BY: SUN STAFF
Dec 6, CANADA (SUN) —
Sri Bhakti-sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
Volume Six
Anuccheda 218
1 They who offer to the Lord the results of Vedic duties are glorified in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.47):
2 "Karmis are always anxious to accumulate wealth for their sense gratification, but for that purpose they must work very hard. Yet even though they work hard, the results are not satisfying.
Indeed, sometimes their work results only in frustration. But devotees who have dedicated their lives to the service of the Lord can achieve substantial results without working very hard. These results exceed the devotee's expectations."***
3 This verse means, "Karmis are always anxious to accumulate wealth for their sense gratification, but for that purpose they must work very hard. Yet even though they work hard, plowing and doing other work, the results are not satisfying. But devotees who have dedicated their lives to the service of the Lord can achieve substantial results without working very hard. These results exceed the devotee's expectations. This is because the final result they attain is release from the material world of birth and death."
4 This is also described in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.35):
"O King, one who accepts this process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead will never blunder on his path in this world. Even while running with eyes closed, he will never trip or fall."***
5 This is again described in Srimad Bhagavatam (5.19.27):
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead fulfils the material desires of a devotee who approaches Him with such motives, but He does not bestow benedictions upon the devotee that will cause him to demand more benedictions again. However, the Lord willingly gives the devotee shelter at His own lotus feet, even though such a person does not aspire for it, and that shelter satisfies all his desires. That is the Supreme Personality's special mercy."*
6 That is how Maharaja Nabhi attained as his son Lord Rsabhadeva, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also explained in these words of Sri Bhagavad-gita (2.40):
7 "In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear."*
8 The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the demigods to the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Anuccheda 219-221
1 The process of offering the fruits of one's work to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the following three verse. In Srimad Bhagavatam (1.5.32) it is said:
2 "O Brahmana Vyasadeva, it is decided by the learned that the best remedial measure for removing all troubles and miseries is to dedicate one's activities to the service of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead (Sri Krsna)."*
3 Here the word "brahman" means "O Veda-vyasa". "Etat tapa-traya-cikitsitam samsucitam" means "the remedy for the threefold miseries, a remedy spoken by the swanlike enlightened souls who were staying at that place during the four months of Caturmasya". What is that remedy? The remedy is "bhagavati karma yat", which means "dedicating one's activities to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead". What is the Supreme Personality of Godhead like? He is described here by the word "bhagavati", which means "full of all opulences and glories" and "the whole of which everything that exists is a part and parcel". The word "isvare" is also used to describe Him because he is the controller of the individual souls, who are all His parts and parcels. In this situation He is also given the name "Paramatma" (the all-pervading Supersoul).
4 Here someone may object: How can the same material activities that were once the cause of bondage in the world of birth and death at another time bring one liberation from the threefold miseries of material existence?
To this objection the following reply is given: The same thing may bring different results under different circumstances. This is explained in the following statement (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.33):
5 "O goo soul, does not a thing, applied therapeutically, cure a disease that was caused by that very same thing?"*
6 Here "ya amayah" means "the disease", and "yena jayate" means "created by butter or other things". That thing (tad eva dravyam) that first caused the disease does not (na) by itself cure the same disease. However, when mixed with other substances and it can be part of a medicine (cikitsitam) that does cure the disease.
7 This is further explained in the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.340):
"Thus when all a man's activities are dedicated to the service of the Lord, those very activities which caused his perpetual bondage become the destroyer of the tree of work."*
8 Here "pare" means "to the Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "kalpitah" means "even when offered with materialistic motives". Because these activities destroy the bondage of continued material existence, they give one the ability (kalpante) to renounce materialistic activities (atma-vinasaya).
Go to Anuccheda Two Hundred twenty-two
Return to Anuccheda Two Hundred seventeen
