TEXT 129
sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga
krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga
SYNONYMS
sakala-sadhanaof all items for executing devotional service; sresthathe best; ei panca angathese five limbs; krsna-premalove of Krsna; janmayaawakens; eithese; panceraof the five; alpa sangaslight association with or performance.
TRANSLATION
"These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura points out that there are thirty-five items up to the point of observing special vows in the month of Karttika. To these thirty-five items, another four are added-namely marking tilaka on different parts of the body, writing the names of the Lord all over the body, accepting the Deity's garland and accepting caranamrta. These four items are understood to be included by Kaviraja Gosvami within arcana, worship of the Deity. Although these items are not mentioned here, they are to be added to the previous thirty-five items. Thus the total number becomes thirty-nine. To these thirty-nine should be added five others: association with devotees, chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, reading Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly, residing in Mathura, the birthplace of Krsna, and worshiping the Deity with great respect and veneration. The thirty-nine items plus these five come to a total of forty-four. If we add the previous twenty items to these forty-four, the total number becomes sixty-four. The five items mentioned above repeat previously mentioned items. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami states:
anganam pancakasyasya
purva-vilikhitasya ca
nikhila-sraisthya-bodhaya
punar apy atra samsanam
"The glorification of these five items [association with devotees, chanting the holy name and so on] is to make known the complete superiority of these five practices of devotional service.
The sixty-four items of devotional service include all the activities of the body, mind and senses. Thus the sixty-four items engage one in devotional service in all respects.

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