Importance of Devotional Service

Introduction
 What is Devotional Service

Devotional service means trying

to please the Lord.  It is meant to give
Kåñëa happiness.  Devotional service
is the soul’s eternal constitutional
propensity, the living entity’s natural
characteristic. 
The best way to begin devotional service is
to try to offer everything you do, or some
portion of everything you do, to Kåñëa. For
example, if you cook, offer the food to Lord
Kåñëa before eating. If you work, then take
some of the results of your work and offer it
at the temple for the seva of Lord Kåñëa! If
you have some skills, offer to help at a
temple and use your skills for the benefit of
the Deity, the temple, and the devotees.
 yat karoñi yad açnäsi
yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruñva mad-arpaëam
 Levels of
Devotional Service
 How to Perform
Devotional Service
 çré-prahläda uväca
çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam
Prahläda Mahäräja said: Hearing and chanting about the
transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia
and pastimes of Lord Viñëu, remembering them, serving the
lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship
with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the
Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best
friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other
words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these
nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. (SB
7.5.23)
Sravanam Kirtanam Pada Sevanam

Smaranam

Atma
Arcanam Vandanam Dasyam Sakhyam
Nivedanam
In this age, the two most
effective processes of
devotional service are
hearing and chanting. So
please chant the Maha-mantra
“Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama,
Rama Rama Hare Hare” and
hear about Lord Kåñëa
through his authorized
representative, the spiritual
master, and you will always
be happy.
 Benefits of
Devotional Service
 Though devotional service can be
classified as a means of self-realization, it
is actually the natural disposition of all
living entities.
We are all part and parcels of God and it
is our true nature to love him. Through
contact with material nature, we have
forgotten this relationship.

Bhakti yoga is the way for us to

reconnect with Kåñëa.
 Religious life is often viewed as being very strict
and austere, and requiring great renunciation.

Devotional service is above all

religious regulations and austerities.
Bhakti means love, and it is the
natural inclination of everyone to love
someone else. These processes aren’t
very difficult to perform.
In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that He
will protect surrendered souls from the
reactions of all sinful activities.

The distresses from sinful activities are

due both from the sins in this life and sins
committed in our past lives.

Sinful activities are of two kinds: those

which are mature (Prarabdha) and those
which are not mature (Aprarabdha).
My dear Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into
ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me completely burns to
ashes sins committed by My devotees. (SB 11.14.19)
Greatest Peace Formula
A person who is engaged in devotional
service in full Kåñëa consciousness is
to be understood to be doing the best
service to the whole world.

In addition to human society, he is

pleasing even the trees and animals,
because they also become attracted by
such a movement.
 yasyästi bhaktir bhagavaty akiïcanä
sarvair guëais tatra samäsate suräù

All the demigods and their exalted

qualities, such as religion, knowledge
and renunciation, become manifest in
the body of one who has developed
unalloyed devotion for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Väsudeva. (SB
5.18.12)
Happiness derived from pure devotional service
is the highest, because it is eternal.
Devotional service attracts even Kåñëa Himself.
More Benefits of Performing
Devotional Service
 Recap
1. What is devotional service?
2. Levels of devotional service
3. How to perform devotional service? Nava-vidha bhakti
4. Benefits of devotional service
 Natural for the soul
 Easy and a blissful process
 Destroys sinful reactions – all 4 types
 Greatest peace formula
 Benefits everyone including trees and animals
 All good qualities manifest automatically
 No other happiness compares to it
 Attracts the Lord Himself
padaà padaà yad vipadäà na teñäm
(SB 10.14.58)
 mäm upetya punar janma
duùkhälayam açäçvatam
näpnuvanti mahätmänaù
saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù

After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogés in

devotion, never return to this temporary world, which
is full of miseries, because they have attained the
highest perfection. (Bg 8.15)
 na tad bhäsayate süryo
na çaçäìko na pävakaù
yad gatvä na nivartante
tad dhäma paramaà mama
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity.
Those who reach it never return to this material world. (Bg 15.6)
The Lord is Eagerly Waiting for us!!!
He Reciprocates in the Sweetest Possible Way!!!
He Reciprocates in Different Ways with Different Devotees!!!
The Lord Appreciates even
the Smallest Act of Service
He Maintains Every Living Entity!!!
Kåñëa Protects His devotees in all circumstances but His way of
giving protection may differ from what we think protection is!
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body,
O son of Kunté, that state he will attain without fail. (Bg 8.6)
Real protection is at the time of
death. Kåñëa doesn’t forget His
surrendered devotee.
 Recap
More Benefits of devotional service
 The only way to get out of the misery of material existence
 He is waiting for us and He is more anxious
 He reciprocates in the sweetest possible way
 Reciprocates differently with different individuals
 He is grateful
 He maintains everyone
 He protects His devotee – especially when needed most
Conclusion
 bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti
yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù
tato mäà tattvato jïätvä
viçate tad-anantaram

One can understand Me as I am, as the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, only
by devotional service. And when one is
in full consciousness of Me by such
devotion, he can enter into the
kingdom of God. (Bg 18.55)
Hare
Kåñëa