स्नापयन्तस्तयैव परया निर्वृत्या ह्यपवर्गमात्यन्तिकं परमपुरुषार्थमपि स्वय
मासादितं नो एवाद्रियन्ते भगवदीयत्वेनैव परि समाप्तसर्वार्थाः ॥१७॥
yasyÄm eva kavaya ÄtmÄnam avirataá¹ vividha-vá¹›jina-saá¹sÄra-paritÄpopatapyamÄnam anusavanaá¹ snÄpayantas tayaiva parayÄ nirvá¹›tyÄ hy apavargam Ätyantikaá¹ parama-puruá¹£Ärtham api svayam ÄsÄditaá¹ no evÄdriyante bhagavadÄ«yatvenaiva parisamÄpta-sarvÄrthÄḥ
yasyÄm eva - in which (Kṛṣṇa consciousness or the nectar of devotional service); kavayaḥ - the advancement of learned scholars or philosophers in spiritual life; ÄtmÄnam - the self; aviratam - constantly; vividha - various; vá¹›jina - full of sins; saá¹sÄra - in material existence; paritÄpa - from miserable conditions; upatapyamÄnam - suffering; anusavanam - without stopping; snÄpayantaḥ - bathing; tayÄ - by that; eva - certainly; parayÄ - great; nirvá¹›tyÄ - with happiness; hi - certainly; apavargam - liberation; Ätyantikam - uninterrupted; parama-puruá¹£a-artham - the best of all human achievements; api - although; svayam - itself; ÄsÄditam - obtained; no - not; eva - certainly; Ädriyante - endeavor to achieve; bhagavadÄ«yatvena eva - because of a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parisamÄpta-sarva-arthÄḥ - 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-gÄ«tÄ (6.22), yaá¹ labdhvÄ cÄparaá¹ lÄbhaá¹ manyate nÄdhikaá¹ 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. Bilvamaá¹…gala ṬhÄkura says: muktiḥ mukulitÄñjaliḥ sevate ’smÄn. 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.
