SB 1.6.21 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 21
Hant asmin janmani bhavan ma madrastum iha ahrati Avipakka kashayanam durdarsha aham kuyoginam
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Hant—oh Narada, Asmin—this, Janmani—duration of life, Bhavan—yourself, Ma—not, Ma—me, Drastum—to see, Ahrhati—deserve, Avipakka—immature, Kasaya—material dirts, Durdarsha—difficult to be seen, Kuyoginam—incomplete in service.
TRANSLATION
Oh Narada I regret very much that during this span of life you shall no more be able to see Me. Those who are incomplete in service and is still immature in being freed from all material dirts hardly can see Me.
PURPORT
The Personlity of Godhead is described in the Bhagwat Geeta as the Most Pure the Supreme and the Absolute Truth. There is no trace of a tinge of materiality in His Person and as such nobody can approach Him—who has the slightest tinge of material affection. The beginning of devotional service starts from the point when one is freed from at least two forms of material modes namely the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. The result is exhibited by the signs of being freed from Kama lust and Lova covetousness. That is to say one must be freed from the desires of sense satisfaction and avarice of sense gratification. The balance modes of nature is goodness. And to be completely freed from all material tinges is to become free from the modes of goodness also. To search the audience of God in the lonely forest is considered as the modes of goodness. One can go out into the forest for attaining spiritual perfection but that does not mean one can see the Lord Personally there. One must be completely freed from all material attachment, be situated on the plane of transcendence which alone will help the devotee to be in personal touch with the Personality of Godhead. The best method is therefore one should live at a place where the Transcendental Form of the Lord is worshipped. The temple of the Lord is transcendental place, whereas the forest is materially good habitation. A neophyte devotee is always recommended to worship the Deity of the Lord (Archan) than to go into the forest for searching out the Lord. Devotional service begins from the process of Archan better than the process of going out in the forest. In His present life which is completely freed from all material hankerings, Sri Narada Muni does not go into the forest although He can turn every place into Vaikuntha by His presence only. He travels from one planet to another to convert men, gods, kinnara, gandharvas, rishis, munis and everyone into becoming the devotees of the Lord. By His such activities He has engaged many devotees like Prahlad Moharaj, Dhruva Moharaj and many others in the transcendental service of the Lord. A pure devotee of the Lord, therefore, follows the foot prints of the great devotees like Narada, Prahlada etc. and engages his whole time service in the business of glorifying the Lord by the process of Kirtan in different manners. Such preaching process is transcendental to all material qualities.