The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic-words from the bhaktas

continued...

Acceptance of what is favorable.

3.16

अप्राकृत रत्य् उदयश् च
aprākṛta raty udayaś ca

Transcendental attraction and attachment to Kṛṣṇa also dawns [from service to the devotees.] 

यत् तद् वदन्तु षास्त्राणि यत् तद् व्याख्यान्तु तार्किकः
जीवनं मम चैतन्य पादाम्बोज सुधैव तु

श्री प्रबोधानन्दपादानां

yat tad vadantu śāstrāṇi yat tad vyākhyāntu tārkikaḥ

jīvanaṁ mama caitanya pādāmboja sudhaiva tu

Śrī Prabodhānandapādānāṁ

Whatever the śāstras say and whatever is argued about their meaning,  I take the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya as my life and soul.

Śrī Prabodhānanda

[Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākura in his Caitanya Caritamṛta commentary describes Prabodhānanda Saraswati as a great Vaishnava devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu who wrote a number of books such as Caitanya-candāmṛta, Rādhā-rāsa-sudhā-nidhi, Saṅgīta-Mādhava, Vṛdnāvana-śātaka and Nabadwipa-śātaka.  Prabhodānanda Saraswati  was the uncle and spiritual master of Gopal Bhatta Goswāmi. (CC Adi 7.149, CC Madhya 17. 104).  Since Caitanya Mahāprabhu is both the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well as His devotee, Prabodhānanda feels confident he achieves the purport of all the śāstras, leaving aside arguments, merely by accepting the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya.]

3.17

साध्य-सेवा-सङ्कल्पः

sādhya-sevā-saṅkalpaḥ

[It is also favorable] to long for perfection in devotional practice.

भवन्तम् एवानुचरन् निरन्तरः

प्रशान्त निःशेष मनो रथान्तरः

कदाहम् ऐकान्तिक नित्य किङ्करः

प्रहर्षयिष्यामि सनाथ जिवितम्

श्री यामुनाचार्य्यस्य

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ

praśānta niḥśeṣa mano rathāntaraḥ

kadāham aikāntika nitya kiṅkaraḥ

praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha jivitam

śrī yāmunācāryyasya

"When will I bloom in service as your devotee? Then my heart and mind will be peaceful. All my desires will be purified by your service."

This verse is found in Caitanya Caritamṛta Madhya lila 1.206

भवन्तम् एवानुचरन् निरन्तरः

प्रशान्त-निःशेष-मनो-रथान्तरः

कदाहम् ऐकान्तिक-नित्य-किङ्करः

प्रहर्षयिष्यामि सनाथ-जीवितम्

TEXT 206

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ

praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ

kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ

praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam

SYNONYMS

bhavantam—You; eva—certainly; anucaran—serving; nirantaraḥ—always; praśānta—pacified; niḥśeṣa—all; manaḥ-ratha—desires; antaraḥ—other; kadā—when; aham—I; aikāntika—exclusive; nitya—eternal; kiṅkaraḥ—servant; praharṣayiṣyāmi—I shall become joyful; sa-nātha—with a fitting master; jīvitam—living.

TRANSLATION

“‘By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?’”

PURPORT

In His teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has declared every living entity to be an eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the constitutional position of all living entities. Just as a dog or servant is very much satisfied to get a competent, perfect master, or as a child is completely satisfied to possess a competent father, so the living entity is satisfied by completely engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord. He thereby knows that he has a competent master to save him from all kinds of danger. Unless the living entity comes to the guaranteed protection of the Supreme Lord, he is full of anxiety. This life of anxiety is called material existence. To be completely satisfied and devoid of anxiety, one must come to the position of eternally rendering service to the Supreme Lord. This verse is also from the Stotra-ratna (43), by Śrī Yāmunācārya.

In a lecture given in Los Angeles, California, Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, "This is a prayer by Yāmunācārya. He's aspiring, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ: "I shall always live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." 

