View source for Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevaya. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti

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[[Category:Bhakti Means...]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB126HyderabadNovember261972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="38" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972">
<div class="heading">Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevayā. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti. Therefore, what kind of love? That is also described here. Ahaitukī—without any motive. Here in this material world, I love you, you love me, with a motive of sense gratification.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Vāyu, vāyu. Khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā me prakṛti. This bhinnā means separated. This material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "They are My nature, but separated." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā ([[Vanisource:BG 7.5|BG 7.5]]). They are inferior nature, this material nature, inferior, but there is another superior nature. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Para means superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat ([[Vanisource:BG 7.5|BG 7.5]])—the living entity. Just like the whole material world is important because the living entity is utilizing it for his purpose. This New Delhi city is important because the living entity is utilizing it for purpose. Otherwise it was a jungle. Anything you take material, material thing has no value, it is inferior, but by the touch of the superior energy, the living entity, it becomes important. Therefore there are two nature—inferior nature and superior nature. Similarly, there are two kinds of dharmas. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that or white, black, so many ways, according to the designation of the body you have created dharma or characteristics. That is inferior quality. But when you come to the superior quality of characteristics, of dharma, then you become happy. Anywhere there are two qualities always-inferior and superior. When you are attached to the inferior quality you don't get very much satisfaction, but when you come to the superior quality then you get satisfaction, happiness. So here it is said, dharma, religion, or the characteristics of human beings, there are so many, but sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]), that is superior quality of religion or characteristic. What is that? Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]). "Following which you become a devotee of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana. His relationship. Kṛṣṇa enjoys the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. Rādhā-Govinda. So God's name is there according to His pastimes, relationships. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme name because it means all-attractive. Similarly, here it is name, God's name, Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Adha. Adha means defeated. Adha-kṛta. Subdued. What is that subdued? Akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, direct perception. We want... We say sometimes, "Can you show me God?" Akṣa. Or akṣaja means ah, the alphabet, and kṣa, beginning from ah up to kṣa. So all the letters are there. So we make words by combination of these letters. So akṣaja, so within our power, we make so many words by combining these alphabets, but God is beyond that. Akṣaja-jñānam. Either you are beyond the direct perception or beyond your word-making capacity. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ-kṛta akṣaja jñānam jata. So adhokṣaja means beyond direct sense perception. That is also nice name of God. God is not understood by speculating our senses.</p>
:athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
:prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
:jānāti tattvaṁ (bhagavan mahimno)
:na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
:([[Vanisource:SB 10.14.29|SB 10.14.29]])
<p>We cannot understand God by mental speculation, that is not possible. Realization God means when God reveals unto you. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). By our these blunt senses, speculating, we cannot understand what is God. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, beyond material speculation. And still you have to apply your bhakti, devotion. Just try to understand. He is beyond our sense perception, but still we have to search Him out and employ our feelings of devotion, love. Therefore, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. One side is beyond the perception of senses and another side you have to love Him. If I say, "Love the air", as an example, so that love is not very factual. How can I love air, something in the air? Somebody must be person, then love is possible. Somebody must be tangible, then there is love possible. Here it is called bhakti. Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevayā. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti. Therefore, what kind of love? That is also described here. Ahaitukī—without any motive. Here in this material world, I love you, you love me, with a motive of sense gratification. Actually there is no love in the world, material world. The show of love is there with a motive. Here love of Godhead means ahaitukī—without any motive. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihata means without being deterred, without being impeded. If you develop your love of Godhead... You must know first of all what is that God, Adhokṣaja, because beyond your mental perception. But fortunately, if you understand what is God, and when you begin to love Him without any motive... Generally we go to temple, to church, or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive. Similarly, others also, they go to the temple, "O God, I am in need of money, I am distressed, kindly mitigate my distress, give me some money." There is motive. But here it is said ahaitukī, without any motive. If you can love God who is beyond your sense perception and without any motive, that activities of love will never be stopped. Ahaituky apratihatā—without being impeded. Without being impeded by any material condition. That means that if you actually love God, there is no condition. Because you are poor man you cannot love God, that is not the fact. Or because you are rich man you cannot love God, no, that is also not fact. Because you are not educated you cannot love God, that is also not acceptable. Because you are very much educated, highly philosophical... So many conditions you can bring but all these conditions are not applicable in the business, in the transaction, of loving God without motive. So this is the description of love of Godhead and if we practically try to cultivate this knowledge of Godhead, that is called, that process is called bhakti. That process is called bhakti. It is enunciated in the Vedic language that,</p>
:sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam
:tat-paratvena nirmalam
:hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-
:sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]])
<p>Upādhi, now we are covered by designation. The same example-vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya ([[Vanisource:BG 2.22|BG 2.22]]). We are dressed in two kinds of subtle and gross dresses, this material body and mind, intelligence, ego. So when we become free from these designations, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam. And you become purified, nirmala. Mal means dirt and nirmala means without any dirt, without any dirty things, simply spiritual.</p>
:sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam
:tat-paratvena nirmalam
:hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-
:sevanaṁ (bhaktir ucyate)
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]])
<p>Hṛṣīka means senses, upādhi. Just like my hand is now covered by this shirt. So when there is no more shirt, that is naked. So when you come without any designation, without any understanding, false understanding, that "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." In that stage the senses, the senses remain. Suppose if I take my dress out of my body, my real senses are there. So similarly, when we become free from the designation of this material body and we come to the pure stage of original, spiritual senses, that senses when applied to the service of the supreme master of senses, God, that is called bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. So, if we actually want peace or happiness, yayātmā suprasīdati, without any designation, then that peace and happiness can be achieved. Otherwise it is not possible. So long we remain designated, it is not possible to come to that stage of pure, unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question?</p>
<p>Devotee: Are there any questions?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Is there any question? You can ask.</p>
<p>Guest: (asks question about ātma) (indistinct)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ātma, as I have already explained, ātma means this body. That rūpa, you can see. My body you can see, I can see your body. This is one of the rūpa of, gross. Gross rūpa, form. Another, I know you have got mind and you know I have got mind, but you cannot see, you can simply perceive. Is it not? And another rūpa, the soul, that is so fine that it is not possible at the present time. It is described in the śāstra one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. But it has got a rūpa. Not that there is no rūpa. There is rūpa.</p>
:keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
:satadhā kalpitasya ca
:jīvo bhāgasya vijñeyaḥ
:sa anantāya kalpate
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.140|CC Madhya 19.140]])
<p>There is magnitude. Just like we say geometrically, point has no length, no breadth. But actually that is not fact. It has got length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Similarly, ātma, the soul has got length and breadth, but it is beyond our perception. Therefore we have to accept śruti. This is call so Vedas, Vedic injunction. Vedas said, "Here is the magnitude." That is Vedic understanding. Those who are followers of Vedas, they will not argue. Whatever is stated in the Vedas, they will accept. That is Vedic. There are many examples, I can give one example. Just like in the Vedas it is stated that the stool of animal is impure. And if one touches stool, he must take bathing. But in the Vedas it is also stated that the cow dung, which is also the stool of an animal, that is pure. And still, at least those who are Vedic followers, they take cow dung as pure. Anywhere impure, they smear with cow dung. And that is fact also. Cow dung is full of antiseptic properties. It has been analyzed. So the Vedas gives us injunction both ways that stool is impure but this stool is pure. And those who are followers of Vedas, they accept both. When they touch the stool of another animal they take bathing, but the stool of cow is taken to the Deity worship room. Similarly, śaṅkha, conchshell. Conchshell is the bone of an animal. It is said that if you touch the bone of a dead animal you have to, you become impure. But conchshell is also the bone of an animal, it is taken to the Deity room for vibrating. Therefore, there are so many things which is beyond our perception, knowledge, we have to take shelter of the Vedic injunctions. That is called Vedic. Therefore our method, Vedic method, is as soon as we speak something, we immediately give evidence from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. There is no question of arguing. Just like in the law court the lawyer pleading something, but if he gives quotation from previous judgement and section of law, it is accepted. So the forms of the ātma, there are three kinds of forms—one you can see directly, this bodily form, another you can simply perceive, and another you can accept only on the Vedic injunctions. But there are forms. So is that right? Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.</p>
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