B H A K T I (DEVOTIONAL SERVICE). part 1.

There are six characteristics of pure devotional service,
which are as follows:
(1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress.
(2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness.
(3) Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure.
(4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved.
(5) Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation.
(6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa.

It is stated in the Padma Purāṇa
that there are four kinds of effects
due to sinful activities,
which are listed as follows:
(1) the effect which is not yet fructified,
(2) the effect which is lying as seed,
(3) the effect which is already mature
and (4) the effect which is almost mature.
It is also stated that all these four effects
become immediately vanquished for
those who surrender unto the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and become engaged
in His devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated as follows:
"A person who is engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness
is to be understood to be doing the best service to the whole world
and to be pleasing everyone in the world.
In addition to human society, he is pleasing even the trees and animals,
because they also become attracted by such a movement."

A practical example of this was shown by Lord Caitanya
when He was traveling through the forests of Jhārikhaṇḍa
in central India for spreading His sańkīrtana movement.
The tigers, the elephants, the deer and all the other wild animals
joined Him and were participating, in their own ways,
by dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed
the different sources of happiness.
He has divided happiness into three categories, which are
(1) happiness derived from material enjoyment,
(2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman and
(3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In the tantra-śāstra Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way:
"My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself
at the lotus feet of Govinda
and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness
can be very easily awarded all the perfections
desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this,
he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees."

Happiness derived from pure devotional service
is the highest, because it is eternal.
The happiness derived from material perfection
or understanding oneself to be Brahman
is inferior because it is temporary.
There is no preventing one's falling down
from material happiness, and there is even
every chance of falling down from
the spiritual happiness derived out of
identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman.

In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated as follows:
"Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
is the highest enlightenment,
and when such enlightenment is there,
it is just like a blazing forest fire,
killing all the inauspicious snakes of desire."

Even one drop of happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness
derived from any other activity.
Thus, any person who has developed
even a little quantity of pure devotional service
can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness
derived from religiousness, economic development,
sense gratification and liberation.

It is stated in the tantra-sāstra, where Lord Siva says to Satī,
"My dear Satī, if one is a very fine philosopher,
analyzing the different processes of knowledge,
he can achieve liberation from the material entanglement.
By performance of the ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the Vedas
one can be elevated to the platform of pious activities
and thereby enjoy the material comforts of life to the fullest extent.
But all such endeavours can hardly offer anyone
devotional service to the Lord,
not even if one tries for it by such processes
for many, many thousands of births."

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Kṛṣṇa.
The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Rādhārāṇī.
Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive
that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids.
But Rādhārāṇī is still more attractive, for She can even attract Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohinī
— the attractor of the attractor of Cupid.

To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Rādhārāṇī,
and devotees in Vṛndāvana put themselves under the care of Rādhārāṇī
in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service.
In other words, devotional service is not an activity of the material world;
it is directly under the control of Rādhārāṇī.
In Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the mahātmās, or great souls,
are under the protection of daivī prakṛti, the internal energy — Rādhārāṇī.
So, being directly under the control of the internal potency of Kṛṣṇa,
devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa Himself.