Introduction

Bhakti, Bhagavam and BhaktaDo Not Belong To This Material World 

In His purport Srila Prabhupada has written, “Bhakti, bhagavam and bhakta do
not belong to this material world.” They are not here. They are in the spiritual
world. This one line is very, very important. An explaination is required.
Very Rare
In Caitanya-caritamrta (madhya 19.147-8) its is stated:
dharmacari-madhye bahuta ‘karma-nistha’ koti-karma-nista-madhye eka jnani
srestha
Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the fruitive activity
and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive
actors, there may be one who is actually wise.
koti-jnani-madhye haya eka-jana ‘mukta’ koti-mukta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eka
krsna-bhakta
Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated, and
out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Krishna is
very dicult to nd.
Srimad Bhagavatam (6.14.5) states the same thing:
muktanam api siddhanam narayana-parayanahsudurlabhah prasantatma kotisv api
maha-mune
Among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge oiberation,
one may be a devotee of Lord Narayan or Krishna. Such devotees who are fully
peaceful, are extremely rare.
Kotisu – out of crores of men, one krsna-bhakta is hardly available.
TheBhagavatam says krsna-bhakti is sudurlabhah, very rare.
Not Available Here
Bhakti
 is not the
vrtti,
 the natural faculty or occupation, of the
tatastha-jiva-sakti,
the marginal living entities. Also, it is not the
vrtti
 of the
bahiranga-maya-sakti,
 the external material energy. Rather,
bhakti
 is the
vrtti
 of Bhagavan’s material energy, the
svarupa-sakti.
 Because of this,
bhakti, bhagavan
and
bhakta
 are not available here in
 
this material world. Jiva Goswami has said in
Bhakti Sandarbha(anuccheda
1.1
 ), paramatma-vaibhava ganane ca tatastha-sakti-rupanam cid eka rasanam api -
“The
tatastha-jivas
 are
vaibhava
 emanations of paramatma.” Since bhakti is the vrtti of the svarupa-sakti, it is not
available to the tatastha-jivas who are the vaibhava emanations of paramtama. *
For these reasons it is said that
bhakti, bhagavan
and
bhakta
 do not belong to the material world. *Srila Prabhupada has described: The
paramatma manifestation is also a temporary all-pervasive aspect of the
Kshirodakasayi Vishnu.  The paramatma manifestation is not eternal in the
spiritual world.  Therefore the factual absolute truth is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead Krishna. He is the complete energetic person, and He possesses
dierent separated and internal energies. – Purport to Bg. 7.4. The tatastha-jivas
are those who abuse their minute independence andcome here to the material
world. This material world is a manifestation of maya-sakti, the illusory energy.
Therefore, bhakti has no place here in the material world. Bhakti is the vrtti of
Krishna’s svarupa-sakti. The parinama transformation or manifestation, of the
tatastha–sakti is the jiva-jagat, the realm of the jivas. The parinama of the maya-
sakti is the jada-jagat, the material world. Similarly the parinama of the
antaranga-sakti is the spiritual world, bhagavad-dhama. In the spiritual world
Bhagavan has unlimited forms, unlimitedlilas, and unlimited associates known as
parikaras. So bhakti, being the vrtti of the antaranga-sakti, the internal energy of
the Lord, is only available in the cit-jagat, the spiritual world.Bhakti is in the
spiritual world, and Krishna as the Supreme Lord is engaged there in loving
dealings. The spiritual world is a place of variegatedness. The devotees there
reciprocate with Krishna there through dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya –
servitorship, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love. Bhagavan and bhakta are
engaged in loving reciprocation. Krishna is the embodiment of all rasas, mellows
– akhila-rasamrta-murti. He is the rasika-sekhara and the rasamaya, full of rasa.
Therefore bhakti is there in the spiritual world; it is available with the associates
of Krishna. This mayika-brahmanda, illusory world, is not the place of bhakti.
Sadhus Descend
 The spiritual energy has dierent names. It is variously known as svarupa-sakti,
yogamaya-sakti, cit-sakti, para-sakti, and antaranga-sakti. Without the mercy of
svarupa-sakti no one can get bhakti. The bhakta-gana, bhakta-sadhus, the very
dear devotees of Krishna, are
 
