1138
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 27]
thinking that we are the friends of human society. Someone may proclaim himself to be a very good national worker, the best friend of the people and of the country, but actually he cannot be the greatest friend of everyone. The only friend is Kṛṣṇa. One should try to raise the consciousness of the conditioned soul to the platform of understanding that Kṛṣṇa is his actual friend. If one makes friendship with Kṛṣṇa, he will never be cheated, and he will get all help needed. Arousing this consciousness of the conditioned soul is the greatest service, not posing oneself as a great friend of another living entity. The power of friendship is limited. Although one claims to be a friend, he cannot be a friend unlimitedly. There is an unlimited number of living entities, and our resources are limited; therefore we cannot be of any real benefit to the people in general. The best service to the people in general is to awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that they may know that the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the supreme friend is Kṛṣṇa. Then this illusory dream of lording it over material nature will vanish.
TEXT 5
अत एव शनैश्चित्तं प्रसक्तमसतां पथि । मक्तियोगेन तीव्रेण विरक्त्या च नयेद्वशम् ॥ ५ ॥
ata eva śanaiś cittam prasaktam asatām pathi bhakti-yogena tīvreṇa viraktyā ca nayed vaśam
ata eva—therefore; śanaiḥ—gradually; cittam—mind, consciousness; prasaktam—attached; asatām—of material enjoyments; pathi—on the path; bhakti-yogena—by devotional service; tīvreṇa—very serious; viraktyā—without attachment; ca—and; nayet—he must bring; vaśam—under control.
TRANSLATION
It is the duty of every conditioned soul to engage his polluted consciousness, which is now attached to material enjoyment, in very serious devotional service with detachment. Thus his mind and consciousness will be under full control.