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If anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion

Expressions researched:
"if anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Not devotion for some purpose. That is not pure devotee. If you have got some purpose to . . . that is, of course, accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion.

Suppose I am a poor man, and if a rich man says: "Swāmījī, whatever millions of dollars you want, you can ask from me," then I shall put my claim—a big, very big amount, "Oh, here is a great opportunity." But Prahlāda Mahārāja refused. Prahlāda Mahārāja said: "My dear Lord, it is my duty to render service unto You not in exchange of something, gain. Oh, I am not a merchant that I am doing this." Vanik-vṛtti. So the Lord was very satisfied.

That is the way of pure devotion. That was taught by Lord Caitanya. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4): "My dear Lord, I do not ask from You any amount of wealth," na dhanaṁ na janam, "neither any number of followers." Because every one of us, we want to be the richest man in the world, the greatest leader of the world, and to have a very beautiful wife . . . this is our heart's desire in the material world, to control over a vast mass of people—I want to be prime minister, president or political leader, Hitler or Gandhi, like that—and to amass vast amount . . . amounts of wealth.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: "No, no, no. I don't want all these things." This is prayer. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "Then what for You have come to Me?" Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: "My dear Lord, I pray that birth after birth I may have unconditional, causeless devotion unto You."

Not devotion for some purpose. That is not pure devotee. If you have got some purpose to . . . that is, of course, accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a pure devotee. Therefore he does not make any business with God that, "I offer You my prayer to take something from You." We shall discuss these prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja one after another, and in none of the paragraph you will find that Prahlāda Mahārāja is asking something, "Give me this for my sense gratification." No. This is the sign of pure devotion.

So he says, mahi gṛṇāmi, "I shall simply . . ." You can pray. Anyone can pray. It does not require any education. If you simply feel, "Oh, God is so great. Oh, He has created the sun. He has created this moon. Oh, He has created this ocean. He has created this air. He has created so many fruits, so many flowers." Go on. You don't require any education. Simply try to understand how great God is.

Page Title:If anyone goes to Lord to pray something with purpose, that is also good. But that is not pure. Pure devotee never asks anything from the Lord. That is pure devotion
Compiler:Nabakumar
Created:2022-09-27, 06:13:58
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1