Q. 205. CAN A LITTLE ACTIVITY IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MAKE A DIFFERENCE ?
A. BY SRILA PRABHUPADA.
nehābhikrama-nāśo 'sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt
SYNONYMS
na — there is not; iha — in this yoga; abhikrama — in endeavoring; nāśaḥ — loss; asti — there is; pratyavāyaḥ — diminution; na — never; vidyate — there is;su-alpam — a little; api — although; asya — of this; dharmasya — occupation; trāyate — releases; mahataḥ — from very great; bhayāt — danger.
TRANSLATION
In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.
(Bhagavad-Gita As It Is).
PURPORT
Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage.
Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished.
The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit.
Ajāmila performed his duty in some percentage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord.
There is a nice verse in this connection in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17):
tyaktvā sva-dharmaḿ caraṇāmbujaḿ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiḿ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāḿ sva-dharmataḥ
SYNONYMS
tyaktvā — having forsaken; sva-dharmam — one's own occupational engagement; caraṇa-ambujam — the lotus feet; hareḥ — of Hari (the Lord); bhajan — inthe course of devotional service; apakvaḥ — immature; atha — for the matter of; patet — falls down; tataḥ — from that place; yadi — if; yatra — whereupon;kva — what sort of; vā — or (used sarcastically); abhadram — unfavorable; abhūt — shall happen; amuṣya — of him; kim — nothing; kaḥ vā arthaḥ — what interest; āptaḥ — obtained; abhajatām — of the nondevotee; sva-dharmataḥ — being engaged in occupational service.
TRANSLATION
One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything. (Srimad Bhagavatam).
PURPORT
As far as the duties of mankind are concerned, there are innumerable duties. Every man is duty bound not only to his parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great philosophers, poets, scientists, etc. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one can relinquish all such duties and surrender unto the service of the Lord.
So if one does so and becomes successful in the discharge of his devotional service unto the Lord, it is well and good. But it so happens sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of the Lord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run, due to so many other reasons, he falls down from the path of service by undesirable association.
There are so many instances of this in history. Bharata Mahārāja was obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his intimate attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died. As such, in the next birth he became a stag, although he did not forget the incident of his previous birth.
Similarly, Citraketu also fell down due to his offenses at the feet of Śiva.
But in spite of all this, the stress is given here to surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord, even if there is a chance of falling down, because even though one falls down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he will never forget the lotus feet of the Lord. Once engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, one will continue the service in all circumstances.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that even a small quantity of devotional service can save one from the most dangerous position. There are many instances of such examples in history. Ajāmila is one of them. Ajāmila in his early life was a devotee, but in his youth he fell down. Still he was saved by the Lord at the end.
Material activities and their results end with the body. But work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness carries a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or in a rich aristocratic family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
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