Further Talks With Prakasananda
195
Scripture. The devotional service of the Lord begins by hearing about Him. There are nine different methods in devotional service, of which hearing is the basic one. Hearing, chanting, remembering, worshipping—all these are the process of attaining the highest perfection of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This process of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as  Abhidheya , or practice of devotional service within our conditional life.
In practice it is also experienced that anyone who takes to Krishna Consciousness does not like to deviate to any other consciousness. This Krishna Consciousness is a development of love for Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this development of love of Godhead is called the fifth dimensional interest of the human being. When one takes to this process of transcendental devotional service, or love of Godhead, he relishes his relationship with Krishna directly, and by such reciprocation in relishing transcendental dealings with Krishna, Krishna becomes gradually a Personal associate of the devotee. The devotee eternally enjoys blissful life. Therefore, the purport of the  Vedanta Sutra  is to re-establish the lost relationship of the human being with the Supreme Lord Krishna, to execute devotional service, and ultimately to achieve the highest goal of life, love of Godhead. These three principles of transcendental life are described in the  Vedanta Sutra , and nothing more.
After this explanation of  Vedanta Sutra  by direct interpretation of the verses, one of the disciples of Prakasananda Saraswati, considered to be the chief amongst all his disciples, stood up in the assembly and began to praise Lord Chaitanya as Personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan. He very much appreciated the explanation of  Vedanta Sutra  by Lord Chaitanya, and said publicly that the direct explanation by Lord Chaitanya of the meaning of the  Upanishad  and  Vedanta Sutra , “is so pleasing that we forget ourselves, and forget that we belong to the Mayavadi sect.” It must be admitted herewith that the explanations by Sankaracharya of the  Upanishads  and  Vedanta Sutra  are all imaginary. We sometimes accept such imaginary explanations for the sake of sectarian feuds, but actually such an explanation does not satisfy us. Simply by accepting the order of  Sannyasa  one does not become free from material entaglements. Actually, if we understand the explanation given by Lord Chaitanya, that will help us. Sri Krishna Chaitanya has very nicely explained the meaning of  Harer Nama Harer Nama Harer Nama Eva Kevalam —and we are all very much pleased. There is no alternative to devotional service.