Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.14.1

śrī-parīkshid uvāca

rajas-tamah-svabhāvasya

brahman vritrasya pāpmanah

nārāyane bhagavati

katham āsīd dridhā matih

SYNONYMS

śrī-parīkshit uvāca — King Parīkshit inquired; rajah — of the mode of passion; tamah — and of the mode of ignorance; sva-bhāvasya — having a nature; brahman — O learned brāhmana; vritrasya — of Vritrāsura; pāpmanah — who was supposedly sinful; nārāyane — in Lord Nārāyana; bhagavati — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; katham — how; āsīt — was there; dridhā — very strong; matih — consciousness.

TRANSLATION

King Parīkshit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O learned brāhmana, demons are generally sinful, being obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. How, then, could Vritrāsura have attained such exalted love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyana?

PURPORT

In this material world, everyone is obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. However, unless one conquers these modes and comes to the platform of goodness, there is no chance of one's becoming a pure devotee. This is confirmed by Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (7.28):

yeshām tv anta-gatam pāpam

janānām punya-karmanām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante mām dridha-vratāh

"Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination." Since Vritrāsura was among the demons, Mahārāja Parīkshit wondered how it was possible for him to have become such an exalted devotee.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness