Sri Narada-bhakti-sutra, purpoprt to Sutra 5:
The next item favorable for devotional service is niscaya, confidence. When one becomes disappointed in his service to the Supreme Lord, that disappointment must be rejected and replaced with confidence in attaining the ultimate goal, love of Godhead. The devotee should patiently follow the rules and regulations of devotional service so that the day will come when he will achieve, all of a sudden, all the perfection of devotional service. He should not lament for any loss or any reverse in his advancement in spiritual life. This patience (dhariya) is the third positive item for advancing in devotional service.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
“Amongst the higher classes of people in society, there are three main paths for traveling through the kingdom of various beliefs regarding transcendence, These are known as the paths of karma (performance of materially furtive activity), jnana (cultivation of transcendental knowledge), and bhakti (purely surrendered devotional service.) First, the path of karma-marga involves the arrangements for obtaining temporary worldly benefits, which are enjoyed by souls trapped in the bondage of the materially conditioned platform of life.
Second, the jnana-marga involves renouncing impermanent material things as well as the impermanent distractions related to patriotic interests and such; one then searches after the undifferentiated spiritual reality of impersonal brahma. And the third path involves positive activity that is transcendental to karma, jnana and matter altogether - it is the way of cultivating actions favorable for serving the object most worthy of service, Sri Krsna. This is called bhakti-marga, the path of pure devotion.”
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura:
“O faithful jiva! You have turned away from Krsna and then suffered the experience of so-called happiness and distress in the realm of mayika-samsara. This situation is not befitting you. As long as you remain bound to the wheel of karma as a result of your faulty aversion to Krsna, please accept one transcendental remedy.
If you are inclined toward the path of pravrtti (positive use of material situations), then just become a grhastha, brahmacari, or vanaprastha; or if you are inclined to the path of nivrtti (renunciation of material situations), then just be a sannyasi. But in whatever position you find yourself, please give up all anacar (sinful activities), while offering your body, home, wife, children, and wealth unto Sri Krsna.
Living in Krsna’s world, perform all your actions by dovetailing your senses and mind with topics of Krsna, and with a heart purified of envious aversion pass the journey of life. The supreme nectar (paramamrta) of favorable service rendered unto Lord Krsna will gradually become thickened until it breaks through your two bodies — the gross (sthula) and the subtle (linga) — and will finally cause your eternal spiritual form (aprakrta svarupa) to again awaken.
All the following things come under the heading of unfavorable actions, performed either by oneself or by society: theft, speaking lies, cheating, hostility, lust, inflicting bodily harm, duplicious politics, and so forth. Abandoning all these, just resort to pious means and spend your life in Krsna’s world. The ultimate statement is this — showing mercy to all living beings, living a pure lifestyle, just chant the holy name of Krsna. There is no difference whatsoever between Krsna-nama and Lord Krsna Himself. By the mercy of the holy name, Krsna in the form of His names, forms, attributes and pastimes (nama, rupa, guna, and lila) will personally reveal Himself to the vision of the eyes of your siddha-svarupa (spiritual body). Truly in a few days your chit-svarupa will awaken and will remain floating in the ocean of eternally sweet Krsna-prema.”
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