1160 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 27
long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one’s prescribed duties,
there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of
matter.

PURPORT

Sridhara Svami comments in this connection that by association of
material nature alone one does not become conditioned. Conditional life
begins only after one is infected by the modes of material nature. If
someone is in contact with the police department, that does not mean that
he is a criminal. As long as one does not commit criminal acts, even though
there is a police department, he is not punished. Similarly, the liberated
soul is not affected, although he is in the material nature. Even the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is supposed to be in association with
material nature when He descends, but He is not affected. One has to act
in such a way that in spite of being in the material nature he is not
affected by contamination. Although the lotus flower is in association
with water, it does not mix with the water. That is how one has to live, as
described here by the Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva (animitta-
nimittena sva-dharmenamalatmana.

One can be liberated from all adverse circumstances simply by seriously
engaging in devotional service. How this devotional service develops and
becomes mature is explained here. In the beginning one has to perform his
prescribed duties with a clean mind. Clean consciousness means Krsna
consciousness. One has to perform his prescribed duties in Krsna
consciousness. There is no necessity of changing one’s prescribed duties;
one simply has to act in Krsna consciousness. In discharging Krsna
conscious duties, one should determine whether, by his professional
or occupational duties, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is
satisfied. In another place in the Bhagavatam it is said, svanusthitasya
dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toganam: everyone has some prescribed duties
to perform, but the perfection of such duties will be reached only if the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is satisfied by such actions. For
example, Arjuna’s prescribed duty was to fight, and the perfection of his
fighting was tested by the satisfaction of Krsna. Krsna wanted him to
fight, and when he fought for the satisfaction of the Lord, that was the
perfection of his professional devotional duty. On the other hand, when,
contrary to the wish of Krsna, he was not willing to fight, that was im-
perfect.

If one wants to perfect his life, then he should discharge his prescribed
duties for the satisfaction of Krsna. One must act in Krsna consciousness,
