Bhagvatam: SIMPLY BY EXECUTING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ONE CAN BECOME FULL OF ALL KNOWLEDGE,3rd June

Srimad Bhagvatam: SIMPLY BY EXECUTING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ONE CAN BECOME FULL OF ALL KNOWLEDGE.

TRANSLATION
NARAYANA, THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, WHO IS FULL OF ALL OPULENCES, IS PREDOMINANT WITHIN THE CORE OF YOUR HEART BECAUSE OF YOUR BEING A PURE DEVOTEE. HE ALWAYS DRIVES AWAY ALL THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE, AS THE SUN DRIVES AWAY THE DARKNESS OF THE UNIVERSE.

PURPORT
THE WORDS BHAKTYA KEVALAYA INDICATE THAT SIMPLY BY EXECUTING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ONE CAN BECOME FULL OF ALL KNOWLEDGE.

Krshna is the master of all knowledge (aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasam sriyam).

THE LORD IS SITUATED IN EVERYONE'S HEART (isvaram sarva-bhütanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tishthati), AND WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH A DEVOTEE, THE LORD INSTRUCTS HIM.

ONLY TO THE DEVOTEES, HOWEVER, DOES THE LORD GIVE INSTRUCTIONS BY WHICH TO ADVANCE FURTHER AND FURTHER IN DEVOTIONAL SERVICE.

TO OTHERS, THE NONDEVOTEES, THE LORD GIVES INSTRUCTIONS ACCORDING TO THE MANNER OF THEIR SURRENDER.

The pure devotee is described by the words bhaktya kevalaya.

Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura explains that BHAKTYA KEVALAYA MEANS JNANA-KARMADY-AMISRAYA, "UNMIXED WITH FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES OR SPECULATIVE KNOWLEDGE.”

SIMPLY SURRENDERING AT THE LOTUS FEET IS THE CAUSE OF ALL A DEVOTEE'S ENLIGHTENMENT AND AWARENESS.

BHAGVAT: ORDINARY LITERATURE IS A WASTE OF TIME,2nd June

Extract from Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
LITERATURE THAT IS A USELESS WASTE OF TIME—IN OTHER WORDS, LITERATURE WITHOUT SPIRITUAL BENEFIT—SHOULD BE REJECTED. ONE SHOULD NOT BECOME A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER AS A MEANS OF EARNING ONE'S LIVELIHOOD, NOR SHOULD ONE INDULGE IN ARGUMENTS AND COUNTERARGUMENTS. NOR SHOULD ONE TAKE SHELTER OF ANY CAUSE OR FACTION.

PURPORT
A PERSON DESIRING TO ADVANCE IN SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING SHOULD BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO AVOID READING ORDINARY LITERATURE. THE WORLD IS FULL OF ORDINARY LITERATURE THAT CREATES UNNECESSARY AGITATION IN THE MIND. SUCH LITERATURE, INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS, DRAMAS, NOVELS AND MAGAZINES, IS FACTUALLY NOT MEANT FOR ADVANCEMENT IN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.

INDEED, IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A PLACE OF ENJOYMENT FOR CROWS (tad vayasam tirtham). ANYONE ADVANCING IN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE MUST REJECT SUCH LITERATURE. FURTHERMORE, ONE SHOULD NOT CONCERN ONESELF WITH THE CONCLUSIONS OF VARIOUS LOGICIANS OR PHILOSOPHERS. OF COURSE, THOSE WHO PREACH SOMETIMES NEED TO ARGUE WITH THE CONTENTIONS OF OPPONENTS, BUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ONE SHOULD AVOID AN ARGUMENTATIVE ATTITUDE. In this connection, Srila Madhvacharya says:

"THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE SHELTER OF UNNECESSARY LITERATURE OR CONCERN ONESELF WITH MANY SO-CALLED PHILOSOPHERS AND THINKERS WHO ARE USELESS FOR SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT. Nor should one accept a disciple for the sake of fashion or popularity.

ONE SHOULD BE CALLOUS TO THESE SO-CALLED SHASTRAS, NEITHER OPPOSING NOR FAVORING THEM, AND ONE SHOULD NOT EARN ONE'S LIVELIHOOD BY TAKING MONEY FOR EXPLAINING SASTRA. A SANNYASI MUST ALWAYS BE NEUTRAL AND SEEK THE MEANS TO ADVANCE IN SPIRITUAL LIFE, TAKING FULL SHELTER UNDER THE LOTUS FEET OF THE LORD."

 

Gita shloka 2.68 SENSES CAN BE CONTROLLED ONLY BY KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD,2nd June

Bhagvad Gita (shloka 2.68)

TRANSLATION
THEREFORE, O MIGHTY-ARMED, ONE WHOSE SENSES ARE RESTRAINED FROM THEIR OBJECTS IS CERTAINLY OF STEADY INTELLIGENCE.

PURPORT
AS ENEMIES ARE CURBED BY SUPERIOR FORCE, SIMILARLY, THE SENSES CAN BE CURBED NOT BY ANY HUMAN ENDEAVOR, BUT ONLY BY KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD.

ONE WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD THIS—THAT ONLY BY KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IS ONE REALLY ESTABLISHED IN INTELLIGENCE AND THAT ONE SHOULD PRACTICE THIS ART UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A BONA FIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER—IS CALLED SADHAKA, OR A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR LIBERATION.