26 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 9

a waste of time and energy. Moghdsa mogha-karmano mogha-jnana
vicetasah: if one is not a devotee, his hopes, his activities and his knowl-
edge are all baffled. A nondevotee works for his personal sense gratifica-
tion or for the sense gratification of his family, society, community or
nation, but because all such activities are separate from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, they are considered asat. The word asat means
bad or temporary, and sat means permanent and good. Activities per-
formed for the satisfaction of Krsna are permanent and good, but asat
activity, although sometimes celebrated as philanthropy, altruism,
nationalism, this “ism” or that “ism,” will never produce any perma-
nent result and is therefore all bad. Even a little work done in Krsna con-
sciousness is a permanent asset and is all-good because it is done for
Krsna, the all-good Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is everyone’s
friend (suhrdam sarva-bhitandm). The Supreme Personality of God-
head is the only enjoyer and proprietor of everything (bhoktaram yajfa-
tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram). Therefore any activity performed for
the Supreme Lord is permanent. As a result of such activities, the per-
former is immediately recognized. Na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me
priya-krttamah. Such a devotee, because of full knowledge of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, is immediately transcendental, al-
though he may superficially appear to be engaged in materialistic ac-
tivities. The only distinction between materialistic activity and spiritual
activity is that material activity is performed only to satisfy one’s own
senses whereas spiritual activity is meant to satisfy the transcendental
senses of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By spiritual activity
everyone factually benefits, whereas by materialistic activity no one
benefits and instead one becomes entangled in the laws of karma.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Ninth
Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Lord Incarnates as
Mohini-mirti.”’
