Prayers by Queen Kunti 1.8.20 Humility

1.8.20

tathā paramahaḿsānāḿ munīnām amalātmanām

bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaḿ kathaḿ paśyema hi striyaḥ

You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?

Kunti Devi here says that "You come to further enlighten those who are already advanced, those who are able to distinguish between matter and spirit- But what about people like me?How will we who are not great philosophers know You"-

In previous verses she has already mentioned that in spite of the Lord being situated inside and outside we cannot perceive Him, we cannot perceive Him through our senses and inspite of the Lord providing us with so many necessities, always being our benefactor and the Lord Himself giving us so many ways of seeing Him we fail to accept the Lord's presence. Then what is the hope for a mere women?

In this way Kunti Devi expresses herself and teaches us the mood in which we must approach the Lord.

Kunti Devi not an ordinary woman

Kunti Devi was not an ordinary woman.- she was able to see the Lord not just as her nephew but she knew His position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada mentions in his lecture 

• "But Kuntidevi, although she is in such exalted position, practically on the level of Yasodamayi, such a great devotee... So she is so submissive that "Krsna, You are meant for the paramahamsas, and what we can see You? We are women." 
• "But she could perceive the Lord "There in the previous verse she said, alaksyam sarva-bhutanam antar bahir avasthitam: "You are not seen by ordinary men, although You are inside and outside." In another verse also, na laksyase mudha-drsa: "Fools and rascals cannot see You." That means Kunti sees Him. Unless she sees Krsna as He is, how she can say, mudha-drsa na laksyase? And (s)he says, prakrteh param: "You are transcendental to this material creation."
• Although she understands everything, she still takes the position of an ordinary woman and says, "How can I understand You?" This is humility.

 

How can one see the Lord??

In the previous post we read that SP mentions we must take to the process of hearing srvataha sva kathah krsna, because of which we will have the vision to see the Lord. Here we learn that we need to be humble as well to enhance our vision of the Lord else we will be caught up in the temporary- material strength, power, influence, beauty, knowledge,etc.

By hearing, all the undesirable things from our hearts will be cleansed personally by the Lord (amalatmana- no lust and greed) and gradually we will become qualified to see the Lord.

"One must feel humility. Material Strength, beauty, intelligence and assorted other good qualities remain insufficient assets when one tries to know the Lord.Srila Prabhupada is encouraging in his purport to text 20: "The Lord is so kind that He does not show special favor only to one who is a great philosopher. He knows the sincerity of purpose."" - From Unveiling His Lotus Feet- Page 139

From another lecture of Srila Prabhupada: "So following her footsteps, any woman can also understand Krsna. Krsna is ready to be understood by anyone. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh... [Bg. 9.32]. Simply we have to follow the path how to appreciate Krsna, how to understand Krsna, how to see Krsna, how to talk with Him, how to walk with Him. These things are there. That is called bhakti-yoga. Where you learn this science of bhakti-yoga -- that we have mentioned, Nectar of Devotion, the perfect science of bhakti-yoga. So if one is interested in seeing Krsna, then there is no hindrance, there is no block. Anyone. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim."

Prayers by Queen Kunti. 1.8.19- Importance of srvanam and kirtanam

Queen Kunti puts forward a question in 1.8.18 that how is this possible- Krsna is a person both localized and all pervading- how can one who is both present everywhere and all powerful remain unrecognized? After all Krsna , who is Kunti Devi's nephew, is standing before Kunti in humanlike form engaging in humanlike activities despite the fact that He is unlimitedly powerful and the all pervading Lord.- From Unveiling His Lotus Feet - Pg 139"

Kunti Devi then answers her own question in the next verse 1.8.19:

māyā-javanikācchannam ajñādhokṣajam avyayam

na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā

Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.

