The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 1

Dhruva Maharaja patiently executed his spiritual master Narada Muni's instruction, by doing so he attained the Supreme Perfection of life which was to receive darshan of the Lord. When the Lord was standing before him, he was speechless and stunned. He was unable to offer prayers in glorification of the Lord. The Lord very mercifully blessed him by touching His conchshell on his head.

He was thus enabled by the causeless mercy of the Lord , to offer fitting prayers.

• The Lord's mercy is needed to render service:
• Srila Prabhupada states in the purport to the verse 4.9.5:"To glorify or offer prayers unto the Supreme, one needs the Lord’s mercy. One cannot write to glorify the Lord unless one is endowed with His causeless mercy."
• Dhruva Maharaja experiences difference in himself:
• Therefore when Dhruva Mahārāja found this difference within himself, he could immediately understand that it was because of the causeless mercy of the Lord. 
• Acknowledgement and Gratitude for the mercy received
• He offered obeisances to the Lord with great respect and reverence, completely understanding that the Lord’s favor was upon him. 

How does such spiritual enlivenment work?

From Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.9.6

• Action of the internal potency
• This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Mahārāja’s senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord.
• Connect with internal potency through chanting:
• Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare.
• When does the spiritual energy act:
•  This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. 
• When a person places himself at the disposal or order of the Supreme Lord, that is called sevonmukha; at that time the spiritual energy gradually reveals the Lord to him.
• Nothing is possible without the revelation by the spiritual energy
• Without revelation by the spiritual energy, one is unable to offer prayers glorifying the Lord.
•  Any amount of philosophical speculation or poetic expression by mundane persons is still considered to be the action and reaction of the material energy. 
• Action  of the spiritual energy:
• When one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy, all his senses become purified, and he engages only in the service of the Lord. At that time his hands, legs, ears, tongue, mind, genitals — everything — engage in the service of the Lord. 
• Such an enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities, nor has he any interest in being materially engaged. This process of purifying the senses and engaging them in the service of the Lord is known as bhakti, or devotional service.
• "Mechanically Engaged" followed by "Engagement with spiritual understanding":
•  In the beginning, the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and śāstra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues.
•  The difference is that in the beginning the senses are engaged in a mechanical way, but after realization they are engaged in spiritual understanding.

Further continued in 

The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 2

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

1.8.22

namaḥ pańkaja-nābhāya namaḥ pańkaja-māline

namaḥ pańkaja-netrāya namas te pańkajāńghraye

My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.

Here again Kunti Devi is further describing the Supreme Lord. that His abdomen is marked with a Lotus like depression, His garland is of lotus flowers, His glance is as cool as a Lotus and His feet are engraved with lotuses.

Seattle Sri Sri Radha Neela Madhav Balarama Jayanti 2012

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport "The Pańkajanābhi Lord accepts the arcā-vigraha  (His transcendental form) in different elements, namely a form within the mind, a form made of wood, a form made of earth, a form made of metal, a form made of jewel, a form made of paint, a form drawn on sand, etc."

Thus women and other devotees can worship Him and see Him.(as she had mentioned in verses 1.8.20 that how can women perceive the Lord?)

From Srila Prabhupada's lecture(If You actually Love God):

pankaja maline

pankaja nabhaya

pankaja janghraya

pankaja netraya

"So this Krsna consciousness movement is so nice. Here Kuntidevi, a great devotee, is giving us opportunity to become Krsna conscious: simply concentrating your mind on lotus flower. That's all. Lotus flower. As soon as you see a lotus flower, you will immediately think of namah pankaja-nabhaya. "Oh, Krsna's navel is just like lotus flower. From the navel of Krsna there was a stem of lotus flower, and from that lotus flower, Brahma came out. And Brahma created this universe. This universe means so many planets, so many seas, mountains and cities, motorcars, everything. Within that lotus flower, the beginning is..." Namah pankaja-nabhaya. And namah pankaja-maline. So such wonderful lotus flower which contains the seedling of the whole universe... That is not only one. Pankaja-maline. Just like here is a garland. There are so many flowers. So Krsna is not so poor that simply producing one lotus flower, He's finished. No. There is a garland of lotus flowers, big garland. Or as many lotus flowers as you want."

"So if you simply think only one verse, as it is explained here, and the pankaja, lotus, in reference with Krsna's body, you can meditate the whole life how Krsna is beautiful, how Krsna is wise, how Krsna's creation, how... This is meditation. Thinking of Krsna. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginah means... Yogi means he's always thinking of Krsna. Mat-parah. That is yogi. These rascals are not yogi, thinking something impersonal and being harassed. Kleso 'dhikataras tesam avyaktasakta-cetasam [Bg. 12.5]. They are simply, they are simply laboring, adhikatarah, more and more. They cannot get anything substantial. Therefore after meditation: "Come on, give me cigarette. Come on. My throat is now dried up. Give me cigarette." That is not meditation. Meditation means, this is: namah pankaja-netraya."

"You cannot approach Krsna impurified. But if you think of Krsna always, in this way, meditate upon Krsna, then you'll be purified. Punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. That meditation can be possible by hearing and chanting. Then thinking will automatically come. That is the process of Krsna consciousness. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam [SB 7.5.23]. Smarana means remember. If you chant and hear, then remembrance will automatically come. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. Then you will be engaged in worshiping His lotus feet. Arcanam. Then you'll be engaged in arcanam, the temple worship; vandanam, offering prayers; dasyam, you'll engage yourself as servant; sakhyam, you'll become friend of Krsna; atma-nivedanam, and surrender everything to Krsna. This is the process." 

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

1.2.16 How to get affinity for hearing the Lord's message?

śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya

vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ

syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ

puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt

SB 1.2.16: O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.

Some important points from Srila Prabhupada's purport

1.  The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect.
2. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord.
3. By serving the servants of the Lord, one gradually gets the quality of such servants, and thus one becomes qualified to hear the glories of God. The eagerness to hear about God is the first qualification of a devotee eligible for entering the kingdom of God. 

HG Radha Krishna Prabhu also mentioned in his class that we not only get affinity to hear the messages of Vasudeva but we also get the strength to act on what we have heard.

From Sivarama Swami's book "Suddha Bhakti Cintamani" Chapter entitled Eligibility for Devotion One", Pg 85:

"Rendering service to liberated devotees gives neopyhtes the strength to resist their lower conditioned nature and to stick to the higher, pure ideal of pleasing the Lord. Devotees who neglcet to keep the company with superior Vaishnavas , however, are unable to control their lower nature, and their impure faith leads them away from the path of pure devotion to the path of semblance of devotion. In this regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes the following verse to Sanatana Goswami:

SB 5.12.12: My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vānaprastha, accepting sannyāsa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.

The Supreme Occupation

One of the verses that attracted me to Krishna Consciousness was the verse that explained the Supreme Occupation of all humanity:

SB 1.2.6:The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

Some very powerful lines from Srila Prabhupada's purport:

"One should, therefore, accept the superior quality of occupation in the form of the devotional service of the Lord without any tinge of unnecessary desire, fruitive action and philosophical speculation. This alone can lead one to perpetual solace in His service."

"We have purposely denoted dharma as occupation because the root meaning of the word dharma is "that which sustains one's existence." A living being's sustenance of existence is to coordinate his activities with his eternal relation with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa."

"The relation is one of the servant and the served. It is transcendental and is completely distinct from our experience in material existence. This relation of servant and the served is the most congenial form of intimacy. One can realize it as devotional service progresses. Everyone should engage himself in that transcendental loving service of the Lord, even in the present conditional state of material existence. That will gradually give one the clue to actual life and please him to complete satisfaction. "

Any dissatisfaction in the heart is only because of not being situated in our eternal identity of a servant of Lord Krishna. Matter can only leave us hankering and dissatisfied.If I am feeling dissatisfied in a relationship, in a conversation, in a service, in my life, etc it is because in those areas I am looking for satisfaction from matter, I am not acting from the position of my eternal identity- of a spirit soul who is a servant of Krishna. Anxiety, sadness and fear are material emotions- when I am feeling them I must remember those occur because of my identification with matter, the body. As an eternal soul - I am also sacidananda. Those emotions are not me , just like matter is not me- I must learn to not identify with those emotions and not act on them.

As a spirit soul part and parcel of Krishna I am also full of knowledge , eternity and bliss - I can experience that by following the devotional process and explicitly not identofying with matter.

Introspection Exercise

Concept	What I am doing well	Growth Areas for me
.Unmotivated
Uninterrupted
Completely satisfy the self

Power of Association with Devotees

SB 1.1.15: O Sūta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.

Purport:

Pure devotees of the Lord are more powerful than the waters of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges waters. But one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that any person, regardless of birth as śūdra, woman, or merchant, can take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord and by so doing can return to Godhead. To take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord means to take shelter of the pure devotees. The pure devotees whose only business is serving are honored by the names Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda, which indicate such devotees to be representatives of the lotus feet of the Lord. Anyone, therefore, who takes shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee by accepting the pure devotee as his spiritual master can be at once purified. Such devotees of the Lord are honored equally with the Lord because they are engaged in the most confidential service of the Lord, for they deliver out of the material world the fallen souls whom the Lord wants to return home, back to Godhead. Such pure devotees are better known as vicelords according to revealed scriptures. The sincere disciple of the pure devotee considers the spiritual master equal to the Lord, but always considers himself to be a humble servant of the servant of the Lord. This is the pure devotional path.

