380 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 9

purtena tapasa yajiair
danair yoga-samadhina
raddham nihsreyasam pumsam
mat-pritis tattvavin~-matam
purtena—by traditional good work; tapasa—by penances; yajiiaih—by
sacrifices; danaih—by charities; yoga—by mysticism; samadhina—by
trance; raddham—success; nihsreyasam—ultimately beneficial; pumsam—of
the human being; mat—of Me; pntih—satisfaction; tattvavit—expert
transcendentalist ; matam— opinion.

TRANSLATION

It is the opinion of expert transcendentalists that the ultimate goal of
performing all traditional good works, penances, sacrifices, charities,
mystic activities, trances, etc., is to invoke My satisfaction.

PURPORT

There are many traditionally pious activities in human society, such as
altruism, philanthropy, nationalism, internationalism, charity, sacrifice,
penance, and even meditation in trance, and all of them can be fully bene-
ficial only when they lead to the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. The perfection of any activity—social, political, religious or
philanthropic—is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. This secret of success is
known to the devotee of the Lord, as exemplified by Arjuna on the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra. As a good nonviolent man, Arjuna did not want
to fight with his kinsmen, but when he understood that Krsna wanted the
fight and had arranged it at Kuruksetra, he gave up his own satisfaction
and fought for the satisfaction of the Lord. That is the right decision for
all intelligent men. One’s only concern should be to satisfy the Lord by
one’s activities. If the Lord is satisfied by an action, whatever it may be,
then it is successful. Otherwise, it is simply a waste of time. That is the
standard of all sacrifice, penance, austerity, mystic trance and other good
and pious work.

TEXT 42

HCALASSHA Ta: WH? AA AAATALT |
wat af va galeateacaa fra: Weel
