Text 36] The Glories of Devotional Service 1047

When one is trained to become conscious of his position, he understands
that he is the servitor of the Lord. Brahman refers to a state of self-realiza-
tion. Even the third-class devotee, who is not advanced in knowledge of the
Absolute Truth but simply offers obeisances with great devotion, thinks of
the Lord, sees the Lord in the temple and brings forth flowers and fruits
to offer to the Deity, becomes imperceptibly liberated. Sraddhayanvitah:
with great devotion the devotees offer worshipful respects and paraphernalia
to the Deity. The Deities of Radha and Krsna, Laksmi and Narayana, and
Rama and Sita are very attractive to devotees, so much so that when they
see the statue decorated in the temple of the Lord they become fully ab-
sorbed in thought of the Lord. That is the state of liberation. In other
words, it is confirmed herewith that even a third-class devotee is in the
transcendental position, above those who are trying for liberation by
speculation or by other methods. Even great impersonalists like Sukadeva
Gosvami and the four Kumaras were attracted by the beauty of the Deities
in the temple, by the decorations and by the aroma of tulasi offered to
the Lord, and they became devotees. Even though they were in the
liberated state, instead of remaining impersonalists they were attracted by
the beauty of the Lord and became devotees.

Here the word vildsa is very important. Vilasa means the activities or
pastimes of the Lord. It is a prescribed duty in temple worship that not
only should one visit the temple to see the Deity nicely decorated, but at
the same time he should hear the recitation of Srimad-Bhdgavatam,
Bhagavad-gita or some similar literature, which is regularly recited in the
temple. It is the system in Vrndavana that in every temple there is recita-
tion of the sdstras. Even third-class devotees who have no literary knowl-
edge or no time to read Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita get the
opportunity to hear about the pastimes of the Lord. In this way their
minds may remain always absorbed in the thought of the Lord—His form,
His activities and His transcendental nature. This state of Krsna conscious-
ness is a liberated stage. Lord Caitanya, therefore, recommended five
important processes in the discharge of devotional service: (1) to chant
the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, (2) to associate
with devotees and serve them as far as possible, (3) to hear Srimad-
Bhagavatam, (4) to see the decorated temple and the Deity, and, if
possible, (5) to live in a place like Vrndavana or Mathura. These five items
alone can help a devotee to achieve the highest perfectional stage. This is
confirmed in Bhagavad-gita and herein the Setriad-Bhagavatarn: That third-
