But the devotees who have bad practice do suffer in this life and the next like the impersonal sannyasis. Rather, they attain success. "One who has the quality of knowing you as his object of worship, does not know the results of good or bad actions produced by you." Bhaktir asya bhajanam tad ihamutropadhi nairasyena amusmin manah kalpanam etad eva naiskarmyam Bhakti is worship of the Lord, concentrating the mind on him, renouncing all material desires for enjoyment (upadhi) in this world and the next. It destroys all karmas. Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 15 "Since the devotee in performing worship destroys all reactions of karma, the good and bad events which occur are not the results of karma, but rather are results produced directly by you (bhavat uttha subhasubhayoh). These are effected by you in order to keep the secretiveness of devotion to you, to avoid uprooting the opinions of the materialists, or to increase the longing in the devotee. Or it could be the result of offense to your devotee. It is implied that you make those experiences appear to be suffering from karma." "He does not know the good and bad qualities resulting from those good and bad experiences." When others say "This devotee is merciful, tolerant, and generous," or "This devotee is attached to sense enjoyment, is greedy, and proud." The devotee is not overly concerned about it. At that time, he is not concerned with the praise or criticism of other men either exalted or low. He thinks, "If these men praise me seeing some false good qualities, let them do it. If those people criticize me seeing true faults in me, let them criticize, for that is only right." The cause is then mentioned. "By the flow of singing day after day and yuga after yuga the names and qualities of you who are an ocean of spiritual qualities, being saguna (saguna kirtana paramparaya), you fill their ears (sravana bhrtah) and give prema bhakti (apavarga gatih)." This meaning of apavarga gatih is according to the prose statement in the fourth canto. Or aparvarga can mean apakrsta varga or the despicable four goals of dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Therefore apavarga gatih means in this verse "you are the goal beyond the lower four vargas." Tair aham pujaniyo vai bhadra krsna nivasibhih Tad dharma gati hina ye tasyam mayi parayanah Kalina grasta ye vai tesam tasyam avasthitih Yatha tvam saha putrais ca yatha rudro ganaih saha Yatha sriyabhiyukto’ham tatha bhakto mama priyah I am the object of worship for the inhabitants of the forests of bhadra and krsna. Though breaking the rules of proper conduct, though afflicted by Kali, they are my devotees, and dwell in Mathura. As you are affectionate with your sons, siva is affectionate with his followers or myself with laksmi, I am devoted to my devotees. Gopala tapani upanisad 51-53 In the previous quotation, being devoid of dharma and afflicted by kali indicate bad character. Among the two types of fallen worshippers, the impersonalist sannyasi is criticized and the devotee is praised by the Lord. Yas tvasamyata sad vargah pracandendriya sarathih Jnana vairagya rahitas tri dandam upajivati Suran atmanam atma sham nihnute mam ca dharma ha Avipak kasayo’smad amusmac ca vihiyate That person with no control over the six urges, who is the charioteer of wild senses, who is devoid of knowledge and renunciation, who makes a living out his sannyasa, and who avoids me situated with him, , and the devotees, being a destroyer of dharma, full of passions, is deprived in this world and the next. (SB 11.18.40-41) Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam anyanyabhak Sadhur eve sa mantavya samyag vyavasitohi sah In this way the Lord praises his devotee. By all means, the Lord agrees with the srutis who are his followers at the end of their praises of him.

Hearing this, some śrutis fully dedicated to the Lord express themselves with enthusiasm. Those who realize the truth about you do not know happiness and distress arising from prārabhda-karmas, pious or impious, which become established as shadows by you, since they cannot remain by the power of bhakti. The devotees want to protect their bodies only for doing abundant sādhana. They cannot realize whether happiness and distress exist or not. Not recognizing happiness and distress, they then do not recognize other persons’ words which speak of rules and prohibitions. Or, they do not recognize criticism or praise. Or the person who realizes you does not recognize good or bad qualities of piety or sin performed by living beings which produces their birth (bhavat) in different bodies. He does not think, “Who did this or why did he do this?” He does not recognize what produces auspicious or inauspicious results. He does not recognize words of others concerning himself in the form of praise or criticism since he is absorbed in the bliss of realizing you. Then what does he do? An example is given showing the succession of great devotees. Because of realizing you (yataḥ), you are held in their hearts as they hear songs glorifying your qualities daily, in each yuga, composed by persons equal to Svayambhuva Manu. Svayambhuva is described as follows: ayāta-yāmās tasyāsan yāmāḥ svāntara-yāpanāḥ śṛṇvato dhyāyato viṣṇoḥ kurvato bruvataḥ kathāḥ Since he heard about the Lord, meditated on him, spoke about him and made compositions with his words about him, his passing of time, extending for a Manvantara, was not in vain. SB 3.22.35 The reason is given. You are the shelter (gatiḥ) of even liberation. You are the tenth object discussed in the Purāṇas (āśṛayaḥ). You are the highest goal for human beings. As long as they do not know your glories from hearing they will perform other sādhanas: āvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama.

There is unlimited suffering for the non devotee. Dor the devotee there is no suffering from enjoying objects under the influence of karma. Rather in all places he is most joyful. He knows you as the most excellent (avagamī). Or he approaches you by meditation (avagamī). Or he has a manifestion of the Lord with eradication of all doubts. He does not know good and bad results arising from piety or sin, arising by your will for some pastime. Thus you are a second reason for the good and bad results. The devotees respect the will of the Lord, the Lord has deep affection for the devotees and he is pleased by their affection. Who are the devotees? Every yuga, and every day, by all humans (manujaiḥ), they hear about you through a series of songs glorifying you, filling their ears completely. Or you are heard (śravana-bhṛtaḥ) about through songs. O lord with qualities (saguṇa)! This can happen because your great mercy. Or O lord with an ocean great qualities (saguṇa)! The songs are filled with those qualities. Other than you, there is no goal. You are the shelter of even liberation (apavarga-gatiḥ). Or you are to be achieved even by liberation. Or the devotee does not consider the good and bad arising from piety or sin, which arises from your desire. He does not care since it is your desire. Everything arises by the Lord’s will. “I will do whatever the Lord desires.” In doing bhakti he does not listen to the words of others since he is beyond the qualfications of karma-yoga. tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama. SB 11.20.9

devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam O King! One who has given up all varṇāśrama duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not a debtor to or servant of the devatās, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives or Pitṛs. SB 11.5.41 The devotees hear a series of songs filled with all good qualities (saguṇa). Or the greatest devotee, absorbed in you, does not care for good and bad results arising from piety or sin which have arisen, are presently appearing, or which will appear in the future, experienced by other living entities (deha-bhṛtām). “Who did what? Who does what? What auspicious or inauspicious result has arrived?” He does not know any of that. He does not know their materialistic words. Moreover in every yuga, humans hear about you through songs filled with your qualities. You are the method of attaining liberation. By destroying saṁsāra one can approach you.