244 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 5

son to receive it. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the topmost theological science,
and therefore it can react on the laymen as medicinal doses. Because it
contains the transcendental activities of the Lord, there is no difference
between the Lord and the literature. The literature is the factual literary
incarnation of the Lord. So the laymen can hear the narration of the
activities of the Lord. Thereby they are able to associate with the Lord and
thus gradually become purified from material diseases. The expert devotees
also can discover novel ways and means to convert the nondevotees in
terms of particular time and circumstance. Devotional service is dynamic
activity, and the expert devotees can find out competent means to inject
it into the dull brains of the materialistic population. Such transcendental
activities of the devotees for the service of the Lord can bring a new order
of life to the foolish society of materialistic men. Lord Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and His subsequent followers exhibited expert dexterity in
this connection. By following the same method, one can bring the ma-
terialistic men of this age of quarrel into order for peaceful life and
transcendental realization.

TEXT 17

eal BT AUT st
Sane HH

Ta

TARA SIT
Bl AT AaSATaT aie TEAC

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
bhajann apakvo’tha patet tato yadi

yatra kva vabhadram abhiid amusya kim
ko vartha apto’bhajatam sva-dharmatah

tyaktva—having forsaken; sva-dharmam—one’s own occupational en-
gagement; carana-ambujam—the lotus feet; hareh—of Hari (the Lord);
bhajan—in the course of devotional service; apakvah--immature; atha—
for the matter of; patet— falls down; tatah—from that place; yadi—if; yatra—
whereupon; kva—what sort of; va—or (used sarcastically); abhadram—
unfavorable; abhit—shall happen; amusya—of him; kim—nothing; kah va
arthah—what interest; aptah—obtained; abhajatam—of the nondevotee; sva-
dharmatah—being engaged in occupational service.
