Text 20] Divinity and Divine Service 111

material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as
one is fixed up in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not
inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.

The soul’s activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as
such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire,
hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service
becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and
ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he
makes further progress to rise up to the position of Vasudeva, or the state
of unmixed sattva or §uddha-sattva state. In this suddha-sattva state only
can one always see Krsna eye to eye by dint of pure affection for the
Lord.

A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he
harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is
always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful,
foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may
advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always
qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively such qualifica-
tions may be different, but qualitatively both of them are one and the
same.

TEXT 20

eq saan = ATagfHatTa: |
WAT THAT FIA loll

evar prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah

bhagavat-tattva-vijiianam
mukta-sangasya jayate

evam—thus; prasanna—enlivened; manasah—of the mind; bhagavad-
bhakti— devotional service of the Lord; yogatah—by contact of; bhagavat—
regarding the Personality of Godhead; tattva—knowledge; vijnanam—
scientific; mukta—liberated; sangasya—of the association; jayate— becomes
effective.

TRANSLATION

Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by
loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association
[mukti] and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead.
