Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15: Yoga of the Supreme Person: Text 19

yo mām evam asammūḍho
jānāti puruṣottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati māṁ
sarva-bhāvena bhārata

Synonyms

yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me; evam — thus; asammūḍhaḥ — without a doubt; jānāti — knows; puruṣa–uttamam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saḥ — he; sarva–vit — the knower of everything; bhajati — renders devotional service; mām — unto Me; sarva–bhāvena — in all respects; bhārata — O son of Bharata.

Translation

Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.

The fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called as Purushottama Yoga. In Sanskrit, Purusha means the All-pervading God, and Purushottama means the timeless & transcendental aspect of God. Krishna reveals  the purpose of this Transcendental knowledge of the God is to detach ourselves from the bondage of the material world and to understand Krishna as the Supreme Divine Personality, who is the eternal controller and sustainer of the world. One who understands this Ultimate Truth surrenders to Him and engages in His devotional service.

Krishna begins Chapter 15 by explaining the need for detachment with a metaphor that compares the material world to an ‘Asvattha’ (a banyan tree) .

 Then Krishna describes Purushottama Yoga in Texts 15.6 – 15.20

SECTION I (15.1 – 15.5) — BECOMING DETACHED FROM THE MATERIAL WORLD

 ï One should detach himself from the material world 

ï Material world is a reflection of spiritual world

 ï One should surrender to Krishna and attain spiritual world 

SECTION II (15.6 – 15.11) — TRANSMIGRATION 

ï Goal should be to leave material world and return to spiritual world 

ï All living entities are eternally part and parcel of Krishna, yet they struggle from body to body in search of pleasure

 ï Transcendentalists can see this clearly, but the blind materialists cannot see this 

SECTION III (15.12 – 15.15) — KRISHNA’S POSITION AS OUR MAINTAINER

1)We should be attracted to Krishna by knowing His position as – 

2)Our maintainer on both the cosmic and personal levels 

3)Compiler of Vedanta and knower of the Vedas 

SECTION IV (15. 16 – 15.18) — THE THREE – SLOKA GITA OF KNOWLEDGE: A SUMMARY OF THE VEDAS AND THE VEDANTA 

ï Conditioned living entities are fallible 

ï Living entities in harmony with the Lord’s desire are infallible 

ï Beyond both these is the transcendental Supreme Person, the Super soul, who maintains the three worlds 

ï Both in this world and the Vedas, Krishna is celebrated as that Supreme Person, the Super soul 

SECTION V (15.19 –15.20) — KNOWING KRISHNA MEANS KNOWING EVERYTHING 

ï One knowing Krishna’s position knows everything, and he engages in Krishna’s service 

ï Knowing this most confidential part of Vedic scriptures makes one wise and brings perfection to his endeavors

Coming back to the verse. Krishna says Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.

Who is the Knower of everything that Krishna is talking about—Here the knower is the person who knows Krishna as the Supreme Personality of God head without DOUBTING.

So what is the result of such Knowledge—One will engage in full devotional service to Krishna

If we see in beginning of Bhagavad Gita chapter 2, Text 4 Arjuna is bewildered in the battle field and  telling  to Krishna 

arjuna uvācakathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhyedroṇaṁ ca madhusūdanaiṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmipūjārhāv ari-sūdana

Arjuna said: O killer of enemies, O killer of Madhu, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship?

It is general etiquette that superiors are offered due respects in our tradition. We are not supposed to do any verbal fight even though they chastise us. So here Arjuna is bewildered how he is going to fight his Grandfather, his teachers and other members of the Kuru family. So Krishna is telling Arjuna You are talking like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned – one who knows what is body and what is soul – does not lament for any stage of the body, neither in the living nor in the dead condition.” 

The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or tomorrow;  but not the soul therefore the body is not as important as the soul.  Every living entity is an individual soul, changing his body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there and does not undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes the body at death and transmigrates to another body; and since it is sure to have another body in the next birth – either material or spiritual – there was no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of death, neither for Bhīṣma nor for Droṇa, for whom he was so much concerned. As sunlight maintains the entire universe, so the light of the soul maintains this material body. As soon as the spirit soul is out of this material body, the body begins to decompose; therefore it is the spirit soul which maintains this body. All kinds of weapons – swords, flame weapons, rain weapons, tornado weapons, etc. – are unable to kill the spirit soul because the soul is unbreakable, insoluble and can neither be burned nor dried. It is everlasting.

Also there is material world and spiritual world. Owing to ignorance, one does not know that this material world is a miserable place where there are dangers at every step. Out of ignorance only, less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities, thinking that the resultant actions will make them happy. They do not know that no kind of material body anywhere within the universe can give life without miseries. The miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and diseases, are present everywhere within the material world. But one who understands his real constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord, and thus knows the position of the Personality of Godhead, engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life nor the influence of time and death. One who wrongly thinks that the living entity’s position and the Lord’s position are on the same level is to be understood to be in darkness and therefore unable to engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord. He becomes a lord himself and thus paves the way for the repetition of birth and death.

So we can see right from the beginning itself  Krishna gives a very systematic analysis of difference between Matter, Spirit and Supreme soul, spiritual world and material world. Matter is the material nature; Spirits are living entity and Supreme spirit is God or Krishna who is the supreme controller . That is the basic understanding. So one who knows these things that Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer  of sacrifice and penance, He is the proprietor of all universal manifestations, and that He is the real friend of all living entitiesthen onewill engage himself in full devotional service to Krishna. So the Knowledge means to know  what is matter, what is spirit and who is  the controller of both. That is what Krishna talking about in this verse and how to attain that stage.

Then the verse says the imperfect knower goes on simply speculating about the Absolute Truth, but the perfect knower, without wasting his valuable time, engages directly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. There are always some material philosophers or modern-day scientist who does not believe the existence of soul. According to them, the body is a combination of physical elements, and at a certain stage the life symptoms develop by interaction of the physical and chemical elements. They associated everything with respect to their body. That is why all the  Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happens without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a Spiritual Master who is in the Disciplic succession.  Academic knowledge, scholarship, high position, etc., are all useless in solving the problems of life; help can be given only by a spiritual master like. That is why it is very important to have the Vedic knowledge which is called as “sruti” learning by aural reception. One should actually receive the Vedic message from authorities like Kṛṣṇa and His representatives. Simply to hear like the hogs is not sufficient; one must be able to understand from the authorities. It is not that one should simply speculate academically.

The conclusion is that a spiritual master who is one hundred percent Kṛṣṇa conscious is the bona fide spiritual master, for he can solve the problems of life. Lord Caitanya said that one who is a master in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, regardless of his social position, is the real spiritual master.

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya

“It does not matter whether a person is a vipra [learned scholar in Vedic wisdom], or is born in a lower family, or is in the renounced order of life – if he is a master in the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is the perfect and bona fide spiritual master.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.128) So without being a master in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no one is a bona fide spiritual master.

In BG 8.28 too Krishna is telling One should therefore learn Bhagavad-gītā from a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not from mental speculators. This is a sign of faith. When one searches for a devotee and fortunately gets a devotee’s association one actually begins to study and understand Bhagavad-gītā. By advancement in the association of the devotee one is placed in devotional service, and this service dispels all one’s misgivings about Kṛṣṇa, or God, and Kṛṣṇa’s activities, form, pastimes, name and other features. After these misgivings have been perfectly cleared away, one becomes fixed in one’s study. Then one relishes the study of Bhagavad-gītā and attains the state of feeling always Kṛṣṇa conscious This highest perfectional stage of life enables the devotee to be transferred to Kṛṣṇa’s abode in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the devotee becomes eternally happy.

In  BG 2.46 Krishna says

yāvān artha uda-pānesarvataḥ samplutodaketāvān sarveṣu vedeṣubrāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ

All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

One who brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ knows the supreme brahman knowledge of Krishna he understands all the purpose of Vedic literature.

The goal of life should be  to come back to our constitutional position. We are  not meant to work hard in this material atmosphere. We are meant to engage ourself in the transcendental loving service of Krishna. When we lose the big picture of our life  we slowly entangle in the small picture: like getting entangled in our career, our house, physical work and so many other things. Ultimately are we going to enhance our bodily attachments or work towards our spiritual consciousness ?. One has to keep Krishna consciousness  on the foreground of all our activities. If we keep that even though we may engage in material activities  then it will not affect us. That is why Srila Prabupad here mentions about hearing from the authority. When we constantly develop the habit of hearing our big picture remains clear. 

Why can’t we surrender to Spiritual Master?

1)Deluded by pride : Thinking himself the lord of material nature, also expects some honor in this material world

2)Lack of Faith in Spiritual Master’s words, in Scriptures and in devotee association

3)False impression that the land, earth, belongs to human society and divide them thinking they are the proprietors

4)Fails to understand that he is not the Lord of the material nature but the Supreme Personality of God head.

5)Does not know how to free oneself from material entanglement and get caught in the dualities of life like Happiness/distress, pleasure/ Pain

6)Ego

7)Loses the big picture of life that they are the eternal servant of Krishna and their constitutional position is to love and serve the Lord

In Srila Prabhupada’s words as he was mentioning when he was on the Jaladutta. “I am coming to this western world. People are very much covered by the modes of ignorance and passion. They have created a world where everyone is imagining they are going to be happy in this world forever but actually they are just suffering. So please make my words so potent that they can enter the hearts of these conditioned souls and enlighten them and enliven them in the realm of Krishna consciousness. Actually who am I? I am simply a humble beggar. I really have no devotion. I really have no qualification to do this. I am simply coming as a servant of my spiritual master. So please make me a puppet in your hands. Let me dance, let me dance, let me dance. This is the faith we need to have in our Spiritual Master.

One pastime.

Srila Prabupada had many western disciples. At the time of construction of Krishna Balram temple in Vrindavan they were doing all kind of preparation Abhishek, collecting money, and  the time had come for the inauguration  of the Temple and the disciples on behalf of Srila Prabupada was trying to invite so many people, various eminent personalities and there was one disciple he went to invite a famous guru that time (Kalpatri ). So this Guru was not happy about western disciples doing  worship of Krishna and was little upset with Srila Prabupada. So he asked the  disciple of Srila Prabupada so Srila Prabupada  had made all of you a Brahman, and engage in Deity worship how is he that allowing westerners born in mlecha family qualified to do the act of devotional service and Deity worship and all these . Then the disciple started to quote a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam which supports what Srila prabupada was doing. This is the verse Narada muni speaks in SB 7.11.35 where he says

yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁpuṁso varṇābhivyañjakamyad anyatrāpi dṛśyetatat tenaiva vinirdiśet

Translation: If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.

A person may be born in a varna according to his material birth but his lakshanam  whatever symptoms he exhibits that has to be considered. As Brahmana, Sudra or Vaishya not based on his physical birth.  It is not a fact that because one is born in a brāhmaṇa family he is automatically a brāhmaṇa. He has a better chance to become a brāhmaṇa, but unless he meets all the brahminical qualifications, he cannot be accepted as such. On the other hand, if the brahminical qualifications are found in the person of a śūdra, he should immediately be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. To substantiate this there are many quotations from Bhāgavatam, Mahābhārata, Bharadvāja-saṁhitā and the pañcarātra, as well as many other scriptures. Kalpathir Maharaj becomes stunt and really appreciate Srila Prabupad and his disciples telling Srila Prabupada had trained them nicely in the Literature. He was so impressed that these western people born in different cultures as quite knowledgeable about Krishna and quoting from scriptures. This is the training one receives from a bonafied Spiritual Master. This is the result of understanding the knowledge of Krishna one who engages in pure devotional service

Another Pastime is the following is from the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila, Vol.7. The Chapter is titled Lord Caitanya’s Visit to Sri Vrindavan.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had made a visit to Vrindavan. Stayed there for few days and now the time has come for him to leave Vrindavana. He became ecstatic with love, knowing that He now had to leave Vrindavana. Although the Lord did not exhibit any external symptoms, His mind was filled with ecstatic love. At that time, Balabhadra Bhattacharya said, “Let us go to Mahavana [Gokula].”