• maya javanikachhannam - deluding curtain of Maya- Krsna remains beyond the limit of common people's perception because the curtain of His deluding energy covers their eyes.
• ajnadhoksajam avyayam -
• ajna - ignorant
• adhoksajam- heard in HG Narayanai Mataji's class that akshaja means senses adha means to go down- those who try to percieve the Lord through their senses only go down are defeated. - Thus the Lord cannot be conceived by one's senses.
• "Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means down, made down, or defeated. Your sense perception will be defeated if you want to realize by God by your imperfect sense perception. That is not possible. You will be defeated. Adhaḥ akṣaja. Akṣaja means akṣa. Akṣa means eyes. " - from Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971
• From this link :"Knowledge means, our knowledge means we manufacture words or syllables from A to Z. That's all. ABCD. We compose words with these twenty-six, or how many? A to Z?.........That is... And in Sanskrit, as in English it is A to Z, similarly in Sanskrit, a, a, i, u, and the end is ksa. So a and ksa, that is called aksa. Aksa-ja. And ja means generated. So we also compose words, those who are Sanskrit scholars, they compose words from a to aksa, just like English they compose words from A to Z. So our mental speculation and advancement of education is limited between this a and ksa, aksa. Aksa-ja. But Krsna is adhoksaja. Adhoksaja means where these kinds of speculation, beginning from a to ksa, will not act. Therefore His name is Adhoksaja. Adhah krta, cut down. (aside:) Why they are going? They are busy in some other work? Eh? Ugra-karma. Without hearing, what he will do, nonsense? Sravanam kirtanam, this is our main business. Sravanam. If you don't hear, what you will do? You will do simply sense gratification. That's all."
• na laksyase mudha drse- 
• mudhas because Krishna is present inside us and is present outside us- yet we refuse to acknowledge Him
• we are mudhas because Krishna has also taught us How to perceive Him- through the taste of water, through the strength of the strong, etc described in the 7th chapter of the BG but we refuse to acknowledge as we want to see with our own eyes. But the eyes are imperfect and Krishna is adhoksaja
• We are mudhas because Krishna is providing us with all the necessities, He is our benefactor always present with us - yet we refuse to acknowledge His presence.
• nato natyadharo yatha - He thus remains covered just as one cannot recognize an actor when He is in costume

How can we then see Krishna - when there is the deluding curtain of Maya on one side, we ourselves are mudhas and Krishna is beyond the range of sense perception?
As Srila Prabhupada says in His lecture :

"Now, who is, who can understand Krsna? There are so many impediments. One side, there is curtain of maya; another side, everyone is a rascal and fool; and another side, Krsna is beyond your sense perception. This is the position. How much one must be alert. Then one can understand. Just like the Gosvamis. Is Krsna is so easy thing to be understood? But there is process. So if we do not adopt the process, then how we can understand Krsna? These are the so many difficult things. One side, one thing is the maya is checking. Maya is trying to put stumbling block for your advancement of spiritual life. Maya-javanikacchannam. And the other side, we are all fools and rascals. And the, again, Krsna is adhoksaja, beyond the range of sense perception. This is the position.

"

The mahajanas are there. So we have to follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We should not remain mudha-drsa. We should follow the mahajanas and the sadhus, sastra. And they recommend... The most important process is sravanam. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. If we don't hear about Krsna, then how we'll make advance? We have to hear. My Guru Maharaja was very kind upon me because I was very much interested to hear him. That you know. I hear him. I did not understand him, actually. In the beginning I could not understand him. He was speaking in so high philosophical way that it was not... Still, I wanted to hear him. That was my only qualification.

So the... It is the process. During lecture time, if we don't care to hear or we do other things or take rest, that is not very good sign. We should be very much careful. Then we shall remain mudha-drsa. Nato natyadharo yatha. We have taken the vow to see Krsna or to understand Krsna. We should be very, very serious and do the needful. Then our life will be successful.

Prayers by Queen Kunti- 1.8.18 - The Lord is inconceivable

Heard from various lectures by HG Narayani Mataji, HH Romapada Swami and  HDG Srila Prabhupada.

Kunti Devi begins her prayers by offering her obeisances to Him and expressing her devotion through heartfelt prayers. She begins by glorifying the various potencies of the Lord. She is not offering her prayers to Lord Krishna because He is her nephew. Neither is she is distressed of His leaving just because of Her family ties with Him- she is distressed at His departure because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Through the beginning verses of her prayers she establishes for people like us that Krishna is not an ordinary human being but he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus we must offer our lives and attention in loving service to Him.

