Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.35
—
Hawaii, January 28, 1974
So two things are there. You are servant by constitution. Don't think that you are master. But when you forget or give up the service of the Lord, then you become servant of your senses, or māyā. This is your position. So when you voluntarily again give up this service of the senses and surrender to the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa... Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka-īśa. Hṛṣīka means senses. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta [Bg. 1.21]. Acyuta and hṛṣīkeśa, (indistinct), that is one word, hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa is the master of senses, Kṛṣṇa. So when in our present condition we have forgotten our master of senses but we have taken senses as our master, this is our position. We have forgotten the master of the senses, but we have accepted the senses as our master. So this is, this has to be purified: not to become the servant of the senses, but to become servant of the master of the senses. Then you also become master of the senses. That purificatory process is called devotional service, or bhakti. That is described in Nārada Pañcarātra: sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
Now, how we have become the servant of our senses? On account of so many designation: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that"—so many designation. So if you... Designation means to become servant of the senses. Designation means to become the servant. So we have to forget our designation. From this initiation point of view, everyone should consider that "I am no more American," "I am no more Indian," "I am no more this or that"—"No, I am Hindu; he is Christian"—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become designationless—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya Kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]." Then you become designationless, and immediately purified. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Nirmalam means spotless. When the spotless, you become spotless, then hṛṣīkena... You have got your senses, then your senses are engaged in the servant of the master of the senses. That is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170].
So these things are all very elaborately, nicely explained in our books. So those who are going to be initiated, they should take it as a vow, not to fall down again. Catch Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet very tightly and you'll not fall down. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. So be determined. Don't make it a farce, that "Today I am initiated and tomorrow I again I give up everything and again grow my hair and then go to hell." No. Don't do that. If you want to be serious, then the path is clear for going back to home.