144 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 9

TRANSLATION

Therefore, O Lord, O supreme controller, O Lord Krsna, please
annihilate this dangerous demon Vrtrasura, Tvasta’s son, who has
already swallowed all our weapons, our paraphernalia for fighting,
and our strength and influence.

PURPORT
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (7.15-16):

na mam duskrtino midhah
prapadyante narddhamah

mayaydpahrta-jnana
dsuram bhavam Gsritah

catur-vidha bhajante mam
Janah sukrtino ’rjuna

Grto jijfidsur artharthi
jnani ca bharatarsabha

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind,
whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic
nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me. O best among the Bharatas
[Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—
the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is
searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”

The four classes of neophyte devotees who approach the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead to offer devotional service because of material mo-
tives are not pure devotees, but the advantage for such materialistic
devotees is that they sometimes give up their material desires and be-
come pure. When the demigods are utterly helpless, they approach the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in grief and with tears in their eyes,
praying to the Lord, and thus they become almost pure devotees, free
from material desires. Admitting that they have forgotten pure devo-
tional service because of extensive material opportunities, they fully sur-
render to the Lord, leaving to His consideration whether to maintain
them or annihilate them. Such surrender is necessary. Bhaktivinoda
