Bhakta, Bhakti, Bhagvan. Devotee, Devotional service, Supreme Lord.
- Veerendra Ekbote
There are 3 modes of material nature – Sattva, Rajo and Tamo. Those who are in the mode of ignorance never take the path of Krishna consciousness and always remain aloof from the path of self-realization and are engaged in activities which are adverse to Bhaktiyoga. The conditioned Souls in the mode of passion are aware of the Supreme Lord but do not take the process of Krishna consciousness and cannot achieve Self-realization since they misidentify themselves with their gross body and perform activities of sense gratification and economic development and forget the Supreme Lord and are not in the pursuit of their deliverance by the Supreme Lord. The Karmis who are in the mode of passion perform activities by not surrendering them to the Supreme Lord and hence the conditioned Souls in the modes of passion and ignorance never get a chance to escape the cycle of repeated birth and death.
When a person is situated in the mode of Goodness (Sattva) his activities are meant only for elevating himself from the three modes of material nature. The illusory potency of the Supreme Lord - Maya doesn’t act upon such a person who is situated in the mode of Goodness because he is worshipping the Supreme Lord Krishna in devotional service. Maya therefore automatically ceases to act upon such a person and makes his path clear onto the path of Self-realization. A person in the mode of Goodness knows his real position of being a fallen conditioned Spirit Soul and therefore performs devotional service throughout his life and surrenders to the Supreme Lord by which he transcends the 3 modes of material nature by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. A person who is in the mode of Goodness naturally takes unto the path of Krishna consciousness as Krishna conscious activities don’t bind a person in the repeated cycle of birth and death. Infact Krishna conscious activities deliver a person from repeated birth and death.
A Krishna conscious person is known as Bhakta and naturally his activities are in the mode of Goodness. Lord Krishna says to Arjun in the Bhagvad Gita that after many lifetimes when one knows me completely and becomes my devotee is eligible to enter my spiritual world. Lord Krishna further assures that his devotee never perishes and he protects his devotees in all calamities. Bhakti is performed by a devotee in 9 types of devotional service known as Navavidha Bhakti which starts from hearing about the Lord, chanting, remembering, and worshipping the Supreme Lord. Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vandanam, Pujanam, Smaranam, Dasyam, Sakhi-jana, Archanam and Atma-nivedanam. Following one or all types of Navavidha Bhakti, a devotee - Bhakta never returns to this material world which is temporary and full of miseries. A Bhakta - devotee performs devotional service – Bhakti to the Supreme Lord – Bhagvan who eventually gets attracted by his Bhakta’s devotional service - Bhakti to him in his lifetime which makes him eligible to enter the Vaikuntha planets where there is life full of eternity, bliss and knowledge and there the devotee – Bhakta as per his spiritual realization while surrendering to the Supreme Lord attains Satchidanand body in the Spiritual world and serves the Supreme Lord eternally as per his Rasa and Bhava.
At this juncture I would like to quote 3 verses from Bhagvad Gita relating to chanting of holy names, devotional service and fully surrendering to Lord Krishna whereby we can transcend the modes of material nature by becoming a devotee of the Supreme Lord. These 3 verses of Bhagvad Gita will make you easily understand the Supreme Lord’s message in Bhagvad Gita.
12th chapter – Bhaktiyoga chapter
– 8th verse
|| Mayeeva mana aadhastva mayi buddhim nivesaya|
Nivasishyasi mayeeva ata urdhavam na samsayaha ||
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
“Urdhvam” word means transcending the modes of material nature with the help of Krishna’s holy names and attaining the Spiritual world. Here Lord Krishna elaborates the meaning of Japa or chanting of his holy names by assuring us that whoever fixes or invests his mind and intellect in him (Hare Krishna Mahamantra) will come to him without doubt. So the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is the mantra of deliverance which Lord Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Lord Krishna himself as a devotee has given to us. Chanting of Hare Krishna is the Yugadharma of Kaliyuga and is the easiest way to escape the repeated cycle of birth and death because Lord Krishna himself says in this verse that without doubt I live with my devotees who sincerely chant my holy names.
18th chapter – Sharanagati chapter – The Perfection of Renunciation
65th verse
|| Manmana bhava Madbhakto Madyaji mam namaskuru |
Mamevaishyasi satyam te pratijane priyoasi me ||
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.
The previous verse and this verse has a link – Always think of me by becoming a devotee. Anyone can get mercy of the Supreme Lord if he becomes the devotee and performs devotional service - Bhakti unto the Supreme Lord. In this verse Bhaktiyoga is described by Lord Krishna in detail in which he advices his devotees to constantly remember him, chant his holy names, worship him and eventually he promises that such a devotee will surely attain his spiritual world without fail. So when Lord Krishna is assuring us we should surely become his devotee and perform devotional service to escape the repeated cycle of birth and death and go back home, back to Godhead.
18th Chapter -66 Verse
|| Sarvadharman parityajya mamekam sharanam Vraja |
Aham tvaam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchaha ||
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
This is the culmination verse or gist of Bhagvad Gita. Lord Krishna gives his final message to all of mankind to just surrender unto his lotus feet by becoming a devotee and follow his instructions as given in the Bhagvad Gita by giving up all types of religion. The Supreme Lord Krishna assures us that a devotee who is following his instructions and is practicing Bhaktiyoga in his lifetime will be delivered from all sinful reactions and such a devotee has nothing to fear since the Supreme Lord is protecting him and after death he will achieve the Spiritual world of the Supreme Lord.
These 3 verses are interrelated and are important to known the synopsis of Bhagvad Gita which also proves that Bhaktiyoga is the easiest Yoga to reach God by the process of chanting, hearing, remembering the Supreme Lord and is the easiest way to gain the mercy of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord gets attracted by Bhakti of his Bhakta and eventually gives that fortunate Bhakta a chance to once again return to the spiritual world to eternally associate with him.
|| Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare |
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ||
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