Text 167]
The Lord Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī
349
TEXT 167
অন্যাভিলাষিত।-শৃন্যং জ্ঞান-কর্মাদ্বনাবৃতম্ । আমৃক্লেন কৃষ্ণাম্মীলনং ভক্তিরুত্তম ॥ ১৬৭ ॥
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
SYNONYMS
anya-abhilāṣitā-śūnyam —without desires other than those for the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or without material desires (such as those for meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and addiction to intoxicants);  jñāna —by the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Māyāvādīs;*  karma —by fruitive activities;  ādi —by artificially practicing detachment, by the mechanical practice of yoga, by studying the Sāṅkhya philosophy, and so on;  anāvṛtam —uncovered;  ānukūlyena —favorable;  kṛṣṇa-anuśīlanam —cultivation of service in relationship to Kṛṣṇa;  bhaktiḥ uttamā —first-class devotional service.
TRANSLATION
“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.
PURPORT
This verse is also found in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s  Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu  (1.1.11). As we can understand from  Bhagavad-gītā  (9.34 and 18.65), the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants everyone to think of Him always ( man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ ). Everyone should become His devotee, not the devotee of a demigod. Everyone should engage in devotional service or  arcana  Deity worship in the temple.  Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru . Everyone should offer obeisances, from moment to moment, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These are the desires of the Supreme Lord, and one who fulfills His desires favorably is actually a pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender unto Him, and devotional service means preaching this gospel all over the world. The Lord says openly in  Bhagavad-gītā  (18.69):  na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ . One should preach the gospel of  Bhagavad-gītā  for the benefit
*Here  jñāna  does not refer to perfect knowledge in devotional service. One has to learn the path of devotional service with full knowledge of the  Vedas  ( bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā — Bhāg.  1.2.12).