BG 6.47 – Service with Love and Faith

Giriraj Swami:

[Bhagavad-gītā 6.47]

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ

TRANSLATION

And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.

PURPORT by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

The word bhajate is significant here. Bhajate has its root in the verb bhaj, which is used when there is need of service. The English word “worship” cannot be used in the same sense as bhaj. Worship means to adore, or to show respect and honor to the worthy one. But service with love and faith is especially meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or a demigod and may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned. Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus every living entity is intended to serve the Supreme Lord by his own constitution. Failing to do this, he falls down. The Bhāgavatam (11.5.3) confirms this as follows:

ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād

ātma-prabhavam īśvaram

na bhajanty avajānanti

sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

“Anyone who does not render service and neglects his duty unto the primeval Lord, who is the source of all living entities, will certainly fall down from his constitutional position.”

COMMENT

So Bhagavad-gītā is the explanation of the yoga. And what is the meaning of yoga? Yoga means to link by becoming connected with God. So there are different types of yogas but all types of yoga are meant for the same purpose- to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is that the living entity is not the material body that he is spiritual soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul or Lord Krishna. Therefore, his real relationship is with the Supreme, not with the body. And what is that relationship with the Supreme? The Supreme is the master whereas the living entities are the servants. Therefore, Lord Chaitanya has instructed jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ the constitutional position of the living entity is that he is an eternal servant of Krishna. So if someone acts in his constitutional position, he is liberated. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6); mukti or liberation means to be reinstated in one’s constitutional position or svarūpa. And what is our constitutional position? jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ - we are eternal servants of Krishna. So to be established in the eternal service to Krishna is liberation and to be in any other position except eternal service to Krishna is to be conditioned.

So if one does not engage in devotional service to Krishna he is considered to be fallen, he is considered fallen because he is bound to material world. He is forced to suffer the three fold miseries. He is forced to suffer material birth, death, old age and disease. We do not want to suffer but we are forced to suffer. Nobody goes to the temple or the church and pray, “Dear God give me trouble.” We pray to God to be free from trouble but troubles come. We don’t invite them, we don’t want them but they come without invitation, why? Because we are in the material world. There are always troubles in the material world. If we want to be free from the miseries, we have to leave the material world and enter the spiritual kingdom. But as long we are in the material world, we have to suffer and we cannot avoid it no matter how many arrangements we make.

Once Srila Prabhupada was giving lecture in Mayapur and he mentioned that, “we are in the beautiful building decorated with marble and living on the third floor but even though the building was so beautiful and precious still the agents of maya, the agents of Durga were coming in the form of insects-flies, mosquitos.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “even though we are living in such a beautiful building the maya’s agents are there. And they create such a situation that you don’t want to even stay there, want to leave and go somewhere else. So no matter where we are, no matter who we are, maya’s agents are there to trouble us. And we suffer but we do not want to suffer. So when Santana Gosvami met Lord Chaitanya he asked him (CC Madhya 20.102) ‘ke āmi’ “Who am I? and why am I suffering; and how can I become free from suffering?

So, who are you? Lord Chaitanya replied, jive nitya kṛṣṇa-dasa. And “Why are you suffering? “you are suffering because you have forgotten your eternal relationship with Krishna. How can you become free from suffering? By being in service in your constitutional position as Lord Krishna’s eternal servant of Krishna. So Krishna conscious movement is rendering the best service to human society because we are educating people how they can become free from the miseries of material existence. Just engage in Krishna’s service. And How to engage in Krishna’s service? Especially in modern age of kali we are advised; harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam; one should chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names of Krishna; kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathāhari there is no other way, no other way, no other way of success in kali-yuga. So we should chant the holy names of Krishna

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

By chanting the holy names of Krishna we can be liberated from the material miseries and enjoy transcendental bliss. Everyone wants to be free from miseries, everyone wants to enjoy eternal happiness but people do not know how. And therefore the Krishna conscious movement is rendering the greatest service to humanity by instructing them how to be free from material miseries and how to enjoy highest perfection of life but we are so unfortunate that although we hear the instructions we cannot follow.

There was one cartoon in one magazine of America- an old man and an old lady were sitting on a bench and the old lady was telling the old man; chant chant chant and the old man was saying, can’t can’t can’t!! So this is our misfortune. With the same effort we can chant the holy name of Krishna and be happy but we won’t chant. We will spend more energy avoiding chanting than we need to spend to chanting. So this is our misfortune. And such misfortune is very prominent in Kali-yuga. The symptoms of Kali-yuga are mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how the persons suffer in Kali-yuga and the Bhāgavatam says, people in Kali-yuga are unfortunate, they are lazy, they are misguided and they are always disturbed. People are always disturbed. Therefore, when they come to the temple, they feel relieved. People tell us when they come to the temple, we feel so peaceful. We don’t feel peaceful anywhere else. Why do they feel peaceful? because Krishna is here and devotees are engaged in the service of Krishna. Engagement in the service of Krishna is the means to liberation, liberation from miseries of material existence. What is the solution? how to become peaceful? Everyone should live in the temple? No, everyone cannot live in the temple but they can do the same thing as they do in the temple and whenever possible come to the temple. Otherwise they can do the same thing and they can make their home into a temple. Actually what is a temple? The temple is also a building, there are bricks, cement, wood, and stone. A temple is also a building so what is the difference between a temple and a house?