The crisis of the war and also of the danger to the child in Uttara's womb is over - Krishna prepares to start for Dwarka. However as He is leaving , one of His great devotees Kunti Devi expresses her distress.She had observed how Krishna had simultaneously protected the Pandavas from outside and Maharaja Pariksit from the inside(of Uttara's womb).Astonished , she was convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 1.8.18  kunty uvāca

namasye puruṣam tvādyam īśvaram prakṛteh param
alakṣyam sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam

Śrīmatī Kuntī said: O Kṛṣṇa, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

• Namasye purusam tvadyam isvaram prakrteh param
• So Krsna, although He happened to be nephew of Kunti... Kunti was Krsna's father's sister. But because (s)he was devotee, she knew that "Krsna also, although He is playing the part of my nephew, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
• You are the original personality unaffected by the qualities of material nature . tu adyam- you were the controller before the creation and will also remain the controller after this creation- You are the beyond the material world
• You are the Supreme Controller.. Within the prakrti, within the material nature, everything has got beginning and end, limited. You are not that kind of controller." Prakrteh param, eternal.
• alaksyam sarva bhutanam antar bahir avasthitam -
•  She puts forward a question.You are present everywhere , within and without everything - yet you are invisible to all?- No one can actually know you. I saw You protect the Pandavas with Your Chakra, and I know as the Supersoul you entered Uttara's womb to protect her embryo. You now sit directly before me on a chariot? Are you localized? All pervading or both?

 How can we see God?

Although the Lord is everywhere within and without everything - he still remains unrecognized. Krsna is standing in a human like form as Kunti's nephew engaging in human like activities despite the fact that He is Supremely Powerful.

Srila Prabhupada states in his lecture as to How we Can see God?

"So God reveals Himself to the devotee. Although... Just like Prahlada Maharaja was seeing that Nrsimhadeva has come, and his father, atheist father, he was challenging, "Where is your God?" So God is everywhere, but He is not visible to the nondevotee. But one who is devotee, he can see Him. Every... Not only once. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means always. He is seeing always Krsna. That is the position of saintly person. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38]. Hrdayesu, in the heart, vilokayanti, they see.

So if you can see God, you can talk with God, if you can go back to home, back to God, why should you lose this opportunity? This opportunity is in the human being. You can see God, you can talk with God, you can go back home, back to God. Everything is possible. And that is Krsna consciousness movement."

Therefore we must follow the process of Krishna Consciousness very sincerely so that we can also see the Lord one day.

Prayers by Queen Kunti - Introduction

Kunti treating Madri like a sister

Queen Kunti one of the most ardent and exalted devotees of the Lord. In spite of having a life full of unimaginable hardships, she was uncompromising in her integrity as a devotee of the Lord - that reflected in how she raised her sons as great devotees in spite of all difficulties,her dealings with Dhritarashtra even if he were fully supportive of Duryodhana's plans, in her relationship with her cowife Madri- she treated her with love and affection like a little sister, she never let Gandhari's apparent jealousy affect her relationship of love with her.Her difficulties did not make her bitter towards the Lord or towards.

Because she was situated in the spiritual conception she was unaffected by the situations around and it only increased her longing and attachment to the Lord.

Our lives in the material world are similar to Kunti Maharani considering the number of difficulties that affect us and the number of relationship issues we face. We get the rare opportunity to also react to our lives in the same way as Kunti Maharani does, as we go deeper in our Krishna Consciousness.We are so fortunate to have an example like her who at all times was situated in her identity as a servant of the Lord and accepted every situation with grace, real strength and greatness

We are fortunate that we get a glimpse into the consciousness of an advanced devotee like her through the verses 1.8.18 to 1.8.43 of the Srimad Bhagavatam.She reveals her consciousness to all of us through this spontaneous outpouring of love and affection to the Lord. Unable to bear separation from her Lord even for a moment, when she sees Him ascending the chariot to leave for Dwarka she expresses her gratitude, her love, her feelings of separation and her devotion to Him.

