Text 16] Divinity and Divine Service 105
Godhead. This is because all activities of the Supreme Lord (His lila)
are transcendental to the modes of the material energy. They are all-
attractive spiritual activities, and therefore constant association with the
spiritual activities of the Supreme Lord gradually spiritualizes the con-
ditioned soul and ultimately severs the knot of material bondage.
Liberation from material bondage is, therefore, a by-product of devotion-
al service. Attainment of spiritual knowledge is not sufficient to insure
liberation. Such knowledge must be overcoated with devotional service so
that ultimately the devotional service alone predominates. Then liberation
is made possible. Even the reactionary work of the fruitive workers can
lead one to liberation when it is overcoated with devotional service. Karma
overcoated with devotional service is called karma-yoga. Similarly, empirical
knowledge overcoated with devotional service is called jfidna-yoga. But
pure bhakti-yoga is independent of such karma and jndna because it alone
can not only endow one with liberation from the conditional life but can
also award one with the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Therefore, any sensible man who is above the average man with a poor
fund of knowledge must constantly remember the Personality of Godhead
by hearing. about Him, by glorifying Him, by remembering Him and by
worshiping Him always, without cessation. That is the perfect way of
devotional service. The Gosvamis of Vrndavana who were authorized by
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to preach the bhakti cult, rigidly followed this
rule and made immense literatures of transcendental science for our
benefit. They have chalked out ways for all classes of men in terms of the
different castes and orders of life in pursuance of the teachings of
Srimad-Bhagavatam and similar other authoritative scriptures.
TEXT 16
TM: AIA TAHT: |
eaeREaTT Feo: Goat Tag 112 kt
Susrisoh §raddadhanasya
vasudeva-katha-rucih
syan mahat-sevaya viprah
punya-tirtha-nisevanat
SuSriisoh—one who is engaged in hearing; sraddadhanasya— with care and
attention; vdsudeva—in respect to Vasudeva; katha—message; rucih—
affinity; syat—is made possible; mahat-sevaya—by service rendered to pure
