Text 20] The Activities of the Pracetas 1509

asakto hy dcaran karma
param apnoti pitrusah

“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should
act as a matter of duty; for. by working without attachment, one attains
the Supreme.” (3.19)

The Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gita specifically considers material
activities for the purpose of sense gratification and material activities for
the purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord. The conclusion is that these
are not one and the same. Material activities for sense gratification are
the cause of material bondage, whereas the very same activities for the
satisfaction of Krsna are the cause of liberation. How the same activity
can be the cause of bondage and liberation can be explained as follows.
One may get indigestion due to eating too many milk preparations—
condensed milk, sweet rice, and so on. But even though there is indiges-
tion or diarrhea, another milk preparation—yogurt mixed with black
pepper and salt—will immediately cure these maladies. In other words,
one milk preparation can cause indigestion and diarrhea, and another
milk preparation can cure them.

If one is placed in material opulence due to the special mercy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should not consider that opulence
a cause for bondage. When a mature devotee is blessed with material
opulence, he does not become affected adversely because he knows how
to employ material opulence in the service of the Lord. There are many
such examples in the history of the world. There were kings like Prthu
Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka, Dhruva, Vaivasvata Manu and
Maharaja Iksvaku. All of these were great kings and were especially favored
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If a devotee is not mature, the
Supreme Lord will take away all his opulence. This principle is stated by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead: yasyaham anugrhnami_ harisye
tad-dhanam sanaih. ‘‘My first mercy shown to My devotee is to take away
all his material opulence.” Material opulence detrimental to devotional
service is taken away by the Supreme Lord, whereas a person who is
mature in devotional service is given all material facilities.

TEXT 20
TTI Ta THAT: |
A gated a Tales 4 erated TA TALI Rol
