Anyone who can understand in truth, not ephemerally, substantially if one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how He appears, what are His activities, what is our relation—these things, when one understands, immediately he becomes liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma. Such person, giving up this body, no more comes into this material world. The same thing is herein, that jñātvā. If one can understand what is religion and what is Kṛṣṇa, only by this understanding, jñātvā amṛtam aśnute. Amṛtam. Mṛtam means death. A means "none," "not," negation. So amṛtam aśnute: he drinks nectarine. The word nectarine, sudhā.
You know there was fight between the demons and the demigods, who will drink the amṛta, the nectarine. Because by drinking nectarine one becomes immortal. So here it is said, amṛtam aśnute. As by drinking nectarine one can become immortal, similarly, by drinking the nectarine of devotion one becomes immortal. Therefore we have named the book Nectarine of Devotion. You drink it and become immortal. That's all. Amṛtam aśnute.
- etāvān eva loke 'smin
- puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ
- bhakti-yogo bhagavati
- tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ
- (SB 6.3.22)
So dharma, this religion, so although it is very difficult to understand, still, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it has been made very simple and easy. Unfortunately, people have no faith. They do not believe. They think something cumbrous, something speculative, something very difficult is the process of executing religion. No.
Yamarāja says that etāvān eva loke 'smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ: "The highest principle of religion is this." What is that? Bhakti-yogaḥ bhagavati. Bhakti-yoga. One may . . . just like some people, some foolish say, "Bhakti-yoga . . . I have got very much devotion to Goddess Kālī, to Goddess Durgā," or so many demigods. "This is also bhakti." No. Bhakti-yoga means bhagavati.
Love means love of Godhead. Otherwise, there is no love—only lust. Similarly, bhakti means, when this word used, bhakti-yoga, that is only in relationship with the bhakta, or devotee, and Bhagavān. That is called bhakti-yoga. Nāma, harer nāma, not that any name. Harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Any name can be applied to Kṛṣṇa indirectly, but directly . . . we are concerned directly.
Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). We have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa not indirectly. Indirectly, everything is worshiping Kṛṣṇa, because there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa indirectly, as enemy. Therefore, that is not bhakti. Bhakti means Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably, directly.