tÄvad rÄgÄdayaḼ stenÄs
tÄvat kÄrÄ-gášhaáš gášham
tÄvan moho 'áš ghri-nigaá¸o
yÄvat kášášŁáša na te janÄḼ
tÄvat - for that long; rÄga-ÄdayaḼ - material attachment and so on; stenÄḼ - thieves; tÄvat - for that long; kÄrÄ-gášham - a prison; gášham - one's home; tÄvat - for that long; mohaḼ - the bewilderment of family affection; aáš ghri - upon their feet; nigaá¸aḼ - shackles; yÄvat - as long as; kášášŁáša - O Lord KášášŁáša; na - do not become; te - Your (devotees); janÄḼ - any persons.
Apparently, the residents of VášndÄvana, the abode of Lord KášášŁáša, are simple householders engaged in ordinary affairs such as herding cows, cooking, rearing children and performing religious ceremonies. However, all these activities are intensely engaged in the loving service of Lord KášášŁáša. The residents of VášndÄvana perform all activities in pure KášášŁáša consciousness and thus exist on the most exalted platform of liberated life. Otherwise, the same activities performed without KášášŁáša consciousness constitute ordinary bondage to the material world.
Thus, one should not misunderstand the exalted position of the residents of VášndÄvana, nor should one consider oneself highly religious simply because one performs ordinary domestic affairs very enthusiastically, but without KášášŁáša consciousness. By focusing our passionate attachment on our family and society, we are completely deviated from the progressive path of KášášŁáša consciousness. Conversely, if we engage our family in the loving service of the Lord, our endeavors to maintain our family become part and parcel of our progressive spiritual duties.
In conclusion, by studying the extraordinary status of the residents of VášndÄvana, we can see that the essential quality of their lives is pure KášášŁáša consciousness â the rendering of loving service to the Lord without a trace of material desire or mental speculation. Such loving service to the original Personality of Godhead immediately creates the atmosphere of ĹrÄŤ VášndÄvana-dhÄma, the kingdom of God.