Uttama Bhakti (Discourses and Inquiries on Pure Devotional Service)

The Sweetest, more relishable from of Krishna is His original from, which is manifested exclusively in Vrindavana. It is here in Vrindavana that Krishna eternally has his most intimate pastimes with the topmost of his devotees.

Any devotee who aspires to serve and associate with Krishna in this topmost of all abodes is welcome to do so provided he has the same mood of total surrender to Krishna as exhibited by the Vrajavasis, the inhabitants of Vrindavana. The Vrajavasis will do anything to please Krishna without t any concern for their own personal happiness or unhappiness. They simply want to see that Krishna is totally pleased in all circumstances. Because of their mood of total devotion to Krishna, Krishna becomes their personal property.

His Grace Sriman sanskaran Das Adhikari, a direct disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is well Known for his internet based training program, The Ultimate Self-Realization Course, through Which He guides more than 16,000 subscribes in over one hundred countries every day along pathway of spiritual perfection.

His Grace appeared in this world in st. Louis, Missouri, USA on 7 November 1947 the tenth day (Dasami) of the most holy month of Kartik according to the Vaishnava calendar. He first met his spiritual master in 1971 and was initiated by him on 12 August of the same Year. Srila Prabhudeva Personally told this new Young disciple that he was pleased with his Sincerity and enthusiasm for spreading the Krishna consciousness movement.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari fully dedicated his life for serving the order of his spiritual master to become a guru and deliver the world. For the last 42 years he has uninterruptedly served his spiritual master’s movement, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), in various Capacities.

In the Year 2000, in recognition for his full dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s Mission, ISKCON’s Governing Body commission (GBC) gave him their blessing to initiate disciple.

Since then he regularly travels throughout the globe with his wife, Her Grace Srimati Vishnupriya Mataji, Enlightening his varied audiences with the superme science of Krishna Consciousness, Which has been so Kindly bestowed upon him by his on p[spiritual purity, pure Devotional service, Grihastha life and Brahmachari classes.

He is Appreciated all over the world for his amazing capability to address any Question, argument to objection with a most perfect and satisfying reply. His nectarean discourses are not only enlightening but also philosophically enriched , profound and d sufficient to bless and sincere seeker with transcendental Knowledge and enliven spiritual life.

Brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva

Guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

“According too their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary system, and some are going down into the lower planetary system. Out of many millions of wandering living entitles, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bonafide spiritual master by the grace of krsna. By the mercy Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”

His divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, out of his causeless mercy , has facilitated the whole world to become devotees of the supreme Lord by creating a spiritual institution called the International a Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). This Society is based strongly on the pure and powerful teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It is a place where any inquisitive person can learn and practice the sublime process of pure devotional service.

The Practice of Krishna Consciousness gives the self complete independence from the suffering of material existence. The Key to attaining Krishna bhakti is to become pure ; completely pure. It is said that if one is intensely hankering for success in this path, and if he is sincere and serious about it , I is available immediately.

We sincerely pray that you, our sear vaishnavs readers, accept this title compilation on the limitless and time less subject of Uttama bhakti. This small endeavour may be full of errors, yet we hope that the most merciful sara –grahi – Vaishnava devotees of the Lord will be pleased and enlivened by the attempt and bless us with competency for furthering the cause of Gauranga as we perform this glorious journey back home, back to Godhead.

vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca

sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa jivam

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam

sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita- sri-visakhanvitams ca

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaisnavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Gosvami along with his elder brother Sanataria Gosvami, as well as Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta, Gopala Bhatta, and Srila Jiva Gosvami. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda along with Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara, Srivasa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna along with Their associates Sri Lalita and Visakha.

nama om visnu-padaya krsna -presthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani.I-pracarine

nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami, You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau

samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam

harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah

sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat

tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca

tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha

na mokse graho me 'sti damodareha

O Lord Damodara, just as the two sons of Kuvera - Manigriva and Nalakvara - were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into great devotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grinding mortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own premabhakti. I only long for this and have no desire for any kind of liberation.

rahuganaitat tapasa na yati

na cejyaya nirvapar:tad grhad va

na ccharuiasa naiva jalagni-suryair

vina mahat-pada-rajo- 'bhisekam

My dear King Rahugana, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vanaprastha, accepting sannyasa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.

krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih

kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate

tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam

janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate

'Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price - that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.'

harer ndma harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

nasty eva gatir anyatha

In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

O energy of the Lord (Hare) and 0 all- attractive Lord (Krsna), 0 Supreme Enjoyer (Rama), please engage me in Your service.

This book Uttama Bhakti is a compilation of the teachings of His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari, a bona fide spiritual master in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya. "ut" means "transcendental" and "tama" means "darkness"; The word uttama thus refers to that which is above material platform. The book provides us with practical tips on cultivating pure devotional service. Also compiled here are selected inquiries on the various doubts and challenges spiritual practitioners face while attempting to perform pure devotional service.

Contents

	What should we ask from Krishna	I
	Preface	II
	Introduction	IV
	Part-I
1.	Igniting the Fire	1
2.	With no Other Agenda	5
3.	Vaishnava Behaviour	13
4.	The Most Practical Tip Verses	23
5.	Spiritual Purity	31
6.	You Exist to love Krishna	59
7.	Pure Devotional Service	69
8.	Scepticism	83
9.	Shifting Our Priorities	89
10.	Our Disease is Desire For Prominence	97
11.	Demigod For Five Seconds, Slave for a Lifetime	107
	Part-II
12.	selected Inquiries	121
13.	Controversies in curricula and Ritviks	143
14.	Miscellaneous Inquiries	153
	Appendix
	About the author	191

Sample Pages