Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.3.29

evaḿ kṛṣṇātma-nātheṣu

manuṣyeṣu ca sauhṛdam

paricaryāḿ cobhayatra

mahatsu nṛṣu sādhuṣu

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; kṛṣṇa-ātma-nātheṣu — for those who take Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Lord of their soul; manuṣyeṣu — humans; ca — and; sauhṛdam — friendship; paricaryām — service; ca — and; ubhayatra — rendered to both (moving and nonmoving creatures, or the Lord and His devotees); mahatsu — (especially) to the pure devotees of the Lord; nṛṣu — to human beings; sādhuṣu — those who are fixed in saintly behavior.

TRANSLATION

One who desires his ultimate self-interest should cultivate friendship with those persons who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Lord of their life. One should further develop an attitude of service toward all living beings. One should especially try to help those in the human form of life and, among them, especially those who accept the principles of religious behavior. Among religious persons, one should especially render service to the pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the highest duty for devotees of the Supreme Lord is to establish friendship with those who have completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and who have thus achieved śaraṇāgati, shelter at the Lord's lotus feet. One should render service to both the Lord and His devotees, since the Lord is more pleased by sincere service rendered to His pure devotees. One should not only officially offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His devotees and His worshipful paraphernalia, but should actually render service to the representatives of the Lord, who are known as mahā-bhāgavatas.

<<< >>>

Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
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