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TEXT 40 sri-bhagavan uvaca
SYNONYMS  sri-bhagavan
uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; partha--O son
of Prtha; na eva--never is it so; iha--in this material world;
na--never; amutra--in the next life; vinasah--destruction;
tasya--his; vidyate--exists; na--never; hi--certainly;
kalyana-krt--one who is engaged in auspicious activities; kascit--anyone;
durgatim--degradation; tata--thereafter; gacchati--goes.
TRANSLATION The Blessed
Lord said: Son of Prtha, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities
does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual
world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.
PURPORT In the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(1.5.17) Sri Narada Muni instructs Vyasadeva as follows:
tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
"If someone
gives up all material prospects and takes complete shelter of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, there is no loss or degradation in any way. On
the other hand a nondevotee may fully engage in his occupational duties
and yet not gain anything." For material prospects, there are many activities
both scriptural and customary. A transcendentalist is supposed to give
up all material activities for the sake of spiritual advancement in life,
Krsna consciousness. One may argue that by Krsna consciousness one may
attain the highest perfection if it is completed, but if one does not attain
such a perfectional stage, then he loses both materially and spiritually.
It is enjoined in the scriptures that one has to suffer the reaction of
not executing prescribed duties; therefore one who fails to discharge transcendental
activities properly becomes subjected to these reactions. The Bhagavatam
assures the unsuccessful transcendentalist that there need be no worries.
Even though he may be subjected to the reaction of not perfectly executing
prescribed duties, he is still not a loser, because auspicious Krsna consciousness
is never forgotten, and one so engaged will continue to be so even if he
is lowborn in the next life. On the other hand, one who simply follows
strictly the prescribed duties need not necessarily attain auspicious results
if he is lacking in Krsna consciousness.
The purport
may be understood as follows: humanity may be divided into two sections,
namely, the regulated and the nonregulated. Those who are engaged simply
in bestial sense gratifications without knowledge of their next life or
spiritual salvation belong to the nonregulated section. And those who follow
the principles of prescribed duties in the scriptures are classified amongst
the regulated section. The nonregulated section, both civilized and noncivilized,
educated and noneducated, strong and weak, are full of animal propensities.
Their activities are never auspicious because, enjoying the animal propensities
of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they perpetually remain in material
existence, which is always miserable. On the other hand, those who are
regulated by scriptural injunctions and thus gradually rise to Krsna consciousness
certainly progress in life.
Those who
are then following the path of auspiciousness can be divided into three
sections, namely, 1) the followers of scriptural rules and regulations
who are enjoying material prosperity, 2) those who are trying to find out
the ultimate liberation from material existence, and 3) those who are devotees
in Krsna consciousness. Those who are following the rules and regulations
of the scriptures for material happiness may be further divided into two
classes: those who are fruitive workers and those who desire no fruit for
sense gratification. Those who are after fruitive results for sense gratification
may be elevated to a higher standard of life--even to the higher planets;
but still, because they are not free from material existence, they are
not following the truly auspicious path. The only auspicious activities
are those which lead one to liberation. Any activity which is not aimed
at ultimate self-realization or liberation from the material bodily concept
of life is not at all auspicious. Activity in Krsna consciousness is the
only auspicious activity, and anyone who voluntarily accepts all bodily
discomforts for the sake of making progress on the path of Krsna consciousness
can be called a perfect transcendentalist under severe austerity. And because
the eightfold yoga system is directed toward the ultimate realization
of Krsna consciousness, such practice is also auspicious, and no one who
is trying his best in this matter need fear degradation.
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