Through the following blog posts we will attempt to go deeper into Kunti Maharani's prayers with the help and blessings of Srila Prabhupada and all the acaryas.

Prayers by Queen Kunti- 1.8.18 - The Lord is inconceivable

Prayers by Queen Kunti. 1.8.19- Importance of srvanam and kirtanam

Prayers by Queen Kunti 1.8.20 Humility

Prayers by Queen Kunti- 1.8.21- Krishna has now appeared to be visible

Prayers by Queen Kunti Devi -1.8.22- See a Lotus- Remember Krishna

Prayers by Queen Kunti- Verses 1.8.23-24 - Gratitude

Prayers by Queen Kunti - verse 1.8.25 Attraction to the Lord

Prayers by Queen kunti- Verses 23- 25 Bridging the Gap

Prayers by Queen Kunti verse 1.8.26 - False Shelters Are Obstacles

 We will add future verses as we read them.

 

 

SB 1.2 Divinity and Divine Service,Section D- Verses 16- 22

-Section D- verse 16- 22 explains how bhakti progresses for a devotee

Verse	Theme	Level in Bhakti by VCT
1.2.16 - śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat- sevayā viprah puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt	1.2.16 How to get affinity for hearing the Lord's message?  By serving pure devotees	satam krpa - the "mercy of devotees". Opportunity to serve arises from their causeless mercy- mercy is the first step mahat seva - "service to devotees" is second stage sraddha- faith. sraddhadhanasya- VCT explains this as a "for a man in whom faith has developed by serving devotees" gurupadasrayah- seeking shelter at the feet of Guru. VCT - punya tirtha nisevanat - tirtha means guru. a man in whom faith has developed must seek shelter at the feet of Guru. bhajanesu sprha - eagerness to worship. susrusoh means that a person who becomes eager to hear by taking shelter at the feet of Guru will eventually develop taste
1.2.17- śṛṇvatāḿ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām	1.2.17 The Lord personally cleanses the desire for material enjoyment...... from the heart of that truthful devotee who has developed an urge to hear His messages	He removes abhadrani - anarthas-which cause unsteadiness.The six anarthas that initially cause unsteadiness are detailed here. This contains one stage -Bhajanesu sprha. From the desire to hear follows the practice of hearing, chanting and then remembering. So much therefore depends on our eagerness to hear and chant.
1.2.18 naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaḿ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī	1.2.18 The Two Bhagavats that help a devotee overcome that which is troublesome	What occurs after we become eager to hear, which begins the clearing of material desires from our heart.3 stages:  Bhaktih-The phrase bhakti bhavati naishthiki contains the word bhakti- devotional service. Srila VCT makes no comment on this verse.   anarthapagamam - disappearance of obstacles. The phrase nasta prayesu abhadresu means that inauspicious things, including the namaparadhas are almost completely destroyed tatha nistha- then steadiness is achieved. Srila VCT explains that contained in the phrase bhaktir bhavati naishthiki is the word naishthiki which means nistha.
1.2.19 tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye ceta etair anāviddhaḿ sthitaḿ sattve prasīdat	From Unveiling His Lotus Feet:Text 19 states that when (tada) the effects of passion and ignorance(rajas tamo bhava) - lust , greeed and so on(kama lobhadayas ca ye ) no longer affect us(ceta etair anaviddham), we will become situated in goodness(sthitam sattve) and feel fully happy(prasidati) From the purport: "The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inact[pivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise to the position of Vāsudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or śuddha-sattva. Only in this śuddha-sattva state can one always see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the Lord."	What occurs after a devotee reaches nistha, steadiness? Text 19 indicates that it is difficult to advance under the grip of passion and ignorance. From passion comes distraction(viksepa), and from ignorance - sleepiness- laya. Adayah means "and more" negative qualities, such as anger, greed, envy and illusion. Srila VCT notes that Text 19 indicates two stages in the progression of bhakti- ruci and asakti. ruci- taste- He defines "the heart is not pierced by sense objects", by saying that one develops distaste(arucya) for sense objects. Thus one arrives at actual spiritual taste- ruci. although the word ruci was also mentioned in 1.2.16- vasudevah katha rucih, Srila VCT treated it only as a remote result of gurupadasrayah(taking shelter of Guru) and bhajanesu sprha(eagerness to worship) atha asakti - then firm attachment. Srila VCT explains that in "sthitam sattve prasidati"- sthitam means "fixed" means asaktam or firmly attached. Even in the stage of ruci- one's mind may wander. However we can drag it back under our control by the strength of our intelligence . The next stage , asakti(attachment) is different. If the mind does wander the stregth of our attraction to Krishna pulls it back.
1.2.20 evaḿ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaḿ mukta-sańgasya jāyate	From the purport:"Perfection of human life is attained when one can understand that he is not the product of matter but is in fact spirit. And as soon as one understands that he has nothing to do with matter, he at once ceases his material hankerings and becomes enlivened as a spiritual being. This attainment of success is possible when one is above the modes of passion and ignorance, or, in other words, when one is actually a brāhmaṇa by qualification."
1.2.21 bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saḿśayāḥ kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare	From the purport:" This enlightenment perfectly enables the devotee to distinguish spirit from matter because the knot of spirit and matter is untied by the Lord. This knot is called ahańkāra, and it falsely obliges a living being to become identified with matter. As soon as this knot is loosened, therefore, all the clouds of doubt are at once cleared off. One sees his master and fully engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, making a full termination of the chain of fruitive action. ."

