Sixty-four (Books)

Expressions researched:
"sixty-four"

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

The Lord, after hearing the Bhaṭṭācārya, thanked him for the scholarly presentation of the śloka, and then, at the request of the Bhaṭṭācārya, the Lord explained the śloka in sixty-four different ways without touching the nine explanations given by the Bhaṭṭācārya.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.3.28, Purport:

Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Kṛṣṇa to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of the attributes cent percent.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.29.24, Purport:

There are sixty-four different prescriptions for worship of the Deity in the temple. There are many items offered to the Deity, some valuable and some less valuable. It is prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā: "If a devotee offers Me a small flower, a leaf, some water or a little fruit, I will accept it." The real purpose is to exhibit one's loving devotion to the Lord; the offerings themselves are secondary.

SB 3.32.42, Purport:

To serve a devotee, to chant the holy name according to a certain counting method, to worship the Deity, to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā from a realized person and to live in a sacred place where devotional service is not disturbed are the first out of sixty-four devotional activities for making progress in devotional service. One who has accepted these five chief activities is called a devotee.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.24.45-46, Purport:

One should strictly follow the vidhi-mārga regulative principles in the worship of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, although the Lord is present in the temple as Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa includes Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa; therefore when one worships the Lord according to the regulative principles, the Lord accepts the service in the role of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. In The Nectar of Devotion full instructions are given about the vidhi-mārga worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Although there are sixty-four kinds of offenses one can commit in vidhi-mārga worship, in rāga-mārga worship there is no consideration of such offenses because the devotees on that platform are very much elevated, and there is no question of offense. But if we do not follow the regulative principles on the vidhi-mārga platform and keep our eyes trained to spot offenses, we will not make progress.

SB 4.24.59, Purport:

The pure heart of a devotee is never disturbed when he executes devotional service in the form of hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. In all, there are nine processes one can follow in the execution of devotional service. In any case, a pure-hearted devotee is never disturbed. The bhakti-yoga process must be carried out by avoiding the ten offenses one can commit while chanting the mahā-mantra and the sixty-four offenses one can commit while worshiping the Deity. When a devotee strictly follows the rules and regulations, Bhaktidevī becomes very much satisfied with him, and at that time he is never disturbed by anything external.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.1 Summary:

Chapter Thirteen contains sixty-four verses, describing how Brahmā stole Kṛṣṇa's calves and His friends, the cowherd boys. Kṛṣṇa expanded His pastimes for one year, representing Himself as the calves and boys in forms exactly like their own. In this way He bewildered Brahmā, who at last surrendered when his illusion was over.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 12.84, Purport:

The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (202) mentions Jitāmitra as the gopī named Śyāma-mañjarī. Jitāmitra wrote a book entitled Kṛṣṇa-māyurya. Jagannātha dāsa was a resident of Vikramapura, near Dacca. His birthplace was the village known as Kāṣṭhakāṭā or Kāṭhādiyā. His descendants now reside in villages known as Āḍiyala, Kāmārapāḍā and Pāikapāḍā. He established a temple of Yaśomādhava. The worshipers in this temple are the Gosvāmīs of Āḍiyala. As one of the sixty-four sakhīs, he was formerly an assistant of Citrādevī-gopī named Tilakinī. The following is a list of his descendants: Rāmanṛsiṁha, Rāmagopāla, Rāmacandra, Sanātana, Muktārāma, Gopīnātha, Goloka, Harimohana Śiromaṇi, Rākhālarāja, Mādhava and Lakṣmīkānta. The Śākhā-nirṇaya mentions that Jagannātha dāsa preached the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the district or state of Tripura.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 3.6, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that of the sixty-four items required for rendering devotional service, acceptance of the symbolic marks of sannyāsa is a regulative principle. If one accepts the sannyāsa order, his main business is to devote his life completely to the service of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. If one does not completely devote his mind and body to the service of the Lord, he does not actually become a sannyāsī. It is not simply a matter of changing dress.

CC Madhya 6.241, Purport:

Hearing the glories of the Lord, chanting, remembering, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering worship in the temple, offering prayers, becoming a servant of the Lord, becoming the Lord's friend, and sarvātma-nivedana, offering oneself fully at the lotus feet of the Lord—these are the nine devotional processes. In The Nectar of Devotion, these are expanded into sixty-four items. When Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked the Lord which item was most important, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately answered that the most important item is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. He then quoted the following verse from the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (38.126) to confirm His statement.

CC Madhya 8.221, Purport:

In all, there are sixty-four items listed for the rendering of service unto Kṛṣṇa, and these are the regulative principles enjoined in the śāstras and given by the spiritual master. One has to serve Kṛṣṇa according to these regulative principles, but if one develops spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa as exhibited in the activities of those who live in Vrajabhūmi, one attains the platform of rāgānuga-bhakti.

