1530 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 30

itself is in the transcendental position; therefore there is no question of
asking for this special facility. The conclusion is that a pure devotee is not
anxious to stop the repetition of birth and death, but is always eager to
associate with other devotees who are engaged in chanting and hearing
about the glories of the Lord.

TEXT 34

qe waafe a at aay |
WAASAEA Talat Fegan: 211

tulayama lavenapi
na svargar napunar-bhavam
bhagavat-sangi-sangasya
martydnam kim utasisah

tulayamah—we compare; lavena—with a moment; api—even; na—not;
svargam—attainment of the heavenly planets; na—not; apunah-bhavam—
merging into the Brahman effulgence; bhagavat— of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; sangi—with associates; sangasya—of association; martyanam—
of persons who are destined to die; kim uta—how much less; asisah—
benedictions.

TRANSLATION

Even a moment’s association with a pure devotee cannot be compared
to being transferred to heavenly planets or even merging into the Brahman
effulgence in complete liberation. For living entities who are destined to
give up the body and die, association with pure devotees is the highest
benediction.

PURPORT

The great saint Prabodhananda Sarasvati, a devotee of Lord Caitanya,
has stated: kaivalyarh narakdyate tridasa-piir Gkasa-puspayate. For a pure
devotee, kaivalya, merging into the existence of Brahman, the Brahman
effulgence, is no better than living in hell. Similarly, he considers promo-
tion to heavenly planets (tridasa-piir) just another kind of phantasmagoria.
In other words, a pure devotee does not place much value in the destina-
tion of the karmis (the heavenly planets), nor in the destination of the
jnanis (merging into the Brahman effulgence). A pure devotee considers
a moment’s association with another pure devotee to be far superior to
residing in a heavenly planet or merging in the Brahman effulgence. The
