Madhya22.52

TEXT 52

rahuganaitat tapasa na yati

na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va

na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair

vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam

SYNONYMS

rahugana—O King Rahugana; etat—this; tapasa—by severe austerities and penances; na yati—one does not obtain; na—neither; ca—also; ijyaya—by gorgeous worship; nirvapanat—by renounced order of life; grhat—by sacrifices while living in the home; va—or; na chandasa—nor by scholarly study of the Vedas; na—nor; eva—certainly; jala-agni-suryaih—by those who worship water, fire or scorching sunshine; vina—without; mahat-pada-rajah—of the dust of the lotus feet of a mahatma; abhisekam—the sprinkling.

TRANSLATION

" ’O King Rahugana, without taking upon one’s head the dust from the lotus feet of a pure devotee [a mahajana or mahatma], one cannot attain devotional service. Devotional service is not possible to attain simply by undergoing severe austerities and penances, by gorgeously worshiping the Deity, or by strictly following the rules and regulations of the sannyasa or grhastha order, nor by studying the Vedas, submerging oneself in water, or exposing oneself to fire or scorching sunlight.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.53

TEXT 53

naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim

sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah

mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam

niskincananam na vrnita yavat

SYNONYMS

na—not; esam—of those who are attached to household life; matih—the interest; tavat—that long; urukrama-anghrim—the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is credited with uncommon activities; sprsati—touches; anartha—of unwanted things; apagamah—vanquishing; yat—of which; arthah—result; mahiyasam—of the great personalities, devotees; pada-rajah—of the dust of the lotus feet; abhisekam—sprinkling on the head; niskincananam—who are completely detached from material possessions; na vrnita—does not do; yavat—as long as.

TRANSLATION

" ’Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet of great mahatmas-devotees who have nothing to do with material possessions-mankind cannot turn its attention to the lotus feet of Krsna. Those lotus feet vanquish all the unwanted miserable conditions of material life.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.54

TEXT 54

’sadhu-sanga’, ’sadhu-sanga’--sarva-sastre kaya

lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya

SYNONYMS

sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga—association with pure devotees; sarva-sastre—all the revealed scriptures; kaya—say; lava-matra—even for a moment; sadhu-sange—by association with a devotee; sarva-siddhi—all success; haya—there is.

TRANSLATION

"The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.

PURPORT

According to astronomical calculations, lava is one eleventh of one second.

Madhya22.55

TEXT 55

tulayama lavenapi

na svargam napunar-bhavam

bhagavat-sangi-sangasya

martyanam kimutasisah

SYNONYMS

tulayama—we make equal; lavena—with one instant; api—even; na—not; svargam—heavenly planets; na—nor; apunah-bhavam—merging into the existence of the Supreme; bhagavat-sangi-sangasya—of the association of devotees who are always associated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; martyanam—of persons destined to die; kim uta—what; asisah—the blessings.

TRANSLATION

" ’The value of a moment’s association with a devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant for death.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.56

TEXT 56

krsna krpalu arjunere laksya kariya

jagatere rakhiyachena upadesa diya

SYNONYMS

krsna—Lord Krsna; krpalu—merciful; arjunere—Arjuna; laksya kariya—aiming at; jagatere—the whole world; rakhiyachena—has protected; upadesa diya—giving instructions.

TRANSLATION

"Krsna is so merciful that simply by aiming His instructions at Arjuna, He has given protection to the whole world.

Madhya22.57-58

TEXTS 57-58

sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah

srnu me paramam vacah

isto ’si me drdham iti

tato vaksyami te hitam

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaisyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo ’si me

SYNONYMS

sarva-guhya-tamam—most confidential of all; bhuyah—again; srnu—hear; me—My; paramam vacah—supreme instruction; istah—beloved; asi—you are; me—My; drdham iti—very firmly; tatah—therefore; vaksyami—I shall speak; te—to you; hitam—words of benediction; mat-manah—whose mind is always on Me; bhava—become; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; mat-yaji—My worshiper; mam—unto Me; namaskuru—offer obeisances; mam eva—to Me only; esyasi—you will come; satyam—truly; te—to you; pratijane—I promise; priyah asi—you are dear; me—My.

TRANSLATION

" ’Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. Always think of Me and become My devotee, worship Me and offer obeisances unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.59

TEXT 59

purva ajna,--veda-dharma, karma, yoga, jnana

saba sadhi’ sese ei ajna--balavan

SYNONYMS

purva ajna—previous orders; veda-dharma—performance of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; karma—fruitive activities; yoga—mystic yoga practice; jnana—speculative knowledge; saba sadhi’-executing all these processes; sese—at the end; ei ajna—this order; balavan—powerful.

