रजस्तमःस्वभावस्य ब्रह्मन् वृत्रस्य पाप्मनः ।
नारायणे भगवति कथमासीद्दृढा मतिः ॥१॥
Å›rÄ«-parÄ«ká¹£id uvÄca
rajas-tamaḥ-svabhÄvasya
brahman vá¹›trasya pÄpmanaḥ
nÄrÄyaṇe bhagavati
katham ÄsÄ«d dá¹›á¸hÄ matiḥ
Å›rÄ«-parÄ«ká¹£it uvÄca - King ParÄ«ká¹£it inquired; rajaḥ - of the mode of passion; tamaḥ - and of the mode of ignorance; sva-bhÄvasya - having a nature; brahman - O learned brÄhmaṇa; vá¹›trasya - of Vá¹›trÄsura; pÄpmanaḥ - who was supposedly sinful; nÄrÄyaṇe - in Lord NÄrÄyaṇa; bhagavati - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; katham - how; ÄsÄ«t - was there; dá¹›á¸hÄ - very strong; matiḥ - consciousness.
King ParÄ«ká¹£it inquired from Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«: O learned brÄhmaṇa, demons are generally sinful, being obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. How, then, could Vá¹›trÄsura have attained such exalted love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, NÄrÄyaṇa?
In this material world, everyone is obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. However, unless one conquers these modes and comes to the platform of goodness, there is no chance of one’s becoming a pure devotee. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.28):
yeá¹£Äá¹ tv anta-gataá¹ pÄpaá¹
janÄnÄá¹ puṇya-karmaṇÄm
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktÄ
bhajante mÄá¹ dá¹›á¸ha-vratÄḥ
“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.†Since Vá¹›trÄsura was among the demons, MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it wondered how it was possible for him to have become such an exalted devotee.
