SB 1.5.19 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 19
Na bai jano jatu kathanchana brajet Mukundasevi anyabad anga samsritim Smaran mukuuda anghri upaguhanam Punar vihatam ichhet na rasagraha janah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Na—never, Bai—certainly, Jatu—at any time, Kathanchana—some how or other, Nabrajet—does not under go, Mukundasevi—the devotee of the Lord, Anyabed—like others, Anga—oh my dear, Samsritim—material existence, Smaran—remembering, Mukundagnhri—the lotus feet of the Lord, Upaguhanam—embracing, Vihatum—willing to give up, Na—never, Ichhet—desire, Rasagraho—one who has relished the mellow, Jana—person.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vyasa, a devotee of the Lord Sri Krishna even though falls down sometimes some how or other, certainly he does not undergo the terms of material existence like others (the fruitive workers etc.) because a person who has once relished the mellow of the lotus feet of the Lord cannot go otherwise remembering the ecstacy again and again.
PURPORT
A devotee of the Lord automatically becomes disinterested in the enchantment of material existence because he is Rasagrah' or one who has tasted the sweetness of the mellow of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. There are certainly many instances that a devotee of the Lord has fallen down due to uncongenial association like the fruitive workers who are always prone to degradation. But even though he falls down he is never to be considered as one and the same with a fallen Karmi. A Karmi suffers the result of his own fruitive reaction while a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. Sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has nobody to take care of but a beloved son of a rich man although appears to be same on the level of an orphan he is always under the vigilance of his capable father. A devotee of the Lord on account of wrong association sometimes becomes an imitator of the fruitive workers. The fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world. Similarly foolishly a neophyte devotee thinks of accumulating some material power in exchange of devotional service. Such foolish devotees, are, sometimes, put into difficulty by the Lord Himself as special favor by removal of all parapharnalia in material values. By such action the bewildered devotee is forlorn by all friends and relatives and the devotee comes to his senses again by the mercy of the Lord and is set right to execute his devotional service.
In the Bhagwat Geeta it is also said that such fallen devotees are given a chance to take birth in the family of highly qualified Brahmins or rich merchantile family. The devotee in such position is not so much fortunate as one who is chastised by the Lord being put into position seemingly of helplessness. The devotee who becomes helpless by the will of the Lord is more fortunate than those who are born in good families as above mentioned. The fallen devotees born in a good family may forget the lotus feet of the Lord because they are less fortunate but the devotee who is put into forlorn condition is more fortunate because such forlorn devotee swiftly returns to the lotus feet of the Lord thinking himself helpless all round.
Pure devotional service is so much spiritually relishing that such a devotee becomes automatically disinterested in material enjoyment. That is the sign of perfection in the progressive devotional service. A pure devotee continuously remembers of the lotus feet of Lord Shri Krishna and does not forget Him even for a moment and in exchange of all the opulence of the three worlds.