Sadhusangastakam - Verses 3.25.23 -24- How to recognize a sadhu - Part2

The perfection of Devotional service is made possible by association of devotees. Then we learned what are the characteristics of a sadhu - having that understanding one can recognize one - pay attention and cultivate and let that person become an object of your affection.

A sadhu does the thankless task of impressing upon others the importance of devotional service.- meet with so many opposing elements

One can have difficulties and risk in DS but devotees tolerate that inconvenience and danger because they are in service to the Lord - tolerant merciful- expand that message to so many others - human and animal society.

sadhava- one who abides by the principles must be a devotee of a lord

Text 22- staunch devotional service and renounced for the welfare of others. - test renunciation -e energy, resources, self everything employed in the service of the Lord.

SB 3.25.23: Engaged constantly in chanting and hearing about Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sādhus do not suffer from material miseries because they are always filled with thoughts of My pastimes and activities.


FRom 3.2.3-6 -How should we associate with a sadhu and what is teh consequence-
Krsna had just finished speaking uddhava gita - and it was the same day that krsna had left- uddhava his life and soul was gone and vidura comes and he says - just seeing you reminds of krsna , baalaraama and all the people of dwarka


From 3.2.6 : given to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī by Lord Śrī Caitanya: "The living entities all over the universes are enjoying the effects of the respective fruitive results of their own work, life after life. Out of all of them, some may be influenced by the association of pure devotees and thus get the chance to execute devotional service by attainment of taste. This taste is the seed of devotional service, and one who is fortunate enough to have received such a seed is advised to sow it in the core of his heart.

The topic is sadhu sanga- sadhu like a tree and lotus feet of the Lord are like a tre- just like a creeper grows by attaching itself to a tree- the sadhu is like a tree gives support and water to grow for the creeper and the tree is attached to lotus feet of the Lord and therefore the creeper of our DS will grow.This is how sadhu sanga works.

Activity of grlofying through hearing and chanting- is the bhagavt form- from that all forms of service come through- "Ordinary conditioned souls, being forgetful of the activities of the Lord, are always full of anxieties and material tribulations. On the other hand, since the devotees always engage in the topics of the Lord, they are forgetful of the miseries of material existence."

root of any misery is forgetfulness of Krishna- we have  a bad bargain- this body material exience is a bad bargain we got a bopdy and now we are stuck with it- make the best use of a bad bargain use it in service to Krishna - along with bad bargain tolerate the miseries come along with it. Move one - to that which is sadhu guided - real misery is we forgot krishna - we are going on forgetting him that is misery- our reral happiness is separated from us

Why is the association of devotees so valuable?

1) One who is a a sadhu-devotee- they have unflinching mood of service in all circumstances - independent of circumstance - humble service to Krishna- because of this humble mood Krishna manifests in their heart- he is attracted to them - he is ever present in their consciousness and a when a devotee speaks devotee opens their heart- Uddhava just hearing Krishna's name - he became intensely absorbed- he was there with Krishna - but he wanted to serve Vidura and he spoke his heart to him - through sound vibration consciousness is transmitted. Potential of the association where trasnmitter and reciever are both tuned - teh potential of that is consciousness is transferred not just dos and donts - and int he process of receiving that sound vibration one gets even a glimpse of Krishna that is o powerful , meaningful and full of light- darkness is dispelled

What is that exp when glimpse of KRishna is recd through sound vibration?

That is the taste from 3.2.6 - something that encourages us to go further in devotional service. Krishna give a glimpse of Him- that is so powerful it keeps us goin- our chantign is like that until sudddha naama it is nam-abhasa- reflection of the Holy Name and that is so poweful it is retaining our KC- and in the assoc of a sadhu one who had that quality described by Kapilas Dev Krishna is there in teh heart- it is the Shyama Sundara form not 4 armed

the principle of sadhu- sanga is association that xfers from the heart of the sadhu to our heart if we are attending to taht association properly-

Anotehr poetic image given about the heart fo the devotee- is like crystal it takes on the color of that its surrounding - crystal shines - thus heart of the devotee shines radiantly- if there is a desire in the heart of a devotee ot connect with Krishna in the association of sadhu the covering diminshes and teh awakened state of love for KRishna is attained- ikt is more than hanging out- attach ourself with teh sadhu in a mood of service primarily hearing

sadhu wants to help everyone free them from material condition - through method of hearing- enlivening to the heart of ths sadhu to see people hearing sincerely.

Take it through the ear and the magic of hearing.

Kapila Dev's instruction is not just hanging it out it is attaching onself to the adhu through service.

Let the mind become attached from Text 23- naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ thoughts are filled by thoughts of Krishna  chracteristic of a sadhu - their mind and heart are absorbed in Krishna - we become attached to that association through hearing and applying then material disease is gone.

