Text 26] Lord Vignu’s Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena 797
tionship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In our material exis-
tence, under the influence of illusory maya, we have almost forgotten our
eternal relationship with the Lord, exactly like a man sleeping very deeply
who forgets his duties. In the Vedas it is said that every one of us is sleep-
ing under the influence of maya. We must get up from this slumber and
engage in the right service, for thus we can properly utilize the facility of
this human form of life. As expressed in a song by Thakura Bhaktivinoda,
Lord Caitanya says, “iva jago, jiva jago.”” The Lord asks every sleeping
living entity to get up and engage in devotional service so that his mission
in this human form of life may be fulfilled. This awakening voice comes
through the mouth of a pure devotee.

A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking shelter
of His lotus feet, and therefore he has direct connection with the saffron
mercy particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of the Lord. Although
when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the
sound of this material sky, because the voice touches the particles of
saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord, the voice is spiritually very
powerful. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice
emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers
his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he
had forgotten everything.

For a conditioned soul, therefore, it is very important to hear from the
mouth of a pure devotee who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the
Lord without any material desire, speculative knowledge or contamination
of the modes of material nature. Every one of us is kuyogi because we have
engaged in the service of this material world, forgetting our eternal relation-
ship with the Lord as His eternal loving servants. It is our duty to rise from
the kuyoga platform to become suyogis, perfect mystics. The process
of hearing from a pure devotee is recommended in all Vedic scriptures,
especially by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One may stay in his position of
life—it doesn’t matter what it is—but if one hears from the mouth of a pure
devotee, he gradually comes to the understanding of his relationship with
the Lord and thus engages in His loving service, and his life becomes com-
pletely perfect. Therefore, this process of hearing from the mouth of a
pure devotee is very important for making progress in the line of spiritual
understanding.

TEXT 26
aa: fit gaa orlagt
Teo ama a aHq |
