Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.14.2
देवानां शुद्धसत्त्वानामृषीणां चामलात्मनाम् ।
भक्तिर्मुकुन्दचरणे न प्रायेणोपजायते ॥ २ ॥
devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām
[devaanaam shuddha-sattvaanaam]
ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām
[risheenaam chaamalaatmanaam]
bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe
[bhaktir mukunda-charane]
na prāyeṇopajāyate
[na praayenopajaayate]
Word-for-word
devānām
—
of the demigods
śuddha-sattvānām
—
whose minds are purified
ṛṣīṇām
—
of great saintly persons
ca
—
and
amala-ātmanām
—
who have purified their existence
bhaktiḥ
—
devotional service
mukunda-caraṇe
—
to the lotus feet of Mukunda, the Lord, who can give liberation
na
—
not
prāyeṇa
—
almost always
upajāyate
—
develops.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām
devānām
of the demigods
śuddha-sattvānām
whose minds are purified
ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām
ṛṣīṇām
of great saintly persons
ca
and
amala-ātmanām
who have purified their existence
bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe
bhaktiḥ
devotional service
mukunda-caraṇe
to the lotus feet of Mukunda, the Lord, who can give liberation
na prāyeṇopajāyate
na
not
prāyeṇa
almost always
upajāyate
develops.
Demigods situated in the mode of goodness and great saints cleansed of the dirt of material enjoyment hardly ever render pure devotional service at the lotus feet of Mukunda. [Therefore how could Vṛtrāsura have become such a great devotee?]
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Bhakti to the Lord’s lotus feet rarely develops even in the devatās with minds in sattva-guṇa and in pure sages.
Śuddha-sattvānām means in those with antaḥkaraṇas having sattva-guṇa. Jñāna develops on its own after purification of antaḥkaraṇa. This is not so with bhakti, since without association of devotees bhakti does not appear.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Even sattvic demigods and purified sages rarely render pure devotional service to Mukunda — so how did Vṛtra? Pure devotion is rarer than purity itself.
Reflection Questions
- Am I treating sattva or purity as a substitute for actual devotion?
- What separates 'good person' from 'devotee' in my own life?
My note
Source: vedabase.io