Saying this, Balabhadra Bhattacharya made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sit aboard a boat. After they crossed the river, he took the Lord with him. Both Rajaputa Krishnadasa and the Sanodiya brahmana knew the path along the Ganges bank very well. While walking, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, understanding that the others were fatigued, took them all beneath a tree and sat down. There were many cows grazing near that tree, and the Lord was very pleased to see them. Suddenly a cowherd boy blew on his flute, and immediately the Lord was struck with ecstatic love. Filled with ecstatic love, the Lord fell to the ground unconscious. He foamed about the mouth, and His breathing stopped.

While the Lord was unconscious, ten cavalry soldiers belonging to the Muslim Pathana military order rode up and dismounted. Seeing the Lord unconscious, the soldiers thought, “This sannyasi must have possessed a large quantity of gold. These four rogues here must have taken away that sannyasi’s riches after killing Him by making Him take the poison dhutura.”

Thinking this, the Pathana soldiers arrested the four persons and decided to kill them. Because of this, the two Bengalis began to tremble. The devotee Krishnadasa, who belonged to the Rajaputa race, was very fearless. The Sanodiya brahmana was also fearless, and he spoke very bravely. The brahmana said, “You Pathana soldiers are all under the protection of your king. Let us go to your commander and get his decision. This sannyasi is my Spiritual Master, and I am from Mathura. I am a Brahmana, and I know many people who are in the service of the Muslim king. This sannyasi sometimes falls unconscious due to the influence of a disease. Please sit down here, and you will see that He will very soon regain consciousness and His normal condition. Sit down here for a while and keep us all under arrest. When the sannyasi regains his senses, you can question Him. Then, if you like, you can kill us all.”

The Pathana soldiers said, “You are all rogues. One of you belongs to the western lands, one to the district of Mathura, and the other two, who are trembling, belong to Bengal.

Rajaputa Krishnadasa said, “I have my home here, and I also have about two hundred Turkish soldiers and about one hundred cannons. If I call loudly, they will come immediately to kill you and plunder your horses and saddles. The Bengali pilgrims are not rogues. You are rogues, for you want to kill the pilgrims and plunder them.”

Upon hearing this challenge, the Pathana soldiers became hesitant. Then suddenly Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu regained consciousness. Coming to His senses, the Lord very loudly began chanting the holy name, “Hari! Hari!” The Lord raised His arms upward and began to dance in ecstatic love. When the Lord shouted very loudly in ecstatic love, it appeared to the Muslim soldiers that their hearts were struck by thunderbolts. Seized by fear, all the Pathana soldiers immediately released the four persons. Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not see His personal associates arrested. At that time, Balabhadra Bhattacarya went to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and made Him sit down. Seeing the Muslim soldiers, the Lord regained His normal senses.

All the Muslim soldiers then came before the Lord, worshiped His lotus feet and said, “Here are four rogues. “These rogues have made You take dhutura. Having made You mad, they have taken all Your possessions.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “These are not rogues. They are My associates. Being a sannyasi beggar, I do not possess anything. Due to epilepsy, I sometimes fall unconscious. Out of their mercy, these four men maintain Me.”

