Text 1] Prahlada, the Best Among Exalted Devotees 281

$ri-naérada uvaca
bhakti-yogasya tat sarvam
antaradyatayarbhakah
manyamano hrsikesam
smayamana uvdca ha

Sri-ndradah uvaéca—Narada Muni said; bhakti-yogasya—of the prin-
ciples of devotional service; tat—those (blessings or benedictions offered
by Lord Nrsitnhadeva); sarvam—each and every one of them;
antardyataya—because of being impediments (on the path of bhakti-
yoga); arbhakah—Prahlada Maharaja, although only a_ boy;
manyamdénah—considering; hrsikesam—unto Lord Nrsitnhadeva;
smayamaénah—smiling; uvéca—said; ha—in the past.

TRANSLATION

The saint Narada Muni continued: Although Prahlada Maharaja
was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord
Nrsithhadeva he considered them impediments on the path of
devotional service. Thus he smiled very mildly and spoke as
follows.

PURPORT

Material achievements are not the ultimate goal of devotional service.
The ultimate goal of devotional service is love of Godhead. Therefore al-
though Prahlada Maharaja, Dhruva Maharaja, Ambarisa Maharaja,
Yudhisthira Maharaja and many devotee kings were materially very opu-
lent, they accepted their material opulence in the service of the Lord, not
for their personal sense gratification. Of course, possessing material opu-
lence is always fearful because under the influence of material opulence
one may be misdirected from devotional service. Nonetheless, a pure de-
votee (anyabhildsita-sinyam) is never misdirected by material opu-
lence. On the contrary, whatever he possesses he engages one hundred
percent in the service of the Lord. When one is allured by material
possessions, they are considered to be given by maya, but when one uses
material possessions fully for service, they are considered God’s gifts, or
facilities offered by Krsna for enhancing one’s devotional service.