Bhavantam. He's addressing the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, bhavantam. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means 'without any stop; continually.' "When I shall live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any stop?" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Mana means 'mind.' We are on the chariot, and the mind is the driver and the senses are the horses. (ACBSP Lecture SB 01.15.31 - Los Angeles http://vanisource.org/wiki/731209_-_Lecture_SB_01.15.31_-_Los_Angeles)

[In another lecture on the same verse by Yamunācārya,  A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda elaborates widely on its meaning. ]

"This is very important verse. Śrī Yamunācārya says, "My dear Lord," bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ, "when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?" This is the process of being freed from all anxiety. Just like this child. This child is restless. He's going here, going there. But if the child is given some engagement, toy, which he likes, then she will remain there pacified and will not disturb anyone. That is natural. 

Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. So long we are not again linked up with His service, with His... So long we are not again reestablished in our lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, we shall remain restless. That is our natural condition. Just like the child is crying, restless. But as soon as the mother takes the child on the lap, the child is immediately pacified. Why? Because the child wants that. She cannot express what she wants. She is crying. But she has no language to express, but she can express her feelings. As soon as she is on the lap of the mother, she understands, "Now I am fully satisfied." You can also understand. So even there is no language, there is a stage of satisfaction. That stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one comes to the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll be satisfied. And unless he comes to that stage, he'll always be disturbed, full of anxieties...

...So Yamunācārya is praying to the Lord, "My dear Lord, when I shall achieve that stage of life when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantaraḥ means without any interval. In the material world, after working for some time, we want an interval for rest. But if you are actually engaged in spiritual activities, you won't like to be rested. You want to continue always = work, work, work. Rest will be disgusting. Of course, so long we have got this material body, we have to take rest, but this rest is also not required, because in the spiritual world there is no such fatigue. Everyone is always active. So that is perfectional stage. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. And how one can be pacified fully? When he does not manufacture the fulfillment of desire. 

...You have to stop this manufacturing process, that "I shall be happy in this way." No. That is called free of anxieties. If you want to manufacture, that "I shall be happy in this way," that will also create another anxiety. That will create another anxiety. Therefore Yamunācārya says, praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Mano-rathāntaraḥ, this particular word, is used = "mind, on the chariot of mind." In the material stage of life, we are being driven by the chariot of mind. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is stated, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni. All living entities are traveling within this material world in different species of life, in different planets. Sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā: on the chariot given by the material energy. So that is mind.

So, so long we shall travel on the chariot of the mind, mano-ratha, then there is no question of our being freed from anxiety. Therefore we have to give up this chariot of mind. The chariot of mind will not give us satisfaction. We have to transcend the mental state, the intellectual state. The philosophers, they are intellectually trying to be happy. That also we have to transcend. We have [to] come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And not only come to the spiritual platform, we must have spiritual engagement. 

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have got engagement. 

We are not only satisfied that "I am spirit," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. 

No. 

There must be duties of the Brahman. The Brahman must be engaged. Otherwise... Because we want some work, because we are active... We are not just like stones. We cannot sit down. 

So there must be activities. Just study the nature of the child. He's always active, must be doing something. Maybe it is useless, but how can you stop the child's activities? That is not possible. Similarly, we are active. So simply by understanding that "I am spirit soul" will not help me. 

I must be active in the spiritual world. 

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone is engaged in some activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that will make him praśānta. Niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. That stage of pacified condition of life can be attained, as it is stated by Yamunācārya, kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. Aikāntika. Aikāntika means absolutely, without diverting my mind in any other thing; nitya-kiṅkaraḥ, eternally servant of God, eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. When I am convinced in that way, then I shall be happy. 

Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi. 

Praharṣayiṣyāmi means "I shall be always jolly." How I shall be jolly? Sanātha-jīvitam: "Because I will [be] living under the protection of my Lord." 

(ACBSP 14 September 1969 https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/690914lelon/ ) 

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

El Tónico de la Dulce Rendición para las Almas Dedicadas

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CAPÍTULO III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Tónico para el Alma, palabras de los bhaktas

continuación...

Aceptación de lo favorable.

तृतियोऽध्यायः

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Tónico para el Alma – Palabras de los bhaktas

Continuación

3.13

tadiīyārādhanaṁ parama-phaladam

तदिईयाराधनं परम-फलदम्

Such worship [of the vaiṣṇava] gives supreme fruit.

