Sanat-kumāra instructs us in devotional service

In the 4th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sanat-kumāra instructs King Pṛthu in devotional service. Pṛthu, however, didn't really need them. These instructions are for us.

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In the 4th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sanat-kumāra instructs King Pṛthu in devotional service. Pṛthu surely enjoyed hearing these beautiful instructions, but being a pure devotee and an empowered incarnation, he didn’t really need them. These instructions are for us. It is just that because we can’t see the Kumāras, nor do we have the qualification to ask the right questions, Kṛṣṇa uses His devotees to create such dialogues for our benefit. What did Sanat-kumāra explain?

The first point is that Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is the ultimate good, and the best way to learn about it is in the association of devotees. The main point is not even the scriptures themselves, but the devotees discussing them. As Prabhupāda points out, the Bhagavad-gītā was well-known for many centuries in the West before he came, with many discussions held and many commentaries written, but not even a single person became Kṛṣṇa conscious as a result of such discussions. When he published the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, however, the effect was immediately noticed.

Such discussions among devotees benefit all involved, because when we speak about Kṛṣṇa, we directly associate with Kṛṣṇa. The speaker thus benefits as much as the audience. Even if one is not a devotee, just by hearing, he becomes purified and, with time, may also come to the platform of devotional service.

The propensity to enjoy matter, manifested in the form of material lust, is the root cause of the conditioning of the soul. This lust can be cleansed only by the association of devotees, because only by this association can we ascend to the platform of devotional service. Other processes, such as karma and jñana, are ineffective without the presence of bhakti.

Since lust is the cause of conditioning, what is the process to become free from it? This is answered by Sanat-kumāra: “It has been conclusively decided in the scriptures, after due consideration, that the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental, beyond the modes of material nature.” (SB 4.22.21)

Progress in spiritual life has two components: detachment from the bodily conception of life and attachment to the Lord, and the best welfare is that which achieves these two things. This is the conclusion from the scriptures, and the main focus of the instructions of Sanat-kumāra.

Why is it not possible to become attached to the Lord while at the same time remaining attached to the material world? The Lord is transcendental and beyond the modes of material nature, and therefore, he can’t be attained as long as one is tied to this material world, just as one can’t remain on the ground and touch the clouds at the same time. A person in the bodily concept of life can’t even understand the ultimate goal, let alone attain it. The process of giving up the attachment to this material world starts with transcendental inquiry (athāto brahma-jijñāsā). After one’s attachment slackens as a result of such inquiry, one gradually comes to the platform of devotional service. Without devotional service, however, mere philosophical inquiry stops in impersonalism, from where one may fall back to the material platform.

In this way, one can obtain the first component, detachment from the material, through the process of philosophical inquiry. But how to obtain the second component, attachment to the Lord?

“Attachment for the Supreme can be increased by practicing devotional service, inquiring about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, applying bhakti-yoga in life, worshiping the Yogeśvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by hearing and chanting about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These actions are pious in themselves.” (SB 4.22.22)

Kṛṣṇa mentions in the Gītā (7.28) that without being situated on a platform of piety, a person cannot engage in devotional service. This explains why it is so rare for common people to come to this platform. However, by simply hearing from pure devotees, we become situated in this platform of piety, giving us the opportunity. To further advance, becoming fully cleansed, one should accept a bona fide spiritual master and learn from him how to serve Kṛṣṇa.

The process of developing attachment to Kṛṣṇa includes many positives, such as hearing from saintly persons, accepting a spiritual master and learning from him, following in the footsteps of great ācāryas, and so on. It also includes many negatives, or things to avoid, to quickly progress.

To be able to advance quickly, we should do both simultaneously. Just abandoning the association of materialistic persons is not sufficient: one has to also find positive engagement in the company of devotees. Therefore, although both are necessary, association of devotees should be the priority, because by associating with devotees, we gradually lose the taste for material association, but by just abandoning material association and going to meditate in the forest, one doesn’t automatically develop taste for devotional service, and without this taste one cannot remain fixed in the transcendental platform.

Going to the forest and chanting alone is not a process recommended for most. We need association, but where to find it? To offer this devotee association, our ācāryas have been engaged in creating and expanding spiritual institutions. Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura created the World Vaishnava Association, Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura created the Gauḍīya Maṭha, and Śrila Prabhupada created ISKCON. In one sense, these institutions are perfect because they are dedicated to the cause of the Lord, and are thus connected to the spiritual platform, but on the material side, there may be many deficiencies introduced by imperfect individuals joining, such as ourselves. The idea, however, is that by associating with devotees, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, and being engaged in practical devotional service, we can gradually grow. We should thus try to focus on the spiritual side, valuing the possibility of associating with devotees instead of paying too much attention to the material imperfections.