1.2.18 The Two Bhagavats that help a devotee overcome that which is troublesome

What occurs after we become eager to hear, which begins the clearing of material desires from the heart?

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaḿ bhāgavata-sevayā

bhagavaty uttama-śloke

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

Important Points

A fixed mind can focus

1. In 1.2.17 the anarthas that cause unsteadiness start getting cleared by the Lord's mercy owing to the devotee's increased urge to hear. In 1.2.18 the anarthas that cause unsteadiness are almost completely destroyed . Thus the mind is fixed and can focus. This is the stage of Nistha - almost anartha nivritti. 
2. Main Point: The impediments to bhakti can be removed by service to devotees(person Bhagavata) and Bhagavatam. Thus by hearing and doing service. 
1. The messages of the book Bhagavata have to be received from the devotee Bhagavata, and the combination of these two Bhagavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on . (From Unveiling His Lotus Feet - Page 58)
3. Importance of Relationships with devotees(mentioned by Hg Radha Krishna Prabhu while explaining this verse)
1. We avoid association of devotees because we do not want to give up material nature
1. It is impossible to do pure devotional service in association of material nature(therefore do yukta vairagya)
2. Association is important because we hear from the devotees and thus unwanted things leave our heart. Also Krishna is present in their heart.
3. On our own it is hard to grow therefore we must help each other.
4. Good relationships encourages us in service
4. From anartha nivritti you must come to nishtha else something is wrong with your execution.- Hg Radha Krishna Prabhu

The six anarthas that cause unsteadiness

The 9 stages of Bhakti in ascending order are :

The nine stages of DEVOTION are:1. sraddha: faith
2. sadhu-sanga: association with devotees
3. bhajana-kriya: performance of devotional service
4. anartha nivrtti: decreasing of unwanted attachments
5. nishtha: steadiness
6. ruchi: taste
7. asakti: attachment
8. bhava: love
9. prema: pure love for Krsna

The six anarthas that cause unsteadiness in the initial stages of Bhakti

Unsteady performance of devotional activities is of six types (in sequential order):

1. false confidence (utsaha-mayi)
2. sporadic endeavour (ghana-tarala)
3. indecision (vyudha-vikalpa)
4. combat with maya (visaya-sagara)
5. inability to uphold vows (niyamaksama)
6. enjoying the waves (taranga-rangini). 

 In this way they characterize unsteady devotional service.
These can be very easily overcome by serving the pure devotees as by serving them we gain affinity  to hear the Lord's messages.

Once we gain that affinity then as SB 1.2.17 states:

śṛṇvatāḿ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

The six anarthas are described below- excerpt from the second shower of the Madhurya Kadambini.

