Bhakti means rendering service. So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles

Expressions researched:
"So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles" |"Bhakti means rendering service"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bhakti means rendering service. So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles.

Lecture on SB 01.02.05 -- August 02, 1968, Montreal:

Now everyone can test which one is first-class religion, because by the result of such activities one will be able to render service to the Supreme. When you render service to somebody, unless you understand something about him, you cannot render service. That is not possible. You cannot render service in the air. You must have some understanding that, "Here I am actually rendering service." That is realization. If I say that, "You do something like this, blindly," you cannot do it for long time. On my request you can do it for some time, but unless you understand why you are doing, whether you are deriving any benefit out of it, you cannot prolong that activities.

Therefore the religion or the process of transcendental activities by which one can render service to the Supreme Lord, that is first-class religion. This is the definition given by Bhāgavata. Don't try to understand "This is Christian religion," "This is Hindu religion," "This is Muhammadan religion," or "This is something other," but try to understand whether that process of religion is teaching you how to love God. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).

Bhakti means rendering service. So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Lord says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66): "You give up all types of religious principles." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Simply just surrender unto Me." Because this is religion. Anything which does not teach how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is not religion. Therefore I said in the beginning, there is some difference of meaning between religion and dharma. Religion and dharma. Religion is a faith, but dharma is the original characteristic of the living entity.

And here Kṛṣṇa says that, "You give up all types of faiths." Because we have created so many faiths within this world. According to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths. But Kṛṣṇa says it is not the question of faith, it is the question of actual relationship. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and the duty of part and parcel is to render service to the whole—therefore Kṛṣṇa came to establish this type of religion, this first-class religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So any religion.