Text 25] Ambarisa Maharaja Offended by Durvasa Muni 107

Personality of Godhead; hrdi—within the core of the heart; pasyatah—

persons always accustomed to seeing Him.

TRANSLATION

Those who are saturated with the transcendental happiness of
rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead are un-
interested even in the achievements of great mystics, for such
achievements do not enhance the transcendental bliss felt by a
devotee who always thinks of Krsna within the core of his heart.

PURPORT

A pure devotee is uninterested not only in elevation to the higher
planetary systems but even in the perfections of mystic yoga. Real per-
fection is devotional service. The happiness derived from merging in the
impersonal Brahman and the happiness derived from the eight perfec-
tions of mystic yoga (anima, laghima, prapti and so on) do not give any
pleasure to the devotee. As stated by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati:

kaivalyam narakdayate tridasa-piir akasa-puspayate
durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhdta-damstrdyate
visvam pirna-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate
yat kdrunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam tam gauram eva stumah
(Caitanya-candramrta 5)

When a devotee has achieved the position of rendering transcendental
loving service to the Lord through the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he thinks
the impersonal Brahman to be no better than hell, and he regards ma-
terial happiness in the heavenly planets to be like a will-o’-the-wisp. As
far as the perfection of mystic powers is concerned, a devotee compares it
to a venomous snake with no teeth. A mystic yogi is especially concerned
with controlling the senses, but because the senses of a devotee are
engaged in the service of the Lord (hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir
ucyate) there is no need for separate control of the senses. For those who
are materially engaged, control of the senses is required, but a devotee’s
senses are all engaged in the service of the Lord, which means that they
