Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Narada Bhakti Sutra 68

kanthavarodha-romasrubhih parasparam lapamanah pavayanti kulani prthivim ca

SYNONYMS

kantha -- of the throat; avarodha -- with blockage; roma -- with bodily hair (standing erect); asrubhih -- and with tears; parasparam -- among one another; lapamanah -- conversing; pavayanti -- they purify; kulani -- their communities; prthivim -- the earth; ca -- and.

TRANSLATION

Conversing among one another with throats choked, hair standing on end, and tears flowing, the Lord's intimate servants purify their own followers and the whole world.

PURPORT

One may ask, "Does Narada expect me to also become a great devo-tee and experience such ecstasy?" The answer is yes, the ecstasy of devotional service is open to all. But a humble devotee may think himself unfit to experience the advanced stages of Krsna consciousness for many lifetimes. We may respond best to a sutra like this by trying to appreciate, at least slightly, the wonderful influence of the great souls who have come to this earth. This will inspire us to seek the association of the servants of the servants of such great souls, to assist them in their mission, and to receive shelter from them against the world of maya.

The symptoms of ecstasy should not be imitated, but it is not wrong to aspire to experience them. In The Nectar of Devotion, Rupa Gosvami encourages us to develop a spontaneous attachment for serving the Lord without any desire for profit. Srila Prabhupada writes,

In other words, one should learn how to cry for the Lord. One should learn this small technique, and one should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in some particular type of service. This is called laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection. [The Nectar of Devotion, p. 84]

The absence of warm or spontaneous feelings for the Lord may indicate that we are still committing one or more of the ten offenses against the holy name, or that we are indulging in some of the vices mentioned in the Narada-bhakti-sutra. As Lord Caitanya, taking the role of the neophyte, laments in His Siksastaka (2), "I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting."

Although the bodily transformations symptomatic of ecstatic love of God (bhava) are sometimes exhibited by great souls, pretenders may imitate them. Real bhava, however, is manifested by steady symptoms:

Bhava is definitely displayed in the matter of cessation of material desires (ksanti), utilization of every moment in the transcendental loving service of the Lord (avyartha-kalatvam [Cc.Madhya 23.18-19]), eagerness for glorifying the Lord constantly (nama-gane sada rucih), attraction for living in the land of the Lord (pritis tad-vasati-sthale [Cc.Madhya 23.18-19]), complete detachment from material happiness (viraktih), and pridelessness (mana-sunyata). One who has developed all these transcendental qualities is really possessed of the bhava stage, as distinguished from the stonehearted imitator or mundane devotee. [Bhag. 2.3.24, purport]

The influence of pure devotees of the Lord is very great. Their conversations are entirely Krsna conscious, and that is why they purify everyone who hears them, and even the place they inhabit. When bona fide devotees perform krsna-kirtana or discuss topics concerning Krsna, the Lord is personally present:

The topics of Lord Krsna are so auspicious that they purify the speaker, the hearer, and the inquirer. They are compared to the Ganges waters, which flow from the toe of Lord Krsna. Wherever the Ganges waters go, they purify the land and the person who bathes in them. Similarly, krsna-katha, or the topics of Krsna, are so pure that wherever they are spoken the place, the hearer, the inquirer, the speaker, and all concerned become purified. [Bhag. 2.1.1, purport]

The practical effect of a devotee's influence is that people take up spiritual life and abandon their sinful habits. Without devotional reform in society, humanity will degrade to a barbaric species. Prabhupada writes, "Men face each other in enmity just like cats and dogs snarling. Sri Isopanisad cannot give advice to the cats and dogs, but it delivers the message of Godhead to man through the bona fide acaryas, or holy teachers" (Isopanisad 1, purport).

At least on an individual basis every sane person should save himself by coming forward to render service and to hear from Vaisnavas of the caliber Narada describes in this sutra. If one is under the protection of a pure devotee and sincerely renders service to him in bhakti-yoga, one will be able to counteract all sinful reactions, including the accumulated sinful karma of the whole world population. Narada praises the influence of devotees, but Lord Krsna praises the influence of Narada:

If someone is able, by chance, to see face to face a great saintly person like Narada, who is always serene and merciful to everyone, then immediately that conditioned soul becomes liberated. This is exactly like being situated in the full light of the sun; there cannot be any visionary impediment. [Krsna, p. 97]

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Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari