Text 31
santaṁ samīpe ramaṇaṁ rati-pradaṁ
vitta-pradaṁ nityam imaṁ vihāya
akāma-daṁ duḥkha-bhayādhi-śoka-
moha-pradaṁ tuccham ahaṁ bhaje ’jñā
santam — being; samīpe — most near (in my heart); ramaṇam — the most dear; rati — actual love or pleasure; pradam — giving; vitta — prosperity; pradam — giving; nityam — eternal; imam — Him; vihāya — giving up; akāma-dam — who can never satisfy one’s desires; duḥkha — misery; bhaya — fear; ādhi — mental distress; śoka — lamentation; moha — illusion; pradam — giving; tuccham — most insignificant; aham — I; bhaje — serve; ajñā — an ignorant fool.
I am such a fool that I have given up the service of that person who, being eternally situated within my heart, is actually most dear to me. That most dear one is the Lord of the universe, who is the bestower of real love and happiness and the source of all prosperity. Although He is in my own heart, I have completely neglected Him. Instead I have ignorantly served insignificant men who can never satisfy my real desires and who have simply brought me unhappiness, fear, anxiety, lamentation and illusion.
Piṅgalā laments that she chose to serve most sinful, useless men. She falsely thought they would bring her happiness and neglected to serve the actual Lord of the heart, Kṛṣṇa. She could understand how foolishly she had struggled for money, not knowing that the Supreme Lord is always inclined to award prosperity to His sincere devotee. The prostitute was proud of her ability to please men, but she now laments that she did not try to please the Supreme Lord by loving service. The Supreme Lord is completely aloof from the transactions of the material world. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the actual enjoyer of everyone and everything, but one must learn how to please the Lord by pure spiritual service.