FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.12.6

तवैव चरणाम्भोजं श्रेयस्कामा निराशिष: । विसृज्योभयत: सङ्गं मुनय: समुपासते ॥ ६ ॥
tavaiva caraṇāmbhojaṁ
[tavaiva charanaambhojam]
śreyas-kāmā nirāśiṣaḥ
[shreyas-kaamaa niraashishah]
visṛjyobhayataḥ saṅgaṁ
[visrijyobhayatah sangam]
munayaḥ samupāsate
[munayah samupaasate]
tava — Your eva — indeed caraṇa-ambhojam — lotus feet śreyaḥ-kāmāḥ — persons desiring the ultimate auspiciousness, the ultimate goal of life nirāśiṣaḥ — without material desire visṛjya — giving up ubhayataḥ — in this life and the next saṅgam — attachment munayaḥ — great sages samupāsate — worship.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tavaiva caraṇāmbhojaṁ
tava
Your
eva
indeed
caraṇa-ambhojam
lotus feet
śreyas-kāmā nirāśiṣaḥ
śreyaḥ-kāmāḥ
persons desiring the ultimate auspiciousness, the ultimate goal of life
nirāśiṣaḥ
without material desire
visṛjyobhayataḥ saṅgaṁ
visṛjya
giving up
ubhayataḥ
in this life and the next
saṅgam
attachment
munayaḥ samupāsate
munayaḥ
great sages
samupāsate
worship.
Pure devotees or great saintly persons who desire to achieve the highest goal in life and who are completely free from all material desires for sense gratification engage constantly in the transcendental service of Your lotus feet.

One is in the material world when he thinks, “I am this body, and everything with reference to my body is mine.” Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho ’yam ahaṁ mameti . This is the symptom of material life. In the materialistic conception of life, one thinks, “This is my house, this is my land, this is my family, this is my state,” and so on. But those who are munayaḥ, saintly persons following in the footsteps of Nārada Muni, simply engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord without any personal desire for sense gratification. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam . Either in this life or in the next, the only concern of such saintly devotees is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus they are also absolute because they have no other desires. Being freed from the dualities of material desire, they are called śreyas-kāmāḥ. In other words, they are not concerned with dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), or kāma (sense gratification). The only concern of such devotees is mokṣa, liberation. This mokṣa does not refer to becoming one with the Supreme like the Māyāvādī philosophers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that real mokṣa means taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead. The Lord clearly explained this fact while instructing Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wanted to correct the word mukti-pade in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed him that there is no need to correct any word in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He explained that mukti-pade refers to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who offers mukti and is therefore called Mukunda. A pure devotee is not concerned with material things. He is not concerned with religiosity, economic development or sense gratification. He is interested only in serving the lotus feet of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The sages who desire to achieve the highest goal, bhakti, and who are completely free from all material desires, giving up material attachment in this and next life, worship constantly only your lotus feet. The conduct of the great souls proves that you have this nature. The sages worship your lotus feet, not mine. People with material desires worship me. Śreyas-kāmāḥ here means “those who desire bhakti.” Just as your devotee has no material desire, you also have no material desire. You are not like me, with a desire for power, who am dependent on my worshippers.
Pure devotees and saints — free of material desire — engage constantly in transcendental service of the Lord's feet. The mark of having transcended is consistent service, not occasional inspiration. Constancy is the diagnostic.
Reflection Questions
  • Is my service constant or only when I feel inspired — and what does that reveal about my actual stage?
  • What desire still interrupts my steadiness of service, and am I willing to release it?
📝 My note

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