Knowledge to Bhakti

Chapter 19, 20, 21

Transcendental knowledge of the Lord should translate into an awakening of pure bhakti. All regulations, duties and recommendations of sastra are meant to bring one to this spontaneous devotion. After Uddhava asked a range of wonderful questions, Krishna, amongst other things, described the character of a self-realised soul and the deeper meaning of being tolerant, charitable, austere, heroic and truthful. He explained the real substance of happiness in life and who is actually a genuine friend.

Though unalloyed bhakti is the ultimate goal, scriptures may promote various practices of study, austerity and fruitive work in a bid to gradually elevate the religious practitioner to a higher level of purity. Human birth on the earthly planets is the most wondrous gift, since it affords the soul the best opportunity to perfect life and escape material entanglement. Thus, by good fortune, if one begins the path of bhakti and attains the platform of pure devotion, relative considerations of purity and impurity no longer affect them. Such persons transcend good and bad karma.