3. Qualification and Attainment

CHAPTER THREE

Qualification and Attainment

Practising and advanced devotees are appreciated in two ways: according to their qualification, and according to their attainment. In turn, qualification is generally determined by faith and knowledge, and sometimes by taste, while attainment is determined by a devotee’s degree of love. This chapter describes these all-important topics.

We begin with a study of a devotee’s qualification for sādhana, reminding the reader that there are two kinds of sādhana-bhakti— regulative and spontaneous, each with its distinctive qualification.

While most devotees are generally found to practise regulative devotion, some are found to be of the spontaneous genre. Still, Gauḍīya tradition entreats all Vaiṣṇavas to externally conduct themselves as regulated devotees. This way there is unity of practice within the diverse consciousness of Vaiṣṇavas. Rūpa Gosvāmī makes this clear when teaching spontaneous devotion:

sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā vraja-lokānusārataḥ

“The advanced devotee who is inclined to spontaneous loving service should follow the activities of a particular associate of Kṛṣṇa’s in Vṛndāvana. He should execute service externally as a regulative devotee as well as internally from his self-realised position. Thus he should perform devotional service both externally and internally.”1

The reader may ask:

“What is the qualification, adhikāra, for regulative devotional service?”

The answer is:

“Because regulative devotion is inspired by scriptural injunction, the qualification for its practise is dependent on the maturity of a practitioner’s knowledge of and faith in scriptures.”

Authoritative convention divides qualification into three levels, namely beginner, intermediate, and advanced, or kaniṣṭhaadhikāra, madhyama-adhikāra, and uttama-adhikāra.

The initial and most general form of qualification is a basic attraction to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This qualification is attained by the association of advanced Vaiṣṇavas and may appear in a heart that is still drawn to sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa explains:

yadṛcchayā mat-kathādau jāta-śraddhas tu yaḥ pumān na nirviṇṇo nāti-sakto bhakti-yogo ’sya siddhi-daḥ

“If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.”2

In his commentary on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Jīva Gosvāmī explains that such faith arises from some earlier contact with bhakti.3

Thus, when a person is attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness but his faith is pliable and his knowledge of scripture meagre, he is known as a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, or a candidate with the minimum qualification for practice.4 To advance further in devotional service, a devotee’s faith and knowledge must mature.

When faith in scripture has become firm but knowledge is still incomplete, a devotee is then known as a madhyama-adhikārī, or a candidate with an intermediate qualification.

And finally, when a practitioner’s faith has become as unshakeable as his knowledge of scriptural conclusions is deep, he is known as an uttama-adhikārī, or a candidate with the highest qualification for devotional service.5

These are the three kinds of qualification for regulated devotional service in practice, vaidhī-sādhana-bhakti.

The previous chapter has also made clear that pure devotional service—as distinct from impure devotion—requires a further quali fication, and that is freedom from bodily identification. Such eligibility is characterised by freedom from a desire for sense gratification or liberation, and an abounding yearning to please Kṛṣṇa. These go without saying.

As previously mentioned, there is another kind of devotional service in practice: spontaneous devotional service, rāgānugasādhana-bhakti. This kind of devotion generally manifests when a devotee is freed of material contamination, although by the grace of advanced devotees or by previous attainment it can appear at any stage of devotion.

The preliminary qualification for spontaneous devotion is an eagerness to serve Kṛṣṇa in a specific relationship. Such eagerness is called lobha, and the development of that eagerness is a further qualification for spontaneous service. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes,

“There is a gradual development of the ambition to become like a particular devotee, such as Nanda or Yaśodā, and this activity is called rāgānugā.”6

Thus, in the above-mentioned gradual development of spontaneous attraction, qualification may also be said to pass through three stages: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

However, just as knowledge of the science of devotion matures the regulative devotee, it is also a source of nourishment for the spontaneous practitioner. Knowledge and natural attraction are connected, as Kṛṣṇa explains to Arjuna:

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

“Being freed from attachment, fear, and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me, and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.”7

In summary, it may be said that the preliminary qualification for rāgānuga-bhakti is an initial attraction for following an associate of Kṛṣṇa, even if one lacks real knowledge of the principles and moods of devotion. The intermediate qualification is a strong yet immature attachment that is complemented with awareness of the nectar of devotion. And finally, the topmost qualification is more mature greed, in which a devotee is somewhat knowledgeable in the aspects of his eternal relationship.

The beginner’s qualification for vaidhī-sādhana-bhakti corresponds to the stages of devotion from faith to the eradication of bad habits, the intermediate qualification to steadiness, and advanced qualification to taste and attachment.

Because spontaneous devotional service can awaken at any stage, the qualification for it is not rigidly fixed to any of the stages of devotion. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda intimates that its initial appearance for a regulated devotee may be at the stage of steadiness, niṣṭhā:

“…such eagerness to follow in the footsteps of the denizens of Vraja is not possible unless one is freed from material contamination, anartha-nivṛtti.”8

Additionally, although the initial qualification for natural devotion may be at the stage of steadiness, it is possible that it appears before then, or after. Indeed, it may only arise at bhāva, the stage at which freedom from material contamination is almost absolute.

The next, intermediate qualification takes place at the stage of taste, ruci, whereat a further purified devotee is spontaneously attached to the activities of devotion like chanting and hearing.

And the topmost qualification is at attachment, āsakti, where attachment to bhakti transforms into attachment to Kṛṣṇa and His associates. This is the attraction of the uttama-adhikārī for rāgānugā-sādhana.

Something else should be added here. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī uses the word ruci, or taste, which one usually identifies with spontaneous devotion. However, this is not the case in point. Writing in context of regulated devotion, the ācārya states that the primary qualification for pure devotion is ruci, taste: svalpāpi rucir eva syād bhakti-tattvāvabodhikā:

“Even if one has a little taste for the topic of bhakti, he can understand it.”9

The meaning here is that past impressions qualify a person with the taste for hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and it is this kind of ruci, di erent from rāga, that awakens faith in the regulative devotee, his preliminary qualification. Scriptural logic and devotional qualification are the secondary, concomitant qualifications for devotion. That said, this same previously-acquired taste also contributes to the rise of natural attraction.

To summarise this section: in both regulated and spontaneous devotion, each stage becomes the qualification for the next, enabling a competent devotee to systematically advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this regard, competency also means awareness of the duties and restrictions that correspond to the incumbent stage of devotion. Kṛṣṇa explains:

sve sve ’dhikāre yā niṣṭhā sa guṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ karmaṇāṁ jāty-aśuddhānām anena niyamaḥ kṛtaḥ guṇa-doṣa-vidhānena saṅgānāṁ tyājanecchayā

“It is firmly declared that the steady adherence of transcendentalists to their respective spiritual positions constitutes real piety and that sin occurs when a

transcendentalist neglects his prescribed duty. One who adopts this standard of piety and sin, sincerely desiring to give up all past association with sense gratification, is able to subdue materialistic activities, which are by nature impure.”10

We have delineated the qualifications needed for a devotee to practise either regulated or spontaneous devotional service. Now we shall describe the characteristics of a devotee according to his attainment.

The activities of regulated devotional service are outlined by the pāñcarātrikī system of deity worship systematised by the great authority Nārada Muni. The path of spontaneous devotional service is embodied in the teachings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and characterised by the nine limbs of devotional service. While our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement aims at spontaneous devotion through this bhāgavata-mārga, in its developing stages our devotion is complemented by the regulated pāñcarātrikī-vidhi.

In the practice of vaidhī-bhakti, deity worship helps to purify the heart so that a devotee is inspired to naturally serve and love Kṛṣṇa. For the purposes of this book, however, a devotee’s spiritual advancement will only be assessed in terms of his attachment to Kṛṣṇa and not in terms of his ritual practices in worship. To give a general comparison of the attainments of these two systems, we quote Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

“The kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs in the bhāva-mārga or bhāgavata-mārga who are described in the ŚrīmadBhāgavatam are practically equal to the mahā-bhāgavatas of the pañcarātrika-arcana-mārga, although there is some di erence between the two.”11

In this quote, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī refers to the well-known verses in which the sage Śrī Havir defines three levels of spiritual advancement. Furthermore, the ācārya refers to a devotee’s advancement in love with the word adhikārī. Śrīla Prabhupāda also used the term adhikārī to refer to spiritual advancement. Thus we

shall follow the practice of Śrīla Prabhupāda and his spiritual master and employ the terms kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and uttama-adhikārī to denote levels of both eligibility for and advancement in devotion. For an elaboration on the common nomenclature of two distinct sets of attributes we refer the reader to Appendix One.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam defines a neophyte devotee, a kaniṣṭhaadhikārī, as one who is a faithful worshipper of the deity but ignorant about Vaiṣṇava dealings, and therefore a materialistic devotee.12 Such a devotee is also referred to as the “shadow” of a devotee or “almost” a devotee. This terminology is used by ācāryas like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.13

These designations are so assigned because a kaniṣṭha’s understanding of the transcendental identity of the deity is mundane, not based on scripture. Moreover, he remains ignorant that the Lord he worships in the temple is also present within each living entity, what to speak of within each and every Vaiṣṇava and Vaiṣṇavī. Thus he sees both Kṛṣṇa and His devotees materially, and also sees a di erence between them.

Thinking that he is the best devotee and ignorant that there are Vaiṣṇavas more advanced than himself, a neophyte is prone to commit o ences to devotees. Because the kaniṣṭha is attracted to the opulence, intelligence, and achievements of materialists, he further compounds his o ences by criticising the intermediate devotees who, for preaching purposes, criticise materialists.

Jīva Gosvāmī writes that kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs are “useless for practical preaching work.”14 Describing a neophyte Śrī Havir says,

arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

“A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a prākṛta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position.”15

Nonetheless, if a neophyte devotee chants the holy name even once he is still considered special, for, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he is unique amongst human beings upon whose tongues Kṛṣṇa’s name is rarely found. Still, one who is inexperienced in Vaiṣṇava conduct and in the science of pure devotion will inevitably create o ences, which then become obstacles on the path of chanting.

Overall, the position of the kaniṣṭha is tenuous. Without the shelter of advanced devotees, o ences will restrict his advancement and cause his devotions to be contaminated by mundane aspirations and speculations. But if he is fortunate to have the shelter of more experienced Vaiṣṇavas, then he can systematically rise to the intermediate stage of bhakti.

Of intermediate devotees there are two kinds: those whose meritorious conduct has elevated them to that stage, and those more advanced, the uttama-adhikārīs, who have assumed the behaviour and service of a madhyama-adhikārī. Śrīla Prabhupāda would say that these advanced devotees “come down” to the intermediate platform:

“Sometimes the first-class devotee also comes down to the category of the second-class devotee for preaching work.”16

Such advanced devotees sometimes exhibit symptoms of their elevated consciousness, symptoms that should be respected but not imitated by those less accomplished.

In short, the madhyama is a preacher who has the discrimination to relate with a ection, friendship, mercy, and disregard towards Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇavas, the innocent, and the envious, respectively.17

Śrī Havir describes the madhyama in this way:

īsvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

“An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikārī, offers his love to the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent, and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”18

The intermediate devotees cover a broad spectrum of spiritual achievement from steadiness to bhāva. This striking upper limit of madhyama-adhikārī is based on Rūpa Gosvāmī’s definition of a sādhaka, an upper limit exemplified by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.

In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī defines a sādhaka as,

“Those who have developed rati for Kṛṣṇa but have not completely extinguished the anarthas, and who are qualified to see Kṛṣṇa directly.”19

We have explained briefly in Chapter One how a bhāva-bhakta is a specific type of sādhaka. While this topic will be made more clear in an upcoming chapter on sādhakas, before we discuss Rūpa Gosvāmī’s definition above, we will present this topic briefly:

Because a bhāva-bhakta still has traces of anarthas from earlier o ences, he, unlike perfected devotees, su ers. Therefore, because there are only two kinds of devotees, sādhakas and siddhas, bhāvabhaktas are still sādhakas. However, their kind of devotion should not be mistaken for sādhana-bhakti, for their devotion is of the nature of bhāva.