TRANSLATION

"Although Krsna has previously explained the proficiency of executing Vedic rituals, performing fruitive activity as enjoined in the Vedas, practicing yoga and cultivating jnana, these last instructions are most powerful and stand above all the others.

Madhya22.60

TEXT 60

ei ajna-bale bhaktera ’sraddha’ yadi haya

sarva-karma tyaga kari’ se krsna bhajaya

SYNONYMS

ei ajna-bale—on the strength of this supreme order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktera—of the devotees; sraddha—faith; yadi—if; haya—there is; sarva-karma—all other activities, material and spiritual; tyaga kari’-leaving aside; se—he; krsna bhajaya—serves Lord Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"If the devotee has faith in the strength of this order, he worships Lord Krsna and gives up all other activities.

Madhya22.61

TEXT 61

tavat karmani kurvita

na nirvidyeta yavata

mat-katha-sravanadau va

sraddha yavan na jayate

SYNONYMS

tavat—up to that time; karmani—fruitive activities; kurvita—one should execute; na nirvidyeta—is not satiated; yavata—as long as; mat-katha—of discourses about Me; sravana-adau—in the matter of sravanam, kirtanam, and so on; va—or; sraddha—faith; yavat—as long as; na—not; jayate—is awakened.

TRANSLATION

" ’As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.9).

Madhya22.62

TEXT 62

’sraddha’-sabde--visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya

krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

SYNONYMS

sraddha-sabde—by the word sraddha; visvasa—faith; kahe—is said; sudrdha—firm; niscaya—certain; krsne—unto Lord Krsna; bhakti—devotional service; kaile—by executing; sarva-karma—all activities; krta—completed; haya—are.

TRANSLATION

"By rendering transcendental loving service to Krsna, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called sraddha.

PURPORT

Firm faith and confidence are called sraddha. When one engages in the Lord’s devotional service, he is to be understood to have performed all his responsibilities in the material world. He has satisfied his forefathers, ordinary living entities, and demigods and is free from all responsibility. Such a person does not need to meet his responsibilities separately. It is automatically done. Fruitive activity (karma) is meant to satisfy the senses of the conditioned soul. However, when one awakens to Krsna consciousness, he does not have to work separately for pious activity. The best achievement of all fruitive activity is detachment from material life, and this detachment is spontaneously enjoyed by the devotee firmly engaged in the Lord’s service.

Madhya22.63

TEXT 63

yatha taror mula-nisecanena

trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah

pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam

tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya

SYNONYMS

yatha—as; taroh—of a tree; mula—on the root; nisecanena—by pouring water; trpyanti—are satisfied; tat—of the tree; skandha—trunk; bhuja—branches; upasakhah—sub-branches; prana—to the living force; upaharat—from offering food; ca—also; yatha—as; indriyanam—of all the senses; tatha—similarly; eva—indeed; sarva—of all; arhanam—worship; acyuta—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ijya—worship.

TRANSLATION

" ’By pouring water on the root of a tree, one automatically satisfies the trunk, branches and twigs. Similarly, by supplying food to the stomach, where it nourishes the life air, one satisfies all the senses. In the same way, by worshiping Krsna and rendering Him service, one automatically satisfies all the demigods.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.64

TEXT 64

sraddhavan jana haya bhakti-adhikari

’uttama’, ’madhyama’, ’kanistha’--sraddha-anusari

SYNONYMS

sraddhavan jana—a person with faith; haya—is; bhakti-adhikari—eligible for discharging transcendental loving service to the Lord; uttama—first class; madhyama—intermediate; kanistha—the lowest class; sraddha-anusari—according to the proportion of faith.

TRANSLATION

"A faithful devotee is a truly eligible candidate for the loving service of the Lord. According to one’s faith, one is classified as a topmost devotee, an intermediate devotee or an inferior devotee.

PURPORT

The word sraddhavan (faithful) means understanding Krsna to be the summum bonum, the eternal truth and absolute transcendence. If one has full faith in Krsna and confidence in Him, one becomes eligible to discharge devotional service confidentially. According to one’s faith, one is a topmost, intermediate or inferior devotee.

Madhya22.65

TEXT 65

sastra-yuktye sunipuna, drdha-sraddha yanra

’uttama-adhikari’ sei taraye samsara

SYNONYMS

sastra-yuktye—in argument and logic; su-nipuna—very expert; drdha-sraddha—firm faith and confidence in Krsna; yanra—whose; uttama-adhikari—the topmost devotee; sei—he; taraye samsara—can deliver the whole world.

TRANSLATION

"One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in Krsna is classified as a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.

Madhya22.66

TEXT 66

sastre yuktau ca nipunah

sarvatha drdha-niscayah

praudha-sraddho ’dhikari yah

sa bhaktav uttamo matah

SYNONYMS

sastre—in the revealed scriptures; yuktau—in logic; ca—also; nipunah—expert; sarvatha—in all respects; drdha-niscayah—who is firmly convinced; praudha—deep; sraddhah—who has faith; adhikari—eligible; yah—who; sah—he; bhaktau—in devotional service; uttamah—highest; matah—is considered.

TRANSLATION

" ’One who is expert in logic and understanding of revealed scriptures, and who always has firm conviction and deep faith that is not blind, is to be considered a topmost devotee in devotional service.’

PURPORT

This verse appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.17) by Srila Rupa Gosvami.

Madhya22.67

TEXT 67

sastra-yukti nahi jane drdha, sraddhavan

’madhyama-adhikari’ sei maha-bhagyavan

SYNONYMS

sastra-yukti—logical arguments on the basis of revealed scripture; nahi—not; jane—knows; drdha—firmly; sraddhavan—faithful; madhyama-adhikari—second-class devotee; sei—he; maha-bhagyavan—very fortunate.

TRANSLATION

"One who is not very expert in argument and logic based on revealed scriptures but who has firm faith is considered a second-class devotee. He also must be considered most fortunate.

Madhya22.68

TEXT 68

yah sastradisv anipunah

sraddhavan sa tu madhyamah

SYNONYMS

yah—anyone who; sastra-adisu—in the revealed scriptures; anipunah—not very expert; sraddhavan—full of faith; sah—he; tu—certainly; madhyamah—second-class or middle-class devotee.

TRANSLATION

" ’He who does not know scriptural argument very well but who has firm faith is called an intermediate or second-class devotee.’

PURPORT

This verse appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.18).

Madhya22.69

TEXT 69

yahara komala sraddha, se ’kanistha’ jana

krame krame tenho bhakta ha-ibe ’uttama’

SYNONYMS

yahara—whose; komala sraddha—soft faith; se—such a person; kanistha jana—a neophyte devotee; krame krame—by a gradual progression; tenho—he; bhakta—devotee; ha-ibe—will become; uttama—first class.

TRANSLATION

"One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte, but by gradually following the process, he will rise to the platform of a first-class devotee.

Madhya22.70

TEXT 70

yo bhavet komala-sraddhah

sa kanistho nigadyate

SYNONYMS

yah—anyone who; bhavet—may be; komala—soft; sraddhah—having faith; sah—such a person; kanisthah—neophyte devotee; nigadyate—is said to be.

TRANSLATION

" ’One whose faith is not very strong, who is just beginning, should be considered a neophyte devotee.’

PURPORT

This verse also appears in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.19).

Madhya22.71

TEXT 71

rati-prema-taratamye bhakta--tara-tama

ekadasa skandhe tara kariyache laksana

SYNONYMS

rati—of attachment; prema—and love; taratamye—by comparison; bhakta—devotee; tara-tama—superior and superlative; ekadasa skandhe—in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam; tara—of him; kariyache—has made; laksana—symptoms.

TRANSLATION

"A devotee is considered superlative and superior according to his attachment and love. In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the following symptoms have been ascertained.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated that if one has developed faith in Krsna consciousness, he is to be considered an eligible candidate for further advancement in Krsna consciousness. Those who have faith are divided into three categories-uttama, madhyama and kanistha (first-class, second-class and neophyte). A first-class devotee has firm conviction in the revealed scriptures and is expert in arguing according to the sastras. He is firmly convinced of the science of Krsna consciousness. The madhyama-adhikari, or second-class devotee, has firm conviction in Krsna consciousness, but he cannot support his conviction by citing sastric references. The neophyte devotee does not yet have firm faith. In this way the devotees are typed.

