Preface In 1967, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translated and wrote commentaries for fifteen of the eighty-four "codes" of the Narada-bhakti- sutras. In 1989 at their annual meeting, the General Body Commission of ISKCON suggested that I "complete" the Narada Bhakti Sutras. I was pleased to accept the assignment, especially because of my involvement with Prabhupada's initial writing of Narada Bhakti Sutras. Srila Prabhupada began the work in the early part of 1967. A Gita Press edition of Narada's "Philosophy of Love" was being passed around in the storefront at 26 Second Avenue, and some of us were attracted to the nectar and simplicity of the aphorisms. In those days it wasn't unusual for us naive followers to pick up all sorts of translations of Sanskrit and Indian books. We tended to think that anything "Hindu" was salutary and within Krsna consciousness. It wasn't long before Prabhupada made it clear to us that we had to discriminate. Many books, we learned, were the works of Mayavadis, a brand of atheists in the guise of swamis, gurus and scholars. It was hard to give up our attachments to some of these books, but we always did so once Prabhupada explained that a particular book or guru was not bona fide. But when I showed Prabhupada the Narada Bhakti Sutras and told him that I liked it, he encouraged me and said he might translate it. Within our edition of the Narada Bhakti Sutras was a beautiful color illustration of Radha and Krsna. They both looked young, about eight years old, and They stood by the edge of the Yamuna River with a cow behind Them. I took the illustration to a photography shop and had a dozen color copies made. With Prabhupada's approval, I gave a photo to each of his initiated disciples. It became like an ISKCON membership photo and was used by devotees on their personal altars. When Srila Prabhupada left our New York home for San Francisco, in 1967, I wrote asking him if he would translate the Narada Bhakti Sutras. Here is Prabhupada's reply: (Editor will place here the appropriate quote from the letter by Prabhupada saying that he will translate Narada Bhakti Sutras if I send it to him.) At first Prabhupada's translation of Narada Bhakti Sutras went quickly. He sent tapes of his dictation in the mail, and I typed them along with the tapes he sent for his major work, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. From the beginning, it was understood that Narada Bhakti Sutras was a kind of "extra" for Prabhupada. But it had its own charm, and Srila Prabhupada approached it in his own inimitable way. I was surprised, on receiving the translation for the first "code," to see how Prabhupada translated the word bhakti. The edition he was using translated bhakti as "devotion" or "Divine Love." But Prabhupada translated bhakti as "devotional service." Even by this one word Prabhupada indicated that bhakti was active, and that it was personal. He would not tolerate any hint that bhakti was a state of impersonal "Love." It was significant that Prabhupada began his first purport with an immediate reference to Bhagavad-gita, the foremost scripture for teaching bhakti-yoga. Narada Bhakti Sutras, or any treatise on devotion to God, should be supported by Lord Krsna's direct teachings in Bhagavad-gita. By their nature, sutras require explanation. As Lord Caitanya explained while discussing the Vedanta- sutras, the sutras have a direct meaning, but since they are so brief there is more opportunity for devious commentators to make interpretations. How safe we were when reading the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Narada Bhakti Sutras, and how dangerous it is to read these codes when interpreted by those who lack eternal devotion to the Supreme Person! As with his other works, Prabhupada's purports to Narada Bhakti Sutras were completely parampara and at the same time full of his own realizations. One particular statement that attracted me, which I had never seen stated exactly that way in other purports by Prabhupada, was his reference to enthusiasm in bhakti. Commenting on Code 5, Prabhupada compared enthusiasm to a powerful engine that has to be used properly. He wrote, "If one, however, becomes disappointed in his enthusiasm for serving the Supreme Lord, that disappointment must also be rejected." As a neophyte devotee, I was well aware of the danger of depression, which we sometimes refer to in ISKCON as a being "fried." But just as a serious practitioner restrains his tongue and other senses, so one should not indulge in too much depression or disappointment. It was comforting to hear this from Prabhupada and to gain conviction that it is within our control - we are not helpless before unlimited waves of depression. One simply has to follow the rules and regulations patiently "so that the day will come when he will achieve, all of a sudden, all the perfection of devotional service." I have to admit that I had a personal attachment for Prabhupada's Narada Bhakti Sutras, as I happily watched its progress. I noticed that some of the same material Prabhupada was putting into Teachings of Lord Caitanya also appeared in Narada Bhakti Sutras, but I didn't think anything was wrong in that. Yet at some point, Srila Prabhupada began to think that perhaps Narada Bhakti Sutras was a bit redundant, at least while he was also working on Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I might have suspected this when Prabhupada wrote in his purport to Code 12, "There are many books of authoritative sources, but all of them more or less are descriptions of or supplements to Bhagavad-gita or Srimad- Bhagavatam. Even the Narada Bhakti Sutras is a summary of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; therefore the beginning of devotional service is to hear these two important transcendental books of knowledge." Then, in March of 1967, while Srila Prabhupada was still residing in San Francisco, he wrote me this letter: "Please accept my blessings. I have seen the typed copies of Narada Bhakti Sutras as well as Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Both of them are nicely made. I think let us finish first Teachings of Lord Caitanya and then we may take again Narada Bhakti Sutras. The subject matter discussed with Narada Sutras is already there in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I have sent you matter for the second part of the Teachings and please go on sending me a copy of your typewritten matter. I shall be glad to hear from you." And so Prabhupada's work on Narada Bhakti Sutras stopped and was never resumed. It was a personal choice by the author, who wanted to concentrate on the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. But we should not see it as a rejection of Narada Bhakti Sutras. Prabhupada intended to "take again Narada Bhakti Sutras." And so more than twenty years later we are taking up the work again, on the authority of Srila Prabhupada. Whatever we have written to complete the work we have done as Prabhupada's student, using his translations and commentaries of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Nectar of Devotion, Krsna book, and Caitanya-caritamrta. There is a particular charm in the Narada Bhakti Sutras in its brevity, universality, and emphasis on total surrender to Lord Krsna. The codes are strong and can be easily remembered and confidently quoted in devotional discussions and preaching. Srila Prabhupada himself has refered to Narada Bhakti Sutras a number of times in his writings, as in this statement from Teachings of Lord Caitanya: "In the Narada-bhakti Sutra it is said that one who is very serious about developing Krsna consciousness has his desire to understand Krsna fulfilled very soon by the grace of the Lord." (TLC, p. 53-4, Ch. 3) The major importance of the present publication is that another of Prabhupada's literary works is now available in book form for the growing audience of Prabhupada readers. The GBC's request to Gopiparanadhana Prabhu and me to complete Prabhupada's book is their mercy upon us. We pray that we have not deviated from Prabhupada's intentions and that the Narada Bhakti Sutras will bring pleasure and enlightenment to the hearts of everyone who reads them. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami Narada Bhakti Sutras Codes of Devotional Service CODE 1 athato bhaktim vyakhyasyamah SYNONYMS atha-now; atah-therefore; bhaktim-devotional service; vyakhyasyamah-we shall try to explain. TRANSLATION Now, therefore, I will try to explain the process of devotional service. PURPORT Devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord says that a self-realized person is always in the transcendental state known as brahma-bhuta, which is characterized by joyfulness. When one is self-realized he becomes joyful. In other words, he is free from the material contamination of lamentation and hankering. As long as we are in material existence, we lament for the losses in our life and hanker for that which we do not have. A self-realized person is joyful because he is free from material lamentation and hankering. The next stage is that he sees all living entities equally. For him, there is no distinction between the higher and lower species of life. It is also stated that a learned man does not distinguish between a learned brahmana and a dog because he sees the soul within the body, not the external bodily features. Such a perfected, self-realized person becomes eligible to understand bhakti, or devotional service. Devotional service to the Lord is so sublime that the constitutional position of the Lord can be understood only through such bhakti. That is also clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita (18.55): bhaktya mam abhijanati: "One can understand the Supreme Lord through devotional service and by no other process." There are different processes of understanding the Absolute Truth, but if anyone wants to understand the Supreme Lord as He is, then he has to take to the process of bhakti-yoga. The other mystic processes include karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and dhyana-yoga, but it is not possible to understand the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, except through His devotional service. This is confirmed in the Fourth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, where we learn that Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna simply because he was the Lord's devotee and friend. The Bhagavad-gita teaches the process of bhakti-yoga, and therefore Lord Krsna explained it to Arjuna because he was a great devotee. As far as spiritual life is concerned, becoming a devotee is the highest perfection. People are generally misled by the spell of the illusory energy of material nature. There are innumerable living entities within the material nature, and only some of them are human beings. According to the Vedic literature, there are 8,400,000 species of life. In the Padma Purana it is said that there are 900,000 species of life in the water, 2,000,000 species of plants, trees, and vegetables, 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 species of birds, 3,000,000 species of beasts, and only 400,000 species of human beings. So the humans are the least numerous species of all living entities. All living entities can be divided into two divisions: those that can move, and those that are stationary. The trees and plants, for example, cannot move. But there are also many further divisions. Some of the living entities fly in the air, some live in the water, and some move on the ground. Among the living entities who are moving on the ground, the species of human beings number only 400,000 out of the total 8,400,000 species of life. Out of these 400,000 species of human beings, many are uncivilized or unclean; they are not up to the standard of proper civilization. From the historical point of view, it is understood that the Aryans are the most civilized section of human beings. There are many sections among the Aryans, but those who are Indians are especially highly cultured, and among them, the brahmanas are the most expert in the knowledge of the Vedas. The Vedic culture is respected all over the world, and people everywhere are anxious to understand the purport of the Vedic culture. The highest perfectional stage of understanding Vedic culture is explained in the Bhagavad- gita, in the Fifteenth Chapter, where the Lord says that the purpose of all the Vedas is to understand Him (Lord Krsna). Fortunate are those who are attracted to Vedic cultural life. The Hindus call themselves followers of the Vedas. Some say they are followers of the Sama Veda, and some are followers of the Rg Veda. Different people claim to follow different sections of the Vedas but in fact for the most part they are not followers of the Vedas because they do not follow the rules and regulations of the Vedas. Therefore Lord Caitanya says that those who are so-called followers of the Vedas perform all kinds of sinful activities. The number of those who are actually followers of the Vedas is very small, and even among this small, exclusive number, most are addicted to the process of karma-kanda. Karma-kanda is the process by which one can elevate himself to the perfectional stage of economic development. Most of those who strictly follow the Vedic system of life are attached to the portions of the Vedas describing various sacrifices for worship of different demigods. Such worshipers are attached to particular portions of the Vedas in order to achieve particular material results. Out of many millions of such followers of the karma-kanda process, some may actually be engaged in the process of understanding the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. They are called jnanis. The perfection of a jnani is the stage of brahma-bhuta, or self-realization. Only then, after self- realization, does the stage of understanding devotional service begin. The conclusion is that one can begin the process of devotional service or bhakti when one is actually self-realized. One who is in the bodily concept of existence cannot understand the process of devotional service. It is for this reason that the Narada Bhakti Sutras begin, "Now, therefore, I shall try to explain the process of devotional service." The word "therefore" indicates that this process of devotional service is for the self-realized soul, one who is already liberated. The Vedanta-sutra begins athato brahma-jijnasa. This brahma-jijnasa refers to persons who have been elevated to the position of jnana-kanda from the lower stage of karma-kanda. For them, brahma-jijnasa, or inquiry into the Supreme Absolute Truth, is recommended. Only when a man is perfectly situated in the realization that he is not body but spirit-soul can he begin the process of bhakti, or devotional service. CODE 2 sa tv asmin parama-prema-rupa SYNONYMS sa-it; tu-and; asmin-for Him (the Supreme Lord); parama-highest; prema-pure love; rupa-having as its form. TRANSLATION It manifests as the most elevated, pure love for God. PURPORT 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. When we speak of love of God, there must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee, and the process of devotional service. Self-realization, the brahma-bhuta stage, is the beginning of spiritual life; it is not the perfectional stage. If one understands that he is not his body and that he has nothing to do with this material world, he becomes free from material entanglement. But that realization is not the perfectional stage. The perfectional stage begins with activities in the self- realized position, and activity is based on the understanding that a living entity is eternally the subordinate servitor of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, there is no meaning to self-realization. If one is puffed up with the idea that he is the Supreme Brahman, or that he has become one with Narayana, or that he has merged into the supreme brahma-jyoti effulgence, then he has not grasped the perfection of life. Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32) states that persons who are falsely puffed up, thinking they have become liberated by understanding their constitutional position as Brahman, or spirit-soul, are factually still contaminated. Their intelligence is not purified because they have no understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to the Bhagavatam (1.2.11) there are three stages of transcendentalists: the self-realized knowers of the impersonal Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth; the knowers of the localized aspect of the Supreme as Paramatma, understood by the process of yoga mysticism; and the bhaktas who are already in the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engaged in His devotional service. Those who simply understand that man is not matter but spirit-soul, who desire to merge into the supreme spirit soul, are in the lowest transcendental position. Above them are the mystics, who by meditation can see within themselves four-handed Visnu within the heart. And persons who actually associate with the supreme Lord, Krsna, are the highest among all transcendentalists. In the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita we also find that the Lord says, "Persons who are always devoted to Me and trying to see Me always within their hearts are, according to My opinion, the topmost yogis." That is the beginning of attainment of the highest perfectional stage of prema, or love of God. Rupa Goswami, the most authoritative devotee in the devotional line, said that there are different stages in coming to the point of love of Godhead. The first stage is that one should be sufficiently faithful about attaining love of Godhead. Thus throughout the book Bhagavad-gita teaches that one should give up all other processes of self-realization and fully surrender unto the Supreme Lord, Krsna. That is the point of faith. One who has full faith in Krsna by surrender unto Him is eligible for being raised to the highest perfectional stage of prema. Lord Caitanya taught that prema is the highest perfectional stage of human life. Some persons are addicted to the process of religiousness, some are addicted to the process of economic development, some are addicted to the process of sense gratification, and some are addicted to the idea of salvation from material existence. But prema, or love of Godhead, is above all these stages; this highest stage of love is above religiousness, above economic development, above sense gratification, and above liberation or salvation. Love of Godhead begins with firm faith that if one is engaged in full devotional service, he has attained all the perfect stages of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification, and salvation. If one continues to be elevated more and more, the next stage he reaches is association with persons already in the highest stage of love of Godhead. Without such association, simply by mental speculation or so-called meditation, one cannot be raised to the perfectional stage. But one associates with such persons, or a society of such persons, he goes to the next step bhajana-kriya, or acceptance of the regulative principles of worshiping the Supreme Lord. When one associates with a pure devotee of the Lord, he naturally accepts that person as his spiritual master, and when the neophyte devotee accepts a pure devotee as spiritual master, it is the duty of the spiritual master to train him in the principles of devotional service. These principles of devotional service are called regulative devotional service, or vaidhi-bhakti. Regulative principles of devotional service are based on one's capacity to serve the Lord. The expert spiritual master engages his followers in work that will gradually develop the consciousness of service to the Lord. Therefore, the preliminary stage of understanding prema, love of Godhead, is to approach a proper pure devotee and accept him as the spiritual master. When one regularly performs the primary principles of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, gradually all his misgivings from material life become vanquished. There are many habits which we acquire by the association of material contamination. Chief among these habits are illicit sexual relationships, eating animal food, indulging in intoxication, and gambling. One who is engaged in the regulated principles of devotional service is first of all restricted by the expert spiritual master to abstain from these four principles of sinful life. One cannot be raised to the highest perfectional stage of love of Godhead without being purified, because God is pure. In the Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna accepted Krsna as the Supreme Lord, he said, "pavitram paramam bhavan." Pavitram paramam "the purest." The Lord is the purest, and thus if anyone wants to serve the Supreme Lord, he must also be the purest. Without being pure no one can understand what the Personality of Godhead is, nor can he be engaged in His service in love for devotional service, as stated before, begins from the point of self-realization, when all misgivings of materialistic life are vanquished. After following the regulative principles, and after purifying the material senses, the next stage attained is nistha, firm faith in the Lord. When one attains this stage, no one can deter him from the conception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one can persuade him to deviate to the understanding that God is impersonal, that He has no form, or that any form created by imagination can be accepted as God's. These more or less nonsensical conceptions of the Supreme Lord cannot dissuade him from firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord has stressed in many verses that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But there are many scholars and commentators who, in spite of Lord Krsna's stressing this point, are deterred from the personal conception of the Lord. Even a great scholar who has written commentary on the Bhagavad-gita says that one does not have to surrender unto the Personality of Godhead Krsna, and that one should not accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rather should accept that which is within Krsna as Supreme. Such fools do not know what is within and what is without. They comment according to their own whims. Such persons cannot be elevated to the highest stage of love of Godhead. They maybe scholarly, and they may be elevated in other departments of knowledge, but they are not even neophytes in the process of attaining the highest stage of perfection, love of Godhead. Nistha implies that one should accept the words of Bhagavad-gita, the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as they are, without any deviation, without commentary. If one is fortunately able to rise up to the stage of nistha after vanquishing all misgivings wrought by material existence, he can then be raised to the stage of attachment. Attachment is the beginning of love of Godhead. By progressing, one attains a more advanced stage of relishing a reciprocal exchange between the Lord and himself. Every living entity is eternally related with the Supreme Lord, and this relationship may be in one of many different transcendental humors. At the stage called asakti, relish, one can understand in what relationship he is connected with the Supreme Lord. When he understands his position, he begins reciprocation with the Lord. By constant reciprocation with the Lord, the devotee is elevated to the highest stage of love of Godhead. CODE 3 amrta-svarupa ca SYNONYMS amrta-immortality; svarupa-having as its essence; ca-and. TRANSLATION This stage of devotional life is eternal. PURPORT When one attains to the perfectional stage of love of Godhead, he becomes immortal even in his present body. In Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that any person who simply understands the transcendental activities of the Lord and His appearance and disappearance in this material world becomes liberated, and after quitting his present body he at once reaches the abode of the Lord. Therefore, one who has attained to this stage of love of God has perfect knowledge, and even if he may fall short of perfect knowledge he has the preliminary perfection of life that can be attained by living entities. The highest misconception of self-realization is to conceive of oneself as being one with the Supreme. Persons who are in this misconception cannot be raised to the highest stage of love of God. Therefore those who have attained the highest stage of loving service to the Lord have understood their subordinate position. Although the Lord and the living entities are both qualitatively one, the living entities are limited, while the Lord is unlimited. This understanding, called amrta svarupa, makes one eligible for being eternally situated. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.30) there is a prayer; "O Supreme Eternal, if the living entities were equally eternal with You and were all pervading and all-powerful like You, then there would be no possibility of their being controlled by the external energy, Maya." Therefore, the living entities should be accepted as fragmental portions of the Supreme. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita when the Lord says, "The living entities are My fragmental portions." As fragmental portions they are qualitatively one with the Supreme but they are not unlimited. One who is convinced that he is eternally the servitor of the Supreme Lord is called immortal. Unless one can understand his position as a living entity and an eternal servitor of the Supreme, there is no question of his being immortal. But one who accepts these facts becomes immortal. In other words, those who are under the misconception that the living entity and the Supreme Lord are equal in all respects, both qualitatively and quantitatively, are mistaken, and they are still bound to remain in the material world, without being elevated to the position of immortality. By achievement of love of God, one becomes immediately immortal and doesn't have to change his material body anymore. Even if he is not in the perfectional stage of love of godhead, his devotional service is considered to be immortal. Any action in the stage of karma-kanda or jnana-kanda will be finished with the change of birth, but devotional service, even not done perfectly, will continue into the next life, and the living entity will be allowed to make further progress. The constitutional position on the living entity as the fragment of the Supreme Lord is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as in the Upanisads. In the Svetasvatara Upanisads it is stated that if you divide the tip of a hair into one hundred parts and then again take one part and divide it into another one hundred divisions, that one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair is the dimension of the living entity. This fragmental position of the Supreme Lord is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita as eternal; it cannot be changed. One who understands his constitutional position as a fragment, or part and parcel, of the Supreme Lord and engages himself in devotional service with all seriousness becomes at once immortal. CODE 4 yal labdhva puman siddho bhavaty amrto bhavati trpto bhavati SYNONYMS yat-which; labdhva-having gained; puman-a person; siddhah-perfect; bhavati- becomes; amrtah-immortal; bhavati-becomes; trptah-peaceful; bhavati-becomes. TRANSLATION Upon achieving that transcendental devotional service, a man becomes perfect, immortal and peaceful. PURPORT The part-and-parcel living entities are entangled in this conditional life of material existence. They are traveling or transmigrating from one body to another in a miserable condition, and due to their diverse activities they are wandering all over the universe. When one, however, somehow comes in contact with a pure devotee and engages himself in devotional service, his fortune turns toward perfection. If someone becomes engaged in devotional service in all seriousness, the Lord gives the devotee dictation through the pure devotee and from within, to make advancement in devotional service. By cultivating such devotional service, one becomes perfect. This form of complete perfection is described in Bhagavad-gita: "Great souls who are engaged in devotional service and who attain the Supreme Lord do not come back to this miserable material conditional life, because they attain the highest perfection." Both in the material body and after giving it up, a devotee attains the highest perfection in service of the Lord. As long as he is in this material body, his probational activities in devotional service prepare him for being transferred to the Supreme abode of the Lord. This perfection of life can be achieved only by persons who are cent percent engaged in devotional service. As long as a person is in material conditional life, he is always feeling the full miseries caused by the transmigration of the soul to different bodies. While taking birth, he undergoes the miseries of living in the womb of the mother, and when he comes out he lives for a certain period and then again has to accept death and enter into the womb of a mother. This process is going on in the miserable condition of live, but one who attains the highest perfection goes back to Godhead after leaving this body. Once there, he doesn't have to come back to this material world and transmigrate from one body to another. That transfer to the spiritual world is the highest perfection of life. In other words, the devotee achieves his constitutional position of immortality and thus becomes completely peaceful. As long as one does not achieve this perfection of life, he cannot be peaceful. He may artificially think that he is one with the Supreme, but actually he is not; therefore, there is no peace. Similarly, one may aspire for one of the eight yogic perfections in the mystic yoga process, such as to become the smallest, to become the heaviest, or to acquire anything one desires, but these achievements are material; they are not perfection. Perfection means that one must be in his original spiritual form, engaged in the divine loving service of the Lord. The living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and if he engages in the duties of the part and parcel, without being puffed up by thinking that he is one in all respects with the Supreme Lord, then he attains the real perfection and becomes peaceful. CODE 5 yat prapya na kincid vanchati na socati na dvesti na ramate notsahi bhavati SYNONYMS yat-which; prapya-having attained; na kincit-nothing; vanchati-hankers for; na socati-does not lament; na dvesti-does not hate; na ramate-does not rejoice; na-not; utsahi-materially enthusiastic; bhavati-becomes. TRANSLATION A person engaged in pure devotional service does not desire anything for material sense gratification, does not lament for any loss, does not hate anything, does not enjoy anything for his personal account, and does not become very enthusiastic in material activity. PURPORT According to Rupa Goswami, there are six kinds of impediment in the discharge of devotional service, and there are also six kinds of favorable activity by which one can develop devotional service. One should not eat more than he requires, nor should he accumulate more wealth than he requires. In the material world, when we give liberty to the senses to enjoy to the highest degree, we become degraded. One should eat only enough to maintain his body and soul together. One should not allow the tongue to be unrestricted and eat anything and everything it likes. There are prescribed foods for the human being described in the Bhagavad-gita and by the great acaryas, or spiritual masters. Eating these prescribed foods is called eating in the mode of goodness. These foods include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk products, and sugar - and nothing more. A devotee does not eat extravagantly or fastidiously. He simply eats what he offers to the Supreme Lord Krsna. He is interested in Krsna-prasadam (food offered to the Lord) and not in satisfying the taste. Therefore he does not desire anything extraordinary to eat. Similarly, he does not wish to accumulate any great bank balance; he simply earns as much as he requires. This is called yavad-artha or yuktahara. In the material world everyone is very active in earning more and more money and in increasing eating and sleeping and gratifying the senses; such is the mission of most people's lives. But these activities should be absent from the life of a devotee. Srila Rupa Gosvami says that a devotee should not be very enthusiastic about attaining any material goal. Persons engaged in fruitive activities, however, work very hard day and night for attainment of a material reward. Everyone has some ambition: to become a very big businessman, to become a very great industrialist, to become a great poet or a great philosopher. But they do not know that even if this ambition is fulfilled, the result is temporary. As soon as the body is finished, all ambitious achievements are also finished. No one takes with him anything he has achieved materially in this world. He can simply carry on only his asset in devotional service; that alone is never vanquished. There are many men who unnecessarily talk of the daily happenings in the newspapers and pass the time without any profit. A devotee, however, does not indulge in unnecessary talks of politics or economics. Nor is a devotee very strict in following ritualistic rules and regulations. Because he is fully engaged in the supreme service of the Lord, he doesn't have to execute all the details of Vedic rituals. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that a man who is born in this world becomes immediately indebted to the demigods, the great sages, ordinary living entities, the family, society, and so on. But if a person engages fully in the service of the Supreme Lord by surrendering himself unto His lotus feet, he is not longer a debtor to anyone, nor is he responsible to pay or fulfill any such obligations. A devotee should not be greedy, nor should he mix with ordinary materialistic man. These are some of the negatives, or "do-nots," for the devotee, and one who has attained the perfect stage does not at all desire these things. Similarly, there are six positive items for advancing in devotional service. One should not be enthusiastic for attainment of material achievements but should be very enthusiastic for attainment of devotional service. This is called utsaha. A living entity cannot be stopped in his activities. When he is forbidden to become enthusiastic in material achievements, he should at once be directed to be enthusiastic for attainment of spiritual achievement. Enthusiasm is a symptom of the living entity; it cannot be stopped. It is just like a powerful engine; if you utilize it properly, it will give immense production. Enthusiasm should be purified. Instead of enthusiasm being employed for material achievement, one should be enthusiastic about achievement of the mission and purpose for which Krsna descends to this material world. If one however becomes disappointed in his enthusiasm for serving the Supreme Lord, that disappointment must also be restricted. 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. Therefore a devotee does not lament for any loss or any reverse in the area of his advancement in spiritual life. A pure devotee is not envious or hateful in the discharge of devotional service. He continually performs his prescribed duties in devotional service. He is confident of his advancement, and therefore he does not enjoy anything temporary and material. The activities of a devotee are always pure and without any contamination of the material world. CODE 6 yajjnatva matto bhavati stabdho bhavaty atmaramo bhavati SYNONYMS yat-which; jnatva-having known; mattah-intoxicated; bhavati-becomes; stabdhah- charmed; bhavati-becomes; atma-aramah-self-content (because of being engaged in the service of the Lord); bhavati-becomes. TRANSLATION One who understands perfectly the process of devotional service becomes intoxicated in its discharge. He becomes charmed by it and thus enjoys his whole self, being engaged in the service of the Supreme Self. PURPORT In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that those who are atmarama, self- satisfied, although liberated from all material contamination are still attracted by the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, and they engage themselves in His transcendental service. In His explanation of atmarama, Lord Caitanya described sixty-four kinds of atmarama, all of them finding engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. How one becomes intoxicated in devotional service is very nicely described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.40), where it is said that a person engaged in Krsna consciousness and in the devotional service of the Lord automatically becomes carried away by ecstasy when he chants and hears the holy name of Krsna. His heart