मज्-जन्मनः फलम् इदं मधु-कैतभारेमत् प्रार्थनीय मद् अनुग्रह एष एवत्वद् भृत्य भृत्य परिचारक भृत्य भृत्यभृत्यस्य्स भृत्यम् इति मां स्मर लोकनाथ

श्री कुलशेकरण

maj-janmanaḥ phalam idaṁ madhu-kaitabhāre

mat prārthanīya mad anugraha eṣa eva

tvad bhṛtya bhṛtya paricāraka bhṛtya bhṛtya

bhṛtyasysa bhṛtyam iti māṁ smara lokanātha

Śrī Kulaśekaraṇa

(Mukunda-mālā-stotra 25)

Mi vida será fructífera, Oh Kṛṣṇa, enemigo de Mady y Kaitabha. Oh Señor del Universo, si me otorgas la misericordia de considerarme como el sirviente del sirviente del sirviente del sirviente del sirviente de Tu sirviente.

En su Śrī Guru y Su Gracia Śrīla Śrīdhara Maharaja elabora:

En el Padma Purana , se dice:

arādhananaṃ sarveṣam

viṣṇor aradhanam param

tasmat parataram devi

tadiyanam samarcanam

En una ocasión, Pārvatī-devi le preguntó al Señor Śiva, “De todas las clases de adoración, ¿cuál es la mejor?” Entonces, el Señor Śiva le dijo claramente, “La adoración y el servicio devocional del Señor Nārāyaṇa es el más elevado”. Entonces Pārvatī se mortificó un poco y decepcionada, pensaba. “Pero yo estoy sirviendo a Śiva, así que mantengo una posición degradada”. Entonces llegó la siguiente línea, tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam samarcanam. “Pero más elevado que la adoración de Nārāyaṇa es la adoración de los devotos del Señor Nārāyaṇa. Eso es aún más grande que la devoción hacia el mismísimo Señor”. Entonces, Pārvatī sonrió, pensando, “Entonces estoy sirviendo al devoto del Señor. Śiva es un devoto: vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Entonces, estoy haciendo lo mejor”.

Esto también es confirmado por Krsna, en el Adi Purana:

 ye me bhakta-janah partha

ne me bhaktas ca te janah

mad bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas

te me bhaktatama matah

“Aquellos que Me adoran directamente no son mis verdaderos devotos; los verdaderos devotos son aquellos que son devotos de Mis devotos”. Y este principio es verdad en nuestra propia experiencia. Se dice, “si me amas, ama a mi perro”. Cuán intenso ha de ser el amor de uno por su maestro si puede amar al perro de su maestro. Y ama al perro únicamente porque es el perro de su maestro;  no que desee llevarse al perro consigo. No le ama con la idea de un amor independiente por el perro, sino porqué es el perro de su maestro.

Esta es una prueba de nuestro amor más grande que la de simplemente amar al maestro. Esta será la prueba de si somos verdaderamente amantes. Kṛṣṇa está más complacido si ve que su sirviente está siendo servido. ¿Por qué? Porque su sirviente siempre le está sirviendo, pero no toma nada a cambio de Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa intenta darle a sus devotos algo, pero ellos no lo toman. Ellos no tienen ninguna aspiración que complacer, ninguna petición entra en la corriente de su servicio. Sólo desean un ciento por ciento de servicio. Kṛṣṇa no tiene ninguna posibilidad de otorgar ahí ninguna remuneración. No halla el mínimo resquicio en su servicio devocional a través de cual pueda empujar alguna remuneración. Sus devotos son sirvientes totales. Kṛṣṇa intenta de la mejor manera darle algo de vuelta a sus devotos a cambio de su servicio, pero falla. Entonces, cuando Kṛṣṇa ve que su deseo de recompensar a sus sirvientes está siendo realizado por alguien más queda endeudado con esa persona y piensa, “Lo que yo he querido hacer por mi siervo, él lo hace. Yo quería hacer eso, pero fallé: no fue aceptado. Pero ahora alguien más está haciendo lo mismo que yo quería hacer”. Kṛṣṇa es más favorable al devoto  quienes sirve a su sirviente. Entonces Kṛṣṇa llega a servirlo.

