426 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 8

TRANSLATION

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea, without
hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being
diverted to anyone else.

PURPORT

Perfection of pure devotional service is attained when all attention is
diverted towards the transcendental loving service of the Lord. To cut off
the tie of all other affections does not mean complete negation of the finer
elements, like affection for someone else. This is not possible. A living
being, whoever he may be, must have this feeling of affection for others
because this is a symptom of life. The symptoms of life, namely desire,
anger, hankerings, feelings of attraction, etc., cannot be annihilated. Only
the objective has to be changed. Desire cannot be changed, but in devo-
tional service the desire is changed only for the service of the Lord in
place of desire for sense gratification. The so-called affection for family,
society, country, etc., are different phases of sense gratification. When this
desire is changed for the satisfaction of the Lord, it is called devotional
service.

In the Bhagavad-gita we can see that Arjuna desired not to fight with his
brothers and relations just to satisfy his own personal desires. But when he
heard the message of the Lord, Srimad-Bhagavad-gita, he changed his
decision and served the Lord. And for his doing so, he became a famous
devotee of the Lord, for it is declared in all the scriptures that Arjuna
attained spiritual perfection by devotional service to the Lord in friend-
ship. The fighting was there, the friendship was there, Arjuna was there,
and Krsna was there, but Arjuna became a different person by devotional
service. Therefore, the prayers of Kunti also indicate the same categorical
changes in activities. Srimati Kunti wanted to serve the Lord without
diversion, and that was her prayer. This unalloyed devotion is the ultimate
goal of life. Our attention is usually diverted in the service of something
which is nongodly or not in the program of the Lord. When the program
is changed into the service of the Lord, that is to say when the senses are
purified in relation with the service of the Lord, it is called pure unalloyed
devotional service. Srimati Kuntidevi wanted that perfection and prayed
for it from the Lord.

Her affection for the Pandavas and the Vrsnis is not out of the range of
devotional service because service of the Lord and the service of the
