Text 24] Prahlada, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu 249
One’s sincere endeavor to perform these nine processes of devotional
service is technically called bhakti. The word addha means “directly.”
One should not be like the karmis, who perform pious activities and then
formally offer the results to Krsna. That is karma-kdnda. One should not
aspire for the results of his pious activities, but should dedicate oneself
fully and then act piously. In other words, one should act for the satisfac-
tion of Lord Visnu, not for the satisfaction of his own senses. That is the
meaning of the word addha, “directly.”
anyabhilasita-siinyam
jiiana-karmady-andurtam
Gnukilyena krsndnu-
Silanam bhaktir uttama
“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord
Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through
fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devo-
tional service.” One should simply satisfy Krsna, without being in-
fluenced by fruitive knowledge or fruitive activity.

The Gopala-tapani Upanisad says that the word bhakti means engage-
ment in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
not of anyone else. This Upanisad describes that bhakti is the offering of
devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To perform
devotional service, one should be relieved of the bodily conception of life
and aspirations to be happy through elevation to the higher planetary
systems. In other words, work performed simply for the satisfaction of
the Supreme Lord, without any desire for material benefits, is called
bhakti. Bhakti is also called niskarma, or freedom from the results of
fruitive activity. Bhakti and niskarma are on the same platform, al-
though devotional service and fruitive activity appear almost the same.

The nine different processes enunciated by Prahlada Maharaja, who
learned them from Narada Muni, may not all be required for the execu-
tion of devotional service; if a devotee performs only one of these nine
without deviation, he can attain the mercy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Sometimes it is found that when one performs one of the
processes, other processes are mixed with it. That is not improper for a
devotee. When a devotee executes any one of the nine processes (nava-
