FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.34

न किञ्चित् साधवो धीरा भक्ता ह्येकान्तिनो मम । वाञ्छन्त्यपि मया दत्तं कैवल्यमपुनर्भवम् ॥ ३४ ॥
na kiñcit sādhavo dhīrā
[na kinchit saadhavo dheeraa]
bhaktā hy ekāntino mama
[bhaktaa hy ekaantino mama]
vāñchanty api mayā dattaṁ
[vaanchanty api mayaa dattam]
kaivalyam apunar-bhavam
[kaivalyam apunar-bhavam]
na — never kiñcit — anything sādhavaḥ — saintly persons dhīrāḥ — with deep intelligence bhaktāḥ — devotees hi — certainly ekāntinaḥ — completely dedicated mama — unto Me vāñchanti — desire api — indeed mayā — by Me dattam — given kaivalyam — liberation apunaḥ-bhavam — freedom from birth and death.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na kiñcit sādhavo dhīrā
na
never
kiñcit
anything
sādhavaḥ
saintly persons
dhīrāḥ
with deep intelligence
bhaktā hy ekāntino mama
bhaktāḥ
devotees
hi
certainly
ekāntinaḥ
completely dedicated
mama
unto Me
vāñchanty api mayā dattaṁ
vāñchanti
desire
api
indeed
mayā
by Me
dattam
given
kaivalyam apunar-bhavam
kaivalyam
liberation
apunaḥ-bhavam
freedom from birth and death.
Because My devotees possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.

The words ekāntino mama indicate that the pure devotees of the Lord, being saintly and most intelligent, dedicate themselves exclusively to the devotional service of the Personality of Godhead. Even when the Lord offers them personal liberation from birth and death, the devotees will not accept it. A pure devotee automatically gains an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in the Lord’s personal abode and thus considers mere liberation without the loving service of the Lord to be most abominable. One who chants Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy name or superficially serves the Lord with the motive of achieving impersonal liberation or material sense gratification cannot be considered a transcendental devotee of the Lord. As long as one desires mundane religiosity, economic development, sense gratification or liberation, one cannot achieve the platform of samādhi, or perfect self-realization. Every living entity is actually the eternal servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa and is constitutionally meant to engage in the loving service of the Lord without personal desire. This pure and supreme status of life is described in this verse by the Lord Himself.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
But intelligent devotees, completely dedicated to me alone, do not desire liberation even if I offer it to them. “Somehow or other” is here explained. Those who are pure devotees do not desire these things.
Devotees have saintly behavior and deep intelligence; they dedicate themselves to the Lord and want nothing besides Him — even refusing liberation. Wanting only Him is itself the highest gain.
Reflection Questions
  • Could I want Him so much that even liberation became secondary?
  • What does that level of singularity look like in practice?
📝 My note

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