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Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Antya-līlā, Ch. 3]
TEXT 251
अक्षादि जीव, आमि सवारे मोहिलूं । 
    अकेला तोमारे आमि मोहिते नारिलूं ॥ २८ ॥
brahmādi jīva, āmi sabāre mohiluṅ 
    ekelā tomāre āmi mohite nāriluṅ
SYNONYMS
brahma-ādi jīva —all living entities, beginning from Lord Brahmā;  āmi —I;  sabāre mohiluṅ —captivated everyone;  ekelā —alone;  tomāre —you;  āmi —I;  mohite nāriluṅ —could not attract.
TRANSLATION
“I have previously captivated the mind of even Brahmā, not to speak of others. Your mind alone have I failed to attract.”
PURPORT
Beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, everyone, without exception, is attracted by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of God-head. The demigods, human beings, animals, birds, beasts, trees and plants are all attracted by sexual desire. That is the illusion of  māyā . Everyone, whether man or woman, thinks that he is the enjoyer of the illusory energy. In this way, everyone is captivated and engaged in material activities. However, because Haridāsa Thākura was always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was always busy satisfying the senses of the Lord, this process alone saved him from the captivation of  māyā . This is practical proof of the strength of devotional service. Because of his full engagement in the service of the Lord, he could not be induced to enjoy  māyā . The verdict of the  śāstras  is that a pure Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of the Lord, never thinks of enjoying the material world, which culminates in sex life. He never thinks himself an enjoyer; instead, he always wants to be enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the conclusion is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternal, transcendental, beyond the perception of sense gratification and beyond the material qualities. Only if a living entity gives up the false conception that the body is the self and always thinks himself an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and the Vaiṣṇavas can he surpass the influence of  māyā  ( mām eva ye pra-padyante māyām etāṁ taranti te ). A pure living entity who thus attains the stage of  anartha-nivṛtti , cessation of everything unwanted, has nothing to enjoy in the material world. One attains this stage only by properly performing the functions of devotional service. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has written: