Ekānta-bhakti · Single-minded Devotion

Rejecting all other desires, and abandoning philosophical speculation and fruitive work, in the company of the devotees I will worship and serve Lord Kṛṣṇa with my body and mind. I will not worship the demigods and demigoddesses. Devotional service is reason for my life.

Devotedly follow the path of the great devotees in the past. Properly using your body and mind, don't neglect either the regulative devotional practices or the rememberance of the Lord's pastimes.

Always reject the company of the impious. Give up attraction to non- devotional songs. Leave the karmis and jñanis far away. Only associate with the devotees. Take pleasure in hearing the nectar descriptions of pure love for Kṛṣṇa. Become flooded by the nectar of the narrations of the Lord's pastimes in Vraja.

Putting the yogīs, svāmīs, karmis, jnani’s, demigod-worshipers, and meditators far away, and rejecting the torments that are fruitive work, ordinary religion, and the other yogas, worship Lord Giridhari.

The struggle to travel to various holy pilgrimage places is simply the mind's mistake, because to make spiritual advancement all one actually needs is the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. Abandoning pride and envy, and with firm faith in

See the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, associate with the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Faithfully engage in the nine-fold process of devotional service, which includes hearing about the Lord, chanting His glories, worshiping Him, offering obeisances to Him, and remembering Him. Following these activities enlightens

I shall use these senses to serve Lord Govinda, and I shall decline to worship the various demigods and demigoddesses. I shall only speak about pure devotional service. The numberless different philosophies and conceptions of life are all products of the conditioned soul's pride. Trying to understand them brings no real benefit but only a pain within the mind.

The insubordinate senses are like enemies that live within the body. Tell the ear to hear and it may rebel, refusing to hear. Tell the mind to understand a particular point, or become firm in a certain way, and it may very well disobey.

I shall fight with lust, anger, bewilderment, greed, madness, envy and pride. Defeating them, I will become blissful at heart, and I will easily become able to worship Lord Govinda.

Lust I will engage in offering the fruits of my work to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Anger I will direct towards the enemies of the devotees. Greed I will engage by being greedy to hear the topics of Lord Hari in the association of the saintly devotees. Bewilderment will be manifested because I cannot immediately attain my worshipable Lord. Madness will be there when I madly glorify the transcendental attributes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way I will engage each of these

If lust is not controlled, then it becomes the breeding ground for a host of vices and checks one's advancement on the path of devotional service. However, if one stays in the association of the saintly devotees, then that association will carry him beyond the influence of lust, anger, and their friends.

I shall not become angry. I shall renounce anger. I shall become free from my six enemies, such as greed and bewilderment. I shall control my mind, and always remember Lord Kṛṣṇacandra.

When lust and his friends hear the word Govinda" they immediately begin to flee, as a herd of elephants flees when it hears a lion's roar. If one engages in single-pointed devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, then the worshiper attains

Don't sin. Take no interest in profit, adoration, and distinction. Instead meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. In this way all sufferings will go far away, and transcendental bliss and pure love for Lord Kṛṣṇa will spontaneously come.

Give up the association of the impious non-devotees. Give up the tendency to find fault in others. Don't follow any spiritual path other than devotional service. Don't worship the demigods. If one takes to the worship of the demigods, he becomes deviated from the path of devotional service.

O brother, please become attached to your worshipable Lord alone. Serve Him without deviation and sing the glories of His pastimes. I will now quote the words of Hanumān, who demonstrates this exclusive devotion to one's

Although He is not different from Lord Narayaṇa, lotus-eyed Lord Rama alone is the be-all and end-all of my life.

If one attains the planets of the demigods or Pitās and enjoys celestial happiness there, then I congratulate him, saying: well done, well done. However, I myself would never strive to attain such a thing. For myself I am content simply to worship the Divine Couple and swim and float in the bliss of pure love for Them. This pure love is the most valuable object in the three worlds.

Although I have taken great trouble to try to enjoy the miserable sense- gratification available in this world, I shall now give it up. I shall now reside in Vraja, serve Lord Govinda, hear and chant the topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, chant the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and at every moment relish the transcendental mellows of devotional service in the association of the residents of Vraja.

I shall always aspire to serve the Lord, and great faith in the Lord will become manifested in my mind. In this way I shall remain always fearless in all situations. Narottama dāsa says: Somehow or other I have accepted the role of a non-devotee. O my master, O great soul, please deliver me.