Text 18] The Activities of the Pracetas 1505

facilities. This special facility was given to the Pracetas so that they could
continue rendering full devotional service. This will be explained in the
following verse.

TEXT 18

AY PATA AKA THT: |
sraraq warm fafia fren: lec

atha mayy anapayinya
bhaktyd pakva-gundsayah

upaydasyatha mad-dhama
nirvidya nirayad atah

atha—therefore; mayi—unto Me; anapdyinya—without any deviation;
bhaktya—by devotional service; pakva-guna—free from material contami-
nation; @Sayah—your mind; upaydasyatha—you will attain; mat-dhama—
My abode; nirvidya—being completely detached; nirayat—from material
existence; atah—thus.
TRANSLATION

Thereafter you will develop unadulterated devotional service unto Me
and be freed from all material contamination. At that time, being com-
pletely unattached to material enjoyment in the so-called heavenly planets
as well as in hellish planets, you will return home, back to Godhead.

PURPORT

By the grace of the Lord, the Pracetaés were given special facilities.
Although they could live millions of years to enjoy material facilities, they
still would not be deviated from the transcendental loving service of the
Lord. Being thus fully engaged, the Pracetaés would be completely freed
from all material attachment. Material attachment is very strong. During
one lifetime, a materialist engages in acquiring land, money, friends,
society, friendship, love, and so on. He also wants to enjoy the heavenly
planets after the annihilation of the body. If one is engaged in devotional
serivce, however, he becomes unattached to all kinds of material enjoyment
and suffering. In the material world, those who are elevated to the higher
planetary systems are supposed to enjoy all material facilities, whereas
those degraded to lower planetary systems are supposed to live in a hellish
condition. A devotee, however, is transcendental to both heavenly and
hellish conditions. According to Bhagavad-gitd, a devotee’s position is
described in this way:
