{Bhakti Community} Satisfaction to the Heart - Devotional Service

[Bhakti Community]

Below is a very nice verse, which tells the process of devotional life
A - Z.


Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25

TRANSLATION

In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and
activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and
satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one
gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter
he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and
devotional service begin.

PURPORT

The process of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service
is described here. The first point is that one must seek the
association of persons who are Kṛṣṇa conscious and who engage in
devotional service. Without such association one cannot make
advancement. Simply by theoretical knowledge or study one cannot make
any appreciable advancement. One must give up the association of
materialistic persons and seek the association of devotees because
without the association of devotees one cannot understand the
activities of the Lord. Generally, people are convinced of the
impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Because they do not
associate with devotees, they cannot understand that the Absolute
Truth can be a person and have personal activities. This is a very
difficult subject matter, and unless one has personal understanding of
the Absolute Truth, there is no meaning to devotion. Service or
devotion cannot be offered to anything impersonal. Service must be
offered to a person. Nondevotees cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa consciousness
by reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or any other Vedic literature wherein
the activities of the Lord are described; they think that these
activities are fictional, manufactured stories because spiritual life
is not explained to them in the proper mood. To understand the
personal activities of the Lord, one has to seek the association of
devotees, and by such association, when one contemplates and tries to
understand the transcendental activities of the Lord, the path to
liberation is open, and he is freed. One who has firm faith in the
Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes fixed, and his attraction for
association with the Lord and the devotees increases. Association with
devotees means association with the Lord. The devotee who makes this
association develops the consciousness for rendering service to the
Lord, and then, being situated in the transcendental position of
devotional service, he gradually becomes perfect.