Ese es el significado subyacente de su dicho “Aquellos quienes son devotos de mi devoto, esos son los verdaderos devotos de mi corazón”. Entonces, bhakta puja, adoración de los devotos, es la mejor clase de adoración. Esta declaración se confira en el Srimad-Bhagavatam, en los Vedas y por Vrnbdavana Das Thakura en el Caitanya Bhāgavata, amara bhakta-puja, ama haite bala. Por el Bhakta puja, la adoración de los devotos, se aboga en todas partes. Al mismo tiempo, debemos tratar de entender quién es un devoto. Eso también ha de comprobarse. ¿Cuál es el signo de un verdadero devoto?

Kṛṣṇa dice, “Aquellos que dicen que son mis devotos directos no son devotos apropiados; aquellos quienes son devotos de mis devotos son mis verdaderos devotos”. Debemos tratar de seguir el principio de este dicho. Esta no es una observación pervertida, pero hay una realidad genuina en ello. Si vemos su significado interno, llegaremos a la conclusión que anunció nuestro guru maharaja . Él dice, “Somos suddha saktas, adoradores de la potencia pura, no de la potencia mundana. Adoramos la potencia que está totalmente dedicada al potente sin conservar Su independencia individual como como una entidad en lo absoluto separada, que depende ciento por ciento de Kṛṣṇa. Dicha potencia como esta es muy, muy raramente concebida.

La aproximación directa a Kṛṣṇa es inadecuada. Uno ha de acercarse a Él a través de un canal adecuado, sus devotos. Ese es el acercamiento real. Por lo tanto, la Gaudiya Math elimina a Mirabhai y otros aparentes grandes devotos de  la categoría de verdaderos devotos, porque a pesar de enloquecen alabando a Kṛṣṇa, tienen poca consideración hacia los verdaderos devotos de Kṛṣṇa.

La Burocracia Espiritual:

Kṛṣṇa no está solo. Un rey siempre se presenta con su entorno, su gran séquito. Si uno ha de aproximarse verdaderamente a un rey ha de hacerlos por un canal apropiado. Kṛṣṇa siempre está rodeado de una gran jerarquía, una gran burocracia y uno no puede aproximarse a Kṛṣṇa directamente. Aquel cuya aproximación es real ha de hacerlo por el canal apropiado. No puede sino apreciar a esos devotos y reverenciarlos por su magnanimidad. Es únicamente por su ayuda que ellos puedes obtener cercanía con Krsna. ¡Debemos pensar que nos serpa posible brincar por encima de todo el sistema para aproximarnos al rey? Eso no es verdad.

Alguien puede externamente ocuparse de manera que aparente ser un gran devoto de Kṛṣṇa, pero si elimina a los devotos, esa devoción no ha tomado una forma verdadera; es algo vago. Se halla lejos de Kṛṣṇa. Supongamos  que tomamos como ejemplo el pico más alto del Himalaya, el Monte Everest. Podemos ver el Monte Everest desde la lejanía. Pero para aproximarnos al Monte Everest, tenemos que pasar a través de muchas picos de montañas cercanos. Cuando nuestra aproximación al Monte Everest es genuina, no podemos evitar descubrir los nombres y las características de los otros picos que rodean al Monte Everest. Pero desde lejos sólo podemos ver el Monte Everest y no los otros picos que le rodean. Entonces, cuando decimos que nuestra conexión es únicamente con Kṛṣṇa, entonces estamos muy alejados. Si de hecho habremos de acercarnos al rey, debemos hacerlo a través de su séquito. Si de verdad nos vamos a aproximar al Everest no podemos sino tener una conexión con los picos más cercanos que rodean a ese pico más alto. Entonces, si estamos ocupados prácticamente en acercarnos a Kṛṣṇa, nuestro acercamiento será realista únicamente cuando estemos ocupados con muchos devotos en distintos departamentos de servicio hacia Kṛṣṇa.