After describing the foundations of the process of bhakti in verses 18 to 23, Sanat-kumāra goes deeper into the details of the devotional practice in verses 24 to 31. It’s already accepted that hearing about Kṛṣṇa from devotees is the foundation of the process of bhakti and that accepting a spiritual master and learning from him is the next step. What other directives should we follow to make the mind more fixed on the Lord?

In text 24, six additional principles are offered for one desiring to advance on the spiritual path:

a) Nonviolence (ahiṁsā) means not just not committing violence against others, but also stopping violence being committed against animals and other innocent creatures by spreading spiritual principles. If a devotee suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if he sees someone else being harmed, he should be compassionate and do what he can to prevent it. Materialistic philanthropists usually promote the protection of a certain group or species, but a devotee understands the principle of universal brotherhood and is thus a friend to all and does his best to teach others this transcendental science. This is true ahiṁsā.

b) Following in the footsteps of great ācāryas means to join the disciplic succession by accepting a spiritual master and learning the transcendental science from him. All previous ācāryas showed the perfect example by following this same path.

c) What about smṛtyā, remembering the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Prabhupada explains that “Life should be molded in such a way that one cannot remain alone without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We should live in Kṛṣṇa so that while eating, sleeping, walking and working we remain only in Kṛṣṇa.” How to achieve that? “This remembrance of the Lord can be continued if we hear about Him constantly.” Nowadays, we have the facility for hearing from sadhus not only personally and through books, but also through recordings, broadcasts, online meetings, and all sorts of electronic and virtual tools. We should, as far as possible, fill up our time with Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Prabhupada gives the example of devotees hearing lectures while working, making incense in the Spiritual Sky company, which devotees were running in the 1970s.

d) The fourth instruction, yamaiḥ, means to control our senses. This may sound very difficult in the beginning, but Prabhupada explains that “This is possible when one does not desire any material sense gratification.” This can be achieved by observing the regulative principles and abandoning the idea of enjoying our senses separately from Kṛṣṇa. By serving Kṛṣṇa, we obtain a higher taste.

e) The problem in rigidly following regulative principles is that this can make us envious or intolerant of others who are not following the same standard. Prabhupada explains that there are different religious systems destined to different grades of people, according to the influence of the three modes of material nature over them. Criticizing just creates enmity and agitates the mind, making people even more resistant. Instead, a devotee should encourage followers of other systems to stick to their principles, so that they may gradually progress. Doing so has two advantages: a devotee may encourage them to come closer to the standard of bhakti by encouraging them to follow positive principles present in their systems, and by this pleasant and soft approach, they may accept the devotee as a guide, which will open the door for them to become gradually attracted to the path of devotional service.

f) Finally, a devotee should be nirīhayā: simple, meek, and gentle. As Prabhupada defines, “A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service.” Life in the material world is always uncomfortable, and the more we try to make arrangements to reduce these discomforts, the less we have time to practice devotional service. We should thus learn to tolerate a certain level of bodily discomfort, so we can remain fixed in our spiritual practice.

How can we become fixed in these six principles? Sanat-kumāra concludes that this can be achieved by constantly hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This point was already made, but it is again emphasized in text 25.

Ordinarily, people are attracted to hearing about politics and other mundane topics, but a devotee should acquire a taste for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. How to acquire this taste? This brings us back to the principle of hearing from realized souls, which is again emphasized.

What is the result of following this process? After accepting a spiritual master and, by his guidance, attaining love for Kṛṣṇa and detachment from the world, the soul becomes free. Just as a fire appearing from wood destroys the wood itself, the soul practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness using the material body and senses gradually burns his material surroundings.

When one becomes advanced in spiritual practice, one becomes liberated even while still living in the material body. This situation is compared to a dry coconut detached from the coconut husk, even though still within the husk. The body of a pure devotee is called cin-maya-śarīra, or a spiritualized body, because he doesn’t perform material activities, even though engaged in all kinds of undertakings for Kṛṣṇa. This art of action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described in the Gītā. By this process of devotional service, not only the performer, but the activity itself, the paraphernalia used to perform it, the offering, and even the place where a devotee performs his service merge into transcendence (Bg 4.19-24). Once our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is covered by Maya, the only way to revive it is by engaging the material body, material consciousness, and anything else we have now in the service of the Lord.

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