In the temple the center is God and service to God. So long as we make Krishna the center of our lives, of our activities then our home will become a temple and we will feel peaceful and happy at home just like in the temple. Well someone may argue what is the use of a temple, we can worship God at home. There are atheists who actually preach that why do you need temples? Why do you need to worship God? God is in you. God is everywhere. Why do you need to go to temple? God is everywhere but not in the temple. Then what is the use of the temple? The main value of the temple is the association of devotees in the temple. Of course we worship the deity in the temple but the system in every temple, a bona fide temple, is apart from the deity worship, there should be discussion of the scriptures- Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explained by pure devotees. We cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from non-devotees. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Krishna personally says: bhakto ‘si me sakhā ceti (B.G.4.3) Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “I am instructing the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā to you because you are my devotee.” bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (B.G.18.55) I can be understood only by devotional service. So only a devotee can understand Bhagavad-gītā and consequently only a devotee can explain Bhagavad-gītā.

So we go the temple to hear the scriptures explained by devotees. Of course we can read at home we should read Srila Prabhupada’s books at home and benefit but Srila Prabhupada himself said that the value of discussion is much more than reading at home. When we come to the temple to hear talks on the science of Godhead, the science of yoga. So as far as possible we worship Krishna at home, we serve Krishna at home. We make home as a temple. And still we come to the temple to get inspired by the association of more advanced devotees. So both processes are required-hearing about Krishna from devotees and worshipping Krishna in the form of a deity. Both processes are required and we can do both in the temple and even at home. One can invite devotees to our home, call our friends and have some discussion of Krishna at home. Of course we can also bring friends to the temple and that will help spread Krishna conscious and that will please Krishna more. Of course when we chant Hare Krishna, Krishna is pleased but when we induce other persons to chant Hare Krishna, Krishna is even more pleased. So if possible, we tell people about Krishna. If we cannot explain much ourselves, we bring them to the devotees who can explain more and that will please Krishna and that is bhakti- how to please Krishna. And here in this verse in Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says that the best yogi of all yogis is one who worships Him with faith and devotion, who serves Him with faith and devotion.

It is by great fortune that one comes to Krishna consciousness on the path of bhakti-yoga to become well situated according to the Vedic direction. This stage of highest perfection in yoga can be attained only by bhakti-yoga, as is confirmed in all Vedic literature:

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)

In the verse Lord Krishna says: śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ, one who has faith and worships Me, He is the best of all yogis and what is faith? yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau - one should have equal faith in the Supreme Lord and in the spiritual master. “Bhakti means devotional service to the Lord which is free from desire for material profit, either in this life or in the next. Devoid of such inclinations, one should fully absorb the mind in the Supreme. That is the purpose of naiṣkarmya.” (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.15). “Bhakti means devotional service to the Lord which is free from desire for material profit, either in this life or in the next. Devoid of such inclinations, one should fully absorb the mind in the Supreme. That is the purpose of naiṣkarmya.” (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.15)

So we should serve the Lord without any material motive. When we serve the Lord to get something, it is not service, it is business. Just like Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Lord Krishna in the form of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva instructed Prahlada Maharaja for some benediction but Prahlada Maharaja replied, “My dear Lord, why do you want to tempt me with material benedictions? You have brought me in the world to demonstrate the principles of pure devotional service. So why do you want to tempt me with material benedictions?” Then Prahlada explained that, “I am serving You, not to get anything. If I was serving you to get something then I would not be a servant, I would be a businessman. So I am serving you only to please you because my constitutional position is to serve you. There is no other reason for my service.”

So that is pure devotional service. That is what we want. And if we can achieve devotional service, all our desires will be fulfilled. We will be liberated from all material miseries. We will be reinstated in constitutional position as Krishna’s eternal servants. We will enjoy the highest perfection of Krishna consciousness- eternal life full of bliss and knowledge. So Krishna consciousness is the highest benediction to humanity. So we should take advantage of the opportunity. Make your life successful by being Krishna conscious and do good to others by bringing them to Krishna consciousness. Hare Krishna. Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Sometimes temples will exclude persons from the temples. How can it be justified?

