Shloka 19
Nārada’s Instruction to Vyāsa: The Defect of Bhakti-less Literature and the Mandate of Kṛṣṇa-kathā
न वै जनो जातु कथञ्चनाव्रजे- न्मुकुन्दसेव्यन्यवदङ्ग संसृतिम् । स्मरन्मुकुन्दाङ्घ्र्युरपगूहनं पुन- र्विहातुमिच्छेन्न रसग्रहो जन: ॥ १९ ॥
na vai jano jātu kathañcanāvrajen mukunda-sevy anyavad aṅga saṁsṛtim smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punar vihātum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ
O Vyāsa, selbst wenn ein Mukunda dienender Bhakta irgendwie einmal fällt, durchläuft er nicht wie andere das materielle Dasein; denn wer einmal den Nektar der Lotosfüße Mukundas gekostet hat, kann nicht anders, als jene Wonne immer wieder zu erinnern.
A devotee of the Lord automatically becomes uninterested in the enchantment of material existence because he is rasa-graha, or one who has tasted the sweetness of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. There are certainly many instances where devotees of the Lord have fallen down due to uncongenial association, just like fruitive workers, who are always prone to degradation. But even though he falls down, a devotee is never to be considered the same as a fallen karmī. A karmī suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance of his capable father. A devotee of the Lord, due to wrong association, sometimes imitates the fruitive workers. The fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world. Similarly, a neophyte devotee foolishly thinks of accumulating some material power in exchange for devotional service. Such foolish devotees are sometimes put into difficulty by the Lord Himself. As a special favor, He may remove all material paraphernalia. By such action, the bewildered devotee is forsaken by all friends and relatives, and so he comes to his senses again by the mercy of the Lord and is set right to execute his devotional service.
FAQs
This verse states that one who genuinely takes shelter of Mukunda’s service and remembers His lotus feet does not wish to return to saṁsāra, because they have tasted a higher spiritual relish (rasa).
Nārada instructs Vyāsa that real fulfillment comes from presenting pure devotion to the Lord; once bhakti awakens and its taste is experienced, worldly attachment naturally loses its pull.
Make daily remembrance concrete through regular chanting, hearing Bhāgavatam, and serving in a consistent routine—so the mind develops a higher taste that weakens compulsive material habits.