becomes slackened while chanting the holy name of Krsna, and he becomes almost like a madman and does not care for any outward social conventions. Thus sometimes he laughs, sometimes he cries, sometimes he cries out very loud, sometimes he sings, and sometimes he dances and forgets himself. These are the signs of becoming intoxicated in devotional service. This is possible when a man becomes charmed by the mercy of the Lord endowed upon him for his advanced devotional activity. This is called the atmarama stage. It is the highest perfectional stage because it does not happen unless one has attained pure love of God. The process of religious perfection or economic development or sense gratification or liberation cannot be compared with this sweet stage of perfection of love of Krsna, love of the Supreme Lord. In the Caitanya-caritamrta this stage of ecstasy and intoxication is described as being far above the ecstasy of realizing oneself as Brahman, or the supreme spirit. Lord Caitanya says that the ecstasy of bhakti (love of Godhead) is so high that the ecstasy derived from understanding oneself as one with Brahman can be compared to it only as a drop of water is compared to the whole ocean. In all Vedic literature, the highest perfectional stage is said to be the state of intoxication of devotional service. It is not achieved by ordinary persons or those who have not attained devotional service. In the stage of perfection, one becomes slackened in his heart and becomes more and more attached to attaining the lotus feet of the Lord. Srila Rupa Gosvami, the great acarya in the line of devotional service, has described this stage as follows: "A person in ecstasy of devotional service, although appearing just like a madman, has not become mad in the material conception of the term; this ecstasy is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord." The Lord has various potencies, out of which one is called hladini sakti. Only one who becomes a little conversant with the pleasure potency of the Lord can taste such ecstasy. The Vedanta-sutra states (1.1.12), ananda-mayo 'bhyasat: "By nature the Lord is always joyful." This joyfulness of the Lord is due to His pleasure potency. One who becomes affected with the pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord displays manifestations of ecstasy, such as slackening of the heart, laughing, crying, dancing, etc.; these symptoms are not material. If someone artificially shows such ecstasy just to get credit from the public, that is not approved of by pure devotees. Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada says, "Persons without attainment of the highest perfectional stage of loving service cannot achieve any auspiciousness simply by artificially laughing, crying, or dancing without any spiritual understanding. Artificial movement of the body or parts of the body must always be rejected. One should wait for the natural sequence within devotional service, and at that time, when he cries or dances or sings, it is approved. A person artificially showing symptoms of the pleasure potency creates many disturbances in the ordinary way of life. When one, however, attains the perfectional stage under the guidance and direction of a bona fide spiritual master, he becomes eligible to preach the cult of devotional as Lord Caitanya did. When Lord Caitanya was preaching, he was dancing and showing the symptoms of ecstasy. A Mayavadi sannyasi in Benares named Prakasananda Sarasvati objected to these activities. He commented that Lord Caitanya should not act in such an intoxicated way because he had taken sannyasa, the renounced order of life. The Lord explained that these symptoms of intoxication had automatically arisen in his life after chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, and that upon seeing this His spiritual master had ordered him to preach the cult all over the world. While speaking with Prakasananda, Lord Caitanya gave evidence and quoted a nice verse from Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (14.36), in which the following is stated: "O my dear Lord, just after seeing You or experiencing You, I am staying in the ocean of pure devotional service. All other grades of happiness appear just like misery; even the happiness derived from being merged in the Supreme appears to be insignificant." Thus one becomes so satisfied that he does not want anything more, and he becomes always engaged in pure devotional service. CODE 7 sa na kamayamana nirodha rupatvat SYNONYMS sa-that devotional service; na-not; kamayamana-like ordinary lust; nirodha- renunciation; rupatvat-because of having as it form. TRANSLATION There is no question of lust in pure devotional service, because in it all material activities are renounced. PURPORT In pure devotional service there is no question of sense gratification. There is a very nice verse in the Gautamiya-tantra where it is stated that the transcendental loving affairs between Krsna and the gopis are not lustful because there is no material contamination. It is said there that although the dealings of the gopis with Krsna are wrongly celebrated by many as lust, great sages and saintly persons like Krsna. The author of Caitanya-caritamrta has therefore said: "As there is a difference between iron and gold, so there is a difference between material lust and the love affairs of the gopis with Krsna." Although such love affairs with Krsna may sometimes appear to be of the same nature as material lust, the difference is as mentioned. When one wants to satisfy his own senses, that is called lust, but when one wants to satisfy the senses of Krsna that is called prema. The impersonalists cannot understand this because for them there is no Personality of Godhead; God has no senses, and therefore He has no sense- satisfaction. For them it is very difficult to understand the sense-satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Yet anyone who wants to satisfy the senses of the Supreme takes part in love of Godhead. There is no question of lust in that category of pure transcendental love of Godhead. An example of lust in the material world is fruitive activity for sense gratification. There are different kinds of duties for the human being, such as political obligations, performance of Vedic rituals, obligations for maintaining the body, and formalities and conventions in the field of the social body; all such conventions are directed towards satisfying one's senses. But the path of the gopis is simply for the satisfaction of Krsna; they completely gave up the conventional path of social restriction. They gave up their own relatives and did not care for the chastisement of their own husbands. They gave up everything for the satisfaction of Krsna, and this strong sense of attachment to Krsna is as spotless as washed white cloth. It is said that when conjugal affection between the lover and the beloved comes to the point of being destroyed and yet still the sentiment is not destroyed, it is called love. In the material world it is not possible to find the kind of love that exists even at the point of destruction. The sentiment between the gopis and Krsna was so strong that they could not be separated under any circumstances. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.32.22), there is a very nice statement by the Personality of Godhead, Krsna. The Lord says: "My dear gopis, our transcendental relationship is always pure. Your sentiment to satisfy Me is so great that it is impossible for Me to repay your transcendental service unto Me for many lifetimes. You are coming to Me by giving up the strongest shackles of this material world. I am unable to repay you therefore, please be satisfied with your own activities." CODE 8 nirodhas tu loka-veda-vyapara-nyasah SYNONYMS nirodhah-confinement, detachment; tu-moreover; loka-of social custom; veda-and of the revealed scripture; vyapara-of the engagements; nyasa-renunciation. TRANSLATION Detachment, or confinement within the boundaries of devotional service, means to give up all kinds of social and religious activity. PURPORT This is described in a verse in the Lalita-madhava, by Rupa Gosvami: "Activities such as mystic trance, becoming one with the Supreme, and the religious principles of brahminism, such as speaking truth and following moral principles, have their own respective attractions, but when one becomes captivated by love of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all attraction for mystic power and monistic pleasure becomes insignificant." In other words, by discharge of pure devotional service one attains the highest stage of love of Godhead and is free from all kinds of obligations, such as those of the karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, and yoga-kanda. One who is engaged in pure devotional service has no desire for improvement except in the service of the Lord. In such devotional service there cannot be any worship of the impersonal or localized features of the Supreme Lord. The devotee is simply engaged in activities that will satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead has attained the state called pure devotional service. Pure devotional service of the Lord cannot be achieved without the mercy of the pure devotee, or the bona fide spiritual master, and the Supreme Lord Himself. If someone is fortunate enough to find a pure devotee as spiritual master, then such spiritual master by his causeless mercy imparts the knowledge of pure devotional service. By His causeless mercy the Lord sends His most confidential servitor to this world to instruct pure devotional service. Therefore, contact with a pure devotee or spiritual master is to be understood as the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord. A person can attain to pure devotional service only by the combined mercy of the Supreme Lord and the spiritual master. By the divine grace of the spiritual master, the seed of pure devotional service becomes sown in the heart of the devotee. The seed of devotional service is completely different from the seed of fruitive activities and speculative knowledge. No one can achieve the important seed of devotional service without satisfying the spiritual master and Krsna. The seed of devotional service grows into a plant that gradually rises up to the spiritual world. The devotional plant has no shelter in the material world. A plant requires shelter for growing, and similarly, the devotional plant grows and grows and takes shelter only in the spiritual world, without taking shelter on any planet in this material world. In other words, those who are captivated by pure devotional service have no desire to elevate themselves to any one of the material planets. The highest planet in the spiritual world is Krsna-loka, or Goloka, and there the devotional plant takes shelter. In the Narada Pancaratra the definition of pure devotional service is described as follows: "Devotional service to the Supreme Lord means engagement of all the senses in His transcendental service." In such transcendental service there are two important features. The first is that the senses must be purified from all designations, and the second is that they should only be engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. That is the purification of the senses. In other words, every one of us is now contaminated by different designations of this body. Everyone is thinking, "I belong to such-and-such a country; I belong to a certain society; I belong to a certain family." But when one is able to come to pure devotional service, he thinks that he does not belong to anything else except to the service of the Lord. Unflinching faith in pure devotional service consists of overcoming the many disruptive desires against pure devotional service, such as the following items: 1. desire to worship any demigod; 2. desire to serve anyone except Krsna; 3. desire to work for sense gratification, without understanding one's relationship with Krsna; 4. desire to cultivate knowledge and thereby encourage forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord; 5. desire to establish oneself as the Supreme, in which endeavor there is the existential conception of life, but no trace of bliss and eternity. Therefore, one should be engaged in the loving devotional service of the Lord. Except for the service of the Lord, anything done is in the service of illusion. One should try to get out of illusion and be engaged in the factual service of Krsna. Service of Krsna utilizes all the senses. When the senses are engaged in the service of Krsna, they are purified. Service of the material nature is called Maya. The material senses are the power of talking, the hands, the legs, the evacuating outlet, the generating organ, the eyes, ear, nose, tongue, touch, and mind. One cannot be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord with these gross material senses. Therefore, the process of devotional service is to purify them. There are sixty-four items in the regulative principles for purifying the senses, and one should strenuously undergo such MISSING PAGE 29. (CODES 9 AND 10) CODE 11 loka-vedesu tad-anukulacaranam tad-virodhisudasinata SYNONYMS loka-in society and politics; vedesu-and in the Vedic rituals; tat-for that; anukula-of what is favorable; acaranam-performance; tat-for that; virodhisu- for what is opposed; udasinata-indifference. TRANSLATION Reluctance to engage in activities not favorable for discharging devotional service means to accept only those activities of social custom and Vedic injunction that are favorable to devotional service. PURPORT Material existence indicates a life of revolt against the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many different types of revolting spirit of the living entities, such as engagement in fruitive activities, mental speculation, achievement of material perfection, and so many other activities. Generally, all conditioned souls desire to lord it over the material nature. Everyone wants to become a demilord, either by social or political activities, or by Vedic rituals. Everyone wants to elevate himself to a higher status of existence or, out of frustration, wants to become one with the supreme, or merge into the Supreme existence. All these desires are different types of materialism; they are not favorable for devotional service. A pure devotee is expected not to worship any demigod. He worships only Lord Krsna or His different expansions of Visnu forms. As long as one is not completely free from material contamination, he may have the tendency to worship God for fulfilling some material desires. But even if a person has some material desires within the mind, if he scrupulously adheres to the worship of the Supreme Lord, he will very soon become purified of all such material desires. Persons who are dictated to by material desires and also addicted to worship of the various demigods cannot become pure devotees at any stage of their lives. In other words, as long as one is controlled by the different qualitative modes of nature, he is prone to worship different demigods. The Lord being situated within everyone's heart, fulfills the particular desires for worshiping a particular type of demigod. One cannot be situated on the platform of pure devotional service, however, unless one is freed from all kinds of sinful reactions. To counteract different sinful reactions, there are prescribed duties in the Vedic ritualistic section of the Vedas, and those who are in the lower stage of life become freed from all sinful reactions by strictly following the Vedic ritualistic processes, and then they can become actually situated in pure devotional service. The person who is, therefore, situated in pure devotional service is to be understood to have already executed all the Vedic rituals with great determination in his past life. Therefore, upon reaching the stage of devotional service, the devotees, don't have to execute such rituals as mentioned in the ritualistic section of the Vedas. CODE 12 bhavatu niscaya-dardhyad urdhvam sastra-raksanam SYNONYMS bhavatu-let there be; niscaya-of certainty; dardhyat-the firm fixing; urdhvam- after; sastra-of scripture; raksanam-the observance. TRANSLATION One must continue to follow scriptural injunctions even after one is fixed up in determined certainty that devotional service is the only means for reaching the perfection of life. PURPORT When a person becomes firmly convinced about the importance of devotional service, he decides to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. There are six symptoms of surrender, and they are listed as follows: 1. One should decide that he should perform only actions favorable for devotional service and Krsna consciousness. 2. One should decide to give up everything unfavorable for discharging devotional service and Krsna consciousness. 3. One should believe firmly that Krsna will protect him in all circumstances and that no one is a better protector that Krsna. This conviction should be distinct from the monistic philosophy that one is as good as Krsna. Rather, one should always think that Krsna is great, or God is great, and the devotee is always protected by Him. This firm conviction must be there. 4. One should have the conviction that "Krsna is my maintainer and protector, and one should not take shelter of any demigod for protection or maintenance. 5. One should always think that his desires and his determination are not independent, without the sanction of Krsna, nothing can be successful. 