942 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 22

material enjoyment stop. The jnanis and yogis, who are not attached to
the lotus feet of the Lord, simply struggle against the waves of desire. They
are described in this verse as rikta-matayah, which means devoid of de-
votional service. In other words, the janis and yogis, although trying to
be free from the desires of material activities, actually become more and
more entangled in false philosophical speculation or strenuous attempts to
stop the activities of the senses. As stated previously :

vasudeve bhagavatt bhakti-yogah prayojitah
Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

(Bhag. 1.2.7)

Here also the same point is stressed. Bhaja vasudevam indicates that one
who is engaged in the loving service of Krsna, the son of Vasudeva, can
very easily stop the waves of desires. As long as one will continue to try to
artificially stop the waves of desires, he will certainly be defeated. That is
indicated in this verse. Desires for fruitive activities are strongly rooted,
but the trees of desire can be uprooted completely by devotional service
because devotional service employs superior desire. One can give up
inferior desires when engaged in superior desires. To try to stop desires is
impossible. One has to desire the Supreme in order not to be entangled in
inferior desires. Jianis also maintain a desire to become one with the
Supreme, but such desire is also considered to be kama, lust. Similarly, the
yogis desire mystic power, and that is also kama. And the bhaktas, not
being desirous of any sort of material enjoyment, become purified. There
is no artificial attempt to stop desire. Desire becomes a source of spiritual
enjoyment under the protection of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord.
It is stated herein by the Kumaras that the lotus feet of the Lord Krsna
are the ultimate reservoir of all pleasure. One should therefore take shelter
of the lotus feet of the Lord instead of trying unsuccessfully to stop de-
sires for material enjoyment. As long as one is unable to stop the desire
for material enjoyment, there is no possibility of becoming liberated from
the entanglement of material existence. It may be argued that the waves
of a river are incessantly flowing and that they cannot be stopped, but the
waves of the river flow towards the sea. When the tide comes over the
river, it overwhelms the flowing of the river, and the river itself becomes
overflooded, and the waves from the sea become more prominent than the
waves from the river. Similarly, a devotee with intelligence plans so many
things for the service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness that stagnant
material desires become overflooded by the desire to serve the Lord. As
