Category:About Devotional Service to God
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda delineates the science of devotional service as a transcendental process that transcends mundane logic and social barriers. It is not an academic discipline but a revealed truth that descends through the bona fide spiritual master. While aural reception of scriptures is the foundation, mere theoretical knowledge without practical attachment is compared to a "pot of liquor"—impure and ineffective. True understanding comes through the mercy of the Lord and His pure devotees, who write and teach not by speculative intellect but by divine inspiration. Whether one is a child like Prahlāda or a modern youth, the process of hearing and serving under the guidance of an ācārya effectively awakens the dormant love for God.
- The Flaw of Dry Intellect: A person may hear extensively about devotional service, but without attachment or a "slight touch" of practical service, they remain impure, likened to a pot of liquor; logic alone cannot access this realm, as "foolish logicians" are baffled by the Lord's service.
- Divine Inspiration: Transcendental literature is not ordinary writing. Great ācāryas like Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī wrote only when empowered and inspired by the mercy of Lord Caitanya and the previous ācāryas.
- The Role of the Ācārya: The function of the teacher (ācārya) is specifically to make conditioned souls Kṛṣṇa conscious. This instruction is potent enough to transform anyone, including modern youth and "hippies."
- Absolute Vision: Serious students of devotional service do not distinguish between material elements and the Deity form of the Lord; they accept the arcā-vigraha (Deity) as the Absolute Truth, as confirmed by Jīva Gosvāmī.
- Universal and Early Application: The science of bhāgavata-dharma is so essential that Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends it be taught from the very beginning of childhood (age five), as the human form is rare and meant specifically for this purpose.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Science and Transmission of Devotional Service
Subcategories
This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total.
A
I
S
Pages in category "About Devotional Service to God"
The following 18 pages are in this category, out of 18 total.
A
- 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
- 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
- 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
H
- 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
- He (Prahlada Maharaja) said that from the very beginning of life, from the age of five, children should be instructed about bhagavata-dharma because the human form of life, which is very rarely obtained, is meant for understanding this subject
I
- I am struck with wonder when I hear about the devotional service he executed. I accept Srila Rupa Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami as my guides
- 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
O
- One has to increase his conviction about devotional service. Then it will be very easy to increase attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- One should approach a bona fide spiritual master - irrespective of caste, creed, color, country, etc. - and hear from him everything about devotional service
R
- Rupa Gosvami wrote: Because due to His (Caitanya's) inspiration I feel the desire within my heart to write something about devotional service. For this reason I am engaged in writing this book on the science of devotion known as Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
- 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
S
- 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
- Sri Vyasadeva is the editor of all descriptions of the Vedic literatures, and thus he has described transcendental realization in different ways, namely by fruitive activities, speculative knowledge, mystic power and devotional service
T
- 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"
- This statement (of CC Madhya 22.73) 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