Affirmation

I offer my obeisances unto Gouracandra who has imparted this instruction to me. The instruction is that the Vedas constitute the only source of evidence. The said Vedas extended to us nine aspects of instruction to be established.

Aspect One:

Sri Hari is the only source of all knowledge. Sri Krishna with newly-formed cloud complexion, personified eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, may be described with the word Hari. Brahma, as described by the propounders of the Upanishads , is only an effulgence of the spiritual planetary systems of Sri Hari. He is not a different entity or aspect apart from Sri Krishna. The Supreme Soul or Paramatma, as depicted by the yogis, is part and parcel of Sri Hari, only under whose visual projection this vast universe was created by nature. Accordingly, Sri Hari is the only master and all others including even Brahma are His servants.

Aspect Two:

That Sri Hari is omnipotent. There exists an inconceivable subordinate potency of Hari non-different from Hari. He is the spiritual power as internal potency, the illusory power as external potency, and the living entity power as marginal potency. He has created Vaikuntha and other position through the spiritual power, infinite universes through the illusory power and infinite living entities through the living entity power. That subordinate potency has three aspects know as sandhini (material aspect s), samvit (aspects of relationship with Godhead) and hladini (aspect of amusement).

Aspect Three:

That Sri Krishna as Hari is the ocean of all sorts of mellows. Passive of neutral (santa rasa) mellow, serving (dasya rasa) mellow, friendly (sakhya rasa) mellow, parental (vatsalya rasa) mellow and conjugal (madhura rasa) mellow – are the five tastes. Of all the tastes of mellows, conjugal mellow is the best one. In the pastimes of Sri Krishna at Vrajadham it is this conjugal mellow that stands supreme with all its sanctity. Sri Krishna is radiant with sixty-four qualities, namely:

(1) beautiful features of the entire body (suramyanga)

(2) marked with all auspicious characteristics (sarvasallaksanayukta)

(3) extremely pleasing (sundar)

(4) effulgent (mahateja)

(5) strong (valavan)

(6)ever youthful (kisor-vayasa-yukta)

(7) wonderful linguist (vividha-adbhut-bhasajna)

(8) truthful (satyavak)

(9) talks pleasingly (priya-vakya-yukta)

(10) fluent (vak-patu)

(11) highly learned (supandit)

(12) highly intelligent (vuddhiman)

(13) a genious (pratibhayukta)

(14) artistic (vidagdha)

(15) extremely clever (catur)

(16) expert (daksa)

(17) grateful (kritajna)

(18) firmly determined (sudridha vrata)

(19) an expert judge of time and circumstances (desh-kal-patrajna)

(20) sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures (shastrajna)

(21) pure (suci)

(22) self-controlled (vasi)

(23) steadfast (sthir)

(24) forbearing (damanasil)

(25) forgiving (ksamasil)

(26) grave (gambhir)

(27) self-satisfied (dhrtiman)

(28) possessing equilibrium (samadarsan)

(29) magnanimous (vadanya)

(30) religious (dharmik)

(31) heroic (sura)

(32) compassionate (karun)

(33) respectful (manada)

(34) gentle (daksin)

(35) liberal (vinayi)

(36) shy (lajjayukta)

(37) protector of surrendered souls (saranagata-palaka)

(38) happy (sukhi)

(39) the well wisher of devotees (bhakta-vandhu)

(40) controlled by love (prema-vasya)

(41) all auspicious (sarva-sukhakari)

(42) most powerful (pratapi)

(43) all-famous (kirtiman)

(44) popular (lokanurakta)

(45) partial to devotees (sadhudiger samasram)

(46) very attractive to all women (nari-manohari)

(47) all worshipable (sarvaradhya)

(48) all opulent (samrddhiman)

(49) all honorable (srestha)

(50) the supreme controller (aishvarya-yukta)

Besides all of the above-mentioned fifty qualities, Lord Krishna possesses five more, which are sometimes partially manifested in the persons of Lord Brahma or Lord Siva. These transcendental qualities are as follows:

(1) changeless (sarvada svarupa-samprapta)

(2) all-cognizant (sarvajna)

(3) ever fresh (nitya-nutan)

(4) possessing an eternal blissful body (saccidananda-gharibhuta-svarupa)

(5) possessing all mystic perfections (akhila-siddhi-vasakari ataevsarva-siddhi-nisevita)

Krishna also possesses five other qualities, which are manifest in the body of Narayana, and they are listed as follows.

(1) He has inconceivable potency (avicintya-maha saktitva)

(2) uncountable universes generate from his body (koti-brahmanda-vigrahatva)

(3) He is the original source of all incarnations (sakala-avatar-vijatva)

(4) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills (hata-satru-sugati-dayakatva)

(5) He is the attractor of liberated souls (atmaramganer akarsakatva)

All these transcendental qualities are manifest wonderfully in the personal feature of Lord Krishna.

Besides these sixty transcendental qualities, Krishna has four more, which are not manifest even in the Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities. They are as follows:

(1) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes) (sarva-loker camatkarini-lilar-kallol-samudra),

(2) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead. (srngara-raser atulya-prema-sobhavisista prema-mandal).

(3) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute (trijagater cittakarsi murati-gita-gan).

(4) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.

Adding to the list these four exceptional qualities of Krishna, it is to be understood that the aggregate number of qualities of Krishna is sixty-four.

Aspect Four:

In the preceding three aspects, knowledge about Godhead is introduced. In the 4th, 5th and 6th aspects, knowledge about living entities is being narrated. An appraisal of constitutional position of living entities is contained in the fourth aspect. Th e living entity is manifested in different forms just like lighting up an infinite number of small lamps from the supreme lamp under the influence of marginal potency of Sri Hari’s subordinate power or energy. Although a living entity is constitutionally spiritual and is provided with spiritual propensities, it is very, very infinitesimal and dependent in nature. Owing to such dependent nature, Krishna-adverseness develops leading to domination by illusion. The distinction between Godhead and living entity is that although both of them are constitutionally situated on the spiritual platform, but by nature, the one who is the controller and master of illusion which is serving Him eternally, is the Godhead. One who is susceptible to domination of illusion, ev en when in a liberated position, and is animalcular in form, is a living entity. He remains free from illusion only when surrendered unto Krishna. A perfect living entity is characterised with the spiritual embodiment, and the fifty qualities enumerated he reinbefore are all in existence in him in drops and particles. All these qualities are of course spiritual. There should be no existence of illusory propensities or qualities in a perfect living entity.

Aspect Five:

The living entity is just like a corpuscle in the rays of the spiritual sun which is Krishna. He is subservient and thus in a state of being enslaved and subject to mundane earthly enjoyment because of his infinitesimal form. If subservient to Krishna, he would have no suffering and could enjoy eternally heightened bliss. When his desires for sense gratification gradually become Krishna-averse, he becomes illusioned and starts suffering from illusory pleasure and pain in this material world, involved in irresistible cycle of fruitive activities created by illusionary potency. The cycle of illusory fruitive activities comprises of virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, as well as high and low status. Through such a mundane cycle of activities sometimes one may attain heavenly planets and may also undergo hellish condition – thus traveling through eighty-four lakhs of species.

Aspect Six:

In spite of the fact that the living entity may become conditioned through the cycle of illusion, he is but constitutionally of spiritual potency and thus capable of being liberated from illusion; he can not of course attain liberation through any kind of illusory activities.

Accordingly, it is not possible to dispel illusory effect by dint of any acquired virtue and pious activities. Even if the conception is developed that I am a living entity and that my spiritual corpuscular existence and illusion is simply despicable for me – will not be instrumental in liberating oneself from illusion through such an awakening of the spirit of nastik renunciation.

As soon as the spell of latent and obscure ecstasy of considering oneself as the servant of Lord Sri Krishna is awakened, the effective benefit of liberation will be impending. Only upon such an awakening of one’s own disposition that the disposition of being dominated by illusion starts dispelling in course of time. Who can awaken one’s own disposition which is extremely obsolescent? This can not be done through any efforts of fruitive activities, pedantic knowledge and nastik renunciation.

Accordingly, one whose own disposition is awakened by virtue of some destiny, may use the benefit of awakening the almost obsolescent disposition of other living entities through the force of his association.

In this connection, the instance of two happenings will be required. One who is desirous of awakening his own true disposition, attains a little of devotional flavor of seeking shelter* by virtue of the results of his previous activities of devotional services offered unto Godhead – and this will be considered as one of the instances of two happenings required as mentioned hereinbefore.

The second instance of happening is that he gets an association with the saintly persons by virtue of the results of such pious activities. He who has been able to awaken his own true disposition fortunately by dint of associating himself with other saintly persons, can only be considered as a saintly person or sadhu.

An ecstasy of devotion is developed through practicing the chanting of the holy name of Sri Hari and others, under the powerful effect of association with the saintly persons; by and by, an awakening of loving and ecstasy is developed. An air of liberation starts blowing in proportion to the awakening of loving ecstasy as a concomitant beneficial effect.

* Additional Notes on ‘seeking shelter’ (saranapatti-laksana): ‘anukulyasya samkalpah pratikulasya varjanam, raksisyatiti visvaso goptrtve varanam tatha, atmaniksepakarpanye sadvidha saranagatih.’ The purport is this – when the living entity comes to realise it definitely that the illusory world is his prison-house and as such it is despicable and that all fruitive activities, all speculative knowledge and opulence or yogic processes relating to renunciation and emancipation can not firmly bring his own true disposition to sense, then he takes shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna as an insignificant soul surrendering unto the supreme will of Sri Krishna, with full confidence in the fact that Sri Krishna is his only protection and controller, dispelling all sorts of distractive activities against the attainment of devotional services to Sri Krishna. This is the symptom of unalloyed devotional services to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Aspect Seven:

Knowledge of relationship is awakened upon discoursing the aspects mentioned under 1 to 6 in association with saintly persons. Classification of knowledge of relationship and will be attempted under this seventh aspect. An inquisitive living entity usually wants to know – (1) Who am I? (2) Whom I belong to? (3) What is my relationship with the universe? Upon discoursing on these three points elaborately, one observes that oneself as a living entity is but a corpuscular consciousness and eternal servant of Lord Sri Krishna, and that this entire cosmos is the manifestation of the phenomenon of oneness and difference of Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna is the only relation. Any sort of speculation on the basis of the so called theory of evolution is redundant and n on-Vedic under the inconceivable potency of Sri Krishna, all living entities and the entire cosmos are eternally different and non-different from Him. One’s position in this material universe is thus not of eternal existence; it is just a prison house. From this understanding develops one’s devotion in unflinching surrender unto Lord Sri Krishna which means a deep confidence is awakened.

Aspect Eight:

So far, an enlightenment in the understanding of relationship is thus attained and association with the saintly persons through singular devotion is elevated to the level of reverence. Now, deliberating on the matter of how Lord Krishna can be made pleased , one is inclined to approach and ask a bona fide spiritual master as to the processes of satisfying Lord Krishna. The spiritual master, ascertaining one to be really surcharged with the qualities of reverence, imparts real devotional instruction to satisfy Lord Krishna. The symptoms of such a qualified person with reverence are thus quoted – anyabhilasitansunyam jnanakarmadya-navrtam anukulyena krnanushitan bhaktiruttama.

Chanting the holy names of Lord Sri Krishna and glorification of His beauty, qualities and pastimes as an embodiment of the constitutional position of His eternal, blissful and omniscient entity, if performed through favorable disposition, would be considered the best type of devotion or the purest form of devotion.

