वासुदेवे भगवति भक्त्या चक्रे मनः परम् ॥१६॥
sa vai tebhyo namaská¹›tya
niḥsaṅgo vigata-spṛhaḥ
vÄsudeve bhagavati
bhaktyÄ cakre manaḥ param
saḥ - he (King Rantideva); vai - indeed; tebhyaḥ - unto Lord BrahmÄ, Lord Åšiva and the other demigods; namaḥ-ká¹›tya - offering obeisances; niḥsaá¹…gaḥ - with no ambition to take any benefit from them; vigata-spá¹›haḥ - completely free from desires for material possessions; vÄsudeve - unto Lord VÄsudeva; bhagavati - the Supreme Lord; bhaktyÄ - by devotional service; cakre - fixed; manaḥ - the mind; param - as the ultimate goal of life.
King Rantideva had no ambition to enjoy material benefits from the demigods. He offered them obeisances, but because he was factually attached to Lord Viṣṇu, VÄsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he fixed his mind at Lord Viṣṇu’s lotus feet.
ÅšrÄ«la Narottama dÄsa ṬhÄkura has sung:
anya devÄÅ›raya nÄi, tomÄre kahinu bhÄi,
ei bhakti parama karaṇa
If one wants to become a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord, one should not hanker to take benedictions from the demigods. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.20), kÄmais tais tair há¹›ta-jñÄnÄḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatÄḥ: those befooled by the illusion of the material energy worship gods other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, although Rantideva was personally able to see Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Åšiva, he did not hanker to take material benefits from them. Rather, he fixed his mind upon Lord VÄsudeva and rendered devotional service unto Him. This is the sign of a pure devotee, whose heart is not adulterated by material desires.
anyÄbhilÄá¹£itÄ-śūnyaá¹
jñÄna-karmÄdy-anÄvá¹›tam
ÄnukÅ«lyena kṛṣṇÄnu-
śīlanaá¹ bhaktir uttamÄ
“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.â€