6. One should always think of himself as the poorest of the poor and should always remain dependent on the supreme will of Krsna. Such a surrendered person always prays to the Lord: "O Lord, I am yours in every respect; I am your eternal servant." And by thinking in this way, a pure devotee becomes cleansed. There is a very nice verse in this connection in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Eleventh canto, Twenty-ninth chapter. It is stated there that a person about to die who gives up all kinds of activity and takes shelter of the Supreme Lord thinking himself only under the guidance of the Supreme Lord or His representative, the spiritual master, is beginning his eternal life. God is eternal, and when the devotee thus begins his eternal activities, the Lord and the devotee then become qualitatively one. For being elevated to such a point of devotional life, one has to execute the directions of the scriptures. One should not think that he is already elevated to the highest stage because he might then violate the regulations mentioned in the authoritative scripture for executing devotional service. Devotional service is already dormant in every living being. By nature, every living being is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore it is the duty of the part to serve the whole. The healthy condition of the part is to serve the whole. It is just like the situation of the parts of the body. The hand and the leg serve the body; similarly, as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, every living entity is bound to serve the Supreme Lord in his healthy condition. When he is not thus engaged, it is to be understood that he is not in a healthy condition. As soon as he engages himself in the loving transcendental service of the Lord, he is placed in his normal condition. In this normal condition one engages all his senses in the service of the Lord. How to engage the senses is directed by authoritative scriptures under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The beginning of training in the field of devotional service for a person under the guidance of a spiritual master is to engage the ear in aural reception of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. There are many books of authoritative sources but all of them more or less are descriptions of or supplements to Bhagavad-gita or Srimad- Bhagavatam. Even the Narada Bhakti Sutra is a summary of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; therefore, the beginning of devotional service is to hear these two important transcendental books of knowledge. Simply by aural reception of these two books from the bona fide spiritual master, one becomes enlightened about his devotional service, which is already dormant in his heart. Such devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master and according to the direction of scriptural injunctions is called sadhana-bhakti. This is divided into two divisions, namely vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti. Therefore, one must follow the injunctions of the authoritative scriptures under the direction of the spiritual master. According to code twelve of Narada Bhakti Sutras, even a person highly elevated on the platform of devotional service must execute the rules and regulations of the scripture, what to speak of persons who are not elevated. In other words, neophytes in devotional service must strictly and scrupulously follow the rules and regulations of the scriptures to raise themselves to the platform of unalloyed devotional service. When a person follows the rules and regulations strictly, it is called regulative devotional service or vaidhi-bhakti. The prime principle of vaidhi- bhakti is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, in which it is said that a person serious about making progress in devotional service must always think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must always chant about His glories, and must hear about His activities. That is the preliminary principle of following the scriptural rules and regulations. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, Eleventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, it is to be understood that any person, whatever he may be, is situated in some part of the body of the Supreme Lord in the Universal conception. The conception of the Universal Body of the Supreme Lord is called Virat-purusa. Everyone of us is situated on the body of the Virat-purusa. Some of us are situated on the face, some on the arms, some on the belly, and some on the legs. But wherever we may be situated, we have some particular function to execute in the service of the Supreme Whole. If we are not, therefore, engaged in a particular service, either on the leg, or on the waist, or on the arm, or on the face, then we are to be understood as fallen, just as a part of the body which is useless is amputated from the body. The Padma Purana therefore instructs us that the Supreme Lord Visnu should always be remembered. When we speak of Visnu or Krsna, we should understand that they are one and the same. To summarize the regulative principles of the scripture, it is said in the Padma Purana that Lord Visnu should always be remembered and should never be forgotten. That is the sum and substance of all rules and regulations. We should mold our lives in such a way that in every activity we shall be able to remember the Supreme Lord. Any activity that reminds one of the Supreme Lord is a regulative principle in devotional service, and any activity that makes one forgetful of the Supreme Lord, is a forbidden activity for a devotee. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, Lord Caitanya, said that there are sixty-four regulative principles that must be followed by a person desirous of being elevated to the highest platform of devotional service. One must always remember that the Narada Bhakti Sutras stress that even if one is elevated to the highest devotional service, he must also follow the regulative principles, what to speak of others who are not already elevated. In other words, they must follow the regulative principles 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. 4. To become inquisitive about advancing on the spiritual path of devotional service. 5. To follow the footprints of previous acaryas and devotees. 6. To give up everything and accept a new way of life for the satisfaction of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 7. To live in a place where Krsna's activities are recorded. 8. To minimize one's means of living as much as one can, living comfortably to execute devotional service. 9. To observe the different fasting days, such as Ekadasi. 10. To give protection to the cow and the banyan tree. These ten principles of devotional service are the beginning, and when one is a little more advanced he should try to avoid the following offenses: 1. One should not associate with non-devotees. 2. One should not try to increase the number of his disciples. 3. One should not unnecessarily divert his attention by studying many books; for devotional service, books like Bhagavad- gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Caitanya-caritamrta are sufficient. One should not boast that he is very learned in different kinds of literatures. 4. One should not be disturbed in either loss or gain. 5. One should not be subjected to any kind of lamentation. 6. One should not neglect the demigods, although he should not worship them. 7. One should not blaspheme other scriptures, although he should not follow the principles therein. 8. One should not tolerate blasphemy of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. 9. One should not indulge in idle talks or material talks about relationships between men and women. 10. One should not disturb any living being, whatever he may be. These ten principles should be followed. The above-mentioned twenty items are considered entrance into the door of devotional service. Three of these items, namely acceptance of the spiritual master, initiation by the spiritual master, and service to the spiritual master, are considered the most important. When one has entered into such devotional service, the next beginning is: 1. To hear. 2. To chant. 3. To remember. 4. To worship. 5. To pray. 6. To serve. 7. To accept servitude. 8. To accept friendship. 9. To offer everything. 10. To dance before the Deity. 11. To sing before the Deity. 12. To inform the Lord of everything about one's life. 13. To offer obeisances, bowing down. 14. To offer respect to the devotee and the Supreme Lord by standing up. 15. To follow a devotee or the Supreme Lord. 16. To visit temples of the Supreme Lord. 17. To circumambulate the temple. 18. To read prayers. 19. To meditate on the Supreme God. 20. To perform kirtana. 21. To smell incense and flowers offered to the Deity. 22. To accept Krsna prasadam. 23. To see the arati offered to the Deity. 24. To see the Deity regularly. 25. To offer one's dearmost possessions to the Supreme Lord. 26. To pour water on the tulasi tree. 27. To meditate on devotees. 28. To serve a devotee. 29. To try to go to Vrndavana and Mathura. 30. To relish the topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam. 31. To take all kinds of risks for Krsna. 32. To always expect the mercy of Krsna. 33. To observe different ceremonies with devotees. 34. Fully surrender. 35. To observe ceremonies like the special regulations followed in the month of October. 36. To mark the body with Vaisnava tilaka. 37. To mark the body with the holy names of God. 39. To accept the garland remnants offered to the Supreme Lord. 40. To drink caranamrta, the water that has washed the lotus feet of the Deity. These forty items plus the twenty items mentioned previously complete the sixty items, and over and above the sixty items these four items are especially important: associating with devotees, chanting of the holy Name, hearing of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and residing in a place of pilgrimage. CODE 13 anyatha patitya-sankaya SYNONYMS anyatha-otherwise; patitya-of falling down; sankaya-because of anticipating the possibility. TRANSLATION Otherwise there is every possibility of falling down. PURPORT If a diseased person, after being cured of the symptoms of disease does not care for the principles of healthy living, there is every possibility of a relapse of the disease. Similarly, the neophyte devotee serious about advancing in devotional service must be careful of the principles of regulation, otherwise there is every possibility of falling down. Strictly speaking, if a devotee, without following the regulative principles, acts according to his whims and for example does not eat Krsna prasadam, but eats anywhere and everywhere, like in restaurants, there is surely a possibility of falling down. If he accumulates money without spending it for devotional service, there is every possibility of falling down. If he does not apply his energy in the service of the Lord, or if he applies his energy in some material activities, there is every possibility of falling down. If the devotee does not engage himself always in the topics of Krsna and His activities and instead indulges in idle talks, then there is every chance of falling down. If a neophyte devotee does not follow the orders or direction of the spiritual master and simply officially sticks to the principles, or if he does not strictly follow the principles there is every possibility of falling down. To become greedy is another cause of fall-down. To associate with persons who are not in devotional service is the last word in the allurement of maya for causing a fall-down. In the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Fifth verse, it is clearly stated that sacrifice, charity, and penance are never to be given up by any transcendentalist. If he is at all intelligent he must continue these three activities, even if he is considered to be very highly elevated. A devotee is naturally very humble, and even if he is highly elevated he does not consider himself to be so. We can understand this practically from the life of the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami. He was a vastly learned scholar and a first-class devotee, and still he introduced himself as the lowest of mankind, lower than the bacteria in the stool. He addressed himself by saying that no one should utter the name of a man as sinful as himself, lest that person fall down. Of course, we should not believe that because a devotee addresses himself thus, that he is actually in the lower status of life, but in humility a pure devotee never thinks he is elevated. He always thinks he is in the lowest status of spiritual life. According to Bhagavad-gita, as stated above no one should give up the sacrificial portion of spiritual life, and the best recommended sacrificial activity in this age of Kali is to chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Therefore, a devotee's prime duty is to continue chanting this Maha-mantra even if he is in the most elevated life. Otherwise, there is a possibility of fall-down at any stage. CODE 14 loke 'pi tavad eva bhojanadi-vyaparas tv a-sarira-dharanavadhi SYNONYMS loke-in social behavior; api-also; tavat-for that long; eva-indeed; bhojana- eating; adi-and so on; vyaparah-the activity; tu-and; a-sarira-dharana-avadhi- for as long as one still has this body. TRANSLATION One should behave socially and politically in such matters as eating, just to keep one's body fit, for as long as the body lasts. PURPORT The beginning of spiritual life is to understand that one is not the body. In the material world, all of our connections socially and politically or in the field of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, etc. are only due to this material body. Unless one is completely conversant with the fact that one is not the body, it is not possible to become a pure devotee. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita, Eighteenth Chapter, that when a person is actually self-realized, it is called the brahmabhuta state of life. Unless one knows perfectly well that he is not this body, he cannot be jolly. The stage of self-realization is symptomized by joyfulness. One never laments for any loss, and he is never very enthusiastic when there is some gain. He sees everyone on the equal level of spiritual understanding. These qualities are preliminary to entering into pure devotional service. Pure devotional service is so powerful, however, that one may at once take to pure devotional service without acquiring the previous qualification of brahmabhuta life. The sincere servant engaged in the service of the Lord automatically becomes situated in the brahmabhuta stage. The devotee's duty is only to perform and follow the regulated principles strictly, as previously mentioned. The devotee, therefore, should not be too attracted by social and political obligations, because all such activities belong to the body. One should similarly minimize the eating activity also. Restricted eating is very essential to the execution of devotional service. One cannot eat anything and everything he likes; he must eat only foodstuffs which are offered to the Lord. The Lord clearly says that He accepts either a bit of fruit, or a leaf or a little water, if they are offered to Him with devotional love. The Lord is not hungry or poor, accepting something offered by us for His satisfaction. Actually to offer Him something to eat is for our advantage. If we can offer something to the Supreme Lord that He accepts kindly, then we are benefitted. The Lord is full, but to make it a universal principle that everyone can offer something to the Lord, He accepts the lowest stage of offering; specifically even the poorest of the poor men can collect a little flower, a little leaf and a little water and offer it to the Supreme Lord. Therefore it is incumbent on the pure devotee not to accept anything that is not offered to the Supreme Lord. And the Supreme Lord accepts everything in the vegetable kingdom. Therefore, one who does not accept the prasadam, the remnant foodstuffs offered to Krsna, cannot be a devotee; one who does not eat prasadam is sure to fall down. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, Third verse, it is stated that one who is determined to become a pure devotee is not very much attached to the people who are, in general, simply engaged in following the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. The general mass of people are in the concept of the body as the self, and therefore people are always busy, trying to maintain the body very nicely. Such people should not be associated with by the devotee. Nor is a devotee attached to family members, because he knows that his wife and children are actually accidentally thrown together; otherwise, spiritually, no one is a wife and no one is a child. Everyone comes according to his own past deeds and takes shelter of a person as father and mother, but actually no one is a father or mother. A devotee knows this but this does not mean that a devotee neglects his family; just as a matter of duty he maintains the family members without sense attachment with the intention of giving them instruction in Krsna consciousness. Therefore, a devotee should not perform any action tainted by sense attachment in social life, or in political life or in the matter of eating, sleeping and mating, bhojanadi. Bhojanadi means these four propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. As the devotee does not eat anything which is not offered to Krsna, similarly he does not sleep more than the absolute necessity. We can see in the lives of the great personalities of Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, the great devotees of Krsna at Vrndavana, that they did not sleep more than one and a half hours, and they were reluctant to accept even that. So sleeping is also restricted, and naturally one who is always engaged in devotional service of the Lord he has very little time to sleep. Sleep is a necessity of the body. It is not necessary for the spirit soul, and therefore, as one makes advancement in spiritual life or devotional service, his sleeping propensity also decreases. Similarly in the area of defending, a pure devotee knows that he is under the shelter of the Supreme Lord who is able to protect him always, and so he is not very anxious about defending himself. Although he should use his common sense in the matter of defending, he is sure that without being protected by Lord Krsna, no one can defend himself, however expert he may be in the art of defense. The same applies to the devotee's sex life. A devotee does not indulge in sex life. He does not beget children like cats and dogs do. If he begets any offspring at all, he takes charge of them to elevate them to Krsna consciousness, so that they may not have to accept this material life again. That is the duty of a devotee. In other words, a devotee is never concerned with sense gratification. People in general are engaged in this material world in sense-gratifying activities, and they are acting in so many unwanted ways that they are becoming bound up by the laws of the material modes of nature. The more one is engaged in the matter of sense- gratifying activities, the more he expands his life in the material existence. A devotee knows that his body is temporary, and as long as he is in his body, there are the threefold material miseries which one has to suffer. Such a devotee's behavior with society and his eating, sleeping, defending and mating are always restricted in consideration of advancement of spiritual life.