The standard of devotion is also categorized in the same way. A neophyte believes that only love of Krsna or Krsna consciousness is very good, but he may not know the basis of pure Krsna consciousness or how one can become a perfect devotee. Sometimes in the heart of a neophyte there is attraction for karma, jnana or yoga. When he is free and transcendental to mixed devotional activity, he becomes a second-class devotee. When he becomes expert in logic and can refer to the sastras, he becomes a first-class devotee. The devotees are also described as positive, comparative and superlative, in terms of their love and attachment for Krsna.

It should be understood that a madhyama-adhikari, a second-class devotee, is fully convinced of Krsna consciousness but cannot support his convictions with sastric reference. A neophyte may fall down by associating with nondevotees because he is not firmly convinced and strongly situated. The second-class devotee, even though he cannot support his position with sastric reference, can gradually become a first-class devotee by studying the sastras and associating with a first-class devotee. However, if the second-class devotee does not advance himself by associating with a first-class devotee, he makes no progress. There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down, even though he may mix with nondevotees to preach. Conviction and faith gradually increase to make one an uttama-adhikari, a first-class devotee.

Madhya22.72

TEXT 72

sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed

bhagavad-bhavam atmanah

bhutani bhagavaty atmany

esa bhagavatottamah

SYNONYMS

sarva-bhutesu—in all objects (in matter, spirit, and combinations of matter and spirit); yah—anyone who; pasyet—sees; bhagavat-bhavam—the ability to be engaged in the service of the Lord; atmanah—of the supreme spirit soul or the transcendence beyond the material conception of life; bhutani—all beings; bhagavati—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atmani—the basic principle of all existence; esah—this; bhagavata-uttamah—a person advanced in devotional service.

TRANSLATION

" ’A person advanced in devotional service sees within everything the soul of souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Consequently he always sees the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the cause of all causes and understands that all things are situated in Him.

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45).

Madhya22.73

TEXT 73

isvare tad-adhinesu

balisesu dvisatsu ca

prema-maitri-krpopeksa

yah karoti sa madhyamah

SYNONYMS

isvare—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-adhinesu—to persons who have taken fully to Krsna consciousness; balisesu—unto the neophytes or the ignorant; dvisatsu—to persons envious of Krsna and the devotees of Krsna; prema—love; maitri—friendship; krpa—mercy; upeksa—negligence; yah—anyone who; karoti—does; sah—he; madhyamah—a second-class devotee.

TRANSLATION

" ’An intermediate, second-class devotee shows love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is friendly to all devotees and is very merciful to neophytes and ignorant people. The intermediate devotee neglects those who are envious of devotional service.

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.46). This statement was made by the great sage Narada while he was speaking to Vasudeva about devotional service. This subject was originally discussed between Nimi, the King of Videha, and the nine Yogendras.

Madhya22.74

TEXT 74

arcayam eva haraye

pujam yah sraddhayehate

na tad-bhaktesu canyesu

sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

SYNONYMS

arcayam—in the temple worship; eva—certainly; haraye—for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pujam—worship; yah—anyone who; sraddhaya—with faith and love; ihate—executes; na—not; tat-bhaktesu—to the devotees of the Lord; ca anyesu—and to others; sah—he; bhaktah—a devotee; prakrtah—materialistic; smrtah—is considered.

TRANSLATION

" ’A prakrta, or materialistic devotee does not purposefully study the sastra and try to understand the actual standard of pure devotional service. Consequently he does not show proper respect to advanced devotees. He may, however, follow the regulative principles learned from his spiritual master or from his family who worships the Deity. He is to be considered on the material platform, although he is trying to advance in devotional service. Such a person is a bhakta-praya [neophyte devotee], or bhaktabhasa, for he is a little enlightened by Vaisnava philosophy.’

PURPORT

This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.47). Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that one who has full love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who maintains a good friendship with the Lord’s devotees is always callous to those who envy Krsna and Krsna’s devotees. Such a person is to be considered an intermediate devotee. He becomes a first-class devotee when, in the course of advancing in devotional service, he feels an intimate relationship with all living entities, seeing them as part and parcel of the Supreme Person.

Madhya22.75

TEXT 75

sarva maha-guna-gana vaisnava-sarire

krsna-bhakte krsnera guna sakali sancare

SYNONYMS

sarva—all; maha—great; guna-gana—transcendental qualities; vaisnava-sarire—in the bodies of Vaisnavas; krsna-bhakte—in the devotees of Lord Krsna; krsnera—of Lord Krsna; guna—the qualities; sakali—all; sancare—appear.