SB 3.25.24: O My mother, O virtuous lady, these are the qualities of great devotees who are free from all attachment. You must seek attachment to such holy men, for this counteracts the pernicious effects of material attachment.

bad bargain- we got misery while looking for happiness- cant get released by complaining about it- message of the sadhu is to cut the affinity for material attachment and bring to spiritual attraction.

This verse is the answer to Devahuti's initial question.

From the purport -

We have to rise above the modes of nature, 2 nd chapter BG be Xcendental to the modes of natures- which pollutes our consciousness, what do you do- cannot find anything pure in this world - how do we find anything pure in this contaminated world- bring you consciousness to that which is supremely pure- how? through sadhu sanga- a pure devotee is free from modes of nature and it is our duty to seek out

We must become a sadhu - become a benefit to the world- how? by taking these instructions to heart.

Those who are sadhus- do not feel the contamination of the material world - as we surrender to the Lord he reciprocates accordingly- therefore be a kitten 

sadhu cuts with words - message of SB-- cuts bondage of attachment to fruitive activity and its results.Prahlada's perfection - protected from so many difficulties by constant remembrance of the Supreme Lord - VCT's commentary- the fault of material association is destroyed by sadhu sanga

We must become attached to the instructions as receive and follow then catching the glimpse of Krishna in those instructions and carrying it in our hearts

Association tranffers contents from one person's heart to anotehr person's heart - surround our heart by sound vibration of saintly persons then that heart also becomes cleansed and filled with Krishna Consicousness
Association with advanced devotees is essential for those who want to advance in Krishna Consciousness - those who are free from illusion , false prestige and false association are elegible to center the kingdomn of God- So we need to cultivate underdtaning of that which is eternal and by that sadhu sanga- material dualities and lust and bewliderment of material circumstances is removed and thus we become eligible tro enter the kingdom of God.

in contaminated state we are immersed in modes of material nature- how do you get out of the contact? What are you supposed to do?

You cant do something and you cant do nothing - you cant counteract by further material activity? BG message is the process of sacrifice - take this tendency and use it in service- dovetail- karma yoga- then the elevation in Bhakti from the present circumstances to attachment to Krishna- how to free from modes of materila nature?

Association of sadhus-associate with devotees-by KC we will not feel the contamination of being in this places. - Sadhu sanga is a foundational prcnciple of spirtual life and give up the material association. By sadhus words attachment to material existence can be cut.


Deliberate and circumstantial fall down - as soon as the circumstance os removed teh beceome situated properly - then we regard that person as a sadhu- they were covered because of the overwhelming circumstance they became covered but after the circumstance is removed they continue bhajatae mam ananya bhak- should i listen to my mind or follow Krishna's opinion.

My job is to develop my relationship with Krishna and His devotees - the "upadhis" have no place in Bhakti

In SB 11.1.3:
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead used the Yadu dynasty, which was protected by His own arms, to eliminate the kings who with their armies had been the burden of this earth. Then the unfathomable Lord thought to Himself, "Although some may say that the earth's burden is now gone, in My opinion it is not yet gone, because there still remains the Yādava dynasty itself, whose strength is unbearable for the earth."

In the purport to the verse above it is mentioned:

"Vaiṣṇava ācāryas have mentioned that the story of the disappearance of the Yadu dynasty is especially meant to help the conditioned souls achieve liberation from the bondage of materialistic life. Within the three worlds there were none as powerful and opulent as the Yadu dynasty. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the possessor of unlimited opulences — beauty, strength, knowledge, fame and so on — and the members of the Yadu dynasty, being the personal associates of the Lord, were also endowed with inconceivable opulence. Therefore, when we see how a fratricidal war suddenly deprived the members of the Yadu dynasty of all of their earthly possessions and even their lives, we can understand that there is no permanent position within this material world. In other words, although the members of the Yadu dynasty are eternal associates of the Lord and were immediately transferred to another planet where the Lord was appearing, their sudden disappearance through fratricidal war is meant to impress upon the conditioned souls the temporary nature of this world. "

As an aspiring devotee I am attached to the positions of being trained nicely in Krishna Consciousness, or having a position of certain types of services in Krishna Consciousness, or in being initiated, or that I am small now and am working my way up or that I am inspiring so many people or that I belong to the close coterie of devotees in this temple, etc.

I heard in a lecture by HH Romapada Swami in relationship to this verse:  that I must remove these upadhis. I am just a servant and my job is to develop my relationship with Krsna and His devotees. Everything is possible by Krishna's mercy I am doing nothing.

Bhakti is independent of these upadhis- the only grounding principle is Krishna's mercy.

As we see in the example of the Yadus above they belonged to Krishna's family and had all the opulences that were possesed by Krishna and not only that they had also had very close association with the Lord, but everything was taken away from them.

So instead of finding satisfaction these upadhis I must try to find my happiness and solace in cultivating and moving forward in my relationship with Krishna.