na yasya cittaḿ bahir-artha-vibhramaḿ
tamo-guhāyāḿ ca viśuddham āviśat
yad-bhakti-yogānugṛhītam añjasā
munir vicaṣṭe nanu tatra te gatim

The devotee whose heart has been completely cleansed by the process of devotional service and who is favored by Bhaktidevī does not become bewildered by the external energy, which is just like a dark well. Being completely cleansed of all material contamination in this way, a devotee is able to understand very happily Your name, fame, form, activities, etc.

PURPORT by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.25.25):

satāḿ prasańgān mama vīrya-saḿvido

bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ

taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani

śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

Simply by the association of pure devotees one can understand the transcendental name, fame, quality and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has repeatedly said:

'sādhu-sańga', 'sādhu-sańga' — sarva-śāstre kaya

lava-mātra sādhu-sańge sarva-siddhi haya

Simply by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes wonderfully advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sādhu-sańga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha mantra and by acting for Kṛṣṇa. Specifically, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa, the mirror of the heart is cleansed, and the devotee loses interest in everything external. When one is influenced by the external energy of the Lord, his heart is impure. When one's heart is not pure, he cannot see how things are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Idaḿ hi viśvaḿ bhagavān ivetaraḥ (Bhāg. 1.5.20). He whose heart is purified can see that the whole cosmic manifestation is but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he whose heart is contaminated sees things differently. Therefore by sat-sańga, or association with devotees, one becomes perfectly pure in heart.

One who is pure in heart is never attracted by the external energy, which urges the individual soul to try to dominate material nature. The pure heart of a devotee is never disturbed when he executes devotional service in the form of hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. In all, there are nine processes one can follow in the execution of devotional service. In any case, a pure-hearted devotee is never disturbed. The bhakti-yoga process must be carried out by avoiding the ten offenses one can commit while chanting the mahā-mantra and the sixty-four offenses one can commit while worshiping the Deity. When a devotee strictly follows the rules and regulations, Bhaktidevī becomes very much satisfied with him, and at the time he is never disturbed, that time he is never disturbed by anything external. A devotee is also called a muni. The word muni means "thoughtful." A devotee is as thoughtful as a nondevotee is speculative. The nondevotee's speculation is impure, but a devotee's thoughts are pure. Lord Kapila and Śukadeva Gosvāmī are also called muni, and Vyāsadeva is addressed as Mahāmuni. A devotee is addressed as muni, or thoughtful, when he purely understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conclusion is that when one's heart is purified by the association of devotees and by the avoidance of the offenses committed when chanting and worshiping the Lord, the transcendental name, form and activities of the Lord are revealed by the Lord.

The devotee whose heart has been completely cleansed by the process of devotional service and who is favored by Bhaktidevī does not become bewildered by the external energy, which is just like a dark well. Being completely cleansed of all material contamination in this way, a devotee is able to understand very happily Your name, fame, form, activities, etc.

We are reading from Canto-4 of Srimad Bhagavatam, Ch-24, entitled – “The chanting of the song sung by Lord Shiva” Text-59.

In the previous slokas, Lord Shiva is praising the importance of the association of devotees. In the previous verse, concludes, I think that your real benediction would be to allow me to associate with such devotees. Lord Shiva is one of the great mahajans. Mahajans are those advanced pure personalities who the lord reveals the path of perfection “Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah”.

The path of perfection is to follow in the footsteps of the mahajans. Lord Caitanya declared in relation to Madhavendra Puri, that one cannot understand the true essence of spiritual perfection by austerities, by meditation, even by studying all of the scriptures scrutinizingly. Because there are so many ways to interpret anything within this world. The real path of perfection is to follow in the footsteps of pure devotee. Their life and their words represent the essence of all knowledge. Thus “Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah” How do the great souls speak, how do the great soul eat, how do the great souls walk, how do they sit, what do they live for, what is their ideal and purpose in life, these are the questions that Arjuna ask Krishna in Bhagavat Gita. Very important. As it has been explained many times, Bhagavad Gita is one of the most common books in the world, in India as well as abroad. Yet hardly anyone had understood this simple purpose of Bhagavad Gita.

sarva-dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru

To surrender to Krsna, to become His devotee, to worship Him. This is clearly Krishna tells as our duty. I am the source of everything, all material and spiritual worlds. There is no truth superior to me. Every thing rests upon me as a rope strung on a thread. But yet in practically in all the commentaries of Bhagavad Gita, there is minimal significance to Krsna. He just happens to be a person's, a great person speaking. But is He the goal? Is He the source? Very few people even in this land of India understand this. Why? “Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah”, because unless you hear from the proper source, unless you hear from someone in the parampara who is actually dedicating his life according to the teachings of Gita, the true understanding does not awaken in our heart. Lord Shiva is herein on longing for the association of devotees. He considers the ultimate benediction of Supreme Personality of God head, to be the opportunity to associate with the pure devotees. He is Mahadev. The greatest of the Devatas. He is speaking these words for everyone’s benefit. He is also speaking his own heart.

