suddhabhakti

  The mouse, The Lamp, and the Queen A Puranic History Srila Jiva Goswami writes in Bhakti-sandarbha, anuccheda 153: astu tāvat śuddha-bhakty-ābhāsasya vārtā, aparādhatvena  dṛśyamāno 'py asau maha-prabhāvo dṛśyate. It is seen that the activities of pure bhakti when performed even without a devotional attitude are still very powerful. Srila Jiva Goswami then cites an example from the Viṣṇudharmottara Purana of an ordinary mouse who became a devotee and a queen due to some superficial contact with the Lord. A similar story is also found the Padma Purāṇa. In the Viṣṇudharmottara (1.167), Markandeya Rishi relates the following to King Vajra. In the country of Vidarbha there lived a king named Chitraratha. He had one hundred and fifteen sons, but only one daughter, whose name was Lalitika. She was endowed with all good qualities and possessed matchless beauty. Her father gave her in marriage to the righteous king of Kashi. That law-abiding king of Kashi had three hundred wives, bu...

Yudhishthira maharaj said, Oh Madhusudana, what is the name of the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Ashvina (September – October)? Please  merciful and disclose this truth to me. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna replied, Oh king, please listen as I explain the glories of this Ekadasi-  Pasankusha  Ekadasi – which removes all sins. On this day one should worship the Deity of Padmanabha, the lotus naveled Lord Vishnu, according to the rules of archana viddhi (regulations). By so doing, one achieves whatever heavenly pleasures one may want in this world, and at last attains liberation from this world thereafter. Simply by offering one’s humble obeisance unto Lord Vishnu, the rider of Garuda, one can achieve the same merit as is gained by performing great penances for a long time restraining and controlling the senses. Although a person might have committed unlimited and abominable sins, he can still escape hellish punishment just by...

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.22.10 adhanā api te dhanyāḥ sādhavo gṛha-medhinaḥ yad-gṛhā hy arha-varyāmbu- tṛṇa-bhūmīśvarāvarāḥ Translation A person who is not very rich and is attached to family life becomes highly glorified when saintly persons are present in his home. The master and servants who are engaged in offering the exalted visitors water, a sitting place and paraphernalia for reception are glorified, and the home itself is also glorified. Purport Materially, if a man is not very rich he is not glorious; and spiritually, if a man is too attached to family life he is also not glorious. But saintly persons are quite ready to visit the house of a poor man or a man who is attached to material family life. When this happens, the owner of the house and his servants are glorified because they offer water for washing the feet of a saintly person, sitting places and other things to receive him. The conclusion is that if a saintly person goes to the house of even an unimportant man, such a perso...

 

 

yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā TRANSLATION As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality. PURPORT Sometimes people ask why this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement simply advocates worship of Kṛṣṇa to the exclusion of the demigods. The answer is given in this verse. The example of pouring water on the root of a tree is very appropriate. In Bhagavad-gītā (BG 15.1) it is said, ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham: this cosmic manifestation has expanded downward, and the root is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord confirms in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.8), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of all spiritual and...