People who have faith in fruitive rituals are not devotees. They are nondevotees.
If anyone performs karma in order to achieve Krsna’s mercy, then that karma is called bhakti. The karma that yields mundane results or mundane knowledge is averse to the Lord. Karmls do not search exclusively for Krsna’s mercy. Although they respect Krsna, their main purpose is to attain some kind of happiness. Karma is nothing but selfishness. Therefore, karmis are called nondevotees.
Yogis sometimes search for liberation, the fruit of jnana, and sometimes for vibhutis, or opulence, the fruit of karma. Hence, they too are called nondevotees. Because they lack full surrender, those who worship the demigods are nondevotees too.
Those who are attached to discussing dry logic are also averse to the Lord, what to speak of those who conclude that the Lord is only a figment of the imagination. Those who are attached to sense gratification and thus have no opportunity to remember the Lord are counted among the nondevotees as well.
If one associates with these nondevotees, in a short time one’s intelligence will be polluted and his heart overcome by their propensities. If anyone desires to attain pure devotional service, he should carefully renounce the association of nondevotees.
(Sajjana Tosanl 11/11)
#Bhaktivinoda Thakura
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