devotional service

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are Krsna Prabhu's please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Guru

Maharaja and HDG Srila Prabhupada.

 

By HDG Srila Prabhupada;

 

In the preliminary stage of devotional service the devotee's relish

the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage

they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that

transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is

exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Lord Caitanya likens transcendental

devotional service to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living

entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the

different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are

fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand

devotional service.

This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart

of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting, Hare Krsna, Hare

Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,

that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular

watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and

grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters

into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the spiritual sky.

 

In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches

the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vrndavana, the supreme planet of

Krsna. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna and

rests there. Gradually as the plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of

devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the

form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is

fully described in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, Chapter Nineteen).

It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the

lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God;

then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the

Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the

devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the

Supreme Lord.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also full of such narrations about the

relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees; therefore the

Srimad-Bhagavatam is very dear to the devotees. In this narration there is

nothing about material activities, sense gratification or liberation.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the only narration in which the transcendental nature

of the Supreme Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized

souls in Krsna consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing such

transcendental literatures, just as a young boy and girl take pleasure in

association.

 

By HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

 

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