24 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 1

To indicate the purity of bhakti, devotional service, Srila Ripa
Gosvami says in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11):

anyabhilasita-siinyam
jndna-karmady-andvrtam

Gnukilyena krsnanu-
Silanam bhaktir uttama

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord
Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through
fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devo-
tional service.” Srila Ripa Gosvami further explains that bhakti is klesa-
ghni subhada, which means if one takes to devotional service, all kinds
of unnecessary labor and material distress cease entirely and one
achieves all good fortune. Bhakti is so powerful that it is also said to be
moksa-laghutakrt; in other words, it minimizes the importance of
liberation.

Nondevotees must undergo material hardships because they are prone
to commit sinful fruitive activities. The desire to commit sinful actions
continues in their hearts due to ignorance. These sinful actions are
divided into three categories—pataka, mahd-pataka and atipdtaka—
and also into two divisions: prérabdha and apraérabdha. Prarabdha
refers to sinful reactions from which one is suffering at the present, and
aprarabdha refers to sources of potential suffering. When the seeds
(bija) of sinful reactions have not yet fructified, the reactions are called
aprarabdha. These seeds of sinful action are unseen, but they are un-
limited, and no one can trace when they were first planted. Because of
prarabdha, sinful reactions that have already fructified, one is seen to
have taken birth in a low family or to be suffering from other miseries.

When one takes to devotional service, however, all phases of sinful
life, including praérabdha, aprérabdha and bija, are vanquished. In
Srimad-Bhaégavatam (11.14.19) Lord Krsna tells Uddhava:

yathaégnih susamrddharcih
karoty edhamsi bhasmasat

tathé mad-visaya bhaktir
uddhavainamsi krtsnasah
