TEXT 17
tais tany aghani puyante
tapo-dana-vratadibhih
nadharmajam tad-dhrdayam
tad apisanghri-sevaya
SYNONYMS
taihby those; taniall those; aghanisinful activities and their results; puyantebecome vanquished; tapahausterity; danacharity; vrata-adibhihby vows and other such activities; nanot; adharma-jamproduced from irreligious actions; tatof that; hrdayamthe heart; tatthat; apialso; isa-anghriof the lotus feet of the Lord; sevayaby service.
TRANSLATION
Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in ones heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.
PURPORT
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.42), bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca: devotional service is so powerful that one who performs devotional service is immediately freed from all sinful desires. All desires within this material world are sinful because material desire means sense gratification, which always involves action that is more or less sinful. Pure bhakti, however, is anyabhilasita-sunya; in other words, it is free from material desires, which result from karma and jnana. One who is situated in devotional service no longer has material desires, and therefore he is beyond sinful life. Material desires should be completely stopped. Otherwise, although ones austerities, penances and charity may free one from sin for the time being, ones desires will reappear because his heart is impure. Thus he will act sinfully and suffer.

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