La Verdadera Prueba de la Devoción

Noté cuando predicaba en el Sur de India, que siempre que algún caballero quien era un devoto renombrado en algún sitio en particular se aproximaba a nuestro guru maharaja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, solía preguntarle a ese hombre, “¿Bajo la guía de quién realizas tu servicio a Kṛṣṇa?” Generalmente decían, “No, no, Yo estoy directamente relacionado con el Señor Krsna y el Señor Rama.” Entonces, cuando se iban, oíamos decir a bnuestro guru Maharaja. “Él no tiene devoción”. Esa persona era despedida como devoto imitador. Esto es una especie de devoción vaga. No ha tomado ninguna forma en particular, porque él está ignorando al asraya, a los devotos otorgadores de refugio que rodean al Señor. Eso es una gran prueba de devoción. De lo contrario, sin tomar el refugio de un devoto, si alguien muestra gran devoción, ¿cuál sería su motivo? Generalmente ellos piensan, “Queremos liberación, no el servicio hacia Kṛṣṇa. Para obtener liberación estamos aceptando la devoción de Krsna”. Esa es una forma inferior de adoración – adoración mundana – no adoración verdadera en el plano trascendental. Eso no es eterno, sino temporal. La devoción por el Señor no ha de ser un sub-sirviente de ningún otro objetivo en la vida. El deseo de liberación es uno de los criterios de un devoto imitador, y otro criterio es el de abandonar a los devotos elevados. Cuando el Señor es adorado solo, eso también es falso. Estas dos clases de prácticas devocionales aparentes las cuales se ven generalmente en el mundo han de ser desechadas. Pero el mundo no recibe ninguna noticia de todas estas cosas.

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic-words from the bhaktas

continued...
Acceptance of what is favorable.

3.15

तदीय सेवनं न हि तुच्छम्

tadīya sevanaṁ ni hi tuccham

Such service [to devotees]  is not a small thing.

ज्नानावलम्बकः केचित् केचित् कर्म्मावलम्बकाः
वयं तु हरि दासानां पादत्राणावम्बकाः

श्री देशिकाचार्य

jnānāvalambakaḥ kecit kecit karmmāvalambakāḥ

vayaṁ tu hari dāsānāṁ pādatrāṇāvambakāḥ

Śrī Deśikācārya

Some depend on  knowledge as their only hope, while others find support in  karma. We want to cling to the shoes of the servants of Lord Hari as our only shelter. 

Śrī Deśikācārya

http://swamidesikaninfo.blogspot.mx/p/swami-desikan.html

[3.15]

[This verse is found in Padyāvali of Rūpa Goswāmī http://www.krishnapath.org/Library/Goswami-

books/Rupa/Rupa_Goswami_Sri_Padyavali.pdf]

3.16

अस्माद् अनन्य-निष्ठा

asmād ananya-niṣṭhā

With this service one becomes fixed in unconditional love

त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्व्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाः
तथापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनम्

श्री कुलशेखर

tyajantu bāndhavāḥ sarvve nindantu guravo janāḥ

tathāpi paramānando govindo mama jīvanam

śrī kulaśekhara

[This is a verse from the Mukunda-mālā stotram by King Kulaśekhara. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulashekhara_Alwar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VziFNsXeMc 

Here's the Vedabase version of the translation]

Word for word: 

tyajantu — may they reject me; bāndhavāḥ — relatives; sarve — all; nindantu — may they condemn; guravaḥ — superior; janāḥ — persons; tathā api — nonetheless; parama — supreme; ānandaḥ — the embodiment of bliss; govindaḥ — Lord Govinda; mama — my; jīvanam — very life.

Translation: 

Let my relatives all abandon me and my superiors condemn me. Still, the supremely blissful Govinda remains my life and soul.

Purport: 

Ordinary people may condemn the Lord's devotees as ignorant fools, but the truly learned never do so. As Prahlāda Mahārāja states, "One who has dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa through the nine methods of bhakti should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge" (SB 7.5.24). But in the Kali-yuga, out of ignorance people mock the saintly devotees and praise demonic leaders in government, entertainment, and sports. Taking courage from the examples of saints like King Kulaśekhara and others, the devotees should not be ashamed when ordinary people disrespect them. They should be very concerned, however, that the Vaiṣṇavas and the Supreme Lord are pleased with their behavior.

Even the sage Nārada was condemned for his devotional activities: Dakṣa cursed him because he taught renunciation to Dakṣa's sons. Nārada remained tolerant, however, and continued traveling and preaching. The aim of Nārada and the devotees who follow his example is not to disrupt people's lives, but if their work is misunderstood, they must not abandon their duty but must continue their mission on behalf of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "Because Nārada Muni and the members of his disciplic succession disrupt friendships and family life, they are sometimes accused of being sauhṛda-ghna, creators of enmity between relatives. Actually such devotees are friends of every living entity (suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]), but they are misunderstood to be enemies. Preaching can be a difficult, thankless task, but a preacher must follow the orders of the Supreme Lord and be unafraid of materialistic persons" (SB 6.5.39, purport). Conclusion: A devotee should remain happy executing his duty and not develop a "persecution complex."

The sentiment King Kulaśekhara expresses here is echoed by Mādhavendra Purī in one of his verses: "Let the sharp moralist accuse me of being illusioned; I do not mind. Experts in Vedic activities may slander me as being misled, friends and relatives may call me frustrated, my brothers may call me a fool, the wealthy mammonites may point me out as mad, and the learned philosophers may assert that I am much too proud. Still my mind does not budge an inch from the determination to serve the lotus feet of Govinda, though I am unable to do so."

http://www.vedabase.com/en/mm/

Serving the servant...

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic-words from the bhaktas

continued...
Acceptance of what is favorable.
3.13
tadiīyārādhanaṁ parama-phaladam

तदिईयाराधनं परम-फलदम्

Such worship [of the vaiṣṇava] gives supreme fruit.

मज्-जन्मनः फलम् इदं मधु-कैतभारेमत् प्रार्थनीय मद् अनुग्रह एष एवत्वद् भृत्य भृत्य परिचारक भृत्य भृत्यभृत्यस्य्स भृत्यम् इति मां स्मर लोकनाथ

श्री कुलशेकरण

maj-janmanaḥ phalam idaṁ madhu-kaitabhāre

mat prārthanīya mad anugraha eṣa eva

tvad bhṛtya bhṛtya paricāraka bhṛtya bhṛtya

bhṛtyasysa bhṛtyam iti māṁ smara lokanātha

Śrī Kulaśekaraṇa

(Mukunda-mālā-stotra 25) 

My life would be fruitful, O Kṛṣṇa, enemy of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, O Lord of the universe,  if you would grant me such mercy as to consider me the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Your servant.

In Śrī Guru and HIs Grace Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja elaborates:

 In the Padma Purana, it is said:

arādhananaṃ sarveṣam

viṣṇor aradhanam param

tasmat parataram devi

tadiyanam samarcanam

Once, Parvati-devi asked Lord Siva, "Of all kinds of worship, whose worship is best?" Then, Lord Siva told her plainly, "The worship and devotional service of Lord Narayana, Visnu, is the highest." Then Parvati became a little mortified and disappointed, thinking, "But I am serving Siva, so I hold a lower position." Then the next line came, tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam samarcanam. "But higher than the worship of Narayana is worship of the devotees of Lord Narayana. That is even greater than devotion to the Lord Himself." Then, Parvati smiled, thinking, "Then I am serving the devotee of the Lord. Siva is a devotee: vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. So, I am doing the best thing."

This is also confirrned by Krsna, in the Adi Purana :

ye me bhakta-janah partha

ne me bhaktas ca te janah

mad bhaktanam ca ye bhaktas

te me bhaktatama matah

"Those who worship Me directly are not real devotees; real devotees are those who are devoted to My devotees." And this principle is true in our own experience. It is said, "If you love me, love my dog." How intense one's love for his master must be if he can love the master's dog. And he loves the dog only because it is his master's dog; not that he wants to take away the dog for himself. He loves it not with the idea of independent love for the dog, but because it is the master's dog.

This is a higher test of our love than simply to love the master. This will test whether we are really lovers. Krsna is more pleased if he sees that his servant is being served. Why? Because His servant always serves Him, but he won't take anything in return from Krsna. Krsna tries to give his devotees something, but they won't take it. They have no aspiration to fulfill, no petition to enter in the course of their service. They want only cent per cent service. There is no possibility for Krsna to award any remuneration there, He can't find the slightest hole in their devotional service through which some remuneration can be pushed. His devotees are wholesale servants, and nothing but.

