SB 1.5.17 – A Devotee Has No Obligations

Giriraj Swami:

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto One, Chapter Five,” Narada’s Instruction on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,” Text Seventeen.

TEXT 17

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo ‘tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto ‘bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

TRANSLATION

One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As far as the duties of mankind are concerned, there are innumerable duties. Every man is duty-bound not only to his parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great philosophers, poets, scientists, etc. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one can relinquish all such duties and surrender unto the service of the Lord. So if one does so and becomes successful in the discharge of his devotional service unto the Lord, it is well and good. But it so happens sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of the Lord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run, due to so many other reasons, he falls down from the path of service by undesirable association. There are so many instances of this in the histories. Bharata Mahārāja was obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his intimate attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died. As such, in the next birth he became a stag, although he did not forget the incident of his previous birth. Similarly, Citraketu also fell down due to his offenses at the feet of Śiva. But in spite of all this, the stress is given here to surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord, even if there is a chance of falling down, because even though one falls down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he will never forget the lotus feet of the Lord. Once engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, one will continue the service in all circumstances. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even a small quantity of devotional service can save one from the most dangerous position. There are many instances of such examples in history. Ajāmila is one of them. Ajāmila in his early life was a devotee, but in his youth he fell down. Still he was saved by the Lord at the end.

COMMENT

So, the whole purpose of human life is to make advancement in devotional service, and ultimately, to go back home, back to Godhead. So, the non-devotees, even though they may perform their material prescribed duties perfectly, gain nothing in terms of the eternal benefit of the soul, which is the progressive development of Krishna consciousness. On the other hand, if someone makes a beginning in devotional service, even if he falls down while in an immature stage, still, whatever progress he has made, it’s permanent, and eventually, he will continue his devotional service from the point where he left off, and ultimately, he will progress to ultimate perfection.

So therefore, although there are so many duties and obligations as soon as one takes birth in the material world; duties and obligations to one’s parents, one’s family, one’s society, one’s nation, humanity, all living entities, or other living entities, and the demigods who provide rain, and air, and other necessities of life, and even the philosophers, and poets, and scientists who have given us knowledge and other types of material facilities for happiness, we owe debts to all of them.

Srila Prabhupada gives the example that a householder gets water, he gets light, he gets heat, but he has to pay; he has to pay the water bill, he has to pay the electricity bill, he has to pay the gas bill. And if one does not pay for the facility one gets, then one is considered a thief, a criminal. So, in the same way, demigods are providing us with sunlight, air, water, heat from the sun, and so on. And therefore, we have a debt to pay to them. And if we do not pay them in the form of sacrifice, then we are considered thieves, and we are punishable.

But still, the Bhāgavatam explains that if we engage fully in devotional service to Lord Krishna or Vishnu, we liquidate all our debts. And the example is given that just as by pouring water on the root of the tree, the trunk, the limbs, the branches, the leaves, the flowers, the fruits are all watered, and just as by giving food to the stomach, all the limbs and parts of the body are nourished, similarly, by rendering service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, all the demigods are served. So, you don’t need to make a separate effort to serve them. In the same way, all of our debts to all living beings are satisfied simply by complete engagement in devotional service.

So, if one is successful in devotional service, very good. But if one is not successful, then what happens? So, here the Bhāgavatam explains and the Bhagavad-gītā also explains the same fact, that whatever progress one has made is permanent, it will protect one from the greatest danger, which is the fall back down into the lower species of animal life, and eventually, one will continue the process of devotional service and come to the perfection of devotional service. And therefore, we should do our best in devotional service and be exclusively devoted to the service of the Lord without any misgivings.

Okay. Hare Krishna. Are there any questions or comments? Okay.