Chapter 13: Principles of Devotional Service

Generally, in devotional service, one should accept the following principles:

• Accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master.

• Becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to discharge devotional service from him.

• Obeying the orders of the spiritual master with faith and devotion.

• Following in the footsteps of great ācāryas (teachers) under the direction of the spiritual master.

• Inquiring from the spiritual master how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

• Being prepared to give up anything material for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (This means that when we are engaged in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, we must be prepared to give up something we may not like to give up and also accept something which we may not like to accept).

• Residing in a sacred place of pilgrimage like Dvārakā or Vṛndāvana.

• Dealing with the material world only as far as is necessary.

• Observing the fasting day on Ekādāsī, (On Ekādaśī, the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon, no grains, cereals or beans are to be eaten. Simple vegetables and milk are taken in moderate amounts, and chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, reading of Scripture, etc., is increased.)

• Worshiping sacred trees like the banyan tree and others.

These ten items are preliminary necessities for beginning the discharge of devotional service according to regulative principles. In the beginning, if a neophyte devotee observes the above mentioned ten principles, surely he will quickly make good advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The next set of six instructions are listed as follows:

• One should rigidly give up the company of nondevotees.

• One should not instruct a person who is not desirous of accepting devotional service.

• One should not be very enthusiastic about constructing costly temples or monasteries.

• One should not try to read too many books, nor should one develop the idea of earning his livelihood by lecturing on or by professionally reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Bhagavad-gītā.

• One should not be neglectful in ordinary dealings.

• One should not be under the spell of lamentation in loss or jubilation in gain.

The activities of devotional service can be analyzed as follows:

• hearing
• chanting
• remembering
• worshiping
• praying
• serving
• engaging as a servitor of the Lord
• establishing a friendly relationship with the Lord
• dancing before the Deity
• offering everything to the Lord
• singing
• informing
• offering obeisances
• standing up to show respect to the devotees
• when a devotee goes, following him up to the door
• entering into the temple of the Lord
• circumambulating the temple
• reading prayers
• vibrating hymns
• performing saṅkīrtana, or congregational chanting
• smelling the incense and flowers offered to the Deity
• accepting prasādam (food which has been offered to Kṛṣṇa)
• seeing ārātrika, the ceremonial performance of receiving the Lord
• seeing the Deity
• offering to the Lord His own palatable foodstuffs
• meditating
• offering water to the tulasī tree
• offering respect to the Vaiṣṇavas, or advanced devotees
• living in Mathurā or Vṛndāvana
•understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
• trying for Kṛṣṇa to one's utmost capacity
•expecting the mercy of Kṛṣṇa
• performing the ceremonial functions of Kṛṣṇa with devotees
• surrendering in all respects
• observing various ceremonial functions

To these thirty-five items another four are to be added:

• marking the body with sandalwood pulp to show that one is a Vaiṣṇava
• painting the body with the holy names of the Lord
• accepting flowers and garlands that have been offered to the Deity and spiritual master and putting them on one's body
• accepting caraṇāmṛta, or the water from the baths of the Deities which is offered to guests.

Adding these four items to the above thirty-five, we have thirty-nine items for devotional service. Out of these, the most important items are:

• to associate with devotees
• to chant the holy name of the Lord
• to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
• to live in a holy place such as Mathurā or Vṛndāvana
• to serve the Deity with great devotion

They are especially mentioned by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.