Giriraj Swami: There are persons in India who believe that only Indians or Hindus should be allowed to enter the temple for example in Jagannatha Puri the who are priest have the idea only Indians or Hindus should be allowed to enter there. So they do not allow devotees from other counties or other communities to enter the temple. Sometimes they even stop ISKCON devotees of Indian origin or Hindu families to enter because they say even the Indian devotees have now become contaminated by being in contact with western devotees. So such restrictions are not approved. When Lord Chaitanya was personally present- daily He used to visit Srila Haridasa Thakura.

Haridasa Thakura was born in the Muslim family. He was not allowed into the temple of Lord Jagannatha but Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself. He is Jagannatha Himself. And every day he was personally going to meet Haridasa Thakura. In other words, Lord Jagannatha had no discrimination as to who is not worthy of seeing Him. The very name Jaganath means “The Lord of the universe.” Jagat means universe and nath means Lord. So Jagannatha is the Lord of the universe not just the Lord of the Hindus, or Indians and devotees of all over the world are worshipping Lord Jagannatha all over the world - even in Spain; in Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga. So such restrictions are not approved. Krishna Consciousness is open to anyone and everyone. Obviously if someone comes to the temple to create some disturbance, the authorities in the temple will have to take action to maintain discipline. In principle, Krishna conscious is open to everyone.

Devotee: When we have a temple at home. We can worship other demigods along with demigods along with the spiritual master?

Giriraj Swami: Of course one can worship demigods. What such worship is not approved in Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Krishna says, avidhi-pūrvakam (BG 9.23) worship that belongs to the demigods is actually for Me but it is being offered improperly to the demigods. Of course, the demigods are also devotees of Lord Krishna. So in many of the big temples in India, Vishnu temples, there are smaller temples of the demigods, where the demigods are offered the prasāda of the deity of Vishnu. In other words, the food is not offered directly to the demigods. The food is offered to the Supreme Lord Krishna and the prasāda of Lord Krishna is offered to the demigods. So the demigods can be considered honored as devotees of Krishna but we should not think there are many Gods and the demigods are equal to the Supreme God or independent of the Supreme God; ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. Only Krishna is the supreme master and all others are His servants. So generally we don’t worship demigods. Even though we know that they are devotees, ordinary people will see, oh, he is also worshipping demigod even under ISKCON so we will also worship demigods. Just like the residents of Vrindavan were accustomed to worship Indra but Lord Krishna stopped the worship. Thus Lord Krishna established the principle that even if one has the duty of some type of worship in one’s family for many generations, one is not obliged to continue that worship. We may give up the worship of the demigod for the sake of Krishna.

Devotee: We shouldn’t do devotional service to ask for some material benefits but can we offer those material things to Krishna in devotional service?

Giriraj Swami: We should not ask anything material in exchange for devotional service but we can use material things in devotional service but we are not dependent on them. For example, if we have a car, we can use the car to go and preach and distribute books. If we don’t have the car, still we can preach and distribute books. We can walk, go on a motorbike or go by bus. So whatever facility we can get in the service of the Lord without too much difficulty, we can accept. If we don’t find the facility, we can ask for it from the Lord. So the body is also a facility to serve Krishna. So the body should be used for the service of Krishna. So if the body falls sick, we can go to the doctor and continue our service. The body is not for sense gratification but for Krishna’s service. If we maintain the body for the sake of service to Krishna it is not against the regulative principles.

Devotee: Sometime we they criticize in the Indian community and they say we put too much emphasis on Prabhupada. So sometimes people say; I believe in Krishna but I don’t trust the devotees. How is it possible that you love Krishna without the devotees? How can we reply to these people when we put too much emphasis on Prabhupada?

Giriraj Swami: So sometimes people criticize us that we put too much emphasis on Srila Prabhupada and they say we have faith in Krishna but not in other human beings. Well, if you have faith in Krishna then you should have faith in Krishna’s instruction: yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau; unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to them all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed. And in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (4.34) Lord Krishna says:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

One should approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him, inquire from him and render service to him. Such realized souls can impart the knowledge of the Absolute Truth because he has seen the truth and elsewhere Lord Krishna says in Acharya upasana- we should approach the Acharya; we should worship the Acharya. So then when they say they have faith in Krishna but if actually know Krishna, they have faith in Krishna, they should actually follow Krishna’s instructions. In Ādi-Purana Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “those who claim to be my devotees are not actually My devotees. Those who are devotees of my devotees are actually my devotees.” So every scripture confirms that one should become servant of the servant of the devotees in the disciplic succession. One should not try to become directly the servant of the Lord as they say in English, if you love me, love my dog. If you really love me, you should love my dog as well. Krishna also says the same thing. If you really love me, you have to love my devotees. Devotees are like dogs of Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! 
Nitai-Gaura premānande Hari Haribol!