 1. utsahamayi- false confidence: just as a child, having just begun study of the scriptures, thinks he has immediately become a great scholar worthy of everyones praise, a person just beginning devotional service may develop the audacity to think that he has mastered everything. He is called utsaha-mayi, or filled (puffed-up) with enthusiasm.

2. ghana-tarala sporadic endeavor: a child sometimes is diligently engaged in his studies and yet at other times, because of inability to understand the scriptures and because of lack of real taste, becomes totally negligent. In the same way, a new devotee sometimes practices the different activities of devotional service and sometimes neglects them. Being somtimes assiduous and at other times negligent, his sporadic endeavour is called ghana-tarala (condensed-dilute,thick-thin).

3. vyudha-vikalpa indecision: "Shall I just spend my life happily in family life, making my wife and children Krsna conscious, and worshipping the Lord; or should I give them all up and go and sit in Vrndavana, place of meditation, and become a real success by engaging full time in hearing and chanting with no distractions? Shall I wait until the last stage,after enjoying all sorts of pleasures, when I have understood that the
whole material world is simply a forest fire of affliction, or should I renounce right now? Should I regard this family life as death, a deep well concealed by grass, and give up unreliable family life while young? Or shall I wait until the death of my old parents before renouncing? If I give up family life in an unsurfeited state I will think of family life after renouncing. If I should die in that condition I will go to hell. From that type of renunciation I won't get any strength. Therefore for the time being, I will just work to keep my body alive, and later, after satisfying all my desires, I will enter Vrndavana and engage in worship of the Lord 24 hours a day."

"Renunciation may be condemned as useless, if one depends on it to produce bhakti, but it is acceptable if one realizes it as being generated from bhakti, and dependent on bhakti." Justifying renunciation in this way, and understanding that there will be no worry for food if he should become a renunciate, since it is well known that the asramas are full of food, he sometimes favors a life of renunciation. But at other times, using the dictum that household life is a prison only for those who are attached, he favors household life.

"Shall I engage in chanting or rather in hearing, or shall I engage in service? Let me rather engage in many angas of bhakti like Ambarisa Maharaja."

When one imagines in this way all types of options of devotional service without deciding anything, it is called vyudha-vikalpa, or extensive indecision.

4. visaya-sagara combat with Maya:

            visayavista cittanam visnavesah suduratah
            varuni dig-gatam vastu vrajnanaindrim kim apnuyat

One whose heart is lot in materialism is far from obtaiing devotion to Visnu. Can a man going east catch something which is going in the opposite direction? The devotee, with this understanding - that he cannot attain steadiness in serving Krsna without renunciation or detachment from material enjoyment - esolves to renounce his addictions. But though he attempts to renounce his enjoyment he ends by indulging in it, taking
solace from the example of a devotee given in the Bhagavatam:

            jusamanas ca tan kaman parityago 'py anisvara

The inexperienced devotee, in spite of his attempts to give up his material desires, is unable to do so completely, and is allowed to indulge in satisfying his desires to some degree.This on-going battle with his previously acquired desires for sense pleasure, in which he sometimes meets with victory and sometimes with defeat, is called visaya-sagara or war with sense pleasure.

5. niyama-aksama inability to uphold the vows:

Then the devotee will resolve: "From today I will chant such and such number of rounds of japa and will pay so many obeisances. And I will perform services for the devotees. I will not talk on any subject except the Lord and I will give up all association with people who talk on material matters." Though he makes such resolutions every day, he is always unable to execute them. This is called niyama-aksama or inability to follow rules. Visaya-sagara is the inability to give up material activities whereas niyama-aksama is the inability to improve his devotional activities.

6. taranga-rangini- enjoying the waves:

Finally, it is well-known that the very nature of bhakti is that all people become attracted to the person possessing it. And as the popular saying goes: "By the attraction of the populace one becomes wealthy." Bhakti produces much opportunity for material gain, worship and position. These are weeds around the creeper of bhakti. Performing activities, or seeking ones pleasure (ranga) amidst these weed-like
facilities, which are but small waves (taranga) in the ocean of bhakti, is called taranga-rangini, delighting in material facilities.