Among the Muslims was a grave person who was wearing a black dress. People called him a saintly person. The heart of that saintly person softened upon seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wanted to talk to Him and establish impersonal Brahman on the basis of his own scripture, the Koran. When that person tried to establish the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth on the basis of the Koran, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refuted his argument. Whatever arguments he put forward; the Lord refuted them all. Finally the person became stunned and could not speak.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “The Koran certainly establishes impersonalism, but at the end it refutes that impersonalism and establishes the personal God. The Koran accepts the fact that ultimately there is only one God. He is full of opulence, and His bodily complexion is blackish. According to the Koran, the Lord has a supreme, blissful, transcendental body. He is the Absolute Truth, the all-pervading, omniscient and eternal being. He is the origin of everything. Creation, maintenance and dissolution come from Him. He is the original shelter of all gross and subtle cosmic manifestations.”

“The Lord is the Supreme Truth, worshipable by everyone. He is the cause of all causes. By engaging in His devotional service, the living entity is relieved from material existence. No conditioned soul can get out of material bondage without serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Love at His lotus feet are the ultimate goal of life. The happiness of liberation, whereby one merges into the Lord’s existence, cannot even be compared to a fragment of the transcendental bliss obtained by service unto the Lord’s lotus feet.

“In the Koran there are descriptions of fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, mystic power and union with the Supreme, but ultimately all this is refuted and the Lord’s personal feature established, along with His devotional service. The scholars of the Koran are not very advanced in knowledge. Although there are many methods prescribed, they do not know that the ultimate conclusion should be considered the most powerful. Seeing your own Koran and deliberating over what is written there, what is your conclusion?”

The saintly Muslim replied, “All that You have said is true. This has certainly been written in the Koran, but our scholars can neither understand nor accept it. Usually they describe the Lord’s impersonal aspect, but they hardly know that the Lord’s personal feature is worshipable. They are undoubtedly lacking this knowledge. Since You are that very same Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, please be merciful upon me. I am fallen and unfit. I have studied the Muslim scripture very extensively, but from it I cannot conclusively decide what the ultimate goal of life is or how I can approach it. Now that I have seen You, my tongue is chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The false prestige I felt from being a learned scholar is now gone.”

Saying this, the saintly Muslim fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and requested Him to speak of life’s ultimate goal and the process by which it could be obtained. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Please get up. You have chanted the holy name of Krishna; therefore the sinful reactions you have accrued for many millions of lives are now gone. You are now pure.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told all the Muslims there, “Chant the holy name of Krishna! Chant the holy name of Krishna!” As they all began to chant, they were overwhelmed by ecstatic love. In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu directly initiated the saintly Muslim by advising him to chant the holy name of Krishna.

The Muslim’s name was changed to Ramadasa. Another Pathana Muslim present there was named Vijuli Khan. Vijuli Khan was very young, and he was the son of the king. All the other Muslims, or Pathanas, headed by Ramadasa, were his servants. Vijuli Khan also fell down at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Lord placed His foot on his head. After bestowing His mercy upon them in this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left. All those Pathana Muslims then became mendicants. Later these very Pathanas became celebrated as the Pathana Vaishnavas. They toured all over the country and chanted the glorious activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Vijuli Khan became a greatly advanced devotee, and his importance was celebrated at every holy place of pilgrimage.

It does not matter what is your background to understand about Krishna and understanding with love can be attained by bonafied spiritual master . it is a proof anyone can understand Krishna and engage in bjanti Krishna This chapter instructs us in self-realization by an analytical study of the material body and the spirit soul, as explained by the supreme authority, Lord Sir Kṛṣṇa. This realization is possible when one works without attachment to fruitive results and is situated in the fixed conception of the real self.

The Lord says, therefore, that only to those who are always engaged in devotional service out of transcendental love does He award the pure knowledge of devotion in love. In that way the devotee can reach Him easily in the ever-blissful kingdom of God. Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit. Material activities and their results end with the body. But work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness carries a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or in a rich aristocratic family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa conscious A strong faith that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows:

yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.”

