← Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1962)

Chapter 5: Sri Narada's Instructions on Srimad Bhagwatam for Vyasdeva

Verse 25 of 40
SB 1.5.25

ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ sakṛt sma bhuñje tad-apāsta-kilbiṣaḥ evaṁ pravṛttasya viśuddha-cetasas tad-dharma evātma-ruciḥ prajāyate

Synonyms

ucchiṣṭa lepānthe remnants of foodstuff; anumoditaḥbeing permitted; dvijaiḥby the vedantist Brahmins; sakṛtonce upon a time; smain the past; bhuñjetook; tatby that action Apasta—eliminated; apāstaall sins; kilbiṣaḥthus; evambeing engaged; pravṛttasyaof one whose mind is purified. Tad—that particular; viśuddha-cetasaḥnature; tatcertainly; dharmatranscendental attraction; evabecame manifested.

Translation

Once only by their permission I took up the remnants of their foodsuff and by doing so all my sins were at once eliminated. Thus being engaged when I became purified by the heart at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive for me.

Purport

Pure devotional accumulation is as much infectious, in good sense, as the infectious diseases. A pure devotee is clear off from all kinds of sins. The Personality of Godhead is the Purest Entity and as such unless one is not equally pure form the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Lord. The Bhaktivedantas as above mentioned were pure devotee and the boy became infected with their qualities of purity by their association and by eating once the remnants of the foodstuff taken by them. Such foodstuff remnants may be taken even without permission of the pure devotees. There are sometimes pseudo-devotees and one should be very much cautious about them. There are many things which hinders one in the matter of entering in the realism of devotional service. But by the association of pure devotees all these obstacles are removed. The neophyte devotee becomes practically enriched with the traascendental qualities of the pure devotee which means attraction for the Personality of Godhead's Name, Fame Quality, Pastime etc. Infection of the qualities of the pure devotee means to imbibe in character the taste of pure devotion always in the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead. This transcendental taste at once makes all material things detasteful and therefore a pure devotee is not at all attracted by material activities devoid of relation of the Personality of Godhead. After the elimination of all sins or obstacles on the path of devotional service, one can become attracted, one can have steadiness, one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions and at last one is situated on the plane of loving service of the Lord. All these stages develop by the association of pure devotee and that is the purport of this stanza.

Verse 25 of 40
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