Krsna tries his best to give something to his devotees in return for their service, but He fails. So, when Krsna sees that His desired aim of rewarding his servants is being done by someone else, He becomes indebted to that person thinking, "What I wanted to do for my servant, he is doing. I wanted to do that, but failed: it was not accepted. But now someone else is doing the same thing I wanted to do." Krsna is more favorable to the devotee who serves his servant. Then Krsna comes to serve him. That is the underlying purpose of His saying "Those who are devotees of my devotee, they are the real devotees of my heart. " So, bhakta puja, worship of the devotees, is the best kind of worship. This statement is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Vedas and by Vrndavana Das Thakura in the Caitanya Bhagavata, amara bhakta-puja, ama haite bala. Bhakta-puja, worship of the devotees, is advocated everywhere. At the same time, we should try to understand who is a devotee. That is also to be ascertained. What is the sign of a real devotee?

Krsna says, "Those who say they are directly devoted to me are not devotees proper; those who are devotees of my devotees are my real devotees." We should try to follow the principle of this saying. This is not a perverted remark, but there is some genuine reality in it. If we look for its inner meaning, we will reach the conclusion our guru maharaja has announced. He said, "We are suddha sakta, worshipers of the pure potency, not the mundane potency. We worship the potency who is wholesale dedicated to the potent without retaining Her individual independence as a separate entity at all, who is cent per cent dependent on Krsna. Such a potency as this is very, very rarely to be conceived.

The direct approach to Krsna is improper. One must approach Him through the proper channel, through the devotees. That is the real approach. Therefore, Gaudiya Math eliminates Mirabhai and so many other apparently great devotees from the category of real devotees, because, although they are mad in praise of Krsna, they have little regard for the real devotees of Krsna.

Spiritual Bureaucracy

Krsna is not alone. A king is always present with his entourage, his great establishment. If one is really to approach the king, it must be done through the proper channel. Krsna is always surrounded by a big hierarchy, a big bureaucracy, and one cannot approach Krsna directly. He whose approach is real must select a proper channel. He cannot but praise those devotees and revere them for their magnanimity. It is only by their help that we can get the nearness of Krsna. Should we think it possible that one can take a jump across the whole system and approach the king? It is unreal.

Someone may be externally engaged in such a way that apparently he is a great devotee of Krsna, but if he eliminates the devotees, that devotion has not taken real shape; it is a vague thing. He is far away from Krsna. Suppose we take as an example the highest peak in the Himalayas, Mount Everest. We can see Mount Everest from far off. But to approach Mount Everest, we must pass through so many closer mountain peaks.When our approach to Mount Everest is genuine, we cannot avoid discovering the name and characteristic of other peaks surrounding Mount Everest. But from far off we can see only Mount Everest and not the other peaks surrounding it. So, when we say that our connection is with Krsna alone, then we are far off. If we are to actually approach the king, we must approach him through his entourage. If we are actually to approach Everest, we cannot but have a connection with the nearer peaks surrounding that highest peak. So, if we are practically engaged in approaching Krsna, our approach will be realistic only when we are engaged with the many devotees in different departments of service to Krsna.

The Real Test of Devotion

I noted when we were preaching in South India, that whenever any gentleman who was a renowned devotee in a particular place approached our guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada, he used to ask such men, "Under whose guidance does your devotional service to Krsna go on?" Generally they used to say, "No, no, I am directly concerned with Lord Krsna, and Lord Rama." Then, when they went away, we heard our guru maharaja say, "He has no devotion." That person was dismissed as an imitation devotee. That is a vague kind of devotion. It has not taken any particular shape, because he is ignoring the asraya, the shelter-giving devotees in the positions surrounding the Lord. That is the great test of devotion.

Otherwise, without taking shelter of a devotee, if one shows great devotion, what is his motive? Generally they think, "We want liberation, not the service of Krsna. To earn liberation, we are accepting the devotion of Krsna." That is a lower form of worship--worldly worship--not real worship in the transcendental plane. That is not eternal, but temporary. Devotion to the Lord must not be subservient to any other aim of life. The desire for liberation is one criterion of an imitation devotee, and another criterion is the neglect of elevated devotees. When the Lord alone is being worshiped, that is also false. These two kinds of apparent devotional practices which are generally seen in the world may be dismissed. But the world does not get any news of all these things.