Text 17
yasyām eva kavaya ātmānam avirataṁ vividha-vṛjina-saṁsāra-paritāpopatapyamānam anusavanaṁ snāpayantas tayaiva parayā nirvṛtyā hy apavargam ātyantikaṁ parama-puruṣārtham api svayam āsāditaṁ no evādriyante bhagavadīyatvenaiva parisamāpta-sarvārthāḥ.
yasyām eva — in which (Kṛṣṇa consciousness or the nectar of devotional service); kavayaḥ — the advancement of learned scholars or philosophers in spiritual life; ātmānam — the self; aviratam — constantly; vividha — various; vṛjina — full of sins; saṁsāra — in material existence; paritāpa — from miserable conditions; upatapyamānam — suffering; anusavanam — without stopping; snāpayantaḥ — bathing; tayā — by that; eva — certainly; parayā — great; nirvṛtyā — with happiness; hi — certainly; apavargam — liberation; ātyantikam — uninterrupted; parama-puruṣa-artham — the best of all human achievements; api — although; svayam — itself; āsāditam — obtained; no — not; eva — certainly; ādriyante — endeavor to achieve; bhagavadīyatvena eva — because of a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parisamāpta-sarva-arthāḥ — those who have ended all kinds of material desires.
Devotees always bathe themselves in devotional service in order to be relieved from the various tribulations of material existence. By doing this, the devotees enjoy supreme bliss, and liberation personified comes to serve them. Nonetheless, they do not accept that service, even if it is offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. For the devotees, liberation [mukti] is very unimportant because, having attained the Lord’s transcendental loving service, they have attained everything desirable and have transcended all material desires.
Devotional service unto the Lord is the highest attainment for anyone desiring liberation from the tribulations of material existence. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (6.22), yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: “Gaining this, one thinks there is no greater gain.” When one attains the service of the Lord, which is non-different from the Lord, one does not desire anything material. Mukti means relief from material existence. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says: muktiḥ mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate ’smān. For a devotee, mukti is not a very great achievement. Mukti means being situated in one’s constitutional position. The constitutional position of every living being is that of the Lord’s servant; therefore when a living entity is engaged in the Lord’s loving service, he has already attained mukti. Consequently a devotee does not aspire for mukti, even if it is offered by the Supreme Lord Himself.