Text Three 27
utsahdt—by enthusiasm; niscayat—by confidence;
dhairyat—by patience; tat-tat-karma—various activities
favorable for devotional service; pravartandt—by perform-
ing; sanga-tyagat—by giving up the association of non-
devotees; satah—of the great previous dcaryas; urtteh—by
following in the footsteps; sadbhih—by these six; bhaktih—
devotional service; prasidhyati—advances or becomes suc-
cessful.
TRANSLATION
There are six principles favorable to the execution of
pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic,
(2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient,
(4) acting according to regulative principles [such as
sravanam kirtanarn visnoh smaranam—hearing, chant-
ing and remembering Krsna], (5) abandoning the
association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the
footsteps of the previous acaryas. These six principles
undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure
devotional service.
PURPORT
Devotional service is not a matter of sentimental specula-
tion or imaginative ecstasy. Its substance is practical activity.
Srila Ripa Gosvami, in his Bhakti-rasémrta-sindhu
(1.1.11), has defined devotional service as follows:
anyabhildasita-sinyam
Jnana-karmady-andurtam
anukilyena krsnanu-
Silanam bhaktir uttama
