Based on love of God

Expressions researched:
"based on love of God" |"based on love of godhead"

SB Canto 2

This devotional service to the Lord is always based on love of God and is distinct from the nature of routine service as prescribed in karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga

SB 2.4.16, Purport: Persons who are intelligent take serious notice of this last instruction of the Lord. Knowledge of the self is the first step in spiritual realization, which is called confidential knowledge, and a step further is God realization, which is called more confidential knowledge. The culmination of the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā is God realization, and when one attains this stage of God realization, he naturally, voluntarily becomes a devotee of the Lord to render Him loving transcendental service. This devotional service to the Lord is always based on love of God and is distinct from the nature of routine service as prescribed in karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga. In the Bhagavad-gītā there are different instructions for such men of different categories, and there are various descriptions for varṇāśrama-dharma, sannyāsa-dharma, yati-dharma, the renounced order of life, controlling the senses, meditation, perfection of mystic powers, etc., but one who fully surrenders unto the Lord to render service unto Him, out of spontaneous love for Him, factually assimilates the essence of all knowledge described in the Vedas. One who adopts this method very skillfully attains perfection of life at once. And this perfection of human life is called brahma-gati, or the progressive march in spiritual existence. As enunciated by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī on the basis of Vedic assurances, brahma-gati means to attain a spiritual form as good as that of the Lord, and in that form the liberated living being eternally lives on one of the spiritual planets situated in the spiritual sky. Attainment of this perfection of life is easily available to a pure devotee of the Lord without his undergoing any difficult method of perfection. Such a devotional life is full of kīrtanam, smaraṇam, īkṣaṇam, etc., as mentioned in the previous verse. One must therefore adopt this simple way of devotional life in order to attain the highest perfection available in any category of the human form of life in any part of the world. When Lord Brahmā met Lord Kṛṣṇa as a playful child at Vṛndāvana, he offered his prayer in which he said:

çreyaù-såtià bhaktim udasya te vibho

kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye

teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate

nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām

(SB 10.14.4)

Bhakti-yoga is the highest quality of perfection to be achieved by the intelligent person in lieu of performing a large quantity of spiritual activities. The example cited here is very appropriate. A handful of real paddy is more valuable than heaps of paddy skins without any substance within. Similarly, one should not be attracted by the jugglery of karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa or even the gymnastic performances of yoga, but skillfully should take to the simple performances of kīrtanam, smaraṇam, etc., under a bona fide spiritual master, and without any difficulty attain the highest perfection.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Bhaj, this service, loving service, is based on love of Godhead

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969: This bhajate, this bhajate, this word, Sanskrit word, it comes from the root bhaj, bhaj-dhātu. It is a verb, bhaj-dhātu. Bhaj means to render service. Bhaja. So this very word is used in this verse, bhaj-dhātu. That means one who is devotee. Who renders service to Kṛṣṇa unless he is devotee? Suppose you are rendering service here. Why? You can render service anywhere, you get thousand dollars or two thousand dollars every month. But here you come and give your service without any payment. Why? Because out of love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this bhaj, this service, loving service, is based on love of Godhead. Otherwise why one should waste his time for nothing? Here these students, they are engaged in so many things. Somebody is gardening, somebody is typing, somebody is cooking, somebody is cooking, somebody is doing something else, everything. But it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is prevailing, always, twenty-four hours. That is the highest type of yoga. Yoga means to keep your consciousness intact with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. That is the perfection of yoga. Here it is automatically, even the child can do it. The child is coming along with his mother and bowing down, "Kṛṣṇa, I bow down." So he is also Kṛṣṇa conscious. A small child, he's clapping. Why? "Hey Kṛṣṇa." So anyway, everyone is remembering always Kṛṣṇa. Keeping Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even a child here is the highest yogi. It is not our boastfulness. It is stated in authorized scripture like Bhagavad-gītā. We don't say that we have created these words for our boastful. No, it is a fact. Even a child can keep in the highest platform of yoga practice in this temple. That is the highest gift of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Go on.