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1096 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 24

one is fully situated in unalloyed devotional service, there is no guarantee
of liberation, even if one is elevated to the heavenly planets or to the
impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee’s achievement, however, is
never lost by the influence of time. Even if a devotee cannot completely
execute devotional service, in his next life he begins from the point where
he left off. Such an opportunity is not given to the karmis and jfianis,
whose achievements are destroyed. The bhakta’s achievement is never
destroyed, for it goes on perpetually, be it complete or incomplete. This is
the verdict of all Vedic literatures.

Sri bhagavan uvaca
partha naiveha namutra

vindsas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyana-krt kascid

durgatim tata gacchati

prapya punya-krtam lokan
usitva Sasvatih samah

Sucinam srimatam gehe
yoga-bhrasto ’bhijayate

“The Blessed Lord said: Son of Prtha, a transcendentalist engaged in
auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or
in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by
evil. The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the
planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous
people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.” (Bg. 6.40-41)

Thus if one is unable to complete the process of bhakti-yoga, he is given
a chance in his next life to take birth in a pure family of devotees or in a
rich family. In such families a person can have a good opportunity to
further progress in devotional service.

When Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, was instructing his assis-
tants, he told them not to approach the devotees. “‘The devotees should be
offered respect,” he said, ‘but do not go near them.” Thus the devotees
of the Lord are not under the jurisdiction of Yamaraja. Yamaraja is a repre-
sentative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he controls the
death of every living entity. Yet he has nothing to do with the devotees.
Simply by blinking his eyes, Time personified can destroy the entire cosmic
manifestation, but he has nothing to do with the devotee. In other words,
devotional service which is rendered by the devotee in this lifetime can
never be destroyed by time. Such spiritual assets remain unchanged, being
beyond the influence of time.
