108 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 2

TEXT 17
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tais tany aghani pityante
tapo-dana-vratadibhih
nadharmajam tad-dhrdayam

tad apisanghri-sevaya

taih—by those; tani—all those; aghdni—sinful activities and their
results; piiyante—become vanquished; tapah—austerity; dana—
charity; vrata-ddibhih—by vows and other such activities; na—not;
adharma-jam—produced from irreligious actions; tat—of that;
hrdayam—the heart; tat—that; api—also; iSa-arighri—of the lotus feet
of the Lord; sevaya—by service.

TRANSLATION

Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through
austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious ac-
tivities cannot uproot the material desires in one’s heart. However,
if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is im-
mediately freed from all such contaminations.

PURPORT
As stated in Srimad-Bhégavatam (11.2.42), bhaktih paresanubhavo

viraktir anyatra ca: devotional service is so powerful that one who per-
forms devotional service is immediately freed from all sinful desires. All
desires within this material world are sinful because material desire
means sense gratification, which always involves action that is more or
less sinful. Pure bhakti, however, is anyabhildsitd-siinya; in other
words, it is free from material desires, which result from karma and
Jnana. One who is situated in devotional service no longer has material
desires, and therefore he is beyond sinful life. Material desires should be
completely stopped. Otherwise, although one’s austerities, penances and
charity may free one from sin for the time being, one’s desires will reap-
pear because his heart is impure. Thus he will act sinfully and suffer.
