Text Six 61

pure bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga is the proper activity of the
soul, and when one actually engages in unalloyed, uncon-
laminated devotional service, he is already liberated (sa
gundn samatityaitan). Krsna’s devotee is not subjected to
material condition, even though his bodily features may ap-
pear materially conditioned. One should therefore not see a
pure devotee from a materialistic point of view. Unless one
is actually a devotee, he cannot see another devotee per-
fectly. As explained in the previous verse, there are three
types of devotees—kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari
and uttama-adhikari. The kanistha-adhikari cannot dis-
tinguish between a devotee and nondevotee. He is simply
concerned with worshiping the Deity in the temple. A
madhyama-adhikari, however, can distinguish between the
devotee and nondevotee, as well as between the devotee and
the Lord. Thus he treats the Supreme Personality of God-
head, the devotee and the nondevotee in different ways.
No one should criticize the bodily defects of a pure devo-
tee. If there are such defects, they should be overlooked.
What should be taken into account is the spiritual master’s
main business, which is devotional service, pure service to

the Supreme Lord. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.30):

api cet sudurdcadro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sddhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

Even if a devotee sometimes seems to engage in abominable
activities, he should be considered a s@dhu, a saintly person,
