Bhagavad-Gita As It Is Chapter 9 Text 3

1
Bhagavad-Gita As It IsChapter 9Text 3

1. Faith in Krsna Consciousness.
2. 3 divisions of devotees based on faith.

2
Text 2

• açraddadhänäù puruñä
• dharmasyäsya parantapa
• apräpya mäà nivartante
• måtyu-saàsära-vartmani
• Those who are not faithful in this devotional
  service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies.
  Therefore they return to the path of birth and
  death in this material world.

3
Faith plays important role.

• Not blind but reasonable faith.
• The faithless cannot accomplish this process of
  devotional service
• Faith is created by association with devotees.
• Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the
  evidence of Vedic literature from great
  personalities, still have no faith in God.

4
Faith in Krsna Consciousness.

• çraddhä-çabde viçväsa kahe sudåòha niçcaya
• kåñëe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kåta haya
• By rendering transcendental service to Kåñëa,
  one automatically performs all subsidiary
  activities. This confident, firm faith,
  favorable to the discharge of devotional service,
  is called çraddhä.

5
3 divisions based on faith

• çraddhävän jana haya bhakti-adhikäré
• uttama, madhyama, kaniñöha çraddhä-anusäré
• One becomes qualified as a devotee on the
  elementary platform, the intermediate platform
  and the highest platform of devotional service
  according to the development of his çraddhä
  faith.

6
3rd class (kanishtha) devotee

• yähära komala çraddhä, se kaniñöha jana
• krame krame teìho bhakta ha-ibe uttama
• One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a
  neophyte, but by gradually following the process,
  he will rise to the platform of a first-class
  devotee.
• e.g. hearing critisisam speculative views gets
  carried away. SPs view on Moon landing.

7
2nd class (madhyama) devotee

• çästra-yukti nähi jäne dåòha, çraddhävän
• madhyama-adhikäré sei mahä-bhägyavän
• A person whose conclusive knowledge of the
  çästras is not very strong but who has developed
  firm faith in chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra
  and who is also undeterred in the execution of
  his prescribed devotional service should be
  considered a madhyama-adhikäré. Such a person is
  very fortunate.

8
1st class devotee

• çästra-yuktye sunipuëa, dåòha-çraddhä yäìra
• uttama-adhikäré sei täraye saàsära
• One who is expert in logic, argument and the
  revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in
  Kåñëa is classified as a topmost devotee. He can
  deliver the whole world.

9
3rd class devotees behavior

• arcäyäm eva haraye
• püjäà yaù çraddhayehate
• na tad-bhakteñu cänyeñu
• sa bhaktaù präkåtaù småtaù
• A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship
  of the Deity in the temple but does not behave
  properly toward other devotees or people in
  general is called a präkåta-bhakta, a
  materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in
  the lowest position.

10
2nd class devotees behavior

• ésvare tad-adhéneñu
• bäliçeñu dviñatsu ca
• prema-maitré-kåpopekñä
• yaù karoti sa madhyamaù
• An intermediate or second-class devotee, called
  madhyama-adhikäré, offers his love to the Supreme
  Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to
  all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to
  ignorant people who are innocent and disregards
  those who are envious of the Supreme Personality
  of Godhead.

11
1st class devotees behavior

• çré-havir uväca
• sarva-bhüteñu yaù paçyed
• bhagavad-bhävam ätmanaù
• bhütäni bhagavaty ätmany
• eña bhägavatottamaù
• Çré Havir said The most advanced devotee sees
  within everything the soul of all souls, the
  Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa.
  Consequently he sees everything in relation to
  the Supreme Lord and understands that everything
  that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.

12
How to deal with 3 classes of devotees?

• kåñëeti yasya giri taà manasädriyeta
• dékñästi cet praëatibhiç ca bhajantam éçam
• çuçrüñayä bhajana-vijïam ananyam anya-
• nindädi-çünya-hådam épsita-saìga-labdhyä
• One should mentally honor the devotee who chants
  the holy name of Lord Kåñëa, one should offer
  humble obeisances to the devotee who has
  undergone spiritual initiation dékñä and is
  engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should
  associate with and faithfully serve that Pure
  devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional
  service and whose heart is completely devoid of
  the propensity to criticize others.

13
Dealings with devotees.

• Mentally honor the Kanishtha (who chants the holy
  name of Lord Kåñëa).
• Offer humble obeisances to the Madhyama devotee
  (who has undergone spiritual initiation dékñä
  and is engaged in worshiping the Deity).
• One should associate with and faithfully serve
  that Pure devotee (Uttama, who is advanced in
  undeviated devotional service and whose heart is
  completely devoid of the propensity to criticize
  others).