Narada Bhakti Sutra Narada Bhakti Sutra Chapter 3 Verse 40

Chapter 3: The Means of Achievement

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Nārada Bhakti Sūtra 40

labhyate 'pi tat-kṛpayaiva

SYNONYMS

labhyate — it is gained; api — yet; tat — of Him (the Supreme Lord); kṛpayā — by the mercy; eva — only.

TRANSLATION

The association of great souls can be attained — but only by the Lord's mercy.

PURPORT

Although the pure devotee is rarely found in the world, the Supreme Lord directly helps a sincere seeker of the truth. As Lord Caitanya declared to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

"According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down to the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service" (Cc. Madhya 19.151).

In His Paramātmā feature, Lord Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, and He fulfills our desires in accordance with what we deserve, which is based on our previous activities. (Even sinful desires must be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa before one can fulfill them.) Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Kṛṣṇa, who is situated in everyone's heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master" (Cc. Madhya 19.151, purport). If one doesn't know exactly what or who he is looking for, but he calls out to God and asks to be delivered, the Lord will bestow His mercy — the chance to surrender to a great soul.

Nārada's disciple Dhruva Mahārāja is an example of one who was helped by God. Dhruva was insulted by his stepmother, and on the advice of his mother he went to seek God in the forest. Although the boy desired an exalted position and revenge, his determination appealed to the Supreme Lord. Dhruva wandered in the forest asking the animals, "Where is God? Are you God?" — and suddenly the great sage Nārada appeared before him. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains,

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is present in everyone's heart, and as soon as He understands that the living entity is serious about entering devotional service, He sends His representative. In this way Nārada was sent to Dhruva Mahārāja. [Bhāg. 4.8.25, purport]

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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