198 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 9

offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord’s mercy, is for the
benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from
anyone. To give an example, if one’s face is decorated, the reflec-
tion of one’s face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.

PURPORT

In bhakti-yoga it is recommended that a devotee follow nine prin-
ciples: sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pdda-sevanam/ arcanam
vandanam dasyam sakhyam dtma-nivedanam. This service of glorify-
ing the Lord by hearing, chanting and so on is not, of course, meant for
the benefit of the Lord; this devotional service is recommended for the
benefit of the devotee. The Lord is always glorious, whether the devotee
glorifies Him or not, but if the devotee engages in glorifying the Lord,
the devotee himself automatically becomes glorious. Ceto-darpana-
marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. By glorifying the Lord
constantly, the living entity becomes purified in the core of his heart, and
thus he can understand that he does not belong to the material world but
is a spirit soul whose actual activity is to advance in Krsna consciousness
so that he may become free from the material clutches. Thus the blazing
fire of material existence is immediately extinguished (bhava-maha-
davagni-nirvépanam). A foolish person is amazed that Krsna orders,
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Abandon all
varieties of religious activities and just surrender unto Me.” Some foolish
scholars even say that this is too much to demand. But this demand is not
for the benefit of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rather, it is for
the benefit of human society. If human beings individually and collec-
tively surrender everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
full Krsna consciousness, all of human society will benefit. One who does
not dedicate everything to the Supreme Lord is described in this verse as
avidusa, a rascal. In Bhagavad-gita (7.15), the Lord Himself speaks in

the same way:
. na mam duskrtino midhah

prapadyante narddhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind,
whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic
