Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.29.1b

bhaktih krishne dayā jīveshv

akuntha-jñānam ātmani

yadi syād ātmano bhūyād

apavargas tu samsriteh

SYNONYMS

bhaktih — devotional service; krishne — unto Krishna; dayā — mercy; jīveshu — unto other living entities; akuntha-jñānam — perfect knowledge; ātmani — of the self; yadi — if; syāt — it becomes; ātmanah — of one's self; bhūyāt — there must be; apavargah — liberation; tu — then; samsriteh — from the bondage of material life.

TRANSLATION

If a living entity is developed in Krishna consciousness and is merciful to others, and if his spiritual knowledge of self-realization is perfect, he will immediately attain liberation from the bondage of material existence.

PURPORT

In this verse the words dayā jīveshu, meaning "mercy to other living entities," indicate that a living entity must be merciful to other living entities if he wishes to make progress in self-realization. This means he must preach this knowledge after perfecting himself and understanding his own position as an eternal servant of Krishna. Preaching this is showing real mercy to living entities. Other types of humanitarian work may be temporarily beneficial for the body, but because a living entity is spirit soul, ultimately one can show him real mercy only by revealing knowledge of his spiritual existence. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — krishnera 'nitya-dāsa': [Cc. Madhya 20.108] "Every living entity is constitutionally a servant of Krishna." One should know this fact perfectly and should preach it to the mass of people. If one realizes that he is an eternal servant of Krishna but does not preach it, his realization is imperfect. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura therefore sings, dushta mana, tumi kisera vaishnava? pratishthāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, what kind of Vaishnava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation you are chanting the Hare Krishna mantra in a solitary place." In this way people who do not preach are criticized. There are many Vaishnavas in Vrindāvana who do not like preaching; they chiefly try to imitate Haridāsa Thākura. The actual result of their so-called chanting in a secluded place, however, is that they sleep and think of women and money. Similarly, one who simply engages in temple worship but does not see to the interests of the mass of people or cannot recognize devotees is called a kanishtha-adhikāri:

arcāyām eva haraye

pūjām yah śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteshu cānyeshu

sa bhaktah prākritah smritah

(Bhāg. 11.2.47)

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness