CC Madhya 19.150 (1975)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 150
- muktānām api siddhānāṁ
- nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
- sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā
- koṭiṣv api mahā-mune
SYNONYMS
muktānām—of persons liberated or freed from the bondage of ignorance; api—even; siddhānām—of persons who have achieved perfection; nārāyaṇa—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parāyaṇaḥ—the devotee; su-durlabhaḥ—very rare; praśānta-ātmā—completely satisfied, desireless; koṭiṣu—among many millions; api—certainly; mahā-mune—O great sage.
TRANSLATION
" 'O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is hardly one pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful.'
PURPORT
This verse is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.14.5). The nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, the devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, is the only blissful person. One who becomes a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa is already liberated from material bondage. He already possesses all the perfections of yoga. Unless one comes to the platform of nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa and passes over the platform of bhukti-mukti-siddhi, he cannot be fully satisfied. That is the pure devotional stage.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
One who has no other desire but Kṛṣṇa and who is not influenced by the process of jñāna-mārga (cultivation of knowledge) actually becomes free from ignorance. A first-class person is one who is not influenced by karma (fruitive activity) or yoga (mystic power). He simply depends on Kṛṣṇa and is satisfied in his devotional service. According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28): nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. Such a person is never afraid of anything. For him, heaven and hell are the same. Not knowing the situation of a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, rascals become envious. By the grace of Nārāyaṇa, a devotee is situated in the most opulent position in the material world. Rascals are envious of Nārāyaṇa and His devotee, but the devotee knows how to please another devotee of Nārāyaṇa because he knows that by pleasing Nārāyaṇa's representative, one directly pleases Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore a devotee offers the best facilities to his spiritual master because he knows that by pleasing Nārāyaṇa's representative, he can please Lord Nārāyaṇa. Outsiders who have no knowledge of Nārāyaṇa are envious both of Nārāyaṇa and of His devotee. Consequently when they see that Nārāyaṇa's devotee is opulently situated, they become envious. But when the devotee of Nārāyaṇa asks such foolish people to come live with him in the same comfortable situation, they do not agree because they cannot give up illicit sex, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. Therefore the materialist refuses the company of a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, although he is envious of the devotee's material situation. In Western countries when ordinary men-storekeepers and workers-see our devotees living and eating sumptuously and yet not working, they become very anxious to know where they get the money. Such people become envious and ask, "How is it possible to live so comfortably without working? How is it you have so many cars, bright faces and nice clothes?" Not knowing that Kṛṣṇa looks after His devotees, such people become surprised, and some become envious.