So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service

Expressions researched:
"So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service"

Lectures

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service. Means one must be above the brahminical qualification, a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava . . . mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.

721018 - Lecture NOD - Vrndavana

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service. Means one must be above the brahminical qualification, a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava . . . mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. One who attains the devotional service, parām, parā bhakti . . .

There are three stages of devotional life. Arcye śilā-dhīr . . .

arcāyām eva haraye

yat pūjāṁ śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

(SB 11.2.47)

A person who is worshiping the Deity in the temple with all regulative principles, arcāyām eva haraye yat pūjāṁ śraddhaya, with devotion, he's executing the service, but he does not know how to respect a devotee. Na tad-bhakteṣu. He has concentrated his mind on the arcā-mūrti, Deity form of the Lord, within the temple. That is very nice. But if he does not know how to worship a devotee, na tad-bhakteṣu, cānyeṣua, and he does not know how to elevate other persons, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, such kind of devotee is to be considered as material, prākṛta. Gradually one has to become aprākṛta.