Just like in Brndavan there are many very important temples of Lord Shiva. In fact the the great grandson of Krsna Vajranab, he installed several very very historical Lingams of Lord Shiva that are presiding in various sectors of Vraj dham. There is Booteswar Mahadev in Mathura. Kamsa, Kamsa worshipped Lord Shiva in that place for the benediction to kill Krishna. Hare Krsna! Kamsa was devotee of Lord Shiva. He gained the power of 10,000 elephants by the grace of Lord Shiva. But he was threatened by the omen that came in the sky that the eighth son of Devaki would be the cause of his death. So, he lived, he breathed, with the ideal of killing Krishna. Even though he was the king, he couldn't enjoy anything because, prominent within his mind was that this this personality kills me then every thing will be gone.

Actually in material world there can be no real enjoyment. Real enjoyment means, whole hearted, complete, saturated in enjoyment. That can only come from the level of the soul. Because the soul is the real person the soul is longing for that which is eternal. Because the soul is eternal. Within every pleasure of this world, there is dangers, there is the imminent end of this pleasure either through the power of time or “adibhautika, adhi devika, adhyatmika”. So although Kamsa was such a demoniac person, he imprisoned his own father, he killed his own relatives, nephews, just to enjoy and he had the palace, he had the armies, he had the treasury, he had everything but he couldn't enjoy because he knew within his mind that this personality, the eighth son of the Devaki is going to kill me. Therefore all this that I am trying to enjoy would be dragged away from me. In fact Narada muni told him that you have a position of a very great king by name kalanemi and Krsna killed you then , He took everything and come back to kill you again. So he couldn’t enjoy. Because fear, dukhalayam asashvatam...this material world cannot be a happy place. It is essentially is a miserable place because every thing is temporary. So Kamsa worshipped Lord Shiva. Bhuteshwar mahadev. He worshipped Lord Shiva why? Because he wanted the power to kill Krsna. and Lord Shiva must simultaneously pleased and displeased. He was displeased because Mahadev's worship able Diety is Krsna. He is Gopeswara Mahadev. Previous to Kamsa's demise, Lord Shiva had already come to Brndavan wanting to enter into Rasa lila. He approached Lalitha Sakhi and other Gopis, knowingly that he had to get their blessings to enter. Only female can enter into the eternal leela of the lord. So with, after performing some tapasya, you receive the instructions, go to Manasarovar, and at Manasarovar, he entered into the sacred waters which was created by Smt Radharani's tears of separation from Krsna and coming there was waters was so potent with her love that one who bathes in and becomes in influenced, saturated with her love. So he came out in the form of the Gopi. Really the perfection of all his desires. Now he is Gopeswar and he returned to the rasa sthali and braj gopis said, your service is to gaurd, gaurd this Vamsibhat area, only those who have completely pure hearts following in the foot steps of Gopis of Vrndavan are allowed to enter. His desires were fulfilled. So therefore Gopeswar Mahadev, Lord Shiva is ultimate meditation is mediating on the beautiful pastimes of Krsna with His Gopis and Sri Radharani. And here across the river Jamuna is Kamsa who is worshipping Lord Shiva with sacrifices, with wealth, with great great determination.

