The Ecstacy of the Lord and His Devotees 127

world, is described in the Twelfth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita as follows:
“Such a devotee, who is not envious of any living entity, who is friendly,
who is merciful, who is detached from material possessions, who is situated
in pure identification without any false conception of the body, who is equi-
poised both in happiness and distress, who is forgiving, always satisfied and
always engaged in devotional service, always being surrendered with body
and mind unto the Supreme Lord—he is very dear to Me.” Such a devotee,
who never gives trouble to any living entity either by the body or by the
mind, who is never affected by material distress and happiness, is never angry
or pleased with anything material, who is freed from all kinds of material
affection, is very dear to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is never dependent
on anyone in this world. He who is a soul completely surrendered to the
Supreme Lord, who is purified, expert, neutral, painless, and aloof from any
material endeavor which requires too much attention—such a devotee is
also very dear to Lord Krishna.

A person who is never subjected to material happiness, material hatred,
lamentation and ambition, and who is aloof from all auspicious and inauspicious
activities of the material world and fully devoted in Krishna Consciousness—
he is very dear to Lord Krishna. A devotee who treats equally a so-called
enemy, and a so-called friend in the material world, and who is not disturbed
by any warmth or coolness due to the affection of his skin, and who is without
any attachment and equally situated when he is respected or when insulted,
always grave, satisfied in any condition of life, without any fixed house for
residence and always fixed in Krishna Consciousness—is very dear to Lord
Krishna. Even if one is not situated in some transcendental position, still; if
and when one approves of such transcendental life he also becomes very dear
to Krishna.

In the Srimad Bhagwatam, Second Canto, Second Chapter, there is a very
nice verse in which it is said that a devotee should always remain dependent
on the mercy of the Supreme Lord. As far as his material necessities are con-
cerned, he should be satisfied with whatever is obtained without any endeavor.
Sukdeva Goswami advised in that connection: that a devotee should never
approach a materialistic person for any kind of help. So far as his bodily neces-
sities are concerned, he may pick up a torn cloth thrown in the street, he can
take fruits offered by the tree, he can drink water which is flowing in the
river, and he can live in the cave constructed by Nature herself, in the hill and
mountain regions. Above all, if he is unable to do all these things, he should
completely depend on the: Supreme Lord, understanding that the Supreme
