Brahma vidya and narada achieving perfection

If one hears from a bona fide spiritual master the conclusions of the all Vedic scriptures, which begin with Vedanta sutra, he will understand that one absolutely must render devotional service to the Lord. This is described in the following words (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 2.2.34):

4 "The great personality Brahma, with great attention and concentration of the mind, studied the Vedas three times, and after scrutinizingly examining them, he ascertained that attraction for Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna is the highest perfection of religion."*

5 If he renounces what is opposed to devotional service, and instead engages in meditation on the Lord and becomes attached to the Lord, then, by worshipping the Lord, a faithful person will attain devotional service. This is confirmed in the Sruti-sastra, which explains (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.5.6.):

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead should be seen, heard of, meditated on, and worshipped."

Here the word "nididhyasitavyah" means "worshipped". That the Lord should be seen means that He will directly appear before one's vision.

------------Bhakti yoga and karma yoga being part of it is explained in :

Anuccheda 271 In the next chapter (Shrimad Bhagavatam 2.2.14) he says:

"Unless the gross materialist develops a sense of loving service unto the Supreme Lord, the seer of both the transcendental and material worlds, he should remember or meditate upon the universal form of the Lord at the end of his prescribed duties."*

2 After the word "para" the word "avara" means "the places of the living entities headed by Brahma." Who is there? The Supreme Lord (visvesvare) who sees (drastari) everything, but who, because He is perfectly spiritual remains invisible to the conditioned souls. Devotional service (bhakti-yogah) is described in these words (Shrimad Bhagavatam 2.2.8):

"Others conceive of the Personality of Godhead residing within the body in the region of theheart and measuring only eight inches, with four hands carrying a lotus, a wheel of a chariot, a conchshell and a club respectively."*

In this way the way to make spiritual advancement is described. The word "kriyavasane" means "at the end of one's prescribed duties". One should do this until he develops a sense of loving devotional service to the Lord (bhakti-yogah).

-------------Bhakti is characterised by Sravananam kirtanama OR varnashrama---

Anuccheda 60

1 Shrimad Bhagavatam (11.2.36) explains:

"In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever onedoes with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should offer to the Supreme, thinking "This is for the pleasure of Lord Narayana."***

From this it is understood that even ordinary work becomes devotional service when offered to the Lord. This path, the path of always working for the Lord, seems to be opposed to the path of always performing the devotional activities that begin with hearing and chanting the Lord's glories. Actually, either of these paths may be followed with steady conviction. This steadiness is described in these words (Shrimad Bhagavatam 11.2.38):

---------------------------------------------------Meditations;

Anuccheda 114

1 It may also be said that devotional service has six different aspects. One of these aspects is meditation on the Lord, which is described in Shrimad Bhagavatam from beginning to end. For example, the first verse of Shrimad Bhagavatam (1.1.1) describes meditation on the Lord in thesewords:

"I meditate upon Lord Shri Krishna because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmaji, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions ofthe three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Shri Krishna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth."*

2 Two different kinds of meditation are described in the following passage of Bhagavad-gita (12.1-2):

"Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahma, the unmanifested?*

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshipping Me with great and transcendental faith is considered by Me to be the most perfect."*

Meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead is more easily performed and is also the best kind of meditation.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead and not the impersonal Brahman is the proper objectof meditation and worship. This is confirmed by the Lord Himself in these words (Bhagavad-gita 7.7. and 14.27):