VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
11.11.33
(33) They who, whether they know it or not as to who I am and how I am, worship Me with unalloyed devotion, are by Me considered the best devotees.
11.11.34-41
darśana-sparśanārcanam
guṇa-karmānukīrtanam
mad-anudhyānam uddhava
sarva-lābhopaharaṇaḿ
dāsyenātma-nivedanam
mama parvānumodanam
goṣṭhībhir mad-gṛhotsavaḥ
udyānopavanākrīḍa-
sammārjanopalepābhyāḿ
kṛtasyāparikīrtanam
api dīpāvalokaḿ me
nopayuñjyān niveditam
(34-41) Seeing, touching and worshiping My appearance in this world My devotees render personal service and offer prayers of glorification and obeisance, to which they regularly sing about My qualities and activities. In hearing the topics about Me they always with faith meditate upon Me, o Uddhava, and offer as servants in defense of the Soul all that they acquire. Discussing My birth and activities they take great delight in engaging with musical instruments and songs and dance, organizing to the order of the moon [at sundays or lunar phases] meetings and festivals in My [God's] houses. Sacrificing at all celebrations and annual festivities as mentioned in the vedic literatures and their tantra's, they observe vows and are of initiation in relation to Me. With the installation of My deity they are faithfully attached and endeavor for themselves as well as for others in working for flower gardens, orchards, playgrounds, cities and temples. Straightforward as servants they serve for My sake in thoroughly cleaning and dusting the house [the temple], washing with water [and cow-dung, see also 10.6: 20*], sprinkling scented water and making mandalas. Modestly without pride, not advertising one's devotional service and not reserving for oneself the light of the lamps presented to Me, one should offer Me the thing most dear to oneself or anything else that is most desired in the material world. With such offering one qualifies for immortality.
The words dīpāvalokaḿ me nopayuñjyān niveditam indicate that one may never use the Deity's paraphernalia for sense gratification. If there is a shortage of electricity or lights, one may not use the Deity's lamps, nor should one ever offer to Lord Kṛṣṇa paraphernalia previously offered to or used by others. In these verses, the importance of Deity worship and Vaiṣṇava festivals is emphasized in many ways. Lord Kṛṣṇa promises that whoever sincerely performs these activities will certainly go back home, back to Godhead (tad ānantyāya kalpate). One should offer his most dear possession to Lord Kṛṣṇa, not that which is superfluous or unwanted. If one is most attached to his family, one should see that his family is engaged in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service. If one is most attached to money, that should be given for propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one considers one's intelligence to be most valuable, he should preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness with great logic and reason. If we offer our most valuable possessions to Lord Kṛṣṇa, we will automatically become dear to the Lord and go back to Godhead.
11.11.42
sūryo 'gnir brāhmaṇā gāvo
vaiṣṇavaḥ khaḿ maruj jalam
(42) The sun, the fire, the brahmins, the cows, the Vaishnavas, the sky, the wind, the water, the earth, the soul and all living beings, My dearest, all constitute a medium for My worship.
Unless one understands that Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading and that everything is resting within the Lord, one's Kṛṣṇa consciousness is third class and materialistic. It is clearly stated in all Vedic literatures that the Supreme Absolute Truth is the source of everything. Everything is within Him, and He is within everything. To avoid a materialistic conception of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should not think that the Lord exists only in a particular time and place. Rather, one should understand that He exists at all times and in all places and that one may search for and find Lord Kṛṣṇa within all things. The word pūjā-padāni indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, but this does not mean that all things are Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse to clarify His supremacy as the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and to show the path of complete self-realization.
11.11.43-45
goṣv ańga yavasādinā
vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā
dravyais toya-puraḥsaraiḥ
sthaṇḍile mantra-hṛdayair
(43-45) In the sun one can find Me by selected verses [like the Gâyatrî], with the help of worship and with obeisances [like with the Sûrya-namskar]. In fire one finds Me with offerings of ghee. One can find Me as the best among the learned when one worships Me by being hospitable to them. In the cows, My dear, you reach Me by means of offerings of grass and such. In the Vaishnava one finds Me by honoring him with loving friendship. I am found in the heart by being fixed in meditation on one's inner nature. In the air one finds Me by considering Me the life giving principle [represented in the prâna, by means of prânâyâma see B.G. 4: 29]. In water one can find Me using articles of worship that deal with water [see B.G. 9: 26]. In the earth [one finds Me] by offering food grains, applying sacred mantras from the heart [see e.g. Prasâda Sevâya and Bhoga-ârati]. And within the embodied self one can find Me as the knower of the field [see Paramâtmâ and B.G. 13: 3] by worshiping Me with a balanced mind [see niyama].
