Engaging in Devotional Service to Kṛṣṇa - The Perfection of Human Life
The ultimate goal of all Vedic literature is to guide the conditioned soul back to its original constitutional position. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this position is not one of voidness or inactivity, but of vibrant, blissful engagement in the pure devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The Supreme Engagement
True intelligence leads one to recognize the original source of everything. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that when a person fully understands Kṛṣṇa's supreme position as established in the Bhagavad-gītā, their natural, immediate response is to engage their entire life in His loving service.
- Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts (BG 10.8).
- In Bhagavad-gita (10.8) the Lord says: "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me (Krsna). The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."
- Anyone who is actually intelligent can understand that the Supreme Lord Krsna is the source of everything and thus engage in His service.
- Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is to be understood as the knower of everything, and he therefore engages himself in full devotional service, O son of Bharata (BG 15.19).
- If one understands Krsna from the Bhagavad-gita and becomes situated in Krsna consciousness, engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature.
Automatic Knowledge and Detachment
The mechanical processes of yoga and mental speculation struggle to control the restless senses. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when the mind and senses are positively engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, perfect knowledge and complete detachment from material illusion are achieved automatically.
- Bhakti-yoga begins when jnana and vairagya are complete. Jnana is knowledge, and vairagya is detachment from matter and engagement of the mind in spirit. Both of these are automatically attained when we engage in devotional service to Krsna.
- Understanding Vasudeva is real knowledge. By engaging in the devotional service of Vasudeva, Krsna, one acquires perfect knowledge and Vedic understanding. Thus one becomes detached from the material world. This is the perfection of human life.
- One who engages in unalloyed devotional service to Vasudeva, Krsna, automatically becomes aware of this material world, and therefore he is naturally detached. This detachment is possible because of his high standard of knowledge.
- One simply has to concentrate upon the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Krsna (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh (SB 9.4.18)). Then the mind and senses will be controlled, and one can engage himself fully in the devotional service of the Lord.
- If the mind is engaged in Krsna's service, then the senses are automatically engaged in His service. This is the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad-gita: total absorption in the thought of Sri Krsna.
Transcending the Material Modes
To be in the material world means to be infected by the three modes of nature. Yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that anyone who engages in unalloyed devotional service immediately transcends these modes and becomes situated on the pure spiritual platform.
- Krsna says anyone, without any stoppage, twenty-four hours, if one is engaged in devotional service, avyabhicarini bhakti-yogena ya sevate, serving Krsna, then he is no more in the guna-sangah.
- Krsna says; not that we have concocted this idea. Krsna says that - Anyone who's engaged in My devotional service without any hypocrisy, avyabhicarena, then immediately he's freed. Immediately.
- One doesn't have to endeavor separately to become liberated if he immediately engages in devotional service. One must have a firm conviction that he is engaged in Krsna's service and is free from all material contamination. This is imperative.
- One who is engaged in Lord Krsna's devotional service lives in a direct relationship with the Supreme Lord, so there is no doubt that his position is transcendental from the very beginning.
- Anyone who is fully engaged in devotional service in Krsna consciousness is understood to be already realized in Brahman.
Unmotivated Pure Devotion
A pure devotee does not approach God to conduct business. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that those engaged in genuine bhakti have no ulterior motives; they reject all desires for material opulence, elevation to heavenly planets, or even impersonal liberation.
- A pure devotee engaged in the service of Lord Krsna has no desire for his personal sense gratification, and thus he never accepts anything for that purpose.
- To desire material opulence while engaging in devotional service is foolish.
- Those who engage in the devotional service of Krsna are not interested in any of the planets of this material world because they know that no matter to which planet one elevates himself, he will still find the four principles of material existence there nonetheless.
- Those who engage in the transcendental service of the lotus feet of Krsna, being relieved of all material enjoyment, have no attraction to topics of impersonal monism.
- When such persons (who desire liberation) come in contact with a pure devotee, they engage in the devotional service of Krsna and abandon the idea of liberation.
The Ultimate Destination
The supreme reward for a life dedicated to Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that by remaining steadfastly engaged in devotional service until the very end, the pure devotee effortlessly returns to the spiritual world to associate with the Lord eternally.
- Because a pure devotee is always speaking of Krsna and engaging in His service, as soon as he gives up his body he immediately returns to Goloka Vrndavana, where Krsna is personally present. He then meets Krsna directly. This is successful human life.
- A person engaged in devotional service may accept any one of the transcendental relationships, which are known as mellows. When such a person reaches the perfectional stage, he returns home, back to Krsna, in his pure spiritual identity.
- Lord Krsna describes this form of complete perfection in the Bhagavad-gita (8.15): The great souls who engage in My devotional service attain Me, the Supreme Lord, and do not come back to this miserable material life, for they have attained the highest perfection.
- Spiritual body is called siddha-deha, the body by which one can render transcendental service unto Radha and Krsna. The process is that of engaging the transcendental senses in loving devotional service.
- We must engage our self in devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. Then our life is successful. Otherwise we shall continue and drag the miserable condition of life, means we shall change in different ways, but it will never be successful.
Conclusion
As Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully explains, engaging in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is not a sectarian religious practice; it is the absolute science of the soul. The conditioned entity suffers only because their senses are misdirected toward the exploitation of material nature. By simply re-routing that exact same energy—engaging the tongue in chanting, the hands in temple work, and the mind in thinking of Kṛṣṇa—the soul is immediately liberated from the dense network of material illusion. This sublime process requires no mundane qualifications, only a sincere desire to serve. By completely abandoning all motives for material elevation or impersonal liberation, and by absorbing oneself entirely in unalloyed devotional service, the practitioner purifies their existence and ultimately achieves the supreme perfection: returning back home, back to Godhead, to serve the Lord eternally.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Engaging in Devotional Service to Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.