It is not possible for the common man in this age to follow all the rules and regulations of the Vedic rituals, nor is it possible to study all of the Vedānta and the Upaniṣads thoroughly. It requires much time, energy, knowledge and resources to execute the purposes of the Vedas. This is hardly possible in this age. The best purpose of Vedic culture is served, however, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, as recommended by Lord Caitanya, the deliverer of all fallen souls.

How to follow the instructions of spiritual master

By surrender, By faith

Anyone watching the autumn sky knows that migrating birds fly in a V formation. There are two reasons birds might fly in a V formation: It may make flight easier, or they’re simply following the leader.  It’s a defense mechanism which protects the birds flying in group against its predators: every bird feels safe when they’re in the groups. It becomes difficult task for a predator to single out an individual bird from the group, and a bird that is leaves or left behind the group is more likely to be hunt, eaten and killed by its predator. The whole group of birds moves as one in order to protect every member of the group from its predators.

1)People who share a common direction can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the trust of one another.

2)If we have as much sense as a bird we stay in formation with those headed ( Spiritual master and association with devotees) where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.( neophytes devotees)

3)It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. People are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

Same way we know our destination. Also we know there is risk involved because the forces of Maya or material energy is stronger. We can be carried away by the predators of lust, anger, jealousy etc. So it is best to follow the leader who is beyond this material modes and who has realized God. And have a strong faith that  they can guide us – Our spiritual Master and the devotees. In case we are falling down from the path of Bhakti they have the unique talents, gifts, skills and are capable of bringing back us on to track of Bhakti and make our journey to Goloka smoother. Only thing is we need to have faith and surrender to our Acharya’s and stop speculation because it is a waste of time

What is Bhajanti?

 Srila Prabhupada explains, “The word bhajati is very significant. In many places the word bhajati is expressed in relationship with the service of the Supreme Lord means worshipping the Lord with Love and Faith. If a person is engaged in full Krishna consciousness, in the devotional service of the Lord, it is to be understood that he has understood all the Vedic knowledge that   Krishna as the source of Brahman;  the maintainer, the Paramatma; and  Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One surrenders and becomes one with Him in desire and service. That is the conclusion of all sastra – “The yoga of the Supreme Person”.  He is devoid of  material attachments, intelligent and perfect in transcendental knowledge, Freed from all contaminations from material modes. In the Vaishnava parampara it is said that if one is engaged in the devotional service of Krishna, then there is no need for any other spiritual process for understanding the Supreme Absolute Truth. He has already come to the point, because he is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. He has ended all preliminary processes of understanding. But if anyone, after speculating for hundreds of thousands of lives, does not come to the point that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that one has to surrender there, all his speculation for so many years and lives is a useless waste of time.”

Krishna says, yetubhajantimāṁbhaktyāteṣutemayi, samo ‘haṁ sarva–bhūteṣu [Bg. 9.29]Yetubhajantimāṁbhaktyā: “Persons who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith,” teṣutemayi, “I have got a special intimate relation with him.“

The jail superintendent business is to correct the criminal so that he may become a right citizen, a lawful citizen. Similarly, this māyā’s business is to give you always trouble, tri–tāpa–yatana, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, just to kick you, those who are non-devotees, just to correct you to become a devotee of the Lord. Unless you become devotee of the Lord, the kicking of material laws, stringent laws of nature will go on. The basic principle of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord.

Devotional service includes not only chanting and hearing but various other services like by using our hands we can engage in menial services whatever it may be, cleaning the temple floor, toilet of temple, writing article, cleaning dishes, washing cloths of Krishna, singing bhajans, making the garlands, cooking the Bhoga, playing Mrudanga, kartals, lifting our arms in Kirtan, experiencing the wonderful fragrance of incense, flowers that has been offered at the Lotus feet of Radha Krishna, we are receiving his prasad through our sense of smell.  Devotional service is so pure and potent that once one is engaged he automatically comes to the stage of sinlessness. Everyone must take to Krishna consciousness and devotional service to become intelligent and purified.