11.11.46
dhyāyann arcet samāhitaḥ
(46) Devoutly absorbed in Me thus meditating these different ways one must be of worship for My transcendental form that is equipped with the conchshell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower [see picture].
11.11.47
yo yajeta samāhitaḥ
(47) Thus fully fixed upon Me being of worship with the desired and good works, one obtains by the fine quality of the service thus delivered durable bhakti and the remembrance of Me [see also B.G. 5: 29].
The word iṣṭā-pūrtena, which means "sacrificial performances and pious works," does not indicate deviation from the pure devotional service of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, is called Yajña, or the Lord of sacrifice, and in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasām: "I am the actual enjoyer of all sacrifice." The highest sacrifice is to chant the holy names of the Lord, and by taking shelter of the Lord's names, one will acquire unflinching devotion and realized knowledge of the Absolute Truth. A realized devotee is very attentive in his devotional service, taking it as his life and soul. He keeps himself fit for devotional service by constantly worshiping and glorifying the lotus feet of the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such hari-nāma-kīrtana and guru-pūjā are the only practical methods by which one can achieve pure devotional service. When hari-kīrtana is expanded, it is called kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana. One should not dry up by performing unauthorized austerities or sacrifices; rather, one should engage with all enthusiasm in the great sacrifice of śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana, which enables one to easily achieve the highest perfection of human life.
11.11.48
sat-sańgena vinoddhava
(48) O Uddhava, generally speaking there are, apart from the bhakti-yoga that is realized through the association with devotees, no means that actually work, because I am the true path of life for the ones of virtue [see also 4.31: 12].
In addition to philosophical or intellectual understanding, pure devotional service also awards all other benefits in life, both material and spiritual; therefore one who for any purpose whatsoever accepts a process other than devotional service has unfortunately misunderstood the nature of pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is emphasized here that one must cultivate devotional service in the association of other devotees. On the other hand, the jñāna-yoga process is cultivated alone, because it is difficult for even two mental speculators to be in the same place without their association degenerating into constant quarrel. Other processes of self-realization are compared to the nipples on a goat's neck. They look just like breast nipples, but they will not give any milk whatsoever. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has quoted the following verses, spoken by Śrī Uddhava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Nārada Muni respectively.
tāpa-trayeṇābhihitasya ghore
santapyamānasya bhavādhvanīha
paśyāmi nānyac charaṇaḿ tavāńghri-
dvandvātapatrād amṛtābhivarṣāt
"My dear Lord, for one who is being cruelly burned in the blazing fire of material miseries, having fallen into the network of material existence, I do not see any other possible shelter besides Your two lotus feet, which are a shower of nectar extinguishing the fire of suffering." (Bhāg. 11.19.9)saḿsāra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitīrṣor
nānyaḥ plavo bhagavataḥ puruṣottamasya
"Material existence is like an ocean that is extremely difficult to cross. The conditioned souls have fallen into this ocean, which is not cool but rather burns them with the fire of misery. For one who has fallen into this sea and desires to get out, there is no other rescue boat except the constant relishing within oneself of the pastime narrations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.")11.11.49
(49) Thus o child of the Yadus, I will speak to you, who are willing to listen, even about the most confidential highest secret [of intimate association with Me], since you are My servant, well-wisher and friend [compare B.G. 18: 63 & 68].'
It is stated in the First Chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.8), brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam apy uta: a bona fide spiritual master naturally reveals all transcendental secrets to a sincere disciple. Śrī Uddhava had completely surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and then only could the Lord explain such mysteries to him, because without complete faith the transmission of spiritual knowledge is impossible. Other processes of self realization, such as philosophical speculation, are imperfect and unsteady because the performer has personal desires, and there is no definite procedure by which to obtain the full mercy of the Supreme Lord. On the other hand, association with the pure devotees of the Lord is a self-sufficient process that is guaranteed to award the desired result. One must only learn how to associate with the pure devotees and one's life will be perfect. That is the sum and substance of this chapter.
Thus end of the Eleventh Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Symptoms of Conditioned and Liberated Living Entities."
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