Many times, people say, “Bhakti is personal, so there’s no need to discuss your practice—just keep it to yourself.” And then the same people go on to speak at length about various worldly issues and lessons in dharma. Our practice and struggles need not be spoken, but we can speak everything outside of Krishna Consciousness. Is it really so?
Can Krishna consciousness not be shared? Is it meant to be kept confidential?
Let’s explore.
Krishna’s Instruction
In the Bhagavad-gītā (18.68), Krishna Himself instructs:
“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.”
He doesn’t say to keep it personal. He says to give this knowledge to others, and such a person becomes most dear to Him.
Lord Chaitanya’s Mission
Why did Krishna come as Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu? He came for two purposes:
To distribute the highest form of prema-bhakti to all living beings.
To teach the path of spontaneous devotional service by His own example.
prema-rasa-niryāsa karite āsvādana
rāga-mārga bhakti loke karite pracāraṇa
He gave prema to all, even the most fallen.
Mahāprabhu’s own behavior including His chanting, His instructions, His lifestyle and everything was itself a form of preaching. His example shows that behavior, teachings, and practice must all be shared in Krishna consciousness.
What Should Be Kept Hidden?
There is a valid caution in scriptures:
gopayed devatām iṣṭāṁ
gopayed gurum ātmanaḥ
gopayec ca nijaṁ mantraṁ
gopayen nija-mālikām
“Hide your beloved deity.
Hide your guru
Hide your mantra
Hide your mālā.”
These four things are to be kept confidential:
These are personal aspects, not for display or boasting. One need not flaunt their beads, showcase affection for their gurus in public or loudly announce their initiation mantra. And one must not brag about their surrender or how devoted they are. But this doesn’t mean all of bhakti must be kept private.
Why are Literatures Public?
If bhakti were meant to be private:
Why did Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura write Madhurya-kadambini, explaining stages of devotional service?
Why did Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura write Harināma Cintāmaṇi and Bhajana-rahasya, describing how to chant and practice?
Why did Rūpa Gosvāmī write Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, a lawbook on devotional life, mentioning the different kinds of ecstasies that one experiences in devotional life?
Bhakti is not just personal, rather, the principles of bhakti are universal.
Even Mahāprabhu, who externally lived as a sannyāsī, openly taught chanting of the holy name to everyone. Although His beads and personal bhajana were hidden, His mission and mood were widely known.
How does Sharing help?
When a devotee shares their personal journey, two things happen:
1. It gives hope to those struggling on the path.
2. It gives inspiration on how to go further.
Even Gopa-kumāra, who had reached perfection, wondered whether to share his story with the young cowherd boy in Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta. He initially hesitated, fearing pride or impropriety, but eventually he shared it, understanding it would benefit the listener.
Prabhupada’s spiritual master told him to preach in English in the Western countries stating that it will not only benefit him, but benefit others also.
Our ācāryas, including Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, openly wrote songs about their own struggles, realizations, and longing. Were they unaware of the rule that bhakti is personal?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Kept a personal diary on the Jaladuta, which later became public.
Shared his realizations in his purports, not just dry philosophy.
Preached boldly and widely, never limiting bhakti to a few people or a few practices.
Bhakti: Personal and Universal
Bhakti is surely personal. It’s our individual relationship with Krishna.
But bhakti is also universal. Krishna says, “ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā”— I am the seed-giving father of all living beings, not only of one particular sect or faith.
The journey to Goloka may vary in pace, but the landmarks like faith, surrender, anarthas, steadiness, taste, attachment—are common to all. So when we share our bhakti, we validate the experience of others, give hope to others and we also grow deeper in our own practice.
Don’t Start a New Sampradāya
Sometimes people argue, “I’ll keep my bhakti personal,” and then give worldly talks in the name of dharma. This risks starting a new kind of sampradāya. But we don’t need to invent something new. We simply follow guru, sadhu and sastra.
If we don’t share, we might lose it.
Whatever is not distributed becomes stagnant, and stagnancy is death in spiritual life. Therefore, while maintaining respectful privacy in certain areas, we must boldly and lovingly share Krishna consciousness with others through our words, behavior, writings, and example.