CC Madhya 19.175, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that if one maintains within his heart the desire to enjoy the result of good work, or, being embarrassed by the material world, the desire to get out of material entanglement, one will never be able to attain the transcendental mellows of devotional service. In other words, one must not desire material profit when rendering devotional service. Even if one follows all the sixty-four regulative principles, he cannot attain pure devotional service with a contaminated heart.

CC Madhya 22 Summary:

The six symptoms of fully surrendered souls are also described in this chapter. Devotional service has been divided into two categories-regulative devotional service and spontaneous love. There are sixty-four items listed in regulative devotional service, and out of these sixty-four the last five are considered very important. By practicing even one of the nine processes of devotional service, one can become successful.

CC Madhya 22.127, Purport:

One should surrender to Kṛṣṇa in all respects. (35) One should observe particular vows like Kārttika-vrata. These are some of the sixty-four important items of devotional service.

CC Madhya 22.129, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura points out that there are thirty-five items up to the point of observing special vows in the month of Kārttika. To these thirty-five items, another four are added—namely marking tilaka on different parts of the body, writing the names of the Lord all over the body, accepting the Deity's garland and accepting caraṇāmṛta. These four items are understood to be included by Kavirāja Gosvāmī within arcana, worship of the Deity. Although these items are not mentioned here, they are to be added to the previous thirty-five items. Thus the total number becomes thirty-nine. To these thirty-nine should be added five others: association with devotees, chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly, residing in Mathurā, the birthplace of Kṛṣṇa, and worshiping the Deity with great respect and veneration. The thirty-nine items plus these five come to a total of forty-four. If we add the previous twenty items to these forty-four, the total number becomes sixty-four. The five items mentioned above repeat previously mentioned items. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states:

CC Madhya 22.129, Purport:

"The glorification of these five items (association with devotees, chanting the holy name and so on) is to make known the complete superiority of these five practices of devotional service."

The sixty-four items of devotional service include all the activities of the body, mind and senses. Thus the sixty-four items engage one in devotional service in all respects.

CC Madhya 23 Summary:

There are a number of descriptions in this connection. There is also a description of the sixty-four transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the twenty-five transcendental qualities of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

CC Madhya 23.69, Purport:

The transcendental qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are unlimited. Out of these, sixty-four are considered prominent. The ears of the devotees are satisfied simply by hearing all these qualities one after the other.

CC Madhya 23.84-85, Purport:

Above Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa has four specific transcendental qualities—His wonderful pastimes, an abundance of wonderful associates who are very dear to Him (like the gopīs), His wonderful beauty and the wonderful vibration of His flute. Lord Kṛṣṇa is more exalted than ordinary living beings and demigods like Lord Śiva. He is even more exalted than His personal expansion Nārāyaṇa. In all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has sixty-four transcendental qualities in full.’

CC Madhya 24.334, Purport:

In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.127–140) there is a vivid description of what is required in Deity worship. There are sixty-four items mentioned. In the temple, worship should be so gorgeous that all sixty-four items should be available for the satisfaction of the Personality of Godhead. Sometimes it is impossible to get all sixty-four items; therefore we recommend that at least on the first day of installation all sixty-four items should be available. When the Lord is established, worship with all sixty-four items should continue as far as possible. The sixty-four items are as follows

CC Madhya 24.336, Purport:

The śālagrāma-śilā should be worshiped with tulasī where a sufficient quantity of tulasī leaves are available. Worship of śālagrāma-śilā should be introduced in all ISKCON temples. Śālagrāma-śilā is the form of the Lord's mercy. To worship the Deity with the sixty-four items mentioned may be a difficult job, but the Lord has become so small that anyone in any temple can carefully handle Deity worship simply by performing the same activities with the śālagrāma-śilā.

CC Madhya 24.336, Purport:

There are thirty-two offenses to the Deity that should be avoided. (1) One should not enter the temple in a vehicle. Shoes and slippers should be removed before entering the temple. (2) One should offer obeisances as soon as he sees the Deity. (3) One should enter the temple after taking a bath. In other words, one should be very clean. (4) One should not offer obeisances to the Lord with one hand. (5) One should not circumambulate demigods before the Deities. (6) One should not spread his legs before the Deity. (7) One should not sit down before the Deity with his legs crossed, nor should one touch his legs with his hands. (8) One should not lie down before the Deity. (9) One should not eat before the Deity. (10) One should not speak lies before the Deity. (11) One should not speak very loudly before the Deity. (12) One should not talk nonsense before the Deity. (13) One should not cry before the Deity. (14) One should not deal with others before the Deity. (15) One should not utter harsh words before the Deity. (16) One should not cover himself with a blanket. (17) One should not talk enviously of others before the Deity. (18) One should not praise others before the Deity. (19) One should not use slang before the Deity. (20) One should not pass air before the Deity. (21) One should not neglect the sixty-four items of Deity worship. (22) One should not eat anything not offered to the Deity. (23) One should not neglect offering seasonal fruits as soon as they are available. (24) One should always offer fresh, untouched fruit to the Deity. (25) One should not sit with his back toward the Deity. (26) One should not offer obeisances to others before the Deity. (27) One should not sit near the Deity without taking the spiritual master's permission. (28) One should not be proud to hear himself praised before the Deity. (29) One should not blaspheme the demigods. (30) One should not be unkind to others before the Deities. (31) One should observe all festivals in the temple. (32) One should not fight or quarrel before the Deity.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 12:

To these thirty-five items are added another four: (1) marking one's body with sandalwood pulp to show that one is a Vaiṣṇava, (2) painting one's body with the holy names of the Lord, (3) covering one's body with the remnants of the Deity's coverings, (4) sipping caraṇāmṛta, the water that has washed the Deity. These four additional items make thirty-nine items for devotional service in all, and out of all of these the following five are most important: (1) to associate with devotees, (2) to chant the holy name of the Lord, (3) to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, (4) to live in a holy place such as Mathurā or Vṛndāvana, and (5) to serve the Deity with great devotion. These items are especially mentioned by Rūpa Gosvāmī in his book Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. The thirty-nine items above, plus these five items, total forty-four items. Add to these the twenty preliminary items and there are a total of sixty-four items for conducting devotional service. The devotional service of one who adopts these sixty-four items with his body, mind and senses gradually becomes pure. Some of the items are completely distinct from others, some are identical, and others appear to be mixed.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 14:

The supreme lover is Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, and the supreme beloved is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa has sixty-four main qualities, and His devotee takes transcendental pleasure in hearing of them.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 14:

Kṛṣṇa has four special qualities, which are: (1) He is able to manifest wonderful pastimes; (2) He is expert at transcendental flute-playing; (3) He is surrounded by loving devotees; (4) He possesses unparalleled personal beauty.

Thus Kṛṣṇa has sixty-four transcendental qualities. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī has twenty-five transcendental qualities, with which She can control even Kṛṣṇa.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 31:

There are sixty-four categories of regulated devotional service, the performance of which helps one rise to the gopīs' stage of unconditional devotion. Affection for Kṛṣṇa on the level of the gopīs is called rāgātmikā, spontaneous love. When one enters into a spontaneous loving affair with Kṛṣṇa, there is no need to follow the Vedic rules and regulations.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 6:

Now, the total regulative principles come to an aggregate of sixty-four items. As we have mentioned, the first are the primary ten regulative principles. Then come the secondary ten regulative principles, and added to these are forty-four other activities. So all together there are sixty-four items for discharging the regulative practice of devotional service. Out of these sixty-four items, five items—namely worshiping the Deity, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, associating among the devotees, saṅkīrtana, and living in Mathurā—are very important.

The sixty-four items of devotional service should include all of our activities of body, mind and speech. As stated in the beginning, the regulative principle of devotional service enjoins that all of our senses must be employed in the service of the Lord. Exactly how they can be thus employed is described in the above sixty-four items. Now, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī will give evidence from different scriptures supporting the authenticity of many of these points.

Nectar of Devotion 21:

Adding to the list these four exceptional qualities of Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that the aggregate number of qualities of Kṛṣṇa is sixty-four. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has attempted to give evidences from various scriptures about all sixty-four qualities present in the person of the Supreme Lord.

Nectar of Devotion 25:

It is described that Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Kaṁsa, has sixty-four transcendental qualities, and all of the ever-liberated souls who accompany the Lord have the first fifty-five of the qualities, without any doubt. Such devotees are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in any of five transcendental mellows—namely neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love. These relationships with the Lord are eternal, and therefore nitya-siddha devotees do not have to strive to attain the perfectional stage by executing regulative devotional principles. They are eternally qualified to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Instruction

Nectar of Instruction 5, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that unless one chants at least sixty-four rounds of japa (one hundred thousand names), he is considered fallen (patita). According to his calculation, practically every one of us is fallen, but because we are trying to serve the Supreme Lord with all seriousness and without duplicity, we can expect the mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is famous as patita-pāvana, the deliverer of the fallen.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 45:

After hearing only once from Their teacher, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma learned all the arts and sciences. In sixty-four days and sixty-four nights, They learned all the necessary arts and sciences required in human society. During the daytime They took lessons on a subject from the teacher, and by nightfall They were expert in that department of knowledge.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes (sakhīs), embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.

Narada-bhakti-sutra (sutras 1 to 8 only)

Narada Bhakti Sutra 8, Purport:

One cannot engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord with these senses in their present materially covered state. Therefore one should take up the process of devotional service to purify them. There are sixty-four items of regulative devotional service for purifying the senses, and one should strenuously undergo such regulative service. Then one can enter into the transcendental loving service of the Lord. (See text 12 for a full discussion of these sixty-four items of devotional service.)