Page 28 - Powerful Feminine Qualities

were originally with God. Due to association within the material world influenced by the three modes of material
nature, our original love for God was transformed into lust for sense gratification. Lust can be transformed back to
pure love for God by the gradual process of Krishna consciousness, which occurs when one practices the regulative
principles of bhakti-yoga (devotional service) guided by the spiritual master. One learns the culture of devoted service
by:
• rising early in the morning
• bathing
• putting on fresh clean clothes
• entering the temple and offering prayers
• chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra
• collecting and offering flowers to the Deity
• cooking vegetarian food and sanctifying it by offering to the Deity of Lord Krishna
• honoring the holy food by partaking of it
By following the various rules and regulations of devotional service, such as constantly hearing the Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad Bhagavatam from pure devotees, the sincere disciple rises to the level of love of God.
Training by a proper spiritual master and regular association with genuine devotees result in the gradual rise of faith in
the heart of the devotee. When faith matures, it turns into love of God. This love is the ultimate goal of life for all living
entities. One should embrace the life of Krishna consciousness wholeheartedly, and directly engage in the Lord’s
service without hesitation. Lord Krishna says, “Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged
in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.” (Bg 12. 2) He also
says, “And of all the yogis, the one with great faith, who always abides in Me within himself, and renders
transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is
my opinion.” (Bg 6.47)
The transcendental achievement of pure love for Krishna is so precious that no material happiness can compare to it.
There is no comparison between material happiness and transcendental happiness. As one progresses on the path of
devotion, all doubts and misgivings are erased and one becomes fully confident about dedicating his or her life and
service to the Lord.
Kardama Muni, being pleased by his wife, blessed her to have actual realization simply by the virtue of serving him
faithfully. This is the principle of disciplic succession (parampara), which is compared to an escalator with moving
steps that go up and other steps that move down. The service of the disciple offered to the guru is sent up the disciplic
succession to Lord Krishna, who then the Lord sends down through the disciplic succession His mercy and benediction
to the disciple. The service Devahuti offered to her husband was progressively offered up the chain of disciple to guru
to the Lord, who in turn offered His blessing down the chain to Devahuti.
For spiritual achievement, the most auspicious and easiest path is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and
serve him with heart and soul. This is the secret of success. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written the following
prayer to the spiritual master, “By serving and receiving the grace of the spiritual master, one receives the mercy of
the Supreme Lord.” Similarly, by serving her devotee husband. Kardama Muni, Devahuti, was able to receive the
mercy of Krishna, who later appeared as her son, Kapiladeva. Similarly, if one is not fortunate enough to marry a
genuine devotee, a woman can still accept a bona fide spiritual master, and be guided step-by-step through her
marriage and discreetly make tangible spiritual progress to return to Godhead and at the same time liberate her family
by serving them delicious prasadam every day.
For a woman the first principle of religion is to be faithful to her husband. If, fortunately, the husband is a great
personality, then the combination is perfect, and the lives of both the wife and the husband are at once fulfilled. If the
husband is not a devotee, the wife, by her faithful and sincere service to her husband and children can gradually help
them achieve the same spiritual gift of love of Krishna that she has received. This requires patience and faith. The wife
and mother can become the guru herself by teaching by example how to steadily serve Krishna without becoming a

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