Listening, followed by singing, embody the main devotional practices. Devotional service can be performed according to the rules or by spontaneous affection. Now, anyone who has not developed a spiritual affection for Krishna must lead his life according to the rules and principles of the scriptures and the instructions of the spiritual master. Thus the real practice of devotional service depends on the constant remembrance of God within, and this practice is not governed by any regulatory principle, nor dependent on any other activity whatsoever, prescribed or prohibited. In general, however, the following principles should be adhered to in devotional service:

1. Seek refuge with an authentic spiritual master, a true servant of Krishna.
2. Receive spiritual initiation from him.
3. Serve it.
4. Inquire with him and learn from him to love.
5. Follow the path traced by the saints dedicated to the service of the Lord's sublime love.
6. To know how to renounce all forms of pleasure and tribulation for the satisfaction of Krishna.
7. Live, as much as possible, in a place where Krishna's entertainment has taken place.
8. Be satisfied with what Krishna gives us to meet our needs, without seeking more.
9. Respect the fast of Ekadashi, sacred day occurring twice in the month, in order to purify the soul and the body. These two days are dedicated to Krishna, the eleventh day following the full moon and the new moon. We must then refrain from consuming grains, cereals, legumes, and eat in moderation only vegetables and milk, while increasing the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Hare Krishna, reading the original holy scriptures, etc.
10. Honor devotees, cows and sacred trees, including the banyan.

It is essential for the neophyte devotee who begins to follow the path of devotional service, to observe these ten principles. He should also refrain from committing the following ten offenses in the practice of devotional service and the chanting of the Holy Names of God:

1. Blaspheme against a devotee of the Lord.
2. Put the Lord and heavenly beings on an equal footing, or believe that there are several Gods.
3. Neglecting the instructions of the spiritual master.
4. Minimize the authority of the original holy scriptures the Vedas).
5. Interpret the Holy Names of the Lord.
6. Carry out sinful acts by relying on the chanting of the Holy Names to reverse the consequences.
7. Teach the glories of the Name of the Lord to unbelievers.
8. To assimilate the chanting of the Holy Names to an act of material piety.
9. Be inattentive while chanting the Holy Names.
10. To remain attached to material things despite the chanting of the Holy Names.