Text 12] The Demigods and Demons Declare a Truce
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vious births. Moreover, one can begin  bhakti-yoga  only by the mercy of the spiritual master and Krṣṇa.  Guru-krṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīya . The seed of devotional service is obtainable by the mercy of  guru , the spiritual master, and Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Only by the practice of  bhakti-yoga  can one achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and see Him face to face ( premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti ). One cannot see the Lord by other methods, such as  karma ,  jñāna  or  yoga . Under the direction of the spiritual master, one must cultivate  bhakti-yoga  ( śravaṇam kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam ). Then, even within this material world, although the Lord is not visible, a devotee can see Him. This is confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā  ( bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ ) and in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  ( bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ ). Thus by devotional service one can achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He is not visible or understandable to materialistic persons.
In this verse, the cultivation of  bhakti-yoga  is compared to many material activities. By friction one can get fire from wood, by digging the earth one can get food grains and water, and by agitating the milk bag of the cow one can get nectarean milk. Milk is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the duration of one's life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of  Bhagavad-gītā , advises  go-rakṣya , which means cow protection. The cow should be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one's life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk bags.
The people of this age are inclined toward industrial enterprises for