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BRS 1.2.183 - 203

This chapter describes the last and most advanced of the nine main processes of devotional service: dasyam, sakhyam, and atma-nivedanam.

47. Servitorship (dasyam)

There are two aspects of servitorship: (1) karmarpanam — offering ones' activities to the Lord, and (2) kainkaryam — serving in the mood of a personal attendant.

The Skanda Purana elaborately describes the first aspect (pg 95). The Naradiya Purana briefly alludes to the second aspect (pg 96).

Karmarpanam

Offering one's activities to the Lord (karmarpanam) has two subdivisions: (1) offering the fruits of ones prescribed duties in varnasrama, and (2) offering direct service within the nine main processes of devotional service.

Some teachers accept both subdivisions as bona fide forms of servitorship in sadhana-bhakti; our acaryas, however, do not. Pure devotional service must be free from work born of fruitive desire. Therefore, our acaryas do not accept offering the fruits of one's prescribed duties as a bona fide item of sadhana-bhakti.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's commentary to Brahma-samhita text 61 supports this. He says that offering one's activities in varnasrama is known as gauna-dharma — subsidiary devotional activity. Such activities are not directly bhakti, although they may be indirectly conducive to devotional service.

Lord Krsna confirms the same point in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.25.23). As explained in the BBT commentary on this verse, “Ordinary work performed as an offering to God, without desire for the result, is understood to be in the mode of Goodness, whereas activities of devotional service — such as chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord — are transcendental forms of work beyond the modes of nature.”

Srila Prabhupada says, “In the opinion of the karmis (fruitive workers), offering the results of karma is called servitorship. But according to Vaisnava acaryas like Srila Rupa Gosvami, servitorship means constant engagement in some kind of service to the Lord (pg 95).”

Srila Prabhupada reconciles the two opinions, “Those who are engaged in fruitive activities, or prescribed duties according to the four orders of social and

spiritual life, are not actually pure devotees. But still, because they are offering the result to the Lord, they are accepted as devotees. When one has no such desire, but acts spontaneously out of love of God, such a person must be accepted as a pure devotee (pg 94).”

Kainkaryam

In the first type of servitorship, karmarpanam, one performs direct devotional service.

In the second type of servitorship, kainkaryam, one performs direct devotional service in the mood of the Lord's personal attendant. The distinction lies in the attitude of the performer, not in the activities themselves.

Even if one engages in the nine processes of direct devotional service, his activity is karmarpanam unless he serves with very deep concentration, in the mood of a personal attendant of the Lord.

Quoting the famous verse from Naradiya Purana, Srila Rupa Gosvami describes this mood of tireless endeavor to serve Krsna with body, mind and words (see page 96):

iha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa gira nikhilasvapy avasthasu jivan-mukta sa ucyate

“A person acting in the service of Krsna with body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person even within the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-called material activities.” (Cc. Madhya 11.89) This illustrates how a devotee in kainkaryam constantly engages everything — mind, body and words — in the Lord's personal service.

48. Devotional Service in Friendship (sakhyam)

There are two types of friendship: (1) visvasa — a superior well-wisher, (2) mitra — a friendly relationship with a peer.

Visvasa

Visvasa means to have strong faith or confidence in the Lord as one's benefactor. Srila Prabhupada summarizes, “The devotee who has confidence in devotional service to the Lord systematically follows all the rules and regulations, with the faith that he will achieve the platform of transcendental life (pg 96).”

Draupadi is a devotee who sees the Lord as a friend in the sense of visvasa — her well-wisher and protector.

In Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada adds a twist to this aspect of transcendental service. Ordinarily, the devotee sees the Lord as the well-wisher, but by preaching Krsna consciousness the devotee becomes the well-wisher of the Lord.

Since visvasa refers to faith in the Lord, Srila Rupa Gosvami will discuss the topic of faith. He explains that it has two stages: (1) sraddha — preliminary faith, and (2) visvasa — mature faith. First there is sraddha, the simple faith necessary for beginning to engage in devotional service, which in time matures into visvasa, very strong faith.

Srila Prabhupada describes this, “a neophyte devotee who has simply developed a slight love of Godhead is certainly a prospective candidate for devotional service. When he becomes firmly fixed in such devotional service, that assured status becomes a confidential part of his devotional service (pg 97).”

Mitra

The second type of friendship (mitra) occurs at an advanced stage, when a devotee begins to serve the Deity in a mood of fraternity or equality.

Srila Prabhupada mentions, “Sometimes it is found that a pure devotee lies down in the temple of the Lord in order to serve Him as a confidential friend. Such friendly behavior of a devotee may be accepted as raganuga, or spontaneous.

Although, according to regulative principles, no one can lie down in the temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this spontaneous love of Godhead may be grouped under devotional service in friendship (page 97).” This is an example of mitra friendship.

49. Surrendering Everything to the Lord (atma-nivedanam)

Srila Prabhupada comments, “According to different authorities, self is differently defined. Self is sometimes considered to refer to the spirit self, or soul, and self is sometimes considered to refer to the mind or to the body (pages 97 - 98).” Depending on the definition, the term atma-nivedanam takes on three meanings: (1) If atma refers to the body, then atma-nivedanam means full bodily surrender. (2) If atma -[refers to the mind, then atma-nivedanam means full mental surrender. (3) If atma refers to the spirit-self, then atma-nivedanam means full surrender of self-identity.

The prayer of Yamunacarya is an example of atma being defined as the soul, or possessor of the body. In this case, atma-nivedanam means surrender of the egoistic attachment to the body. Such a surrendered devotee becomes unconcerned even about the bodily form of life he may be in. “My dear Lord, I may be living within some body as a human being or a demigod, but whatever mode of life, I do not mind, because these bodies are simply by-products of the three modes of material nature, and I, who am in possession of these bodies, am surrendering myself unto You (pg 98).”

The reference from Hari-bhakti-viveka illustrates the principle of surrendering one's body to the Lord.

50. Offering a Favorite Article (nija-priyopaharanam)

This simple means of performing devotional service has two aspects: (1) to offer the Lord ones own favorite articles, (2) to offer the Lord His own favorite articles, like peacock feathers, etc.

51. Performing all Endeavors for Krsna (tad-arthe 'khila-cestitam)

Everyone can easily perform this aspect of sadhana-bhakti, even those who are entangled in worldly responsibilities. Srila Prabhupada explains the modern application of this item: “A devotee who has a great establishment or factory may offer the fruits of such a material possession for the service of the Lord (pg 99).”

52. Being a Surrendered Soul (saranapattih)

There is a subtle distinction between atma-nivedanam ("surrendering everything to the Lord") and saranapattih ("being a surrendered soul"). Saranapattih means to consider oneself completely subservient to and protected by the Lord. Atma-nivedanam also means self-dedication, but such dedication may by with or without such feelings of subservience and dependence. Bali Maharaja is an example of atma-nivedanam without a feeling of subservient dependence on the Lord.

53. Serving Trees Such as the Tulasi (tadiyanam sevanam tulasyah)

The reference quoted to substantiate this item broadens the opportunities for serving Tulasi. Simply by seeing, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about, or simply by serving the tree, there is always auspiciousness.