TEXT 13
pumsam ato vividha-karmabhir adhvaradyair
danena cogra-tapasa paricaryaya ca
aradhanam bhagavatas tava sat-kriyartho
dharmo rpitah karhicid mriyate na yatra
SYNONYMS
pumsamof the people; atahtherefore; vividha-karmabhihby various fruitive activities; adhvara-adyaihby performance of Vedic rituals; danenaby charities; caand; ugravery hard; tapasaausterity; paricaryayaby transcendental service; caalso; aradhanamworship; bhagavatahof the Personality of Godhead; tavaYour; sat-kriya-arthahsimply for pleasing Your Lordship; dharmahreligion; arpitahso offered; karhicitat any time; mriyatevanquishes; nanever; yatrathere.
TRANSLATION
But the pious activities of the people, such as performance of Vedic rituals, charity, austere penances, and transcendental service, performed with a view to worship You and satisfy You by offering You the fruitive results, are also beneficial. Such acts of religion never go in vain.
PURPORT
Absolute devotional service, conducted in nine different spiritual activitieshearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, praying, etc.does not always appeal to people with a pompous nature; they are more attracted by the Vedic superficial rituals and other costly performances of social religious shows. But the process according to the Vedic injunctions is that the fruits of all pious activities should be offered to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (9.27), the Lord demands that whatever one may do in ones daily activities, such as worship, sacrifice, and offering charity, all the results should be offered to Him only. This offering of the results of pious acts unto the Supreme Lord is a sign of devotional service to the Lord and is of permanent value, whereas enjoying the same results for oneself is only temporary. Anything done on account of the Lord is a permanent asset and accumulates in the form of unseen piety for gradual promotion to the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. These undetected pious activities will one day result in full-fledged devotional service by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, any pious act done on account of the Supreme Lord is also recommended here for those who are not pure devotees.

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