The intrinsic nature of karma: all other virtuous activities are completely material. The goal is transcendental
Karma-svarupa: anya subha-karma jadamaya. Upeya vastu cinmaya
Materially minded people who take refuge in mundane objects and situations practice sadhana only to mitigate fear.
O Hari, You are second to none! Your feet guarantee fearlessness. Only with Your feet can one cross the ocean of birth and death.
Materially minded people have created many ways to reach Your feet, but they are all mundane.
Domestic fire sacrifices[1], public welfare activities[2], long-term fire sacrifices[3], pious activities, bathing in holy rivers, one-day fire sacrifices[4], charitable giving, yoga, varnasrama-dharma, going on pilgrimage to holy places, observing vows, worshiping the Pitris, meditating, gathering knowledge, activities related to the Devas, performing austerities, atonement etc.
They take shelter of all these material things and try to attain the nature of their goal by performing virtuous activities.
Eventually, by following these processes, they reach their goal. But by rejecting other methods, they reach perfection.
Please hear the goal of the Jiva, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, who bestows complete bliss and all perfection.
Attaining the highest result through virtuous actions
Subha-karma upaya
Material objects and situations are not filled with bliss. They are all part of a trick for the Jiva to achieve perfection.
Therefore, all virtuous activities are a way to achieve the goal. That goal exists as the highest perfection in the form of prema.
With these methods there is a delay in achieving perfection
Tahate upeya prapti vilamba-siddha
With all these auspicious activities, the attainment of perfection is delayed because there is distance between the method and the goal[5].
[1] Ista.
[2] Purta.
[3] Yajna.
[4] Homa.
[5] If the goal is prema and the means to achieve it are virtuous actions, then it will take a long time to achieve it, because there is a notable qualitative difference between the two.
This is a section of the book “Harinama Cintamani (English)”.
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