Engaging in Transcendental Loving Service to Kṛṣṇa - The Supreme Pleasure
The material world is driven by the relentless pursuit of pleasure. People work tirelessly to gratify their senses, believing that material enjoyment is the highest goal of life. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals a profound spiritual secret: the pleasure derived from the material senses is merely a dim, temporary shadow of the actual, unlimited bliss found in the transcendental loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Original Purpose of the Senses
Our senses were not given to us by accident, nor were they designed for material exploitation. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that originally, the senses of the living entity were awarded specifically so they could be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. When we misuse these senses for our own bodily enjoyment, we become illusioned. True liberation begins when we redirect them back to Kṛṣṇa.
- Originally the senses of the living entity were awarded to engage them in the transcendental loving service of the Lord or that of His devotees, but the conditioned souls, illusioned by the material energy, became captivated by sense enjoyment.
- By these blunt senses we cannot understand what is Krsna. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: but if you engage yourself in His transcendental loving service, beginning with the tongue.
- Maharaja Ambarisa engaged his senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As a result, he awakened his dormant loving propensity for the Lord's service.
- Unless one is able to control the senses and engage them in the transcendental loving service of Mukunda, there is no possibility of salvation.
Higher Taste of Spiritual Bliss
How does a devotee give up the strong attachments of the material world? They do not do it through dry renunciation; they do it by experiencing a superior pleasure. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently quotes the great Vaiṣṇava, Śrī Yamunācārya, to illustrate this point. The spiritual bliss derived from serving Kṛṣṇa is so overwhelmingly powerful and ever-fresh that it makes the highest material pleasures—such as sex life—seem utterly repulsive in comparison.
- Yamunacarya said: Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste.
- In reference to the low-grade happiness of sex life, Yamunacarya says: "Since I have been engaged in the loving service of Krsna, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste."
- Through such fortunate engagement (the transcendental service of God), one’s transcendental love for Krsna is increased. One's position is thus completely purified, and one is filled with transcendental bliss accompanied by the spirit soul's jubilation.
- Devotional service is so nice and pure that it purifies the devotee, and he forgets all material ambitions as soon as he engages fully in the transcendental loving service of Krsna. A practical example is Dhruva Maharaja.
Folly of Mixed Motives
Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, serving Him naturally brings all opulences. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that approaching Kṛṣṇa with ulterior material motives is a grave mistake. Kṛṣṇa Himself states in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that if someone engages in His transcendental service but simultaneously desires material enjoyment, they are incredibly foolish—like a person who throws away immortal nectar just to drink poison.
- Krsna says, 'If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish. Indeed, he is just like a person who gives up ambrosia to drink poison'.
- It is said in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.38-39): Krsna says, 'If one engages in My transcendental loving service but at the same time wants the opulence of material enjoyment, he is very, very foolish.
- To become free from su-visaya and ku-visaya, one must engage himself in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Automatic Fulfillment of All Desires
When a devotee completely surrenders and engages in the loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa without any material motives, they actually lose nothing. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the four principles of human endeavor—religiosity (dharma), economic development (artha), sense gratification (kāma), and liberation (mokṣa)—are automatically achieved by the pure devotee without any separate endeavor.
- O my Lord, devotees who engage in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet have no difficulty in achieving anything within the realm of the four principles of religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.
- Uddhava addresses Lord Krsna and says, "My dear Lord, for persons who are engaged in Your transcendental loving service there is nothing worth obtaining from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification or liberation."
- If a person gives up all material desires and completely engages in the transcendental loving service of Krsna, as enjoined in the revealed scriptures, he is never indebted to the demigods, sages or forefathers.
- If those who desire material enjoyment or merging into the existence of the Absolute Truth engage in the Lord's transcendental loving service, they will immediately attain shelter at Krsna's lotus feet, although they did not ask for it.
The Supreme Goal
Ultimately, the goal of this service is not just to become peaceful in this world, but to return to our original home. Śrīla Prabhupāda guarantees that anyone who constantly engages in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa receives direct intelligence from the Lord within the heart. This divine guidance ensures the devotee's safe passage back to the spiritual world, where they will associate with Kṛṣṇa eternally.
- All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.
- Perhaps you remember the verse in the tenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita that the Lord Himself supplies the light and intelligence from within the heart of a devotee who is constantly engaged in His transcendental loving service.
- An enlightened soul is admitted into the spiritual realm of the Lord and engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
- In the spiritual world there are also innumerable living entities, who are eternally liberated souls engaged in transcendental loving service to Lord Krsna.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement exists solely to train humanity in the art of transcendental loving service. By understanding that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and actively engaging our senses in His service, we awaken our dormant love, cure the disease of material existence, and finally experience the ever-new, unlimited bliss of our eternal constitutional position.
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 Transcendental Loving Service to Krsna. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience his teachings in their direct, verbatim form.