Srimad Bhagavatham : 6.2.17.

Skandham-6.


Chapter-2.


Slokam-17.



tais  tany  aghani  puyante  tapo-dana-vratadibhih,



nadharmajam  tad-dhrdayam  tad  apisanghri-sevaya.




taih  =  by those;

tani  =  all those;

aghani  =  sinful activities and their results;

puyante  =  become vanquished;

tapah  =  austerity;

dana  =  charity;

vrata-adibhih  =  by vows and other such activities;

na  =  not;

adharma-jam  =  produced from irreligious actions;

tat  =  of that;

hrdayam  =  the heart;

tat  =  that;

api  =  also;

isa-anghri  =  of the lotus feet of the Lord;

sevaya  =  by service.



Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in one’s heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.


As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.42), bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca: devotional service is so powerful that one who performs devotional service is immediately freed from all sinful desires. All desires within this material world are sinful because material desire means sense gratification, which always involves action that is more or less sinful. Pure bhakti, however, is anyabhilasita-sunya; in other words, it is free from material desires, which result from karma and jnana. One who is situated in devotional service no longer has material desires, and therefore he is beyond sinful life. Material desires should be completely stopped. Otherwise, although one’s austerities, penances and charity may free one from sin for the time being, one’s desires will reappear because his heart is impure. Thus he will act sinfully and suffer.

To be continued   ...