Page 29 - History of Tirupathi Balaji and comparison of Sri Vaishnava

assures the perfection of all activity. (Rig Veda 1.22.20)

She remained in the Himalayas for thousands of years enduring severe winter
cold, the blazing summer heat and the dangers of snakes, animals and insects.
She tolerated all the discomforts of reclusive life in the wild. This is an example
of sincere determination. It is said, “Those who are on this path are resolute in
purpose and their aim is one.” (Bg 2.41) One who attains knowledge of God
becomes determined to serve the Lord with love and devotion. Along with this
knowledge comes the strong desire to renounce the material conception of life
which prompts one to believe they are the controller and enjoyer of material
objects and people. In spiritual consciousness one develops the conviction that
by patiently cultivating Krishna consciousness one will be elevated to the highest
perfection of life, pure love of God.

Vedavati gives up the material conception of life
Vedavati withdrew Herself from a comfortable life to live in the mountains,
wearing a simple deerskin, while undergoing austerities for thousands of years.
This is an example of sincere devotion directed towards the goal of obtaining
the favor of Lord Krishna. To accomplish such a noble goal, one needs to have
unflinching faith that God exists and one can eventually see Him by humble and
steady service in devotion without asking for any material benefit.
Faith is sustained by believing in something sublime that one may not see,
but one is sure it exists. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna explains, But those
who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form –
to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have. (Bg 9.22) Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada writes in his purport to this verse, One who is unable to live for
a moment without Krishna consciousness cannot but think of Krishna twenty-four hours
a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering
prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating
friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full
of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only
desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee
undoubtedly approaches the Lord without diffi culty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the
Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers to the
merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Krishna consciousness
by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krishna conscious the Lord protects him from falling
down to a miserable conditioned life. (Bg 9.22- Purport)

The material conception of life is called tamasa buddhi. It means intelligence
in ignorance. When human intelligence is used for achieving sense gratifi cation
instead of striving to understand Krishna, it is called tamasa buddhi. Such misuse
of intelligence represents the genesis of the false ego by which the living entity
identifi es with the temporary material body and everything in relation to it.
However, like Vedavati, one may decide to use all their human faculties to
approach the Supreme Lord with love and devotion. Lord Krishna says, My dear
Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before
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