Links to Srila Prabhupada’s purport and lecture on SB 3.25.36:
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/25/37/
https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/741206sbbom/
Hare Krsna,
Since we are reviewing verses SB 3.25.32-37, it is important to revisit Mother Devahuti’s question to Lord Kapila that led him to cite these verses in response. Mother Devahuti asked, “What kind of devotional service is worth developing and practicing to help me easily and immediately attain the service of Your lotus feet?” (SB 3.25.28)
Note: I want to take the liberty of citing Lord Kapila’s responses in a simple question-and-answer discussion between Him and his mother.
Mother Devahuti: What kind of bhakti should I perform to easily attain Your lotus feet?
Lord Kapila: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation. (SB 3.25.32)
Mother Devahuti: You say bhakti is better than liberation. Does bhakti lead to liberation?
Lord Kapila: Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat. (SB 3.25.33)
Mother Devahuti: Who are those people who perform such bhakti? How do they perform such bhakti?
Lord Kapila: A pure devotee, who is attached to the activities of devotional service and who always engages in the service of My lotus feet, never desires to become one with Me. Such a devotee, who is unflinchingly engaged, always glorifies My pastimes and activities. (SB 3.25.34)
Mother Devahuti: What else do such devotees do?
Lord Kapila: O My mother, My devotees always see the smiling face of My form, with eyes like the rising morning sun. They like to see My various transcendental forms, which are all benevolent, and they also talk favorably with Me. (SB 3.25.35)
Mother Devahuti: What symptoms are manifest in them when they see Your charming forms?
Lord Kapila: Upon seeing the charming forms of the Lord, smiling and attractive, and hearing His very pleasing words, the pure devotee almost loses all other consciousness. His senses are freed from all other engagements, and he becomes absorbed in devotional service. Thus in spite of his unwillingness, he attains liberation without separate endeavor. (SB 3.25.36)
Mother Devahuti: Great. You said such devotees attain liberation without separate endeavor. Since liberation is not their goal, what do they actually desire?
Lord Kapila: Thus because he is completely absorbed in thought of Me, the devotee does not desire even the highest benediction obtainable in the upper planetary systems, including Satyaloka. He does not desire the eight material perfections obtained from mystic yoga, nor does he desire to be elevated to the kingdom of God. Yet even without desiring them, the devotee enjoys, even in this life, all the offered benedictions. (SB 3.25.37)
[The discussion between the mother and her illustrious Son ends here.]
My realizations:
My humble realization is that devotees who do not desire the pleasure of heavenly happiness nor the power of eight-fold mystic yoga, and not even the elevation to the kingdom of God must be situated on the level of ‘bhava’ or ‘prema’. It is not so easy to ignore the temptation of heavenly happiness or yogic powers. One must really be attached to Krsna in deep love to be able to say that he/she does not want anything except the opportunity to render devotional service to the Lord. Such attachment to Krsna is only possible in the stage of bhava and beyond.
Sometimes when I undergo challenging or traumatic situation in my life, my immediate thought is to attain liberation from this material world. It is more like an escape mechanism for me. I think this is natural; we all want to become free from the miseries of this world. It is difficult to perform unalloyed bhakti when we go through difficult situations. My immediate prayer is, ‘O Krsna, please help me come out of this difficult time.’ I do not pray to Him for devotional service at that time but realize my stupidity later on to ask Him for material benedictions. Therefore, I say that it must be a very special devotee who can look beyond the temptation of liberation or heavenly happiness or mystic powers and who can pray to the Lord only to be engaged in devotional service and nothing else. I can think of the Vraja gopis; I can think of Srila Prabhupada and the acaryas who are at the stage of pure love for the Lord.
I am reminded of the prayers of Vrtrasura whose beautiful four prayers to the Lord resemble the mood of the verses that Lord Kapila quoted above.
“O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to serve Your eternal servants, who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship.
O my Lord, source of all opportunities, I do not desire to enjoy in Dhruvaloka, the heavenly planets or the planet where Lord Brahmā resides, nor do I want to be the supreme ruler of all the earthly planets or the lower planetary systems. I do not desire to be master of the powers of mystic yoga, nor do I want liberation if I have to give up Your lotus feet.” (SB 6.11.24-25)
Therefore, the verses (34-37) are topics of deep realization which only pure and most exalted devotees can pray for. I definitely am not there yet. I am still sincerely trying to engage all my senses, mind, words, actions, and heart in devotional service to Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on SB 3.25.37 is so profound. He really tries to hammer into our head that we must desire nothing else but Krsna and His devotional service. Everything else is insignificant. Choosing Krsna is like placing ‘1’ in front of a bunch of zeros. Otherwise, the ‘zeroes’ by themselves have no value. It is a matter of deep love and attachment for Krsna to choose only Krsna and nothing else. Krsna or His illusory energy (maya) may tempt us with other alternatives. We must be convinced that we want only Krsna and nothing else that may change our minds. We should not be like Duryodhana who chose Krsna’s army and lost the battle. We should be like Arjuna who chose only Krsna and won the battle. We should be like Arjuna. If Krsna is there, everything is there.
As I share this reflection, I am getting a much better appreciation of the Hare Krsna maha mantra and how to chant it. My heart tells me that I must sincerely and cryingly chant with the mood that I want only the service of Sri Sri Radha Krsna and nothing else.
This is the conclusion and lesson I draw from verses 32-37 and the accompanying Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and mood.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to our dear teachers who are leading us to that goal of pure devotional service! All glories to my classmates who are giving me company in this beautiful journey together!
Krsna Katha 