350
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 9]
quantity of independence, and by misuse of this minute independence, the nondevotees commit offense after offense, to both the Lord and His pure devotees engaged in missionary work. As a result of such acts, they become as barren as an alkaline field, where there is no strength to produce.
TEXT 13
पुंसामतो विविधर्चयिरच्चरायै- दनिन चोप्रतपसा परिचर्यया च । आराधनं भगवतस्त्व सत्क्रियार्थो धर्मोऽर्पितः कर्हिचिद्भ्रियते न यत्र ॥१३॥
puṁsām ato vividha-karmabhir adhvarādyair dānena cogra-tapasā paricaryayā ca ārādhanam bhagavatas tava sat-kriyārtho dharmo'rpitaḥ karhicid mriyate na yatra
puṁsām—of the people; ataḥ—therefore; vividha-karmabhiḥ—by various fruitive activities; adhvara-ādyaiḥ—by performance of Vedic rituals; dānena—by charities; ca—and; ugra—very hard; tapasā—austerity; paricaryayā—by transcendental service; ca—also; ārādhanam—worship; bhagavataḥ—of the Personality of Godhead; tava—Your; sat-kriyā-arthaḥ—simply for pleasing Your Lordship; dharmaḥ—religion; arpitaḥ—so offered; karhicit—at any time; mriyate—vanquishes; na—never; yatra—there.
TRANSLATION
But the pious activities of the people, such as performance of Vedic rituals, charity, austere penances, and transcendental service, performed with a view to worship You and satisfy You by offering You the fruitive results, are also beneficial. Such acts of religion never go in vain.
PURPORT
Absolute devotional service, conducted in nine different spiritual activities—hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, praying, etc.—does not always appeal to people with a pompous nature; they are more attracted by the Vedic superficial rituals and other costly performances of social religious shows. But the process according to the Vedic injunctions is that the fruits of all pious activities should be offered to the Supreme Lord. In  Bhagavad-gītā , (Bg. 9.27), the Lord demands that