A type of devotion and he is begging Lord Shiva to give him the power to kill Krsna, his Istadev. So by Lord Shiva's causeless mercy on Kamsa, Krsna killed him. Hare Krsna! Very nice. He is “ashutosh”, he is satisfied. Kamsa asked for something which is impossible. So Lord Shiva actually gave him the benediction by which he would get liberated. That is his mercy. A type of mercy Kamsa could not understand at that time. Similarly at Kamyavan, there is a murthy of Lord, Lord Shiva, Kameshwar Mahadev and that murthy in that place it is explained aah..Kirtida and Vrshabanu used to go to worship Lord Shiva that the supreme Goddess of fortune would become their daughter, Smt Radharani and then then nan, nandaGaon, Nanadeshwar Mahadev. Arjanya, the father of Nanda Maharaj, he worshipped that deity everyday with great great great pure devotion with all that his son Nanda Maharaj would have the Son - Krishna. In fact Lord Shiva is such a devotee that he wanted to participate in Krsna's leela, so he begged for the benediction that he could support, facilitate all the devotees enjoying wonderful pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna and Balaram. Therefore the benediction he asked for from Krsna was he would become a mountain, Nandeshwar, the five headed mountain of Nandeshwar in which Krsna to reciprocate with the love of His devotee put his house on top of Lord Shiva's head. And Krsna and Balaram, Gopas and Radharani and Gopis would come each day and they would perform their pastimes, dancing and singing and herding the cows and calves all on top of Lord Shiva's heads. That is his devotion. Always eager to serve the servants of the Lord and manasa Ganga, in Badrinath installed the deity of Chakaleshwar Mahadev. This is very important deity. So important that Sanatana Goswami personally did his Bhajan right by it side. Sanatana Goswami was chanting the holy names with such pure devotion, scrutinizingly studying the Bhakti Shastras, writing such books as Brhad Bhagavatamritam. Always absorbed in Kirtan and prayer. Everyday performing the parikrama of the Giriraj Govardha. This is his life.

Why did he choose that place on the banks of Manasa Ganga would perform his boarding pastimes of Sri Radharani. Specially because Sanatana Goswami has very very deep love for Lord Shiva, a greatest Vaisnava and that love was reciprocal. At that time, many mosquitoes, they were harassing Sanatana Goswami. Now Sanatana Goswami, a pure vaisnava, they are not disturb simply because of their personal interest. They are considering their service. That these mosquitoes were disturbing Sanatana Goswami's devotional service. They were swarming around him, biting him constantly. So he decided this is not a suitable place to write my literatures. This is not a suitable place to fix, to fix my mind and my devotional service to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So he decided he would leave that place. Now Lord Shiva as he is revealing in these verses, he loves the devotees so much, he considers the ultimate benediction is to have the association of pure devotee and here he is in the association almost constantly with this great intimate associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Sanatana Goswami. So when Sanatana Goswami decided to leave, this was very very very painful to lord Shiva. He had to somehow or the other devise a means of keeping him there. So he appeared in the form of a Brahman in disguise. Goswamiji, you are going? Yes. Too many mosquitoes, mosquitoes create disturbance, just like Srila Prabhupad we heard from Khulaji Prabhu that he was massaging Prabhupad under mosquito net and there was one mosquito in that net net. Prabhupad said, there is mosquito in the net, don't kill him but take him out. aah! Now there was a problem. The room was pitch dark and he was massaging prabhupad under the mosquito net. He didn’t want to turn on the net then how do you see a little mosquito under the net when there is no light? Somehow or the other he was listening like this. So Prabhupad simply lived to serve and somebody is creating disturbance to devotional service then we have to try to resolve that situation. So Sanatana Goswami was like that. Just as Prabhupad was writing books, Sanata Goswami was writing books. Something more disturbing them is mosquitoes. So Sanatana Goswami is told by that Brahman, just stay here one more night, just one more night, any mosquito disturb you then you go. There will be no mosquitoes tonight, I promise. So Sanata Goswami was so soft hearted. To satisfy that mysterious unknown Brahman, he said, Yes. I will stay tonight. Devotees are willing to extend themselves so much to serve. So Lord Shiva called the demigod who supervises the affairs of all insects and ordered them because he is Mahadev he is the greatest of the Devatas. He ordered that no mosquito come to this part of Manasi Ganaga. So that night there wasn't a single mosquito. Not even a single sound of the mosquito. Sanatana Goswami could very very comfortably do his translations, do his chanting, do his Bhajan throughout the night every night. So this is practical practical understanding of how Lord Shiva loves the association of the devotees. And great souls they love the association of devotees and pray in this way for two reasons. One is because it is their heart and two they are revealing their heart so that we understand what is truly a value. According to the values that we hold sacred in our lives that will determine what is our destiny, how we will develop our consciousness. Therefore reading of Srimad Bhagavatam is very important. Srila Prabhupad ordered every morning, Srimad Bhagavatam class in every temple. Every temple in the world almost 400 temples, we all have something in common, many things but one thing is after Prabhupad's Guru Puja, everyone will sit down to hear the nectarian verses of Srimad Bhagavatam and discuss its significance. “Srimad Bhagavatam amalam puranam”. It is spotless puranam. Because it deals only with pure unalloyed devotion. Story after story after story of pure devotees who even in the phase of the most difficult impediments never deviates from their faithful service to Krsna. Never hold anything more sacred and valuable than pure unalloyed devotion to Krsna. They live for love. That's all. That’s the Bhagavatam is all about. So if we hears this in the association of people who believe it, people who are striving to leave this principle then it influences us with this value. Now we are listening to Srimad Bhagavatam from from a professional reciter or from someone who is ultimate conclusion is impersonalist, then the effect might not be there. Sanatana Goswami said, milk touch by the lips of the serpent has poisonous effect. That means whom we hear from their consciousness affect the message that they speak, if a Karma kandi , a person who is desiring by worshipping Krsna or the demigods , if a person like that is desiring, material benedictions, then when we hear from them even if they are discussing the past times of Prahlad or the past times of Druva or the Rasa Leela, their consciousness is very much like the poison of a snake goes into the milk. Srimad Bhagavatam is pure milk. It is nectar. But whoever speaks, whatever they speak, their consciousness is also mixed into it. So therefore when we hear from such persons that influence of their consciousness are pierced into our heart. Similarly if someone is a mayavadi, many speakers of Bhagavatams ultimate conclusion is Mayavadi. Their ideal is to become God. So when we hear from them, even if we are devotees, we understand the proper conclusions but when we hear from them, the effect of their consciousness is entering into out heart. Therefore it’s so very important to hear from pure devotees, Srila Prabhupad defines pure devotees in various ways in various times, one explanation of a pure devotee is a person who has attain Prema Bhakti, a person who has achieved love of Krsna, whose consciousness is no longer affected by the three modes of material nature. Pure means without adulteration that means the natural state of the soul is not in anyway contaminated. That is pure. Prabhupad explains to be purified means to be brought back to its natural state just like pure water means there is no contaminates into it. To purify water, you don't put any thing in the water, you just take everything else out of the water. Yes! So pure love, you don't put love into your heart. You just take everything else, out then there is pure love. Because that is essence, the nature of the consciousness,

“nitya-siddha krsna-prema sadhya kabhu naya”

Prabhupad said this chanting of –

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Rama Rama Hare Hare”

It is not an artificial imposition of the mind. It is invoking our original consciousness, our consciousness is so pure. It is to love Krsna but now that consciousness has become so polluted, so polluted by material designations, material attachments, material conceptions. So who is a pure devotee? That person who is in his natural state to love Krsna. Like the lotus flower. Even in this material world, whether there are so many pollutants, there is so much envy and competition, so much immorality, so much selfishness, a pure devotee because he is empowered by Krsna, because he is part and parcel of Krsna, he is manifesting Krishna's mercy in this world. Just like the sun is in contact with dirty things, but the sun never becomes contaminated, the sun purifies the dirty things. That is the power of the Sun. That is the power of God. He is Pavitra. He is all pure. That when a devotee becomes purified in his ideals or her motivations, then Krsna manifests his mercy through that devotee to purify the world. But Srila Prabhupad also explains that a pure devotee is a person who is ideal is pure devotional service. That personality may not yet be completely free from the modes of material nature, that devotee still may have material contaminations, but that devotee understands what I want in my life is pure unalloyed devotion.

"anyabilashita sunyam jnana karmadi anavritam

anukulyena krishna anusilanam bhaktir uttama”

I want to serve Krishna favorably, I want to kick out of frutive desires and I want to even kick out the desire of liberation and mystic powers. I do not want these. I want pure unalloyed love. I want to follow in the footsteps of the residents of Brndavan and completely absorb myself in the loving service of Krsna. That is my single exclusive goal in life. I may not be there but that's my ideal and I am willing to follow the regulative principles of spiritual master's instructions and I am willing to strive to attain that platform. To such a person, the only difference between his state or her state now in pure devotional service is just time because the right ideal, and the right endeavor, with the right consciousness. So that is also a pure devotee one who is striving for pure devotional service. Therefore sometimes Srila Prabhupad would say to his disciples, you are all pure devotees. From the point of you of a Maha Bhgatavat, he is seeing everyone; he is seeing the soul in everyone. He is not concerned with the material desires, attachments, he is only looking at maha maya, he is only looking at the soul and sees in essence everyone is pure devotee, in essence everyone is serving Krsna. But Srila Prabhupad was speaking from a philosophical point of view, not just Maha Bhagavat point of view. Because when devotees challenged him, Prabhupad I am not a pure devotee, Prabhupad said, your ideal is pure devotional service, you are following the regulative principles, you are chanting the holy names of Krsna according to your vows and you are engaging throughout the day in Krsna’s service, there fore you are living like a pure devotee although you haven’t realized pure devotion. So association of devotees is to strive to hear from and to give pleasure to those who have the great treasure of love of God. Narottam Das Thakur in his prayers to the departed Vaisnavas, he prays in this way - he is beating his head against the rock in separation. Longing for the association of those devotees who have who have that great treasure of Prema Bhakti within their hearts, within their lives and who are distributing the contents of that treasure to the world. He is longing for such association. Great souls are different than the impersonalists in the sense, impersonalist often times their heart ultimately becomes hard. Some body dies, “aham brahmasmi". They have merged. Very good. aah! But a devotee because he is always in consciousness of Krsna's personality, he is also always conscious of Krsna's associates, and the mercy flow then benediction of such association. So here is Narottam Das Thakur who is Narottam, he is the supreme best among all men. Lord Caitanya gave him that name. Knowing that he would be the best among the human beings. Narottam Thakur when he was just a little boy, he had a darshan of Nitayananda prabhu, he had darshan of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he was given the love and complexion of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya personally personally appeared to him, told him leave home and come to Brndavan. Such a great soul. And yet he is weeping and beating his head against rocks figuratively in separation from the devotees. Where is Sanatana Goswami, where is Rupa Goswami where is Raghunath Das can be found, where is Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami, where is Lokanath Goswami, where is Srinivas Acarya? It is said that he wrote this song upon on the disappearance of Srinivasa Acarya who was his dear friend, a Vaisnava. After Srivnivasa Acharya and Ramacandra Kaviraj left this world, Narottam Das Thakur, he couldn't bear being in this material universe without such great souls. It’s unbearable. That is how much the great personalities value the association of Vaisnavas. And this is the mood of Lord Shiva. He is always eager for the association of devotees. He is teaching the <44:21:3> and he is teaching all of aspiring devotees that this is the benediction we must pray for. Those persons who love Krsna, and also those persons who honestly and earnestly have made their goal of life to love Krsna, even they are so rare. Just a devotee who takes to Krishna Consciousness with the proper mental disposition, that I accept Krsna as the Supreme Personality of God Head, and I know the ultimate goal, the only purpose of the life is to love Him and to serve Him as His servant of the servant of the servant. And I know the only means in the age of Kali of attaining such perfection is to chanting of the holy names of the lords so I have taken this is my life and soul. Anyone who has that value in their lives, those persons are worshipable. Therefore Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami, he prays that I take the dust of the feet of every devotee, not only the great mahans but also the new devotees who is just coming to the path of devotion. That person who understood that the mercy of the lord is the ultimate goal of life, I worship that to take the dust of the feet someone to worship that person. It’s not just a custom to take the dust of the feet. To take the dust of the feet means you put yourself below the dust of the feet. You are putting it on your head. That means you are putting yourself below the feet of that person, not only below the feet, but you are putting your head below what is below the feet of that person which is dust. This is amazing. Devotees are so humble, they will not even approach the feet of a devotee directly what to speak of approaching Krsna directly. What to speak of a devotee cannot even think of approaching a devotee directly. They won’t even approach the feet of a devotee directly. But they approach the dust of the feet. That means that which is below the feet is where my head would be. This is worship. This is true worship. So Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami, he is praying even a new neophyte devotee who has accepted the process of Krsna Consciousness within the heart, I take the dust of his feet on my head. I long for his association also. Because in the association of devotees, we will be chanting of the holy names, would be the discussion of the of the teachings and the past times of the supreme Lord Sri Krishna. In the association of the devotees, its the love, the enthusiasm, enthusiasm to serve the deity, enthusiasm to dance and to chant, enthusiasm to go to the holy dham of Vrndavan, Mayapur, Jagannath Puri to worship that place and the association of devotees, we find Krsna. Real association is that, where devotees who have an understanding of Krishna’s personal supreme feature, who value bhakthi is the ultimate goal of life, they chant the holy names to achieve that Bhakti, they hear about Krsna and discuss the past times of Krsna to achieve that Bhakti. They engage their body, their mind, their words, their life in executing the service of the spiritual Master to achieve that Bhakti. They love to come to see the beautiful form of the Deity to achieve that Bhakti, to offer wonderful things to the Deities. Just serve one another, that is association of devotees. Association of devotees is not people with Kanti mala and Tilak doing Prajalpa. That is not Sadhu Sanga. That is simply material association. What makes sadhu sanga is not just a people, what is the medium in which we are relating to those people. Sadhu Sanga means to be hearing and chanting the glories of the lord, to be serving the lord in the association of the people who are genuinely trying to please Krsna. That is Sadhu Sanga. A few days ago we are at Kumba mela. Govinda Prabhu, Shishtashtakam prabhu, Paramhamsa prabhu, together we were talking around for few minutes and we came into one camp of sadhus and there was about six or seven people gathered the sadhu we saw the group of people. They were really look intense. They were gathered around and leaning forward. I was telling, they must be doing nice katha. Remember? They must be doing nice katha so I was I wanted to appreciate because it was a, it was within the Vaisnava camps of sadhus. So here these people are gathered around the sadhu, leaning forward, leaning forward, very excited enthusiastic, I came closer and the sadhu was smoking Ganja in chillum and they were leaning forward because they wanted to get it next after him because he was passing it around. This is not sadhu sangam. The man had shaved head, he had Shika. Yes? He has big, big Kanti mala and Tilaks all over his body. That is not Sadhu Sanga. Not at all. And sometimes we see people very much and they criticizing other devotees prajalpa even Vaisnava aparadh. That is not the association of the devotees. Association of Sadhu is those persons who love Krsna or whose goal in life is to love Krishna and who are acting and speaking favorably for that purpose.

Sukadev Goswami speaking Bhagavatam, everybody all the sages, all the Rishis's they all came to hear from him. That is Sadhu sangam. When Srila Prabhupad came here to Bombay, he gave Sadhu Sangam to these people. 30,000 people gathered in that tent. Prabhupad wasn't speaking politics, Prabhupad wasn't passing chillums around. Prabhupad was speaking Srimad Bhagavatam. Prabhupad was inducing his devotees to chant and dance and inviting everyone to join the sankirtan of the holy names.

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare

Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama”

Mahatasevam<53:20:0>.....this is bhagavat. By associating with Mahan, by serving , by serving the great souls, we are always speaking and singing the glories of Krsna. The doors to liberation are open. But to associate with people who have another purpose, another ideal, to associate with people even if they have right ideal but doing wrong things that are unfavorable then the doors to the lower modes of bondage open in our life. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu when he was asked, how to be Krishna Consciousness, he said you associate with devotees, you associate with Vaisnavas and he was avoiding the association of two kinds of people. One is non-devotees and two is those who are too much attached to material sense gratification. This indicates even a person who wants to be a devotee but there is too much attached to sense gratification. If we want to make spiritual progress, we should respect every living being, we should seek, we should long for the association of good devotees. Devotees who have make Krsna as loving service; there all in all in life, or who devotees who want to make that all in all in life, that is the path of perfection. We should long for that. When we are not in the association of the devotees we should cultivate the feeling of separation from them. We should be eager, eagerness is an expression of the desire of our heart for Krsna. Krsna loves His devotees. When Krsna sees that you are eager to be with His devotees, eager to share your heart with His devotees, eager to serve His devotees, how much pleasure that eagerness is giving to Krsna. Prabhupad would say love me, love my Dog. Prabhupad said that is American parlance. Krsna “Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika...” He spoke, those who serve my devotees, those who love my devotees, they worship me the best, because I love my devotees. Our spiritual advancement takes place according to the aspirations of our heart. As we have spoken many times before quoting Srila Prabhupad, Krsna accepts the purpose in which everything is offered. If we really want to please the devotees, if we really want to hear from the devotees, if we really want to serve the devotees, chant and dance with the devotees, if that is the eagerness of our heart, how pleasing that sentiment is to Krsna and he will reciprocate. Coming to the temple, seeing the deities, serving the deities, serving the Vaisnavas, that is devotional service. But even if you are home and you are longing in your heart to be you are doing that, that is also devotional service. Why? Because it’s pleasing to Krishna. Krishna is “Bhava Grahi”. He accepts the sentiments of the devotee. Srila Prabhupad told the story of two people. One went to the sat-sang and was thinking about his friend being with a beautiful woman and the friend with the beautiful woman thinking, how nonsense I am. I should be at the sat-sang. Hare Krishna! So one is at the sat-sang and his mind is sitting at there, the katha is going on but he is not hearing to the word of it. He is thinking I missed my chance. I could have been with that beautiful woman and the other at the beautiful woman thinking I have missed my chance, how abominable, disgraceful I am. I should have been at the sat-sang with the Vaisnavas. So who is at the sat-sang? It’s mystery. [Laughter...] Ideally we should be at the sat sang and listening. But the moral of the story is that it’s a state of our consciousness and of course our consciousness must be expressed through our actions. If we were at the temple and we thinking it terms of this person is non-sense, this person is rascal, I am better than everybody else, then we are not at the temple. Your body is, but your consciousness is in the material world. But even if we are at work, and you are thinking God I have to do this? How I long to see the beautiful form of the Sri Radha Gopinath. They appear within the eye of your mind. How I long to be with devotees, how I am eager to the sat-sang tonight, Govinda prabhu is going to be speaking about the glories about the holy name, how I wish to be there tonight? Krishna's is in your heart. He sees your desire. That pleases Him. So here Lord Shiva is revealing his heart full of love. How those who love Krsna love his devotees and consider it as the greatest benediction to serve the devotees.

Is there any questions?

Yes.

Devotee: Maharaj. In regards to association of devotees, sometime we are in this confusion, when we are practicing devotional service, we see that other devotees if they aren't following certain standards and we are falling certain standards, we usually rather than accommodating their behavior, we try to criticize them. They are not doing as much as I am doing. Then in the name of accommodating, we compromise, we minimize our standard. So both way we we are at we lose in a way either criticize or we minimize in the name of accommodating. So how to see that we don't minimize our standard and don't be critical.

Maharaj: The service attitude. If you have the service attitude that will automatically harmonize all of our contradictions. If you have an enjoying attitude and egoistic attitude, that will create disunity. You will corrupt the proper attitude. So if you have a service attitude, you are living by high standards. Its your service to the Vaisnavas to maintain the highest possible standards and if somebody else is not maintaining such a high standard, to criticize them, your your your standards gone. Give up your false nonsense ego. As soon as we criticize we are no longer in a high standard. You just a rascal. I am high standard, I am chanting 6 rounds, I am following the 4 regulative principle’s I am 24 hrs engaged in the service of Guru and Krsna. But this person, this person works at job, has a wife, as soon as you think you lost your standard. As soon as you think ill of a Vasianva, your standard is gone. aah! That’s the reality. Krsna sees your intentions.

"Trinad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari"

This is what Krsna is looking. How are you offering respect to others and not ex expecting for oneself. How are you humble and tolerant? If you are in a mood of service, you will judge people, you will try to help people, by the grace of Guru and Krsna, somehow or the other I am allowed to live on this standard, I could fall down at any moment but some how or the other, I am allowed to live on this standard. How many stories there are? Innumerable stories of people who are very strict, very surrendered and they make judgments and criticize others for certain things and what happens ultimately they end up in the same position of what they criticize. Why is he doing like this? If you say in a judgmental way, its just a matter of time, you are also doing like that. uh...we have seen it so many times. Its very easy to point out the defects in others but generally when you point out the defects in others, if you do it in a service mood to help the person with humility then you will make spiritual advancement by that process but if you say it in a judgmental mood, the reaction will be, you will be doing the same thing that you are criticizing. Hare Krishna! Now I never forget when I have the whole community of I must take Sanyas and I said I refuse and they were all in a meeting trying to preach me, to convince me and one devotee was so happy so happy he said, if you don’t take Sanyas, then you are fallen, worse than if you take Sanyas and fall, you will be more fallen if you don’t take Sanyas. I never read this in the scriptures. This is very stunned. So I said, well why don’t you take Sanyas then. He said because I am not being ordered to take Sanyas. You are. Hare Krsna! Very judgmental way, anyways ultimately I tried to take Sanyas, surrendered to the will of the Vaisnavas. But in a couple of years later, he was ordered to take Sanyas and he left Krishna Consciousness and never came back. Hare Krsna! It is a fact. When you make a judgment to someone else, you falling down from your standards to that process, and you are going to be put in a same situation because Krsna is going to live up to your words. That is the fact. So, see the good in the devotees, see that somehow or other by Krsna's blessing and mercy I am given this wonderful opportunity to serve in so many ways and try to be good example and try to preach to that devotee to uplift them, that service attitude, to those who are in a superior position to you, you serve them by listening to them, by hearing from them, by carrying out their desires for those who are your peers you serve them, by developing intimate affection and relationships in your service to protect one and another from Maya and for those who are in a lesser position, of active devotional service, you serve them by lovingly being the good example for them, by speaking and acting in such a way that they will be uplifted . If you compromise your standards for them, you are not serving them that is disservice, and if criticize them or judge them that is a disservice. So we actually understand what it means to serve you never make offenses. If you actually understand what it means to serve if you have a proper service attitude.

"Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasa"

then you will always be making spiritual advancement then you will be always be doing the best. Service to others. Is that answer your question?

Maharaj: Thank you

Maharaj: Yes Prabhu

Devotee: When we try to extend ourselves to serve devotees, sometimes our health goes down or sometimes Sadhana goes down? How can we extend ourselves and yet maintain our sadhana and health?

Maharaj: Say louder, say in the microphone

Devotee: When we want to extend ourselves to serve devotees, our Sadhana would goes down or health goes down? How can we extend in such a way that our health also remains quite fit to serve devotees more, more and our Sadhana also remains?

Maharaj: You must utilize the intelligence that Lord Krishna gives you. Real service is not only now but in the future. We want to serve them today and we want to serve the Vaisnavas for the rest of our lives. So therefore we have to balance. If your sadhana goes down then you are not really going to able to give quality service to them. So it’s a disservice to them, by extending yourself if you are not performing your sadhana properly. It’s a disservice because the quality of the service that you are giving will be less and your future of serving the Vaisnavas becomes very much uncertain. Yes? If people are drowning you have to learn to swim. If you go on any aero plane, they have the same announcement in every aero plane internationally that if there is a reduction of oxygen, the oxygen mask fall out of some compartment, if you have a small child, first put it on yourself then your child. That’s the law. You have to put in on your self first and then the child. Why? If you go to put it on to your child, you may die before even you reach your child. If you put it on yourself, you will have strength to save your child. That is the fact. If we are not getting enough rest, the mind becomes disturbed, we are not able to qualitatively serve the Vaisnavas, so we must orchestrate our lives so we get enough rest. That’s a service to them. May be a little less today but it will be better quality today and it will be it will ensure high quality for all your life to come. If you compromise your sadhana over a period of time, then the quality of your service service will reduce and you may even may not be around. Everybody will be having to look, searching and looking in the dark corners of the material existence to try to find you. Is that a service? What do you say? If you don't perform your sadhana, perform your sadhana, you will fall down. In a fallen state how will you serve others? We want to be spiritually strong not only for our own salvation; we want to be spiritually strong because the stronger we are, the more we can do for others. That is intelligence. Certian emergency situations, you may have to give up some rest and our sadhana may not be good, if that is the order of the spiritual master, if it is emergency need, we are willing to do it. If that becomes something regular, then we are in very very very dangerous situation. Emergencies are rare.

Yes? Hare Krishna!

Actually I must go because it is Giriraj's Swami 's Vyasa puja in Juhu and I go, I have to go there. One more question and then...

Devotee: Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna Maharaj,

Maharaj: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna!

Devotee: If we go to Brndavan, can we visit Lord Shiva temples? Bhuteswar, Kamsa, Gopeswar, Nandeswar mahadev, with these to get devotional for the getting bhakti from Krsna, asking from them?

Maharaj: Please...Please

Devotee: Thank you very much. Similarly if we went to Badrinath, there we wanted to go to this..Kedarnath, so people say that you are in Iskcon, you cannot go there? Is it so?

Maharaj: Kedarnath? The Madhava Sampradaya...they will not go to Kedarnath but many people of Gaudiya sampradaya which is a branch of Madhava sampradaya go to Kedarnath. I am just telling you the facts.

Devotee: Vrndavan, we can go to Lord Shiva's temples?

Maharaj: Yes, Yes, the madhava sampradaya will go to every Shiva temple in India to worship except Kedarnath.

Devotee: Thank you.

Maharaj: The Reason is esoteric [laughter..]. Because they believe, they believe that is the place where Bhima was minimized. aah! It’s not that they are against Shiva. They worship Shiva, they will go to Kasi Viswanath, they will go to Shiva Kanchi, they will go to Gopeswar Mahadev, they won't go to Kedarnath. Why? Because Bhima was minimized in that place and madhavacharya people they believe that Madhavacharya is a avatar of Bhima. Haribol! They are on the same tattva but many Gaudiya vaisnavass, they go. So you have your freewill [Laughter...]. But Brndavan, everyone goes. Please. That is our ultimate destination, Vrndavan! and all of our acharyas, worshipped Gopeswar Mahadev, Bhuteswar Mahadev, Kameshwar Mahadev, Chakaleshwar Mahadev, and how do we worship? We beg Lord Shiva for pure unalloyed devotional service to Lord Krsna. We beg Lord Krsna to be the servant of the servant of the servant of Smt Radharani and Lord Shiva there is no benediction; he likes to give better than that. Every one else they ask for benedictions and he gives it as a business policy. He doesn’t like to give it. But when we ask for the eternal loving service of Sri Radha Gopinath and from the inner most core of his heart, he is pleased to give you that benediction.

Srila Prabhupad Ki Jay!

Thank you very Much!

H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj ki Jay!!