Prabhupada 0724 - The Test of Bhakti

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Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976

This material world is very, very fierceful to the devotees. They are very, very much afraid of. This is the difference. Materialistic persons, they are thinking, "This world is very pleasing. We are enjoying. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." But the devotees, they think, "It is very, very fierceful. How soon we shall get out of it?" My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This material world is not fit for living for any gentleman." He used to say. "No gentleman can live here." So these things are not understood by the nondevotees, how much pinching this material world is. Duḥkhāla... Kṛṣṇa says it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is the difference between the devotee and nondevotee. The duḥkhālayam, they are trying to adjust how to make it sukhālayam. That is not possible.

So unless one becomes detestful of this material world, it is to be understood that he has not yet entered in the spiritual understanding. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti. If one has entered the domain of devotional service, this material world will be not at all tasteful for him. Virakti. No more. Āra nāre bapa(?). The Jagāi-Mādhāi, too much materialistic, woman-hunters, drunkard, meat-eater... So these things have become now common affairs. But it is very, very fearful for the devotees. Therefore we say, "No intoxication, no illicit sex, no meat-eating." It is very, very fearful. But they do not know. Mūḍhaḥ nābhijānāti. They do not know it. They indulge it. The whole world is going on on this platform. He does not know that he is creating a very, very fierceful situation by indulging in these sinful activities.

So to get out of these habits, it requires tapasā, tapasya.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa
śamena damena vā
tyāgena śauca...
yamena niyamena vā
(SB 6.1.13)

This is called advancement of spiritual life, tapasā. The first thing is tapasya, voluntarily rejecting this so-called comfortable situation of material world. That is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa. And to execute that tapasya, the first thing is brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means to avoid sex indulgence. That is called brahmacarya.