SB 1.2.6 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 6
Sa bai punsam paro dharmo yato bhakti radhokshaje Ahaituki apratihata yaya atma samprasidati.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sa—that, Punsam—for the mankind, Bai—certainly, Paro—sublime, Dharmo—occupation, Yato—by which, Bhakti—devotional service, Adhokshaje—unto the transcendence, Ahaituki—causeless, Aprtihata—unbroken, Yaya—by which, Atma—self, Samprasidati—completely satisfied.
TRANSLATION
The most perfect occupation for all human kind is what is conductive to the attainment of devotional service of transcendence Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and undeterred so that the same shall completely satisfy the self.
PURPORT
In this statement of Sri Sūta Gosvāmī's speech, answer of the first question, by the sages of Namisharaya, is given. The question by the sages was to summarise the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part of them, so that the fallen people or the people in general may take it up very easily. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupations by the human beings. The one is called the Pravirtte Marga or the path of sense enjoyment and the other is called the Nivirtti Marga or the path of renunciation. The path of enjoyment is inferior quality of occupation but the path of sacrifice for the Supreme cause is superior quality of occupation. Material existence of the living being is a diseased condition of actual life. Actual life is spiritual existence or Brahmabhuta existence where life is eternal blissful and full of knowledge. Material existence is non-eternal, illusory and full of miseries. There is no happiness at all but false attempt to get rid of the miseries is called wrongly as happiness. Therefore, the path of progressive material enjoyment which is temporary, miserable and illusory is inferior quality of occupation. But devotional service of the Supreme Lord which leads one to eternal blissful and all cognisant life, is called superior quality of occupation. The superior quality of occupation is sometimes obstructed by mixing it up with inferior quality of occupation. For example adoption of devotional service for some material gain is certainly an obstruction to the progressive path of renunciation. Renunciation or abnegation for ultimate good is certainly better occupation than enjoyment in the diseased condition of life which aggravates the symptoms of disease and its duration. As such devotional service of the Lord must be pure in quality i.e. without the least desire for material enjoyment by accruing the fruits of work or enjoying a sense of knowledge only without any practical purpose. One should, therefore, accept the superior quality of occupation in the form of devotional service of the Lord without any tinge of unnecessary desire, fruitive action and philosophical speculation, which alone can lead one to perpetual solace of the service.
We have purposely denoted Dharma as occupation, because the root meaning of the word Dharma is that which sustains one's existence. A living being's sustenance of existence is to co-ordinate his activities in terms of his eternal relation with the Supreme Lord Krishna. Krishna is the central pivot of living beings and He is the all attractive Living Entity or Eternal Form amongst all other living beings or eternal Forms. Each and every living being has his eternal form in the spiritual existence and Krishna is the central attraction for all of them. Krishna is the complete whole and everything else is His part and parcel. The relation is of one service and the served. This relation of service and the served is transcendental as such relation is completely distinguished from our experience in the material existence. This relation of service and the served is the most congenial form of intimacy. One can realise it with the progress of devotional service and as such every one should engage himself in that transcendental loving service of the Lord even in the present conditional state of material existence. That will gradually give one the clue to the actual life and please his self in complete satisfaction.