Bhakti Quotes

madguruḥ śrī jagadguruḥ, mannāthaḥ śrī jagannāthaḥ! My guru is the guru of the whole world, and my Lord is the Lord of the Universe. One who is envious of my guru is in fact envious of the Supreme Lord and of every single person in this world. Until we have this perception, we cannot become true servants of the spiritual master, nor can we surrender at his lotus feet, or realize our insignificance, or engage in hari-kīrtana by becoming more humble than a blade of grass (tṛṇād api sunīca) and free from pride while honouring all others (amānī mānada). There is no activity more auspicious than rendering service to śrī guru. Among all forms of worship, worship of the Supreme Lord is the greatest, yet service to śrī guru is even more exalted. Until one solidly understands this, one will be unable to take proper shelter of śrī guru, for the conception that “I am dependent upon him, and he is my exclusive shelter, guardian and protector” will not manifest. Sarvasvaṁ gurave dadyāt – offer ever...

tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.8 ) A person is entitled to the treasure of serving the lotus feet of Godhead, who redeems us of our worldly bondage, if he lives with his heart, speech and body submitted to Him and if, through his good vision, he truly sees the mercy of Godhead in the sufferings he brought about by his own deeds.   There is no other way of being delivered from this world. Whatever Godhead does is for our good. We can be redeemed if we behold His mercy in every event and in every activity. But if we notice any defect in His work, or realize any cruelty therein, it is sure to result in evilness and difficulty.  - by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Rays of The Harmonist On-line, Year 1 & Year 14, Number 2 by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-Shar...

Question: How should the devotee behave while living in this world? Answer: Although people around him will invariably engage in mundane conversations, he should not listen to such discussions. When a person is determined to move forward on his own dutiful path, nothing harmful can hinder him. He should offer respect to those who are averse to bhakti, but should not come to honour their behaviour. Rather, he should renounce it within the core of his heart. When he has time, he should deliberate on books like Śaraṇāgati, Prārthana and Prema-bhakti-candrika. It is better to have śāstriya-sādhu-saṅga (saintly association through authentic scripture) than no sādhu-saṅga at all. Later, for instruction in the art of internal, transcendental service (bhajana-śikṣā), direct sādhu-saṅga is necessary. - by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Translated by the Rays of The Harmonist team from Śrīla Prabhupādera Upadeśāmṛta  Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation Ray...

  Kirtana is called saṅkīrtana when many people perform it together. But will it be worthy of the name saṅkīrtana if some worthless people, without any ardour for Śrī Bhagavān's service, come together to shout in unison? It will be true hari-saṅkīrtana when we join the saṅkīrtana of true devotees who are serving Śrī Bhagavān according to the principles established in the Vedas and allied śāstras. Contrastingly, it is not hari-saṅkīrtana when it is conducted for the prevention of the epidemics of cholera or pox, for prosperity in trade, for gain or for respect and fame. This kīrtana is māyā-kīrtana – chanting within the jurisdiction of the illusory potency. As long as we do not join the perfect kṛṣṇa-kīrtana conducted by genuine devotees, maya will delude us in various ways. And if we join the kīrtana of the blinded self-deceivers who are not anxious for their true well-being then surely we will not attain our own true well-being. If we follow people who never receive instructions ...

Question: Is the experience of worldly misery actually a manifestation of Bhagavān’s compassion? Answer: Everything is the compassion of He who is the embodiment of compassion. “It is all for the best.”* Everything Bhagavān does, He does for our welfare, only. Wherever the embodiment of compassion may place someone, and whenever He may place them there, that person should stay there at that time with a smiling face and accept the gift or the chastisement of the Lord. All the benedictions or punishments conferred by Bhagavān are for our benefit only. When the material energy (māyā-śakti) of Bhagavān rewards us, we tend to cherish it. And when she chastises us we consider it a source of pain. But the devotees even honour her chastisement, considering that its purpose is to help them achieve the Lord’s mercy. With a smiling face they accept it with patience and see it as the manifestation of the Lord’s blessings. Those who are unable to perceive that worldly inauspiciousness is in fact th...

Only complete unconditional surrender to the Lotus Feet of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna can bestow on us eternal peace. This world is not the place of peace. Nobody can get peace with material egos and material desires. If we want peace, we are to transcend this material realm. Whatever is done by the will of the Supreme Lord, Who is All-Good, is for the eternal benefit of all. We reap the fruits of our own actions. It is wrong to blame others for our own suffering. They may be instrumental, but they are not the cause. We should not be perturbed under any circumstance and give up bhajan in our short duration of stay in this transitory world. A completely surrendered soul is always protected and maintained by Sri Krishna. There is no cause of anxiety for him. He remains calm under all circumstances. We are controlled by Absolute Will. We cannot do anything against His Will. If He wishes anything, nobody can obstruct it. - His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj Source: ...

  This transcendental sound is to be received through the ears. The transcendental sound is meant to regulate the five senses, which are wrongly engaged in fostering the ambitions of the mind and injuring the purposes of the eternal soul. So aural reception is the first thing we should seek from the agent – the deputed messenger from the transcendental plane. The transcendental sound is transmitted through the lips of the messenger in the form of pure transcendence, which can regulate the senses. -  by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupād a Adapted from The Gaudiya Volume 27, Number 6 by the Rays of The Harmonist team https://www.purebhakti.com/resources/harmonist-monthly/63-year-4/1221-transcendence-is-at-sri-gurus-lotus-feet Rays of The Harmonist On-line, Year-4, Issue 2 “Transcendence Is At Śrī Guru’s Lotus Feet” by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure tha...