yo devair arthito daityÄn
avadhīd yudhi durjayaḥ
muhÅ«rtam Äyur jñÄtvaitya
sva-puraṠsandadhe manaḥ
yaḥ - King Khaá¹vÄá¹…ga who; devaiḥ - by the demigods; arthitaḥ - being requested; daityÄn - the demons; avadhÄ«t - killed; yudhi - in a fight; durjayaḥ - very fierce; muhÅ«rtam - for a second only; Äyuḥ - duration of life; jñÄtvÄ - knowing; etya - approached; sva-puram - his own abode; sandadhe - fixed; manaḥ - the mind.
The example of MahÄrÄja Khaá¹vÄá¹…ga in performing devotional service is brilliant. MahÄrÄja Khaá¹vÄá¹…ga engaged himself for only a moment in devotional service to the Lord, but he was promoted back to Godhead. Therefore, if one practices devotional service from the beginning of his life, surely he will return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt (asaá¹Å›aya).
In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ the word asaá¹Å›aya is used to describe the devotee. There the Lord Himself gives this instruction:
mayy Äsakta-manÄḥ pÄrtha
yogaá¹ yuñjan mad-ÄÅ›rayaḥ
asaá¹Å›ayaá¹ samagraá¹ mÄá¹
yathÄ jñÄsyasi tac chṛṇu
“Now hear, O son of Pá¹›thÄ [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.†(Bg. 7.1)
The Lord also instructs:
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṠyo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvÄ dehaá¹ punar janma
naiti mÄm eti so ’rjuna
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.†(Bg. 4.9)
Therefore, from the very beginning of one’s life one should practice bhakti-yoga, which increases one’s attachment for Kṛṣṇa. If one daily sees the Deity in the temple, makes offerings by worshiping the Deity, chants the holy name of the Personality of Godhead, and preaches about the glorious activities of the Lord as much as possible, he thus becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa. This attachment is called Äsakti. When one’s mind is attached to Kṛṣṇa (mayy Äsakta-manÄḥ), one can fulfill the mission of life in one human birth. If one misses this opportunity, one does not know where he is going, how long he will remain in the cycle of birth and death, and when he will again achieve the human form of life and the chance to return home, back to Godhead. The most intelligent person, therefore, uses every moment of his life to render loving service to the Lord.