Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.33

krishnāńghri-padma-madhu-lin na punar visrishta-

māyā-guneshu ramate vrijināvaheshu

anyas tu kāma-hata ātma-rajah pramārshtum

īheta karma yata eva rajah punah syāt

SYNONYMS

krishna-ańghri-padma — of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna; madhu — the honey; lit — one who licks; na — not; punah — again; visrishta — already renounced; māyā-guneshu — in the material modes of nature; ramate — desires to enjoy; vrijina-avaheshu — which brings distress; anyah — another; tu — however; kāma-hatah — being enchanted by lust; ātma-rajah — the sinful infection of the heart; pramārshtum — to cleanse; īheta — may perform; karma — activities; yatah — after which; eva — indeed; rajah — the sinful activity; punah — again; syāt — appears.

TRANSLATION

Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Krishna do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of material nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lotus feet of Krishna to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals because they have neglected the service of the Lord's lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.

PURPORT

A devotee's duty is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. One may sometimes chant with offenses and sometimes without offenses, but if one seriously adopts this process, he will achieve perfection, which cannot be achieved through Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement. Persons who are attached to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, but do not believe in devotional service, who advise atonement, but do not appreciate the chanting of the Lord's holy name, fail to achieve the highest perfection. Devotees, therefore, being completely detached from material enjoyment, never give up Krishna consciousness for Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Those who are attached to Vedic ritualistic ceremonies because of lusty desires are subjected to the tribulations of material existence again and again. Mahārāja Parīkshit has compared their activities to kuñjara-śauca, the bathing of an elephant.

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