The first ten principles are of an incentive nature while the last ten have the value of prohibitions. In the same vein, it is advisable to act in a very liberal way while avoiding any undesirable behavior. However, of the twenty rules set out above, the most important are to seek refuge with a genuine spiritual master, to receive spiritual initiation from him and to serve him. Anyone who practices devotional service in full awareness of Krishna, God, automatically discharges all debts to the sages, heavenly beings, and ancestors, to whom we are generally indebted. It is written in the Srimad bhagavatam:

Whoever engages fully in the service of the Lord no longer has any duties or obligations towards heavenly beings, sages, his family, his ancestors, humans and living beings in general.

Let us understand that, from the moment of his birth, each human being is so indebted to all that he is expected to perform various prescribed rites. The being who surrenders completely to Krishna is, however, freed from any debt, any obligation to anyone else. Moreover, it should be noted that whoever renounces all his temporal duties to devote himself to the exclusive service of Krishna frees himself by the very fact of all personal desire and in no way risks committing any sin whatsoever. If, however, he should do wrongdoing, not deliberately, but by accident, Krishna will give him full protection, and he will not be required to purify himself in any way, as the Srimad-Bhagavatam confirms:

The devotee who fully engages in the service of absolute love of the Lord is protected by the Supreme Person. But if, despite himself, he commits some sin or is forced to commit a reprehensible act in exceptional circumstances, the Lord, seated in his heart, will grant him full protection.

The paths of speculative knowledge and renunciation are not essential to the completion of devotional service. Neither is it necessary to adhere to the principles of non-violence and mastery of the senses, strictly advocated by other elevation paths. Without even subscribing to such methods, the devotee develops all these virtues through the sole devotional service of the Lord. In the eleventh Song of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Lord himself says moreover that it is not necessary to cultivate speculative knowledge and renunciation when one is actually engaged in his devotional service.

The Lord said to Sanatane Gosvami: I have so far described the practice of devotional service in accordance with the regulatory principles. Now, I'll explain it to you from the angle of spiritual attachment.

Devotional service from the perspective of spiritual attachment.

Attachment-based devotional service is accomplished in two ways, one external and the other internal. Outwardly, the devotee strictly adheres to regulatory principles, beginning with chanting and listening, while inwardly meditating on the attachment that prompts him to serve the Supreme Lord. In truth, he is constantly thinking of his devotional service and dedication. Such an attachment in no way violates the regulatory principles of devotional service, to which the true devotee strictly adheres, but without forgetting his particular attachment to the Lord.