Category:Following the Principles of Devotional Service to God
Theme Analysis
In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the path to spontaneous love of Godhead is not a vague, emotional leap; it is a highly structured, scientific process known as sādhana-bhakti. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that even if a person begins with a heart full of dirty things, by strictly following the regulative principles of devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, they are guaranteed to become purified. This regulated practice (vaidhī-bhakti) is the mandatory foundation. Only through strict adherence to these rules can one gradually awaken natural, spontaneous attachment (rāgānugā-bhakti).
A central theme in this category is the practical application of the sixty-four regulative principles of devotional service formulated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Prabhupāda lists the foundational principles: accepting a bona fide spiritual master, receiving initiation, inquiring submissively, living in a holy place, observing fasting days like Ekādaśī, and giving up illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. He stresses the attitudes required to succeed in this process: one must be enthusiastic, patient, firmly convinced, and willing to give up unwanted association. By centering one's life on chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and rigidly following these principles without material motivation, Kṛṣṇa begins to dictate from within, ensuring the devotee's safe passage back to Godhead.
- The Necessity of Regulation (Vaidhī-bhakti): Spiritual advancement begins by following the rules and regulations simply on the order of the spiritual master, not by whimsical emotion.
- The Progression to Love (Rāgānugā-bhakti): By patiently and strictly following the regulative principles, the heart is cleansed, and spontaneous love of Godhead naturally awakens.
- The Sixty-Four Principles: Śrīla Prabhupāda details the foundational rules of devotional service, starting with accepting a guru, minimizing one's livelihood, and worshiping Kṛṣṇa.
- The Attitude for Success: Success in following these principles requires enthusiasm, patience, firm conviction (āśā-bandha), and strict avoidance of the association of non-devotees.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Following the Principles of Devotional Service to God - The Science of Sādhana-Bhakti.
Pages in category "Following the Principles of Devotional Service to God"
The following 48 pages are in this category, out of 48 total.
A
- A devotee becomes situated in that stage (of devotional service) by following the regulative principles of devotional service. BG 1972 purports
- A sincere devotee who engages in the service of the Lord automatically becomes situated in the brahma-bhuta stage. The devotee's duty is only to strictly follow the principles of regulated devotional service, as previously mentioned - in NBS 12 purport
- Activities in devotional service under regulative principles must be followed even by the pure devotee
- After initiation, when one follows the regulative principles of devotional service, one becomes freed from all unwanted things. In this way one becomes firmly fixed and gradually develops a taste for devotional service
- Another part of sadhana-bhakti is called raganuga. Raganuga refers to the point at which, by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Krsna and executes devotional service out of natural love
- Anyone can be purified by following the principles of devotional service in Krsna consciousness, for KC is so powerful that it can purify even the dirtiest class of men & transform them into the topmost Vaisnavas. C.M.'s movement aims at this purpose
- Anyone who follows these six principles of devotional life is sure to achieve success. Similarly there are six principles which we should avoid
- Asa-bandha means to continue to think, "Because I'm trying my best to follow the routine principles of devotional service, I am sure that I will go back to Godhead, back to home"
B
- Being enthusiastic, being confident, being patient, giving up the association of unwanted persons, following the regulative principles and remaining in the association of devotees - one is sure to advance in devotional service
- By following these principles of devotional service strictly, chanting twenty-four hours a day the maha-mantra one makes positive progress in spiritual life and ultimately becomes completely fit to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face
E
- Even such exalted persons as Lord Brahma, who are fully conversant with the Vedic literature, are sometimes bewildered in following the principles of devotional service
- Everyone should very cautiously execute devotional service by rigidly following regulative principles. Thus he will remain fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise, a little inattention will create havoc
I
- If they ( following the regulative principles and chanting on your beads regularly) are made the center of our activities, then Krsna will begin to answer all questions from within how to become further advanced in His loving devotional service
- If we do not follow even the liberal instructions of Lord Caitanya, how can we expect to discharge our regular duties in devotional service? It is not possible in this age to follow Dhruva Maharaja in his austerity, but the principles must be followed
- If you keep yourself strictly to the principles of bhakti-yoga, maya's father also will not be able to do anything
- In the second stage, after one becomes a little advanced and mature, he automatically offers to follow the principles of devotional service under the guidance of the pure devotee and accepts him as the spiritual master
- In the stage of devotional service where regulative principles are followed, there is no necessity of discussing this love, for it must develop of itself at a more advanced stage
O
- One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated
- One must not desire material profit when rendering devotional service. Even if one follows all the sixty-four regulative principles, he cannot attain pure devotional service with a contaminated heart
- One should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is fool number one, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service
- One who follows the principles of love in devotional service attains to the supreme abode, the highest planet in the spiritual world known as Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana
P
- People following the principles of devotional service to the Lord can never be put into difficulty, and thus there cannot be any question of apad-dharma, or religion in distress
- Please impress on him (Prabhupada dasa Adhikari) that this second initiation is not awarded cheaply or automatically, and that he must be very strict in following the regulative principles of bhakti yoga
T
- The devotee should patiently follow the rules and regulations of devotional service so that the day will come when he will achieve, all of a sudden, all the perfection of devotional service. He should not lament for any loss or any reverse
- The practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Krsna consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves. BG 1972 purports
- The purport is that one should not neglect following the principles of devotional service, nor should one accept the rulings of devotional service which are more than what he can easily perform
- The sages thus concluded that by following the principles of vaisnava-dharma one becomes actually perfect
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (1) To accept a bona fide spiritual master. (2) To become initiated by the spiritual master. (3) To engage oneself in the service of the spiritual master
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (4) To receive instructions from the spiritual master and inquire about advancing on the path of devotional service
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (5) To follow in the footsteps of previous acaryas and follow the directions given by the spiritual master
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (6) To give up anything for the satisfaction of Krsna, and to accept anything for the satisfaction of Krsna
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (7) To live in a place where Krsna is present - a city like Vrndavana or Mathura, or a Krsna temple
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (8) To minimize one's means of living as much as one can, while living comfortably to execute devotional service
- The sixty-four regulative principles (of devotional service) are as follows: (9) To observe fasting days, such as Ekadasi. (10) To worship cows, brahmanas, Vaisnavas, and sacred trees like the banyan
- These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings: always remembering these activities and instructions (the activities and instructions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead), trying to render service
- They should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication and animal slaughter
- Those who are full of dirty things can take to the line of Krsna consciousness for a gradual cleansing process, following the regulative principles of devotional service. BG 1972 purports
- To attain the stage of transcendental love of Godhead, regulative principles of devotional service must be followed
- To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krsna. BG 1972 purports
W
- When one is encouraged in devotional service by the association of devotees, one becomes free from all unwanted contamination by following the regulative principles and chanting and hearing
- Whoever follows the principles of devotional service with attachment and follows a particular devotee of Vrajabhumi certainly attains the highest perfection of love of Godhead in that spirit