# Bhakti Independent *On devotional service being independent of material conditions* --- ### Ahaituki Apratihata > Real purpose of *yoga* is to control the senses. Very, very difficult. Even five thousand years ago, when Arjuna was being instructed on the *yoga* system, concentrating the mind, fixing up the mind on Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, the same thing, so Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult." *Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham.* "It is not possible, for me at least." Yes, those who are busy, *kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. Brāhmaṇa* may be able. Not nowadays *brāhmaṇa;* those who are actually *brāhmaṇa,* because they practice *samaḥ, damaḥ, satyam, śaucam,* controlling the mind, controlling the senses, *brahmacārī.* They can do that. But the *kṣatriyas* and the *vaiśyas,* they cannot, because they have not practiced *samaḥ, damaḥ.* But at the present moment in this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is *śūdra,* nobody is *brāhmaṇa,* by the caste system or by birthright. *Śudra. Kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ.* So in this age, how to concentrate the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, this practice: chanting. — [[spoken/1976/760212sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.5, Māyāpur, February 12, 1976]] --- ### Bhakti Doesn't Depend on Material Assets > *Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti* does not depend on age or on advanced knowledge, or richness, or so many other things—*janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī,* to take birth in high family, aristocracy, and to become rich, to become beautiful, to become very learned scholar. These things are material assets, but spiritual life does not depend on these things. One can become spiritually very advanced even though he is poor, he is born in a low..., low-grade family. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was born in Muhammadan family, but *mahā-bhāgavata.* There are so many examples. Not that because he was born in a Muhammadan family, therefore he cannot. This *Smārtaism* is like that, but actually it is not. *Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti* is so purifying that any condition, any circumstances, one can become devotee. — [[spoken/1976/760211sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.4, Māyāpur, February 11, 1976]] --- ### Jump Over to the Spiritual Platform > Now just like here is a gap. So you can go by the bridge, and if you can jump over, that is also going. That is also going. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means to jump over to the spiritual platform immediately. And this *varṇāśrama-dharma, sannyāsa, varṇa-tyāga, karma-tyāga,* these are different steps only. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious seriously, then you jump over all these steps; you go immediately. That lift and the staircase. By staircase you go step by step; by lift you can go immediately, faster. — [[spoken/1976/760209mw.may|Morning Walk, Māyāpur, February 9, 1976]] --- ### Five-Year-Old Mahā-bhāgavata > This is the conclusion when one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was a boy of five years old, it did not matter. He was first-class devotee, *maha-bhāgavata.* That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material; it is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlāda Mahārāja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. *Bhakti* does not depend on the age. *Bhakti* depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. *Ahaituky apratihatā*. — [[spoken/1976/760210sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.3, Māyāpur, February 10, 1976]] --- ### Lift vs. Staircase > *Māyā* is very strong. Therefore there are gradual process. *Varṇāśrama-dharma, karma-tyāga,* this, that, so many things, pious activities, rituals. But this is the process, step by step, to cross over *māyā.* But Kṛṣṇa said, *mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.* Anyone who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa sincerely, immediately he crosses over. As Kṛṣṇa says in another place, *ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi*: "I'll do immediately." — [[spoken/1976/760209mw.may|Morning Walk, Māyāpur, February 9, 1976]] --- ### Nobody Can Check Kṛṣṇa-bhakti > You haven't got to be disappointed because some of the envious person, they are not accepting you as Vaiṣṇava. Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, quoting from many authorized scriptures, he has proved that in the matter of engaging oneself in the devotional service, there is no check, there is no impediment. That is confirmed in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ahaituky apratihatā.* That he has very nicely explained, quoting many authoritative statement from scriptures. And another thing: it is a fact that nobody can check *kṛṣṇa-bhakti.* It is transcendental; it is not material. Unless one acts on the platform of spiritual activities, one cannot understand why *bhakti* is *apratihatā. Pratihatā* means checked by impediments. So that is for material things. Just like a living being, a soul, he is checked by this material body. Otherwise, a living being can go anywhere, *sarva-gaḥ.* The spirit soul is free to move anywhere, but because we are now covered by the material body, we are checked. But devotional service is on the transcendental platform; it cannot be checked. Therefore in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* it is explained, *ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā samprasīdati.* — [[spoken/1975/750427sp.vrn|Explanation of Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī Speech, Vṛndāvana, April 27, 1975]] --- ### What Is the Use of These Books? > So the *śāstra* says that if you have learned how to love Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of these books? There is no use. You can avoid anything, all this reading. But if you have actually developed your love for Kṛṣṇa... And after reading all these books, philosophy, science, if you cannot love Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of it? Both ways. Useless. If you do not love..., do not develop your love for God, or Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of your philosophizing and scientific knowledge? This is all useless. And if you actually have learned how to love Kṛṣṇa, or God, then there is [no] need of philosophy or science or books. — [[spoken/1971/710705le.la|Lecture, Los Angeles, July 5, 1971]] --- ### Simply by Chanting One Becomes Purified > So that will be possible if you keep yourself constantly in touch with Kṛṣṇa by hearing about Him. That's all. You have to remain uncontaminated. And that is *puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ.* If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, then *puṇya,* you will be always in pious position. *Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ.* Either you chant or... Therefore our recommendation is always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. — [[spoken/1972/720601sb.la|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.15, Los Angeles, June 1, 1972]] --- *8 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on bhakti being independent of material conditions*