Shloka 24
Kardama Muni’s Penance, Viṣṇu’s Darśana, and the Arrangement of Devahūti’s Marriage
न वै जातु मृषैव स्यात्प्रजाध्यक्ष मदर्हणम् । भवद्विधेष्वतितरां मयि संगृभितात्मनाम् ॥ २४ ॥
na vai jātu mṛṣaiva syāt prajādhyakṣa mad-arhaṇam bhavad-vidheṣv atitarāṁ mayi saṅgṛbhitātmanām
Tuhan melanjutkan: Wahai resi, pemimpin para makhluk, bagi mereka yang menyembah-Ku dengan bhakti—terutama orang sepertimu yang telah menyerahkan diri sepenuhnya kepada-Ku—penghormatan kepada-Ku tak pernah berakhir dengan kekecewaan; tidak ada pertanyaan tentang kegagalan.
Even if he has some desires, one engaged in the service of the Lord is never frustrated. Those engaged in His service are called sakāma and akāma. Those who approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead with desires for material enjoyment are called sakāma, and those devotees who have no material desires for sense gratification but serve the Supreme Lord out of spontaneous love for Him are called akāma. Sakāma devotees are divided into four classes — those in distress, those in need of money, the inquisitive and the wise. Someone worships the Supreme Lord because of bodily or mental distress, someone else worships the Supreme Lord because he is in need of money, someone else worships the Lord out of inquisitiveness to know Him as He is, and someone wants to know the Lord as a philosopher can know Him, by the research work of his wisdom. There is no frustration for any of these four classes of men; each is endowed with the desired result of his worship.
FAQs
This verse teaches that the Lord regards the honor shown by His devoted servants as never false, and that such devotees—fully fixed in Him—offer Him the highest worship by honoring Him and His devotees.
Lord Vishnu reassures Kardama that his worship is genuine and meaningful, emphasizing that devotees whose hearts are surrendered naturally offer the Lord profound honor and devotion.
Cultivate devotion by respecting saints and sincere practitioners, serving the community of devotees, and expressing gratitude—seeing such honor as a direct way to please the Lord.