270 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 5
PURPORT

Fruitive work which has perpetually engaged the living being is com-
pared with the banyan tree in the Bhagavad-gita, for it is certainly very
deeply rooted. As long as the propensity for enjoying the fruit of work is
there, one has to continue the transmigration of the soul from one body or
place according to one’s nature of work. The propensity for enjoyment
may be turned into the desire for serving the mission of the Lord. By doing
so, one’s activity is changed into karma-yoga, or the way by which one can
attain spiritual perfection while engaging in the work for which he has a
natural tendency. Here the word atma indicates the categories of all
fruitive work. The conclusion is that when the result of all fruitive and
other work is dovetailed with the service of the Lord, it will cease to gen-
erate further karma and will gradually develop into transcendental devo-
tional service, which will not only cut off completely the root of the banyan
tree of work but will also carry the performer to the lotus feet of the Lord.

The summary is that one has to, first of all, seek the association of pure
devotees who are not only learned in the Vedanta but are self-realized souls
and unalloyed devotees of Lord Sri Krsna the Personality of Godhead. In
that association, the neophyte devotees must render loving service physi-
cally and mentally without reservation. This serivce attitude will induce
the great souls to be more favorable in bestowing their mercy, which
injects the neophyte with all the transcendental qualities of the pure
devotees. Gradually this is developed into a strong attachment to hearing
the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, which makes him able to catch
up the constitutional position of the gross and subtle bodies and beyond
them the knowledge of pure soul and his eternal relation with the Supreme
Soul, the Personality of Godhead. After the relation is ascertained by
establishment of the eternal relation, pure devotional service of the Lord
begins gradually developing into perfect knowledge of the Personality of
Godhead beyond the purview of impersonal Brahman and localized Param-
atma. By such Purusottama-yoga, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, one
is made perfect even during the present corporeal existence, and one
exhibits all the good qualities of the Lord to the highest percentage. Such
is the gradual development by association of pure devotees.

TEXT 35
qa fad FA arate |
amt Tats fe afar 134!
