Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.18.75

ārādhyātma-pradaḿ devaḿ

svātmānaḿ jagad-īśvaram

ko vṛṇīta guṇa-sparśaḿ

budhaḥ syān narake 'pi yat

SYNONYMS

ārādhya — after worshiping; ātma-pradam — who gives Himself; devam — the Lord; sva-ātmānam — the most dear; jagat-īśvaram — the Lord of the universe; kaḥ — what; vṛṇīta — would choose; guṇa-sparśam — material happiness; budhaḥ — intelligent person; syāt — is; narake — in hell; api — even; yat — which.

TRANSLATION

The ultimate goal of all ambitions is to become a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If an intelligent man serves the most dear Lord, who gives Himself to His devotees, how can he desire material happiness, which is available even in hell?

PURPORT

An intelligent man will never aspire to become a devotee to achieve material happiness. That is the test of a devotee. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches:

na dhanaḿ na janaḿ na sundarīḿ

kavitāḿ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

"O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth." A pure devotee never begs the Lord for material happiness in the shape of riches, followers, a good wife or even mukti. The Lord promises, however, yoga-kṣemaḿ vahāmy aham: [Bg. 9.22] "I voluntarily bring everything necessary for My service."

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