Tapasya . . . this is the general demand of the body, and if you want to be free from this material bondage, then you have to undergo tapasya. Tapasya means these demands of the body voluntarily reducing and coming to the point of nil. That is liberation. That is tapasya. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). But here, very nicely, Kṛṣṇa de . . . it can be, tapasya can be executed very easily if one becomes man-mayā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Man-mayā. And mām upāśritāḥ, and taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Mām. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). As soon as you become submitted . . . samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ (SB 10.14.58). This is the description given in Bhāgavata. Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Murāri . . . Kṛṣṇa's another name is Murāri. He's puṇya-yaśaḥ. If we chant Kṛṣṇa's name, then at least we become pious. Because we are all sinful. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly, you immediately become purified—if you do not commit again sinful activities.
Therefore there are ten kinds of offenses. If we avoid the offenses and chant, then immediately we become mukta-puruṣa. Immediately. But our habit we have got, to commit sinful activities. So this is not . . . nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-khaṇḍa). If one thinks that, "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so my sinful resultant actions are now nullified. Now again let me do it. Again I shall nullify," this is greatest offense. This is greatest offense. Out of ten offenses, this is the greatest offense, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.
So everything requires sincerity. Otherwise, things are not very difficult. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ, bahavaḥ (BG 4.10). Kṛṣṇa says bahavaḥ. Not that one or two. Anyone . . . "Many who have adopted this means." Then jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ: "By knowledge and tapasya, they became purified, and then . . ." What is that? Mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ: then come to the stage of bhāva. So to learn this art, one must be first . . . just like we are hearing. If one determines, so why not adopt this means? Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56), jñāna-tapasā pūtāḥ. "Why I am suffering?" Kṛṣṇa is advising. Why not take this step? Then Kṛṣṇa will help you. As soon as you decide to accept this means, Kṛṣṇa will help you. Kṛṣṇa will help you. He'll give you good assistance.
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
Kṛṣṇa is with you. As soon as you decide, "Now, Kṛṣṇa, I want You. Kindly help me," He's ready to help you. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). These are the definition given in the Vedic literature.
So Rūpa Gosvāmī is giving us direction how to come to the bhāva stage. Ādau śraddhā. First of all, first thing is śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith, firm faith. Śraddhā has been explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kar:
- śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
- kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
- (CC Madhya 22.62)
This is called śraddhā. One when believes firmly as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), one, if he is firmly fixed-up, "Yes, by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I get all perfection of life," that is called śraddhā. That is called śraddhā. That is explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya (CC Madhya 22.62). If I have got intention, "Why not this? Why not that? Why not this? Why not that?" then that is not śraddhā even. That is not śraddhā. Śraddhā means firm conviction. So śraddhā-śabde . . . so ādau śraddhā.
Then next stage is, tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. If you have got śraddhā, "Yes, I want Kṛṣṇa in this life. I must do anything required," then that determination is called śraddhā. Then if you want to develop that determination, then you should associate with sādhu. Who is sādhu? Sādhu . . . bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. That is sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk (BG 9.30). It doesn't matter if he has got some bodily faults. He's accustomed in a different atmosphere. Even though he has got some habituated faults, but if his only qualification is firmly fixed up in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, he's sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Kṛṣṇa says. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Titikṣava. Sādhu is titikṣava. He has to tolerate so many things, criticism, opposing elements. Because sādhu cannot sit down idly. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. He is engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa's service.
So Kṛṣṇa's service is not sitting idly. Kṛṣṇa wants to spread the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā everywhere. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.