Science and Transmission of Devotional Service

Devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the ultimate subject matter of Vedic knowledge. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this science cannot be understood by mental speculation or dry logic. It is a transcendental process that must be received through aural reception from a bona fide spiritual master. Whether one is a child, a king, or a modern youth, the instructions on bhakti-yoga have the power to purify the heart and awaken the dormant love for God, provided one approaches the subject with sincerity and receives the Lord's inspiration.

Necessity of Hearing and Practice

The foundation of spiritual life is hearing. Śrīla Prabhupāda states that simply by aural reception of books like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a bona-fide authority, one becomes enlightened. However, mere intellectual accumulation is dangerous. A person who has heard a good deal about the path of devotional service but is not attached to it is compared to a "pot of liquor." Without the practical touch of devotional service, such a person remains impure. One must increase conviction to develop a genuine attachment.

• Simply by aural reception of these two books (Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam) from the bona fide spiritual master, one becomes enlightened about devotional service, which is dormant within the heart
• A person who has heard a good deal about the path of devotional service, but who is not attached to it, who is not Krsna conscious, is like a pot of liquor. Such a person cannot be purified without at least a slight touch of devotional service
• One has to increase his conviction about devotional service. Then it will be very easy to increase attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Divine Inspiration in Authorship

Transcendental literature describing devotional service is not a product of mundane intellect. Authors like Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī humbly attributed their works to the inspiration of Lord Caitanya and the Lord's mercy. They did not rely on their own scholarship. This demonstrates that to write or speak about the Lord, one must be empowered. Even the motivation to resolve family misunderstandings about devotional service—as in the case of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja—can lead to the ultimate shelter of Vṛndāvana through divine instruction.

• Rupa Gosvami wrote: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Lord Caitanyadeva, because due to His inspiration I feel the desire within my heart to write something about devotional service
• Although I am the lowest of men and have no knowledge, the Lord has mercifully bestowed upon me the inspiration to write transcendental literature about devotional service
• He (Krsnadasa Kaviraja) worshiped Radha-Krsna with his family, and once when there was some misunderstanding among his family members about devotional service, he was advised by Nityananda Prabhu in a dream to leave home and go to Vrndavana - CC Intro

Role of the Teacher

To understand this science, one must approach a teacher. Advaita Ācārya exemplified this role, as the very word ācārya means "teacher," and his function was to teach conditioned souls about devotional service. This system of instruction has been passed down historically, as seen when Nārada Muni instructed Vasudeva, referencing the earlier conversations between the nine Yogendras and King Nimi. Even in modern times, when young people (such as hippies) are instructed about bhakti-yoga, the process proves effective.

• One should approach a bona fide spiritual master - irrespective of caste, creed, color, country, etc. - and hear from him everything about devotional service
• Advaita Acarya especially intended to teach the conditioned souls about devotional service. The word acarya means "teacher." The special function of such a teacher is to make people Krsna conscious
• Now if these young people (hippies) are instructed about bhakti-yoga, Krsna consciousness, the instructions will certainly be effective

Beyond Logic to Realization

Devotional service is not an academic pursuit; it relies on the mercy of pure devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the first condition of service is to become the servant of a pure devotee. This is poetically described as receiving the "dust of the lotus feet." Logic has no place here; as Balarāma Ācārya chastised Gopāla Cakravartī, a "foolish logician" cannot understand the devotional service of the Lord. Real seriousness is shown when one accepts the Deity form of the Lord as absolute, without differentiating between the material elements and the Lord's original form.

• The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement "reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee
• The priest named Balarama Acarya also chastised Gopala Cakravarti. "You are a foolish logician. What do you know about the devotional service of the Lord"
• In his Bhakti-sandarbha Jiva Gosvami has stated that those who are actually very serious about devotional service do not differentiate between the form of the Lord made of clay, metal, stone or wood and the original form of the Lord

Conclusion

The science of devotional service is the highest education for the human form of life. As Prahlāda Mahārāja taught, it should be introduced from the very beginning of life. It is not dependent on birth, caste, or logical prowess, but on the sincerity to hear from the right source and the inspiration to serve. By following the footsteps of the mahājanas and accepting the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes enlightened about the true nature of service to God.

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