Further TalksWith Prakasananda 195

Scripture. The devotional service of the Lord begins by hearing about Him.
There are nine different methods in devotional service, of which hearing is the
basic one. Hearing, chanting, remembering, worshipping—all these are the
process of attaining the highest perfection of understanding the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This process of understanding the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is known as Abhidheya, or practice of devotional sefvice within

our conditional life.
In practice it is also experienced that anyone who takes to Krishna Con-

sciousness does not like to deviate to any other consciousness. This Krishna
Consciousness is a development of love for Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. And this development of love of Godhead is called the fifth
dimensional interest of the human being. When one takes to this process
of transcendental devotional service, or love of Godhead, he relishes his rela-
tionship with Krishna directly, and by such reciprocation in relishing tran-
scendental dealings with Krishna, Krishna becomes gradually a Personal
associate of the devotee. The devotee eternally enjoys blissful life. Therefore,
the purport of the Vedanta Sutra is to re-establish the lost relationship of the
human being with the Supreme Lord Krishna, to execute devotional service,
and ultimately to achieve the highest goal of life, love of Godhead. These three
principles of transcendental life are described in the Vedanta Sutra, and nothing
more.

After this explanation of Vedanta Sutra by direct interpretation of the verses.
one of the disciples of Prakasananda Saraswati, considered to be the chief
amongst all his disciples, stood up in the assembly and began to praise Lord
Chaitanya as Personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayan. He
very much appreciated the explanation of Vedanta Sutra by Lord Chaitanya,
and said publicly that the direct explanation by Lord Chaitanya of the meaning
of the Upanishad and Vedanta Sutra, “is so pleasing that we forget ourselves,
and forget that we belong to the Mayavadi sect.” It must be admitted herewith
that the explanations by Sankaracharya of the Upanishads and Vedanta Sutra
are all imaginary. We sometimes accept such imaginary explanations for the
sake of sectarian feuds, but actually such an explanation does not satisfy us.
Simply by accepting the order of Sannyasa one does not become free from
material entaglements. Actually, if we understand the explanation given by
Lord Chaitanya, that will help us. Sri Krishna Chaitanya has very nicely ex-
plained the meaning of Harer Nama Harer Nama Harer Nama Eva Kevalam—
and we are all very much pleased. There is no alternative to devotional service.
