Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 67
Nābhāga’s Inheritance, Śiva’s Verdict, and the Rise of Ambarīṣa—Prelude to Durvāsā’s Offense
मत्सेवया प्रतीतं ते सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम् । नेच्छन्ति सेवया पूर्णा: कुतोऽन्यत् कालविप्लुतम् ॥ ६७ ॥
mat-sevayā pratītaṁ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto ’nyat kāla-viplutam
My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation [sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sārṣṭi], although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?
Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has estimated the value of liberation as follows:
FAQs
This verse says that although the four liberations (sālokya, etc.) come automatically through service to Viṣṇu, devotees who are fulfilled by bhakti do not even desire them, preferring loving service itself.
In the context of protecting Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and instructing Durvāsā Muni, the Lord emphasizes that He is bound by His devotee’s service, and that true devotees seek only devotion—not even liberation.
Use spiritual practice (hearing, chanting, service) as the primary aim, and treat status, achievements, and even spiritual “results” as secondary—because time erodes worldly gains, while devotion deepens one’s relationship with God.