Jayapataka Swami: Devotional service is a somewhat gradual process. After taking initiation, there is the stage of anarta nivritti, where the mind is somewhat fluctuating. Gradually we rise above that, to become fixed on the level of nista. From there we develop a taste. Then when you are recognizing your mind is fluctuating, again and again you have to bring it back to Krsna. In that way you can advance in your devotional service. Just like, there is a prayer to the mind, like, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur, he wrote a book, Vaisnava Ke, I wrote some commentary on that. Who is a vaisnava? He is praying to his mind, what kind of a vaisnava are you? It is a very heavy prayer because he chastises his mind. And Srinivasa Acarya wrote a book, Manah Siksa, Teaching the Mind. So somehow we have to bring the mind under our control. That is the position of bhakti yoga. We don’t let the mind wander, we keep it engaged in Krsna consciousness, all the time. Hare Krsna!
24-APRIL-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA