Canto 11: General History | Chapter 20: Pure Devotional Service Surpasses Knowledge and Detachment |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.20.34
na kiñcit sādhavo dhīrā
bhaktā hy ekāntino mama
vāñchanty api mayā dattaḿ
kaivalyam apunar-bhavam
SYNONYMS
na — never; kiñcit — anything; sādhavaḥ — saintly persons; dhīrāḥ — with deep intelligence; bhaktāḥ — devotees; hi — certainly; ekāntinaḥ — completely dedicated; mama — unto Me; vāñchanti — desire; api — indeed; mayā — by Me; dattam — given; kaivalyam — liberation; apunaḥ-bhavam — freedom from birth and death.
TRANSLATION
Because My devotees possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.
PURPORT
The words ekāntino mama indicate that the pure devotees of the Lord, being saintly and most intelligent, dedicate themselves exclusively to the devotional service of the Personality of Godhead. Even when the Lord offers them personal liberation from birth and death, the devotees will not accept it. A pure devotee automatically gains an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in the Lord's personal abode and thus considers mere liberation without the loving service of the Lord to be most abominable. One who chants Lord Kṛṣṇa's holy name or superficially serves the Lord with the motive of achieving impersonal liberation or material sense gratification cannot be considered a transcendental devotee of the Lord. As long as one desires mundane religiosity, economic development, sense gratification or liberation, one cannot achieve the platform of samādhi, or perfect self-realization. Every living entity is actually the eternal servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa and is constitutionally meant to engage in the loving service of the Lord without personal desire. This pure and supreme status of life is described in this verse by the Lord Himself.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari