FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.17

तैस्तान्यघानि पूयन्ते तपोदानव्रतादिभि: । नाधर्मजं तद्‌धृदयं तदपीशाङ्‌घ्रिसेवया ॥ १७ ॥
tais tāny aghāni pūyante
[tais taany aghaani pooyante]
tapo-dāna-vratādibhiḥ
[tapo-daana-vrataadibhih]
nādharmajaṁ tad-dhṛdayaṁ
[naadharmajam tad-dhridayam]
tad apīśāṅghri-sevayā
[tad apeeshaanghri-sevayaa]
Word-for-word
taiḥ — by those tāni — all those aghāni — sinful activities and their results pūyante — become vanquished tapaḥ — austerity dāna — charity vrata-ādibhiḥ — by vows and other such activities na — not adharma-jam — produced from irreligious actions tat — of that hṛdayam — the heart tat — that api — also īśa-aṅghri — of the lotus feet of the Lord sevayā — by service.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tais tāny aghāni pūyante
taiḥ
by those
tāni
all those
aghāni
sinful activities and their results
pūyante
become vanquished
tapo-dāna-vratādibhiḥ
tapaḥ
austerity
dāna
charity
vrata-ādibhiḥ
by vows and other such activities
nādharmajaṁ tad-dhṛdayaṁ
na
not
adharma-jam
produced from irreligious actions
tat
of that
hṛdayam
the heart
tad apīśāṅghri-sevayā
tat
that
api
also
īśa-aṅghri
of the lotus feet of the Lord
sevayā
by service.
Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in one’s heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.
Purport

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.42) , bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca: devotional service is so powerful that one who performs devotional service is immediately freed from all sinful desires. All desires within this material world are sinful because material desire means sense gratification, which always involves action that is more or less sinful. Pure bhakti, however, is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya; in other words, it is free from material desires, which result from karma and jñāna. One who is situated in devotional service no longer has material desires, and therefore he is beyond sinful life. Material desires should be completely stopped. Otherwise, although one’s austerities, penances and charity may free one from sin for the time being, one’s desires will reappear because his heart is impure. Thus he will act sinfully and suffer.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sins are destroyed by austerity, charity and vows but the root of sin is not destroyed. However by bhakti to the Lord, even the root of sin, namely desire, is destroyed. By such atonements sins are destroyed (pūyante). The verbal root is puṁ, which means “to destroy.” However these atonements do not destroy the subtle root (hṛdayam) of the sins (adharmajam). By serving the feet of the Lord, by bhakti to the Lord, by one method such as chanting among the nine processes, the root of sin is destroyed, since chanting destroys even the desires for sin.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Austerity, charity, and vows can neutralize karma but cannot uproot the heart's desires. Only service to the Lord's lotus feet pulls the desires out by the root.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my disciplines manage symptoms but leave my desires intact?
  • What would it look like to serve, not just to refrain?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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