotional service, the science of bhakti-yoga, carries one from this material world to the spiritual world. (from purport Madya-lila 13.18)
This sums up the benefits and results of devotional service or (bhakti-yoga).
While the Lord was being carried from the throne to the car, King Prataparudra personally engaged in the Lord’s service by cleansing the road with a broom that had a golden handle. (Madhya-lila 13.15)
The King sprinkled the road with sandalwood-scented water. Although he was the owner of the royal throne, he engaged in menial service for the sake of Lord Jagannatha. (Madhya-lila 13.16)
Although the King was the most exalted respectable person, still he accepted menial service for the Lord; he, therefore, became a suitable candidate for receiving the Lord’s mercy. (Madhya-lila 13.17)
Upon seeing the King engaged in such menial service, Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. Simply by rendering this service, the King received the mercy of the Lord. Madhya-lila 13.18)
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