TEXT 33
yavat te mayaya sprsta
bhramama iha karmabhih
tavad bhavat-prasanganam
sangah syan no bhave bhave
SYNONYMS
yavatas long as; teYour; mayayaby the illusory energy; sprstahcontaminated; bhramamahwe wander; ihain this material world; karmabhihby the reaction of fruitive activities; tavatso long; bhavat-prasanganamof Your loving devotees; sangahassociation; syatlet there be; nahour; bhave bhavein every species of life.
TRANSLATION
Dear Lord, as long as we have to remain within this material world due to our material contamination and wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your pastimes. We pray for this benediction life after life, in different bodily forms and on different planets.
PURPORT
This is the best benediction that a devotee can ask of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih (Bhag. 10.14.3). One may be in one position or another according to destiny, but in any case one must continue to hear about the activities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, regardless of circumstances. A pure devotee does not pray for liberation or for cessation of the cycle of birth and death because he does not consider that important. The most important thing for a devotee is getting a chance to hear about the pastimes and glories of the Lord. The devotees who engage in the service of the Lord in this world will have the same opportunity in the spiritual world also. Thus for a devotee, everything is in the spiritual world, for as long as he can hear about the pastimes of the Lord, or wherever he can chant, the Lord is personally present. Tatra tisthami narada yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah. When the pure devotees assemble to chant, hear and talk about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the place where they assemble becomes Vaikuntha. For the devotee there is no need to pray to the Lord for transferal to the Vaikuntha world. A pure devotee can create Vaikuntha or Vrndavana anywhere simply by chanting the glories of the Lord without offense.
The Pracetas pray for an opportunity to hear of the glories of the Lord in every form of life (bhave bhave). A living entity transmigrates from one body to another. The devotee is not particularly eager to stop this process. Caitanya Mahaprabhu prays, mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: My dear Lord, life after life may I be fixed in Your pure devotional service. Out of humility, a devotee considers himself unfit to be transferred to the spiritual world. He always thinks himself contaminated by the modes of material nature. Nor is there any need for a devotee to ask to be freed from the modes of material nature. Devotional service itself is in the transcendental position; therefore there is no question of asking for this special facility. The conclusion is that a pure devotee is not anxious to stop the repetition of birth and death, but is always eager to associate with other devotees who are engaged in chanting and hearing about the glories of the Lord.

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