Transcendental Position of Those Actually in Devotional Service to God
The state of being actually engaged in devotional service is not merely a matter of ritualistic practice but a complete transformation of consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a devotee sincerely employs their senses and mind in the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, they transcend the material platform and experience the reality of spiritual life. This article explores the symptoms, benefits, and practical nature of one who is situated in actual bhakti-yoga.
Immediate Liberation and Transcendence
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the moment a living entity engages in unalloyed devotional service, they are no longer conditioned by material nature. Such a devotee is considered already liberated because their activities are identical to the proper activity of the soul, placing them directly on the spiritual platform.
- Aham brahmasmi ("I am Brahman") is simply theoretical knowledge, but when one actually renders devotional service, one is situated in practical knowledge. Then one is no longer on the material platform but on the Brahman platform.
- Bhakti-yoga is the proper activity of the soul, and when one actually engages in unalloyed, uncontaminated devotional service, he is already liberated.
- Those who are actually engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord are already freed from all reactions.
Purification of the Senses
True bhakti is defined as the engagement of the senses in the service of the Lord, which acts as a purifying fire against material contamination. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while our senses are currently entangled in mundane society and politics, actual service redirects them, causing unwanted material desires, or anarthas, to vanish automatically.
- Actually, devotional service means engaging the senses in the service of the Lord. At the present moment our senses are not purified; therefore our senses are engaged in the service of society, friendship, love, politics, sociology and so on.
- As such, for anyone who is actually engaged in devotional service in full Krsna consciousness, how is it possible that he has not become purified? It is not possible.
- If one is actually executing devotional service, then anarthas, the unwanted things associated with material enjoyment, will automatically disappear.
Automatic Knowledge and Renunciation
A devotee actually situated in service does not need to endeavor separately for speculative knowledge or dry renunciation. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that simply by serving Vāsudeva, all necessary jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (detachment) are revealed from within the heart, rendering other paths like mystic yoga unnecessary.
- If you actually engage in the devotional service of Vasudeva, then jnana and vairagya automatically becomes revealed unto you. There is no endeavor.
- In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.31), the Lord Himself says that there is no necessity to cultivate speculative knowledge and renunciation if one is actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.
- Mystic power should be achieved to enable one to give up the material conception, but when one actually engages in devotional service, one does not need to practice the mystic yoga system.
Test of Spiritual Happiness
There is a tangible test to determine if one is genuinely progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness: the experience of happiness and a loss of taste for material enjoyment. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that if one claims to be a devotee but remains attached to sense gratification or feels no bliss, their service is either flawed or merely theoretical.
- If I am actually rendering devotional service and I'm not getting any happiness, that means there is some maya's play. Otherwise there is no such reasoning. He must feel happy. Then he has to rectify the process of his service.
- If you are actually executing devotional service, you must feel happy. If you don't feel happy, then you are not executing. There is some flaw.
- If you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment. This is the test. Not that artificially keeping a big tilaka on forehead and thinking within always "How to get money, how to get woman?"
Unity and Social Intercourse
Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead share a unique bond that transcends ordinary social or political alliances. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that true Vaiṣṇavas are united by their service to the Lord and are unconcerned with the ritualistic formalities of smārta-brāhmaṇas.
- Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance.
- Devotees who actually engage in devotional service with faith and love are inspired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaisnavas are never concerned with ritualistic smarta-brahmanas.
- It is stated there that a person who is actually in devotional service must be engaged in all kinds of activities, those prescribed in the revealed scriptures and also those which are accepted for livelihood.
Conclusion
To be actually engaged in devotional service is to live in a state of practical realization, far removed from theoretical speculation or external pretension. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that this position is self-illuminating; it brings automatic knowledge, detachment, and a profound sense of spiritual happiness that replaces all material attractions. Whether one is worshipping Nārāyaṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, or Sītā-Rāma, actual service places the devotee firmly on the platform of liberation, where even apparently material activities are transformed into spiritual opulence.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Actually in Devotional Service to God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.