SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM - Prabhupada

Text 24] Prahlada, the Saintly Son of Hirm:tyak&Sipu 24 7paraphernalia); vandanam-offering prayers; dasyam-becoming theservant; sakhyam-becoming the best friend; atma-nivedanam-surrenderingeverything, whatever one has; iti-thus; purilsa arpitaofferedby the devotee; ci$u-unto Lord ViQU (not to anyone else);bhaktift-devotional service; cet-if; nava-laa-possessing ninedifferent processes; kriyeta-one should perform; bhagavati-unto theSupreme Personality of Godhead; addha-directly or completely; tatthat;manye-I consider; adhitam-learning; uttamam-topmost.TRANSLATIONPrahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendentalholy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimesof Lord ViJ.IU, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of theLord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types ofparaphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant,considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everythingunto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mindand words)-these nine processes are accepted as pure devotionalservice. One who has dedicated his life to the service of J.lathrough these nine methods should be understood to be the mostlearned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.PURPORTWhen Prahlada Maharaja was asked by his father to say somethingfrom whatever he had learned, he considered that what he had learnedfrom his spiritual master was the best of all teachings whereas what hehad learned about diplomacy from his material teachers, SaQQ.a andAmarka, was useless. Bhaktift paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca(Bhiig. 11.2.42). This is the symptom of pure devotional service. A puredevotee is interested only in devotional service, not in material affairs.To execute devotional service, one should always engage in hearing andchanting about KrQa, or Lord ViQU. The process of temple worship iscalled arcana. How to perform arcana will be explained herein. Oneshould have complete faith in the words of KrQa, who says that He is thegreat well-wishing friend of everyone (suhrdarh sarva-bhutanam). Adevotee considers KrQa the only friend. This is called sakhyam.