xx The Nectar of Devotion

Devotional service means to prosecute Krsna conscious activities
which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme
Lord Krsna, and any activities which are not favorable to the tran-
scendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service.
For example, great demons like Ravana, Kamsa and Hiranyakasipu
were always thinking of Krsna, but they were thinking of Him as their
enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti or Krsna
consciousness.

The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in
such a way that they divide Krsna from His paraphernalia and pas-
times. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the battlefield of
Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krsna is of
interest, the battlefield of Kuruksetra isn’t. The devotees, however,
also know that the battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to
do with their business, but in addition they know that “Krsna” does
not mean just Krsna alone. He is always with His associates and
paraphernalia. For instance, if someone says, “Give something to
eat to the man with the weapons,” the eating process is done by the
man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krsna consciousness, a
devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations—such
as the battlefield of Kuruksetra—which are associated with Krsna, but
he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with
Krsna—His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krsna is there
that the battlefield is so important.

This is the summary understanding of what Krsna consciousness is.
Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the
devotees are interested in the battlefield of Kuruksetra. One who is
interested in Krsna becomes interested in His different pastimes and
activities.

The definition of a pure devotee, as given by Ripa Gosvami in
Bhakti-rasadmrta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favor-
able and is always in relation to Krsna. In order to keep the purity of
such Krsna conscious activities, one must be freed from all material
desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the ser-
vice of the Lord is called material desire. And philosophical specula-
tion refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a
