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Unconditional devotional service

Expressions researched:
"devotional service must be unconditional" |"devotional service, must be unconditional" |"unconditional devotional service" |"unconditional service"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

The Lord feels grateful to His devotees for such unsophisticated, unconditional service and tries to reciprocate it by rendering service, although the devotee also has no such desire in his heart.
SB 1.16.26-30, Purport:

Only fools are ungrateful to their benefactors. The Lord, however, does not require benefit from anyone besides Himself because He is full in Himself; still He feels benefited by the unalloyed services of His devotees. The Lord feels grateful to His devotees for such unsophisticated, unconditional service and tries to reciprocate it by rendering service, although the devotee also has no such desire in his heart. The transcendental service of the Lord is itself a transcendental benefit for the devotee, and therefore the devotee has nothing to expect from the Lord.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that bhakti, devotional service, must be unconditional.
CC Madhya 11.50, Purport:

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was astonished because such determination is not possible for a worldly man attached to material enjoyment. The King certainly had ample opportunity for material enjoyment, but he was thinking that his kingdom and everything else was useless if he could not see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is certainly sufficient cause for astonishment. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that bhakti, devotional service, must be unconditional. No material impediments can actually check the advancement of devotional service, be it executed by a common man or a king. In any case, devotional service rendered to the Lord is always complete, despite the devotee’s material position. Devotional service is so exalted that it can be executed by anyone in any position. One must simply be dṛḍha-vrata, firmly determined.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

"I simply pray that birth af... I do not think that in this very birth I will be liberated. Even there is my birth, I don't mind. But let me have Your unconditional service. That's all."
Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Lord Caitanya prays, "My Lord, Jagadīśvara..." Jagadīśvara means the Lord of the Universe. "I pray unto You. I don't want any wealthy condition. I don't want any wealth." Na dhanam. Dhanam means wealth. Na janam. "I don't want any number of followers." Here, in this material existence, we aspire after money, after followers and after woman. That is... These are our desires. And Lord Caitanya says that, "I don't want wealth. I don't want any number of followers, neither I want any beautiful wife." Then what is the use of your coming to God? Oh, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "I simply pray that birth af... I do not think that in this very birth I will be liberated. Even there is my birth, I don't mind. But let me have Your unconditional service. That's all."

That should be the standard of prayer. The more we shall have wonderful things in the material world, the more we shall be entangled. We are just trying to get free from this entanglement and go back to Kṛṣṇa, where going I'll have no more to come back in this miserable world. That should be the aim and object of life.

Page Title:Unconditional devotional service
Compiler:Labangalatika, Namrata
Created:31 of Jul, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:3