984
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 4, Ch. 23 ]
master, follows the rules and regulations and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mantra , it should be concluded that he is already at the  brahma-bhūta  stage, as confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā :
mām ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
“One who is engaged in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” (Bg. 14.26)
TEXT 10
भगवद्धर्मिणः साधोः श्रद्धया यततः सदा ।
भक्तिर्भगवति ब्रह्मण्यनन्यविषयाभवत् ॥१०॥
bhagavad-dharmiṇaḥ sādhoḥ śraddhayā yatataḥ sadā bhaktir bhagavati brahmaṇy ananya-viṣayābhavat
bhagavat-dharmiṇaḥ —one who executes devotional service;  sādhoḥ —of the devotee;  śraddhayā —with faith;  yatataḥ —endeavoring;  sadā —always;  bhaktiḥ —devotion;  bhagavati —unto the Personality of Godhead;  brahmaṇi —the origin of impersonal Brahman;  ananya-viṣayā —firmly fixed without deviation;  abhavat —became.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Pṛthu thus engaged completely in devotional service, executing the rules and regulations strictly according to principles, twenty-four hours daily. Thus his love and devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, developed and became unflinching and fixed.
PURPORT
The word  bhagavad-dharmiṇaḥ  indicates that the religious process practiced by Mahārāja Pṛthu was beyond all pretentions. As stated in the beginning of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ,  dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra  ( Bhāg.  1.1.2): Religious principles which are simply pretentious are actually nothing but cheating.  Bhagavad-dharmiṇaḥ  is described by  Vīrarāghavācārya  as  nivṛtta-dharmeṇa , which indicates that it cannot be contaminated by material aspiration. As described by  Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī :