A devotee, therefore, should execute his devotional services
with full energy, endurance, and confidence, he should perform
his scheduled duties, he should be pure in heart, and he should
serve in association with devotees. All six of these items will lead
the devotee to the path of success. One should not be discour-
aged in the discharge of devotional service. Failures may not be
detrimental; they may be the pillars of success. One must have
good faith in the regulative principles followed by the self-realized
souls, and one should not be doubtful about the ultimate result of
such devotional service. Rather, one must go on executing his
prescribed duties without hesitation, and one should never be
influenced by unwanted association.

We should not consider going back to Godhead a plaything. We
must take it seriously, aS enjoined in the scriptures. For a strict
follower, the result is sure and certain, and when the time is right
the result will come of its own force. Dhruva Maharaja went to
worship God to gain something, but when he actually came in
contact with God he did not want anything from the Lord. The
Lord, however, awarded Dhruva Maharaja both benefits — that is,
the Lord fulfilled his desires and also gave him eternal salvation.
Such are the lessons we learn from all the revealed scriptures.
The almighty God awards the results we desire, and therefore we
should desire that which is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge.
In devotional service we should not endeavor for that which is

temporary and useless.s
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