Category:Perfection of Devotional Service to God
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the Supreme Lord readily grants material liberation, He does not easily award the perfection of devotional service, because it requires complete sincerity and the absence of all ulterior motives. This supreme perfection is awakened through the special causeless mercy of the spiritual master and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As a devotee strictly follows the regulative principles, bows down to exalted Vaiṣṇavas, and patiently cultivates enthusiasm, they gradually transcend all material desires. Ultimately, the perfection of devotional service culminates in spontaneous, unalloyed love of Godhead, where the devotee realizes their eternal relationship with the Lord and sees everything in connection with Govinda.
- The Rarity of Pure Devotion: Kṛṣṇa can easily grant liberation, but He reserves the perfection of devotional service for those who are completely sincere. It is a rare gift awarded to those free from ulterior motives.
- The Mercy of Guru and Kṛṣṇa: Attaining this perfection is not merely a mechanical result of performing rituals. It is bestowed through the causeless mercy of the bona fide spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Purification of Motives: A devotee may initially approach the Lord with material desires, like Dhruva Mahārāja. However, as they progress and achieve perfection in devotional service, all selfish motives vanish, leaving only pure, unalloyed devotion.
- Spontaneous Love of Godhead: The highest stage of this perfection transcends basic regulative worship. It manifests as spontaneous, ecstatic love, where the devotee's entire attention is completely absorbed in the transcendental loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Pure Love is the Perfection of Devotional Service to God.
Pages in category "Perfection of Devotional Service to God"
The following 38 pages are in this category, out of 38 total.
A
- A person who is cent-percent engaged in the service of the Lord is the emblem of all knowledge. Such a devotee of the Lord in full perfection of devotional service is also perfect by the qualification of the Personality of Godhead
- A person's achieving perfection in devotional service simply by the causeless mercy of the Lord is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in connection with the brahmanas and their wives who were engaged in performing yajna, or sacrifice
- All the scriptures recommend that it is by pleasing the spiritual master and serving him directly that one can attain the highest perfectional stage of devotional service
- As stated before, after attaining the highest stage of self-realization, one becomes situated in devotional service to the Lord. The perfection of devotional service is to attain love of God
- As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 5.6.18), muktim dadati karhicit. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami told Maharaja Pariksit that Krsna readily grants liberation but does not very readily grant perfection in devotional service
E
- Even for material prosperity, name and fame, one has to undergo severe types of penance, otherwise no one can become an important figure in this material world. Why, then, are there severe types of penance for the perfection of devotional service
- Even if one approaches Krsna with some ulterior motive, one is considered pious. For instance, Dhruva Maharaja initially worshiped Krsna with a motive, but after attaining perfection in devotional service, his ulterior motive vanished
- Everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. BG 1972 Introduction
- Everyone has got a particular relationship with the Lord and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. At the present status of our life we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but also our eternal relationship with Him
F
- Fallen women or professional prostitutes, ignorant manual laborers, and the merchant class - all shall attain perfection and reach the Kingdom of God, if they actually take shelter of the devotional service of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna
- Formal execution of rituals and religion is useless unless it culminates in the perfection of devotional service
I
- If you become elevated to the perfection of devotional service, you'll go to God and you'll see Him as you are seeing me, I am seeing you. You'll see Krsna. Try to understand
- Instead of employing enthusiasm for attaining material goals, one should be enthusiastic about achieving the perfectional stage of devotional service
L
- Lord Caitanya recommended five main principles for attaining perfection in the devotional service of the Lord. The first is association with devotees; second is chanting the glories of the Lord; third, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from the pure devotee
- Lord Krsna is worshiped by regulative devotional service, but the highest perfection of devotional service is spontaneous love of Godhead
N
- No one can attain the perfectional stage of devotional service without bowing down before exalted devotees. Learned sages like Markandeya Rsi attained perfection in devotional service simply by executing such regulative principles of service
- Nor did they devoutly execute any regulative principle. Nor did they undergo any kind of austerity. It is simply by My association that they have attained the highest perfection of devotional service
O
- O best of the brahmanas, even without initiation, preliminary purification or acceptance of the renounced order, one can attain perfection in devotional service simply by chanting the Lord’s holy name
- Out of all kinds of perfections attained by the process of knowledge, yoga perfection in devotional service is the highest of all and the most mysterious also, even more mysterious than the eight kinds of mystic perfection
T
- The conclusion is that to live on the banks of the Radha-kunda and to bathe there daily constitute the highest perfection of devotional service
- 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 women amongst whom He lived as their husband are not women of this mundane world, but are eternally related with Him as transcendental wives, a position which they attained by perfection of devotional service. That is their competency
- The words sarvatra tad-iksanam describe the highest perfection of devotional service, in which one sees everything with reference to Govinda's activities. The highly elevated devotee never sees anything unrelated to Govinda
- There are other devotees, who may not have undergone all the required details of devotional service but who, by the special mercy of guru and Krsna - the spiritual master and the SPOG - have immediately attained the perfection of pure devotional service
- This (Krsna does not very readily grant perfection in devotional service) means that Krsna wants to see that a devotee is actually sincere and serious and that he does not have ulterior motives
- Thus Bali Maharaja is understood to be one who received the highest perfection of devotional service by special mercy
W
- When one has attained the perfection of devotional service, it is not very important to follow the Vedic principles. Lord Krsna advised Arjuna to ascend to the platform of nistraigunya, the transcendental position above the Vedic principles
- When you are liberated, you will understand in which way you are related with Krsna. That is called svarupa-siddhi. But that is attained when you are actually perfect in devotional service
- While one should not be enthusiastic to attain material achievements, one should be very enthusiastic to attain the perfectional stage of devotional service. This enthusiasm is called utsaha