The discrimination of an intermediate devotee is an expression of his learning, compassion, and prudence. A Vaiṣṇava must follow Kṛṣṇa’s example of relating di erently to di erent persons. The Lord says,

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

“As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.”20

We sometimes see immature devotees become indiscriminate on the plea of seeing all souls equally and then preaching to the faithless and the o ensive. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī calls these pretenders

childish and asādhu.21 These neophytes only implicate sinful people in o ences, but falsely think themselves exalted while criticising qualified preachers. The ācārya cites great souls like Vyāsadeva and Śukadeva Gosvāmī as examples of devotees who would not exhibit mercy indiscriminately, and recommends that undisciplined neophytes who fault them be ignored. The indi erence the preacher shows the atheist is a desirable trait that avoids mutual feelings of hostility and protects intermediate devotees from being polluted by bad association.

That said, the first-class devotee who acts as a madhyama may sometimes enter the mood of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and exhibit either hatred or kindness towards atheists, as did Uddhava to Duryodhana. Jīva Gosvāmī warns intermediate devotees not to imitate such conduct, although he says that they may meditate on different ways to deliver the envious.22 Such saintly conduct is exemplified by Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja in the following wonderful words:

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārthamāyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān

“O best of the great personalities! I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies, and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them.”23

It should be remembered that because the two kinds of madhyama-adhikārīs di er in their degree of attachment to Kṛṣṇa, their realisations also di er. Even while rejecting an envious atheist, the first-class devotee actually perceives the presence of the Lord within all living entities, while the second-class devotee is only intellectually able to do so.

Moreover, the friendship and compassion shown by these two preachers also differs. A mahā-bhāgavata may display special

ecstasy at meeting another Vaiṣṇava, or overwhelming compassion towards a conditioned soul engaged in the Lord’s service. Such confidential expressions of perfection may remain sources of inspiration for the regular intermediate.

Assessing devotees according to their proficiency in chanting, Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts them as intermediate practitioners if their nāma-saṅkīrtana is consistent in its numerical strength. Moreover, if devotees awaken a spontaneous attraction to the holy name and chant constantly, they become worshipable by regulative practitioners.

In conclusion, madhyama-adhikārīs are the emissaries of the saṅkīrtana movement, in which the intermediates act as assistants to the advanced. The two work together to distribute love for Kṛṣṇa to the less fortunate.

Since the determination of all lesser Vaiṣṇavas is to attain the state of topmost perfection, the uttama-adhikārī will now be described according to the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ bhūtāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ

“The most advanced devotee [or mahā-bhāgavata] can see within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Consequently, he sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, and understands that everything that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.”24

The uttama-adhikārī is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, which means that he sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere does not mean that all objects and persons transform into Kṛṣṇa and that the universe becomes a Kṛṣṇa-collage. It means that everything in existence is seen to be Kṛṣṇa’s creation, an expression of His energies.

Ācāryas give the example of a lusty man who sees every woman as stimulus for passion. In a similar way, a pure devotee sees everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa and as an impetus for pure love. Kṛṣṇa describes this vision to Arjuna in the following way:

yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.”25

Constant awareness of Kṛṣṇa is how a devotee sees Kṛṣṇa.

Another example is how a loving mother sees her child whenever she sees his clothing, shoes, or toys. Extraordinary love causes the mother to be intensely aware of her baby, and that awareness extracts from each object connected with him a vision of her darling.

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that while the word paśyet, “one must see,” in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse quoted does not mean that at every moment an advanced devotee is visualising the form of Kṛṣṇa, it does mean that he has reached the exalted platform of devotional service at which he is capable of seeing Kṛṣṇa.

The qualification for seeing Kṛṣṇa is clearly explained by Lord Brahmā when he says premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena.26 In essence, to see Kṛṣṇa one’s eyes must be anointed with the salve of love, prema. Love is the qualification to see Kṛṣṇa. The full verse reads:

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form

of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee.”27

Although they have an overwhelming desire to do so, even uttamaadhikārīs do not see Kṛṣṇa before them at every moment. The nature of prema is to cause an insatiable, ever-increasing desire to be with and to see the Lord. And it is this desire alone that inspires the pure devotee to perceive Kṛṣṇa within every aspect of His creation.

Cakravartī Ṭhākura emphasises that theoretical or academic understanding of Kṛṣṇa’s presence in everything does not qualify the seer as a first-class devotee. One must have actually developed love for Kṛṣṇa. And the Vaiṣṇava blessed with love is distinguished by unique qualities not found in other aspirants.

Having taken shelter of the Supreme Lord, a devotee is humility personified, his heart is free of every seed of lust, he is possessed of the most exalted spiritual knowledge, and because he never forgets Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet for even a moment, Kṛṣṇa never forgets him.

If we unpack the consequences of seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere, the extraordinary character of the uttama-adhikārī can be better appreciated in the following ways:

By seeing everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, a paramahaṁsa has neither the desire nor the capacity to be independent of Kṛṣṇa, nor to enjoy separately from Him. Because such an exalted devotee is always in the presence and under the control of his ever well-wisher, no situation or event is unfavourable, no object undesirable. Even birth, death, hunger, fear, or thirst cannot bewilder such a great soul, who sees all these as conditions arranged by Kṛṣṇa for his betterment and as means for coming closer to Him. Indeed, a great soul takes what appears to be reverses in life as Kṛṣṇa’s special attention and as impetuses for his ever-increasing prema. And if by chance there are any troubles in a pure devotee’s heart, they are banished forever by the power of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, which are constantly fixed within his mind.

This extraordinary vision of a pure devotee allows him to perfect two principles. One is yukta-vairāgya:

Engaging everything in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

And the other principle is anya-nindādi-śūnya:

Not criticising others.28

Because he sees that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the pure devotee sees everything suited to Kṛṣṇa’s service; and because he sees that everyone belongs to Kṛṣṇa, he sees every living entity as serving Kṛṣṇa.

Being in such close proximity to the Lord, the pure devotee is blessed with the Lord’s opulences and potencies, and so has supernatural spiritual powers at his command. These powers are most practically visible in how an uttama-adhikārī engages both intermediate and neophyte devotees in serving the preaching mission of the Lord, in which he simultaneously brings to perfection the former and systematically elevates the latter.

How such exalted Vaiṣṇavas conduct their all-perfect lives, how they interact with the world, and how influential are their teachings generally escapes even the most astute practitioner, what to speak of a non-devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore warned us not to speculate too much on the activities of perfected souls, but instead o er them the service and worship they deserve:

yāṅra citte kṛṣṇa-premā karaye udaya tāṅra vākya, kriyā, mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya

“Even the most learned man cannot understand the words, activities, and symptoms of a person situated in love of Godhead.”29

Of uttama-adhikārīs there are two kinds: those who are eternally perfect and those who have attained perfection. Attainment of perfection is also of two kinds: by practice and by blessings. The former is the standard, while the latter the exception. Without doubt, practising devotees are also the recipients of mercy. However, that mercy is attained only by sustained e ort, which must be systematic, scientific, and progressive. This book is meant to contribute to a sādhaka’s efforts towards perfection. May we receive their blessings for our attempts to serve them, even though we are imperfect in so many ways!

Notes

1. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.295, as cited in Śrī Caitanyacaritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.158. 2. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.8. 3. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.45. 4. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.19. 5. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.17. 6. The Nectar of Devotion, chapter 16, page 125. 7. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.10. 8. The Nectar of Devotion, chapter 16, page 126. 9. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.45. 10. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.26. 11. Brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava, page 98. 12. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.47. 13. Harināma-cintāmaṇi, chapter 4. 14. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.47, purport. 15. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.47. 16. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.21, purport. 17. This sentence is based on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46, verse and purport. 18. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46. 19. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.276. 20. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.11. 21. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46, purport. 22. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46, purport. 23. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.43. 24. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.45. 25. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.30. 26. Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38. 27. Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38, as cited in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.30, purport. 28. These two principles are defined in more detail in Bhakti-rasāmṛtasindhu 1.2.255 and The Nectar of Instruction 5, respectively. 29. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 23.39.