the manifestations of the svarupa-sakti. Such premi-bhaktas, pure sadhus, do not
belong tot his material world, they belong to the spiritual world and they descend
here. Therefore Srila Prabhupada says, “
bhakti, bhagavan
and
bhakta
 do not belong to the material world.” Srila Prabhupada has only given one short
line; it needs explanation. Premi-bhaktas, sadhus, descend from the spiritual
world.  Those who are bhagyavan-jiva (brahmanda brahmite kona
bhagayavan jiva), who have ajnata-sukrti, who are fortunate, they get a chance to
meet such sadhus, premi-bhaktas. Then they may develop bhakti.  That is
ahaituki-krpa, the causeless mercy of the bhakta sadhu. Otherwise no one can get
bhakti here in this material world. It is not available here. Therefore Mahaprabhu
said (Cc. madhya 20.120):
sadhu-sastra-krpaya yadi krsnonmukha hayasei jiva nistare, maya tahare chadaya
If the conditioned soul becomes Krishna consciousness by the mercy of the
saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to
become Krishna conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of
maya, who gives him up.Similarly Caitanya-caritamrta (madhya 22.51 and
madhya 19.151) state:
mahat-krpa vina kona karme ‘bhakti’ nayakrsna-bhakti dure rahu, samsara nahe
ksaya
Unless one is favored by a pure devotee he cannot sustain the platformof
devotional service. To say nothing of krsna-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved
from the bondage of material existence.
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jivaguru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-
bija
According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire
universe. Some of them are being elevated tot he upper planetary systems and
some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out many of the millions
of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to
associate with a bona de spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy
of both Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the
creeper of devotional service.If some jiva has bhagya, good fortune, then he gets
the mercy of sadhu. Mahat-krpa vina – without the mercy of the mahat, sat-sadhu,
who has descended from the spiritual world – kone karme ‘bhakti’ naya
 
– no one cane develop bhakti. Krsna-bhakti dure rahu, samsara nahe ksaya –
What to speak of krsna-bhakti, he cannot even be delivered from the material
world. The Bhagavatam (5.5.6) states:
 pritir na yavan mayi vasudevena mucyate deha-yogena tavat 
As long as you have not developed priti, love to Vasudev, Krishna you cannot be
delivered from material bondage.
Sadhus are Always Available
Although krsna-bhakti is sudurlabha, very rare, still, those who are bhagyavan-
jiva, who have gotten the causeless mercy of sat-sadhus, premi-bhaktas, they
develop bhakti. One should not be disappointed and think, “Oh, it is not available
here.” The jiva hasthat yogyata, eligibility. If the tatastha-jiva makes proper use
of his minute independence then he will get the opportunity to develop bhakti. He
will meet a pure sadhu. By the causeless mercy of that sadhu he will develop
bhakti. Brhan Naradiya Purana (4.33) describes, bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta
sangena parijayate, “By the association of a premi-bhakta one develops bhakti. It
is not that such sadhus are not available here. Their hearts bleed seeing the
suering of the jivas here, so they descend. There are two types of such sadhus:
Those who come by the direct order of the Lord and those who come voluntarily
seeing the suering of the jivas. It is said that if there were no sun and moon
how would this material world go on? Similarly, if there were no sadhus, how
would Krishna’s world go on? Sadhus are always available. One cannot say, “Oh,
sadhus are not available. I cannot see any sadhu.” You have no vision to see a
sadhu! Sadhus are there otherwise how could Krishna’s world go on? Suddha-
bhaktas, pure devotees, are the bhusana, the ornaments of this world. Bhakti-devi
is manifested in the heart of such suddha-bhaktas, pure devoees.Prabhupada and
all the acaryas have stated that bhakti, bhagavan, and bhakta do not belong to the
material world. So one may raise the question that if bhakti does not belong to the
material world then why are you coming here and preaching the science of the
bhakti? The tatastha-jiva, the marginal living entity, is paramatma-vaibhava. But
he still has cetanamsah, minute consiousness. Katha Upanisad (2.2.13) describes: