25. Unalloyed Devotion
tvayi me 'nanya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate 'sakṛt ratim udvahatād addhā gaṅgevaugham udanvati
O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be con- stantly drawn unto You, without being diverted to anyone else.
— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.42
Perfection of pure devotional service is attained when all attention is diverted toward the transcendental loving service of the Lord. To cut off the tie of all other affections does not mean complete negation of the finer elements, like affection for someone else. This is not possible. A living being, whoever he may be, must have this feeling of affection for others because this is a symptom of life. The symptoms of life, such as desire, anger, hankerings, and feelings of attraction, cannot be annihilated. Only the objective has to be changed. Desire cannot be negated, but in devotional service the desire is changed only for the service of the Lord in place of desire for sense gratification. The so-called affection for
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