inspiration from Uddhava-gita

[Guest guest]

Having awakened his faith in the narrations of My glories, understanding the

futility of all material activities, and knowing that sense gratification

ultimately leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all kinds of

sensual diversions, My devotee should remain satisfied and worship Me with

great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in material

enjoyment, My devotee knows that such activity simply leads to a miserable

result, and so he sincerely repents such activities.

 

Commentary by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

 

Here, the Lord describes the primary characteristic of devotional service. A

devotee naturally becomes indifferent to worldly activities and Vedic

prescriptions because he knows that these will ultimately award him

distress. He knows that material desires are sources of all miseries. If a

devotee, despite understanding this, is unable to completely renounce

activities of sense gratification, he should still engage in the service of

the Supreme Lord with firm determination. He should not become depressed,

thinking that his devotional serviced is inadequate. The devotee thinks,

“Even if the Lord places millions of obstacles in my path, and even if

because of my offenses I go to hell, I will never for a moment stop serving

Lord Krsna. I am not interested in mental speculation and fruitive

activities. Even if Lord Brahma personally comes before me offering such

engagements, I will not be even slightly interested. Although I am attached

to material things, I can see very clearly that they lead to no good because

they simply give me trouble and disturb my devotional service to the Lord.

Therefore, I sincerely repent my foolish attachments to so many material

things, and I am patiently awaiting Lord Krsna’s mercy.” Even if, due to

material sentiment, a devotee associates with his wife and children and thus

indulges in sense gratification, he thinks, “Alas! This material enjoyment

creates many anarthas because it is opposed to my advancement in the Lord’s

devotional service. Although I had promised many times to give up this

material enjoyment, I still indulge in sense gratification from time to

time.”

 

Purport by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

 

By hearing discussions of the Supreme Lord’s glories, one is liberated from

the desire to enjoy the fruits of karma. Only those who are faithfully

engaged in hearing and chanting the holy names of the Supreme Lord can

understand that desires for material enjoyment are the causes of distress.

When, even after trying to give up such distressful activities, devotees

fail to completely do so, they should faithfully go on serving the Supreme

Lord with determination. Devotees condemn the miserable condition that

arises from material activities and while trying to give up such bad

association, they engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord with

determination. There is actually nothing inauspicious in the devotional

service of the Lord. Occasional difficulties experienced by a devotee are

due to his previous material activities. On the other hand, the endeavor for

sense gratification is completely inauspicious. Thus sense gratification and

devotional service are directly opposed to each other. In all circumstances

one should therefore remain the Lord’s sincere servant, always believing in

His mercy. Then one will certainly go back home, back to Godhead.