Expressions researched:
"undeviated"
|"undeviating"
|"undeviatingly"
The Lord further says:
"He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Arjuna, is sure to reach Me." (BG 8.8)
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha, is sure to reach Me.
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha (Arjuna), is sure to reach Me.
The success of one's life is measured by one's material happiness in this life and liberation in the next. Such success can be achieved only by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words eka-matyā mean concentrating one's mind on the Lord without deviation. This process of undeviating worship of the Supreme Lord is also expressed in Bhagavad-gītā as ananya-bhāk. "That which is impossible to obtain from any other source" is also mentioned here. "Other source" refers to worship of the demigods. It is especially stressed here that the opulence of Manu was due to his undeviating faithfulness in the transcendental service of the Lord. One who diverts his mind to worshiping many demigods to obtain material happiness is considered bereft of intelligence. If anyone wants even material happiness, he can worship the Supreme Lord without deviation, and persons who are desirous of liberation can also worship the Supreme Lord and achieve their goal of life.
"King Ambarīṣa always fixed his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord and talked of Him only." (SB 9.4.19) We should also take this opportunity in life to become as good as a great saint simply by not talking unnecessarily with unwanted persons. We should either talk of Kṛṣṇa or chant Hare Kṛṣṇa undeviatingly. This is called muni-vrata. The intelligence must be very sharp (samāhita-dhiyaḥ) and should always be acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The words etad abhyasatādṛtāḥ indicate that if one takes these instructions from a spiritual master with great reverence (ādṛta) and practices them accordingly, he will find this bhakti-yoga process to be very, very easy.
The idea is to enter into the parā bhakti, the transcendental devotional service of the Supreme Lord. To attain this, one must analyze ones existence, but when one is actually engaged in devotional service, he should not bother seeking out knowledge. By simply engaging in devotional service undeviatingly, one will always remain in the liberated condition.
Obeisances unto You, O greatest of yogīs. Please instruct me, who am surrendered unto You, how I may have undeviating attachment to Your lotus feet.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Mārkaṇḍeya, you are indeed the best of all learned brāhmaṇas. You have perfected your life by practicing fixed meditation upon the Supreme Soul, as well as by focusing upon Me your undeviating devotional service, your austerities, your study of the Vedas and your strict adherence to regulative principles.
O most eminent of brāhmaṇas, you are all indeed extremely fortunate, since you have already placed within your hearts Lord Śrī Nārāyaṇa—the Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller and the ultimate Soul of all existence—beyond whom there is no other god. You have undeviating love for Him, and thus I request you to worship Him.
One who with undeviating attention constantly recites this literature at every moment of every hour, as well as one who faithfully hears even one verse or half a verse or a single line or even half a line, certainly purifies his very self.
It is natural for those who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa not to care for personal inconvenience and impediments. Such devotees are simply determined to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, the spiritual master. In all circumstances, even amidst the greatest dangers, they undeviatingly carry on with the greatest determination. This definitely proves the intense love of the servitor. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8), tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ: those who seriously desire to get free from the clutches of material existence, who have developed intense love for Kṛṣṇa, are worthy candidates for going back home, back to Godhead.
"All these pure devotees serve as ornaments to Jagannātha Purī. They are always undeviatingly meditating upon Your lotus feet."
Such determination is the first qualification. As confirmed by Rūpa Gosvāmī (Upadeśāmṛta 3): utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt. One must first have firm determination, firm faith. When one engages in devotional service, he must maintain this firm determination. Then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased with his service. The spiritual master can show the path of devotional service. If the disciple follows the principles rigidly and undeviatingly, he will certainly receive the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is confirmed by the śāstras.
Verse 5. One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation (dīkṣā) and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.
Undeviating concentration on the Supreme Lord is the first sign of pure devotion. In other words, a pure devotee is one who wards off all desires and thoughts not related to unflinching devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Many spiritual stalwarts have commented upon pure devotional service. For example, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the foremost of the great spiritual preceptors in the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, wrote in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11):
One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.
In Bhagavad-gītā (8.14), the two words ananya-cetāḥ ("without deviation") and nitya-yukta ("regularly") are very significant. One cannot become undeviating in devotional practice without being fixed in undeviating faith. When a person regularly serves the Supreme Lord with this faith, he automatically loses all desires for fruitive activity, speculative knowledge, worship of the demigods, and ritualistic pious activities, and he becomes undeviating in his devotional service. The word satatam ("always") must be understood to imply that devotional service is independent of time, place, circumstance, adversity, and so on. Everyone, regardless of race, caste, sex, or other material designation, can give up mental speculation, fruitive actions, and yoga practice and take complete shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet without deviation. The word nitya means "daily," "regularly," or "constantly." Those who meditate constantly on Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet can easily attain Him. As Lord Brahmā states in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33),
I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but who is obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa, yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.
The Supreme Lord is the embodiment of eternal bliss and is always engaged in transcendental pastimes. The only thing required to worship Him is undeviating devotion—ostentation will not please Him. Devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa does not produce hate or envy; only the agnostic reprobates are strongly opposed to the Lord's devotional service and His devotees. One derives the greatest bliss in devotional service. Indeed, when one finally obtains the Lord, it is like being drowned in an ocean of unlimited ecstasy. Only the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa can taste this ecstasy and be always joyful.
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam's account of the deliverance of Ajāmila conclusively proves this fact. Once undeviating faith in devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa penetrates a person's heart, the process of purification is firmly underway, even though his external activities may show residues of sin. Lord Kṛṣṇa has boldly broadcast in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.31) His promise that His surrendered devotees can never be vanquished: kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati. That Lord Kṛṣṇa will always protect His devotees is proved in this verse, especially since the Lord, instead of declaring the promise Himself, asks the valiant prince Arjuna to do so on His behalf. The Lord may break His own promise, but because He is favorable to His devotees, He will always try to uphold their promises. By breaking His own promise and keeping Bhīṣmadeva's on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, the Lord has proved beyond a doubt that He favors His surrendered devotees .
O Lord! If our devotion to You is undeviating, then Your ever-youthful form will spontaneously manifest within our heart. At that time liberation personified will serve us like a maidservant, and religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification (the other three goals of the Vedas) will humbly await our bidding.
Even without the usual requirements for achieving the perfection of life, a person will gain that perfection if he is simply a surrendered devotee of Nārāyaṇa. (Nāradiya Purāṇa)
The biggest and highest planet in the brahmajyoti is Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, resides. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa never leaves Kṛṣṇaloka. Although He dwells there with His eternal associates, He is omnipresent throughout the complete material and spiritual cosmic manifestations. This fact has already been explained in Mantra Four. The Lord is present everywhere, just like the sun, yet He is situated in one place, just as the sun is situated in its own undeviating orbit.
Now it is your duty that you always must keep yourselves fit in Krishna's service. The formula is very simple and if you will follow undeviatingly then your rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness is certain. All of you must chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily and without fail. That is first and foremost. And follow all the rules and regulations of devotional life rigidly. Read all our books, attend classes and aratis, go on street Sankirtana, and always be thinking of Krishna. That is the point. Somehow or other always be thinking of Krishna. Then you will be happy and your going back to home, back to Godhead will be certain.
The process is simple. Follow the regulative principles of devotional life undeviatingly, regularly chant 16 rounds of beads daily and without fail, read all our literatures, attend classes and aratis, go for street Sankirtana. If there are any questions, always refer them to your elder godbrothers and sisters. So our method is not so difficult. Rather it is joyful. So engage yourself enthusiastically in this way and you will be happy and in the end go back to home, back to Godhead.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Aug. 2. Regarding thinking of Krishna at the time of death. It is stated in Bhagavad gita 8th chapter as follows; abhyasa yoga yuktena/ cetasa nanya gamina/ paramam purusam divyam/ yati parthanucintyan (BG 8.8). He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead his mind constantly engaged in remembering me, undeviated from the path, He oh Partha is sure to reach Me. The proccess for remembering Krishna is very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra. How one should think of Krishna, that is given in the next verse: "One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature." So Krishna is not something impersonal or void. So you should read my books and try to understand the nature of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it will be easy for you to think of Him.
| Page Title: | Undeviating |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, ChrisF |
| Created: | 19 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=3, SB=8, CC=5, OB=7, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 26 |