TRANSLATION

"A Vaisnava is one who has developed all good transcendental qualities. All the good qualities of Krsna gradually develop in Krsna’s devotee.

Madhya22.76

TEXT 76

yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana

sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah

harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna

mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih

SYNONYMS

yasya—of whom; asti—there is; bhaktih—devotional service; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akincana—without material desires; sarvaih—all; gunaih—with good qualities; tatra—there; samasate—live; surah—the demigods; harau—unto the Lord; abhaktasya—of the nondevotee; kutah—where; mahat-gunah—the high qualities; manah-rathena—by mental concoction; asati—to temporary material happiness; dhavatah—running; bahih—externally.

TRANSLATION

" ’In one who has unflinching devotional faith in Krsna, all the good qualities of Krsna and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.77

TEXT 77

sei saba guna haya vaisnava-laksana

saba kaha na yaya, kari dig-darasana

SYNONYMS

sei saba guna-all those transcendental qualities; haya-are; vaisnava-laksana-the symptoms of a Vaisnava; saba-all; kaha na yaya-cannot be explained; kari-I shall do; dik-darasana-a general review.

TRANSLATION

"All these transcendental qualities are the characteristics of pure Vaisnavas, and they cannot be fully explained, but I shall try to point out some of the important qualities.

Madhya22.78-80

TEXTS 78-80

krpalu, akrta-droha, satya-sara sama

nidosa, vadanya, mrdu, suci, akincana

sarvopakaraka, santa, krsnaika-sarana

akama, aniha, sthira, vijita-sad-guna

mita-bhuk, apramatta, manada, amani

gambhira, karuna, maitra, kavi, daksa, mauni

SYNONYMS

krpalu—merciful; akrta-droha—not defiant; satya-sara—thoroughly true; sama—equal; nidosa—faultless; vadanya—magnanimous; mrdu—mild; suci—clean; akincana—without material possessions; sarva-upakaraka—working for the welfare of everyone; santa—peaceful; krsna-eka-sarana—exclusively surrendered to Krsna; akama—desireless; aniha—indifferent to material acquisitions; sthira—fixed; vijita-sat-guna—completely controlling the six bad qualities (lust, anger, greed, etc.); mita-bhuk—eating only as much as required; apramatta—without inebriation; mana-da—respectful; amani—without false prestige; gambhira—grave; karuna—compassionate; maitra—a friend; kavi—a poet; daksa—expert; mauni—silent.

TRANSLATION

"Devotees are always merciful, humble, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, mild and clean. They are without material possessions, and they perform welfare work for everyone. They are peaceful, surrendered to Krsna and desireless. They are indifferent to material acquisitions and are fixed in devotional service. They completely control the six bad qualities-lust, anger, greed and so forth. They eat only as much as required, and they are not inebriated. They are respectful, grave, compassionate and without false prestige. They are friendly, poetic, expert and silent.

Madhya22.81

TEXT 81

titiksavah karunikah

suhrdah sarva-dehinam

ajata-satravah santah

sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

SYNONYMS

titiksavah—very forebearing; karunikah—merciful; suhrdah—who are well-wishers; sarva-dehinam—to all living entities; ajata-satravah—without enemies; santah—peaceful; sadhavah—following the injunctions of the sastra; sadhu-bhusanah—who are decorated with good character.

TRANSLATION

" ’Devotees are always tolerant, forebearing and very merciful. They are the well-wishers of every living entity. They follow the scriptural injunctions, and because they have no enemies, they are very peaceful. These are the decorations of devotees.’

PURPORT

Madhya22.82

TEXT 82

mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes

tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam

mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta

vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye

SYNONYMS

mahat-sevam—the service of the pure devotee spiritual master; dvaram—door; ahuh—they said; vimukteh—of liberation; tamah-dvaram—the door to darkness; yositam—of women and money; sangi-sangam—association with those who enjoy the association; mahantah—great souls; te—they; sama-cittah—equally disposed to all; prasantah—very peaceful; vimanyavah—without anger; suhrdah—well-wishers of everyone; sadhavah—who are endowed with all good qualities, or who do not look for faults in others; ye—those who.

TRANSLATION

" ’It is the verdict of all sastras and great personalities that by serving a pure devotee, one attains the path of liberation. However, by associating with materialistic people who are attached to material enjoyment and women, one attains the path of darkness. Those who are actually devotees are broadminded, equal to everyone and very peaceful. They never become angry, and they are friendly to all living entities.’

PURPORT