The practice of devotional processes should be made favorably disposed to worshiping the Lord, in relation to all sorts of activities, relationship and mental state of a living entity. Accordingly, a favorable disposition towards worshiping the Lord may be considered to lead a life which avoids all sorts of activities, relationship and mental state averse to worshiping.

In order to achieve such a disposition, one is to practice a little enthusiastic endeavor. Worshiping is required to be performed with an effort to awaken the realization of his own constitutional position of a living entity. The objective will be to offer the worship in a purified manner. There should be no other desire excepting a desire to improve upon worshiping. Accordingly, any desire for sense gratification and liberation even is required to be renounced altogether.

There should of course be enterprises for acquiring knowledge and earning money through activities for livelihood, but all such aspects of activities and knowledge that may usually conceal unalloyed devotional enterprises should be very carefully prevent ed. One should be away from indiscriminatory knowledge of Brahman and from activities devoid of devotional symptoms.

There are nine processes of devotional service expounded as hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sravana), chanting His glories (kirtana), remembering the Lord (smarana), serving the Lord’s feet (paricarya), worshiping the Deity (arcana), offering obeisances unto the Lord (vandana), acting as the Lord’s servant (dasya), making friends with the Lord (sakhya) and surrendering oneself fully to the Lord (atmanivedana).

Again it is prescribed that these processes can be subdivided into some sixty-four auxiliary processes on the basis of principle components of devotional enterprise. Amongst these, some are of regulative principles or characteristics and some are of prohibitive characteristics or principles.

The regulative characteristics of the auxiliary devotional processes mainly include five essentials, thus chanting of the holy name of Hari, residing at the sacred place of Hari, observing and meditating on the transcendental form and beauty of Hari, offering services to persons engaged in the service of Hari, and cultivating the study of the scriptures relating to devotional service to Hari.

It is extremely essential to abide by the following ten prohibitive principles, thus – abandoning all offensive activities, carefully giving up all non-Vaisnava association, restraining from initiation of many disciples in order to enhance the vanity as a spiritual master, abandoning the study and analytic discourse of a number of books, relinquishing all sorts of distressful and happy emotions arising out of material loss and gain, declining to be overcome by mourning and deep attachment, refusing an audition to any censure of Lord Vishnu and Vaisnava persons, rejecting any practice of vulgarity as an adverse disposition, and refraining from inflicting worries to any living entity.

Offence are classified in two categories, thus – offenses in offering serves and offenses in chanting the holy name. The offenses in offering service to the deity are to be seriously considered. Every devotee should refrain from the offenses relating to chanting of the holy name, thus –

(1) censuring any saintly person engaged in chanting the holy name.

(2) considering Godhead to be different from His holy name, form, qualities and pastimes and assuming the existence of different godheads like Shiva and others apart from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

(3) Despising the holy name, scriptural instruction and the spiritual master.

(4) Despising the scriptures meant for glorifying the holy name.

(5) considering the glories of the holy name to be just hymns.

(6) considering the holy name to be speculative.

(7) committing sinful activities by virtue of the holy name.

(8) equating the holy name, which is tantamount to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the highest mellow in consciousness, with other forms of materialistic virtue or auspicious performances.

(9) preaching the holy name to any unqualified disrespectful person.

(10) chanting the holy name to along with the vanity of egotism and sense of attachment.

These are the ten offenses relating to the holy name of the Lord. These offenses in holy names are very cruel and merciless, in as much as these are very difficult to throw off. These can only be eliminated through the process of constant association with the saintly persons. Every disciple must be endeavoring to remain unaffected by these offenses in chanting the holy name, right from the initiation in the holy name.

Chanting the holy name of the Lord along with His form and beauty, His qualities and pastimes is the highest level of all devotional processes. When these devotional services are practiced strictly in accordance with the scriptures, then it may be considered to be ritualistic devotion (vaidhi bhakti). Through constant practicing of such devotional services, an awakening of devotional ecstasy is attained.

There is another process of devotional performance which is extraordinary and known as spontaneous devotional service in which the devotee follows in the footsteps of one of the eternal associates of Krishna in Vrindavana (raganuga-bhakti). The spontaneous devotion of the inhabitants of Vrajadham is substantial and authentic. Some virtuous person may sometime be inclined to imitate such devotional service, simply out of a strong temptation. His performances in the devotional service may be considered as spontaneous devotion. In this consideration, there is no need for any scriptural reasoning. The only qualification in it is the urge to offer devotional service. These two types of devotional services may very well be classified under the appellative aspect of absolute truth (abhidheya-tattva).

Aspect Nine:

The ninth aspect is the love for Lord Sri Krishna arising out of need. While practicing devotional processes intently through all due respect or cultivating faithful replication of the moods of the inhabitants of Vrajadham, a gradual awakening of Krishna consciousness is quite evident. At that stage, entire effort may be rendered ecstatic by way of coinciding the enterprising practice of ritualistic devotional services with those of ecstatic mood. That ecstatic mood gradually attains the stage of living relationship with the Lord in various transcendental mellows or tastes, viz., in passive or neutral relationship (santa rasa), serving relationship (dasya rasa), friendly relationship (sakya rasa), parental relationship (vatsalya rasa), and conjugal relationship (madhura rasa).

Passive or neutral relationship (santa rasa) is spirited while the subject of love is away from Vrajadham, while the transcendental mellow of serving relationship (dasya rasa) is projected within Vrajadham. Loving attachment is a sort of highly ecstatic state of mind, and this is rendered into serving (dasya rasa) relationship with Lord Krishna as and when conjoined with intent attachment with Him. An abounding reverence mixed with awe and submission is present in the state of serving relationship.

Whenever there is an air of unrestrained enjoyment without reverence or, in other words, a sense of trust and confidence is awakened, then it is termed as affectionate amorous love (pranay) and this is considered under the transcendental mellow of friend ly relationship (sakhya rasa).

In case this mellow is admixed enough with tenderness (sneha), then it may very well be considered as parental relationship (vatsalya rasa). When all the qualities of parental relationship become highly coveted, then this relationship is turned into erotic sentiment and this erotic sentiment is the highest of all the transcendental mellows.

Enjoyment and appreciation of this relationship can be experienced only through rendering service to any associates of Sri Radha-Krishna considering oneself to be submissively protected, while staying at Vrajadham.

Lord Sri Krishna is eternally full of knowledge (saccit) in His constitutional form, and the knowledge of eternal bliss non-different from Him is – Srimati Radhika. The confidantes (sakhis) of all-blissful Radhika pertain to a particular mood of Herself, and accordingly, they comprise of an embodiment of array. In as much as those confidantes are the embodiment of any array under the superior energy, they are also the manifestation of the constitutional form of superior energy.

When the requirement of love for Krishna is fulfilled and the living entity is purified, he is then considered to be one among the valets of those confidantes and starts enjoying eternal blissful existence, remaining ever-charged with the pleasure of offer ing service to Radha Krishna, which state of existence is the highest requirement of all living entities. This is really an amazing mood of the knowledge of eternal absolute truth.

There is no existence of such an amazingly blissful mood in the state of liberation consequent to the annihilation of indiscriminatory Brahman.

As propounded by Sri Rupa Goswami, thus – ‘adau srddha tatah sadhusanga’tha bhajanakriya, tato’anartha nivrttih syattato nistha rucistatah; athasaktistato bhabastatah premabhyndancati; sadhakanamayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah syaddrdheyam ratih p remnaprodyan snehah kramadayam; syaninanah pranayo rago’anurago bhava ityapi; vijamiksuh sa ca rasah sa gudah khanda eva sah; sa sarkara sita sa ca sa yatha syat sitotpala’.

In the first stage, there should be respect, then an association with the saintly persons should develop out of that respect; then the processes of worshiping will start inspired by the association of the saintly persons; then there will be gradual elimination of various unhappy occurrences (anartha) as a result of devotional processes of worshiping; when a higher taste and inclination for leading a spiritual life will develop from the elimination of unhappy occurrences, resulting into a mood of ecstasy, which will ultimately give rise to the awakening of divine love. The other name of divine love is erotic sentiment which becomes crystallized (rati) gradually and is turned into parental affection, dignity, amorous love, transcendental mellow, attraction and a heightened mood in the final stage. This process of the development of spiritual love may very well be compared to the process of preparing sugarcane into its juice, then turning it into molasses, then into slices of candy and to sugar, and finally into alcohol and sweetmeats of various tastes of the highest degree.

Ten maxims comprise of the valuable instructions Sri Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu imparted to Rupa, Sanatana and others. This treatise is the essence of those Ten Maxims. Anyone aspiring to be a pure Vaishnava upon accepting the instructions of Sriman Mahaprabhu, must at first acquire this essence of Ten Maxims. The spiritual master will show him all the aspects within this essence in brief. Out of respect and reverence, one may take shelter at the lotus feet of the spiritual master. From the lotus feet of the spiritual master, one is elevated to the level of instruction in worshiping. By way of worshiping, there will be elimination of unhappy occurrences. But one can attain the stage of ecstatic mood through intent dedication and sincerity only.

The first aspect of worshiping the Lord is to acquire the Ten Maxims. Upon imbibing the disciple with the essence of Ten Maxims, the spiritual master will perform five sacramental purifications on the disciple.

tapah pundram tatha nama
mantro yagasca pancamah
ami-hi panca samskarah
paramaikantihetavah

The significance of this verse may be put forward in brief, thus – Whenever there is a little awakening of reverence in the heart of a disciple, he approaches a genuine spiritual master. Before coming to the lotus feet of his spiritual master, the disciple must have undergone a lot of suffering and repentance. ‘I have been suffering greatly as fallen in the dreadful ocean of material existence. Oh protector of the fallen souls! Please accept me mercifully at your lotus feet considering me as a dust-p article, because there is none to protect me’- lamenting thus the disciple falls prostrate at the feet of his spiritual master.

No one unless aggrieved like this is eligible to get initiated, and the spiritual master makes an assessment of the prospective disciple by way of putting him through a spell of feverish activities.

Sri Chaitanyadev, the most merciful, savior in the age of struggle and turmoil, and embodiment of universal spiritual master, ordered that his disciple’s body to be decorated with sandal paste and other things. First of all, the prospective repentant dev otee should put on symbolic tilaka signs of Hari temples and other auspicious items.

At the time of repentance, these ten maxims should very well be used as a means to perpetuate such repentance in a prospective devotee, he should be advised to practice wearing twelve tilaka signs. This is the occasion when a disciple is said to be newly born. Hence, he should very well be given a devotional and spiritual name. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the self entity and the constitutional form of the self at this stage. Along with it, he should also be given the mahamantra in the name of Hare Krishna and His relationship with the living entity. Upon acquainting the disciple with the substance of the mahamantra, the spiritual master will then fully pronounce his disciple with the true significance of relationships with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The five forms of sacramental purification (samskara) will be the rituals through the process of offering service to the black goede (salagram) as the symbol of Vishnu and to the deities so that a living entity, now involved in material relationship, may very well be rendered steadfast in developing true relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.

The process of five sacramental purification (pancam samskara) is classified into two categories: elementary and final.

For a person who is already in the state of a loving relationship with the Godhead, the process of offering service mentally may be considered tantamount to the act of worshipping.

Sriman Mahaprabhu delivered His conclusive advice to Sri Raghunath Dasa Goswami saying thus:

gramya katha na sunive
gramya-varta na kahive
bhalo na khaive ar bhalo na parive
amani manada hanya krsna-nam sada lave
vraje Radha-Krishna seva manase karive

One should never listen to any vulgarity, nor converse in a vulgar dialect. One should not take any delicious foodstuff, nor use any luxurious clothings. Being respectful even to an unrespectable person, one should practice chanting the holy name of Sri Krishna all the time, and practice offering service to Radha and Krishna in Vrajadham, mentally even.

In the first three lines of the verse stated above, a clear instruction is give to a devotee, impregnated with devotional ecstasy, on the physical aspect of purification.

In the concluding two lines of the said verse, there is the instruction as to the process of worshipping and offering service to the Godhead. The manifestation of worshipping is enough in accepting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna for regular chanting with an attitude of respect to the unrespectable even.

The process of mental worshiping service to Radha and Krishna in Vrajadham is the most confidential aspect in this respect. This service is prescribed for all the eight periods of an entire day including night, viz., day-break, early morning, forenoon, afternoon, twilight, evening and night. The spiritual master will advise the disciple in this matter in accordance with relevant scriptures. Because, unhappy occurrences can not be prevented unless the process of worshiping is practiced properly, after acquiring the essence of Ten Maxims.

The unhappy occurrences are classified in four varieties, viz., delusion about one’s own constitutional position (svarupabhram), desire for iniquitous activities (asat-trsna), offences (aparadh), and dastardliness (hrdaya-dourvalya).

Forgetting one’s own constitutional position, every living entity has become illusioned under the vanity of some other position, and as such, this delusion about one’s own constitutional position must, at first, be eliminated.

However, this sort of delusion about one’s own constitutional position may not be eliminated in a day, and as such, it should be developed through a gradual process of practicing service to Lord Krishna. The dignity of realization that ‘I am servant of Lord Sri Krishna’ is the actual attainment of knowledge in one’s own constitutional position. The practice of offering service to Sri Krishna together with this kind of dignified realization of servitude may very well be considered to be the truest form of off ering devotional service to Sri Krishna.

The realization of one’s own constitutional position is awakened under the mercy of the spiritual master. The disciple as well should be avowedly enthusiastic in realizing his own constitutional position. At the initial age, the more the unhappy occurrences would start disappearing, the more there will be disappearance of all subsequent unhappy occurrences, viz., desire for iniquitous activities (asat-trsna) etc. along with them.

The thirst for property and riches or for worldly pleasures and enjoyments is considered to be the desire for iniquitous activities (asat-trsna). Heavenly pleasure, sense gratification, and pleasure from wealth and one’s own people, men and money – are all simply desire for iniquitous activities. The more one’s own realization of constitutional position becomes clarified, the more evidently there must be a detachment from all sorts of rusticity of sensationalism.

Along with it, one must be intently enthusiastic in avoiding all offences relating to the holy name (namaparadh). While chanting the holy name and avoiding such offences, the wealth of devotional love is soon attained.

Any kind of activity which involves lethargy, yielding to rustic matters, bewilderment under all sorts of dejection, distraction from pure devotional service by way of false arguments, niggardliness in devoting entire vitality in practicing offer of ser vice to Lord Sri Krishna, repudiating one’s own real position of humble wretchedness through illusion of a puffed-up vanity owing to nationality, wealth, erudition, manpower, handsomeness, and strength, steering under the influence of sinful tendency or ad vice, carelessness in purification of dogmatian and bigotry, reluctance to be merciful owing to anger, illusion, envy, and impatience, false vanity and egotism of being a vaishnava while nurturing high hopes for earning fame or reputation through crookedness, and oppression of other living entities with a desire for achieving sense gratification, wealth and opulence, as well as women – appears out of dastardliness alone.

Whoever is contemptuous to these Ten Maxims considering to be an inference only, will never be able to attain perfection in offering devotional service to Lord Sri Krishna.

Whenever any prospective venerable disciple approaches the spiritual master, the disciple should be directed to give intent perusal to this scripture, before he is initiated into the process of five sacramental purification (panca samskara) within the fold of Sri Sri Chaitanya community. If this can be properly effected to, no unqualified person will ever be able to pollute and tarnish the unblemished image of the community sponsored by Sri Sriman Mahaprabhu. Thus ends the treatise.