# Bhakti-yoga *On the path of devotional service to the Supreme Lord* --- ### Only by Devotion > Kṛṣṇa says. He does not say that "By karma one can understand Me." He does not say that "By jñāna one can understand Me." He does not say that "By yoga one can understand Me." He clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: "Simply by devotional service one can understand Me." Yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ, knowing Him as He is. That is bhakti. — [[spoken/1970/700518ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 13–15, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### No Possibility Otherwise > So except devotional service, there is no possibility of understanding the Absolute Truth. Any other process means it covered. Just like the... You understand the sun planet from here. You are seeing the sun planet, that's a fact, but that does not mean you know what is actually the sun planet is, because you have no access to approach there. You may speculate, that's all. — [[spoken/1970/700518ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 13–15, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Service Increases Love > So devotion. So this is the way of understanding God. By service, by enhancing love... This love can be increased only by service. Otherwise there is no possibility. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. The more you increase your service spirit, the more you increase your dormant love of God. And as soon as you are in the perfectional stage of love of God, you see God always, every moment. Twenty-four hours you can see. — [[spoken/1970/700518ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 13–15, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Meaning of Bhakti > Bhaktyā means devotional service, submission, submission to the Supreme Lord. Bhaktyā means bhaja. It is Sanskrit word. The root meaning is bhaja-dhātūkti. Bhaja. Bhaja means service. — [[spoken/1966/661102bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 18.67–69, New York, 1966]] --- ### Unconditional and Uninterrupted > "The supreme occupation, dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self." — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Without Any Motive > Without any motive, without any condition, when we love Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para and apara. Apara means "inferior," and para means "superior." Just like there are two energies of Kṛṣṇa: para and apara, inferior and superior. So paro dharmaḥ means superior, the occupational duty in superior energy. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### First-Class Religion > So... But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is described here, that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Cannot Be Checked > So one has to become... If one becomes a devotee, ahaituky apratihatā, such devotional service can never be checked. It is not conditional. Not that because you are not a Vedānti, not that because you are a very not rich man... Not that. Bhakti is unconditional. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā. Without any check, without any hindrance, you can adopt bhakti. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Begin Immediately > If one is intelligent, he should begin devotional service immediately. As soon as he gets the information that devotional service is the perfect type of religion, he should take immediately, without waiting. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is not that "I am conditioned by so many things. I cannot take to bhakti just now." No. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā. Without any check, without any hindrance, you can adopt bhakti. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Karmīs, Jñānīs, Yogīs, Bhaktas > So the karmīs, they have to work for it. The jñānīs, they have to cultivate for that. The yogīs, they have to practice. But bhakta has nothing to do. Therefore it is first class. Without doing anything, he will show magic. This is the first class. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If you have got unflinching faith in the Supreme, Adhokṣaja. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on bhakti-yoga* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]