984 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 23

master, follows the rules and regulations and chants the Hare Krsna mantra,
it should be concluded that he is already at the brahma-bhita stage, as
confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:

mam ca yo ‘vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

“One who is engaged in full devotional service, unfailing in all circum-
stances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes

to the level of Brahman.” (Bg. 14.26)
TEXT 10

anrelter: ara: AEN Aaa: Aer |
aRminaa || weTAeTATAAT 112 oll

bhagavad-dharminah sadhoh
Sraddhaya yatatah sada

bhaktir bhagavati brahmany
ananya-visayabhavat

bhagavat-dharminah—one who executes devotional service; sadhoh—
of the devotee; sraddhaya—with faith; yatatah—endeavoring; sada—always;
bhaktih—devotion; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; brahmani—
the origin of impersonal Brahman; ananya-visaya—firmly fixed without
deviation; abhavat —became.

TRANSLATION

Maharaja Prthu thus engaged completely in devotional service, executing
the rules and regulations strictly according to principles, twenty-four hours
daily. Thus his love and devotion unto the Supreme Personality of God-
head, Krsna, developed and became unflinching and fixed.

PURPORT

The word bhagavad-dharminah indicates that the religious process
practiced by Maharaja Prthu was beyond all pretentions. As stated in the
beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra (Bhag.
1.1.2): Religious principles which are simply pretentious are actually
nothing but cheating. Bhagavad-dharminah is described by Viraraghavacarya
as nivrtta-dharmena, which indicates that it cannot be contaminated by
material aspiration. As described by Srila Ripa Gosvami:
