Devanagari
भवद्विधा महाभागा निषेव्या अर्हसत्तमा: ।
श्रेयस्कामैर्नृभिर्नित्यं देवा: स्वार्था न साधव: ॥ ३० ॥
Verse text
bhavad-vidhā mahā-bhāgā
niṣevyā arha-sattamāḥ
śreyas-kāmair nṛbhir nityaṁ
devāḥ svārthā na sādhavaḥ
Synonyms
bhavat
—
vidhāḥ — like your good self
;
mahā
—
bhāgāḥ — most eminent
;
niṣevyāḥ
—
worthy of being served
;
arha
—
of those who are worshipable
;
sat
—
tamāḥ — the most saintly
;
śreyaḥ
—
the highest good
;
kāmaiḥ
—
who desire
;
nṛbhiḥ
—
by men
;
nityam
—
always
;
devaḥ
—
the demigods
;
sva
—
arthāḥ — concerned with their personal interest
;
na
—
not so
;
sādhavaḥ
—
saintly devotees .
Translation
Exalted souls like you are the true objects of service and the most worshipable authorities for those who desire the highest good in life. Demigods are generally concerned with their own interests, but saintly devotees never are.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Exalted souls like you are the true objects of service and the most worshipable authorities for those who desire the highest good in life. Demigods are generally concerned with their own interests, but saintly devotees never are.
KB 10.48.30
“Apart from this filial relationship, an exalted devotee like you is always to be worshiped by everyone. Anyone who desires good fortune must offer his respectful obeisances unto personalities like you, who are greater than the demigods. People worship the demigods when in need of some sense gratification, and the demigods offer benedictions to their devotees after being worshiped. But a devotee like you, Akrūra, is always ready to offer people the greatest benediction. A saintly person or devotee is free to offer benedictions to everyone, whereas the demigods can offer benedictions only after being worshiped.
Purport
Whereas demigods may award material benefit, saintly devotees of the Lord have the power to award the real perfection of life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa reinforces the respectful mood He has adopted here toward His uncle Akrūra.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"O Akrura you are our guru, father. From the point of view of normal behaviour, you are worthy of respect by us." This is stated in verse 29. "From the spiritual point of view, you must be worshipped, since you are the highest devotee." This is stated in this verse.
"Among those worthy of worship you are most worshipable (arha sattama)."
"But worship of the devas is more famous."
"The devatas are self interested, but the devotees are not. They are intent on giving mercy to others."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Because of your exalted qualities we should serve you. People similar to you are fortune to have attained the status of the greatest devotees (mahā-bhāgāḥ), what to speak of you directly having good fortune. Persons like you are even greater that the devatās. You should always be served with the greatest devotion (ni—sevyā) by men. You are most worthy of service (arha-sattamāḥ). Some versions have arhattamaḥ. All men should serve devotee like you because such service is the best means of advancement. And since among men you are a Yadu and my uncle, serving you is highest means of advancement. The plural is used (śreyas-kāmaiḥ) to indicate the goals of liberation and bhakti. Other than the Lord and his devotees, others such as devatās do not have such power. Besides giving meager results, there is another fault in the devatās. They have their self-interest. By being indifferent to becoming a devatā, persons like you are much greater than devatās. The qualities of the devotees are as follows.
titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
Such devotees are tolerant, merciful, friendly to all beings, without enemies, gentle, straightforward and respectful to other devotees.
mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām
mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ
They perform steady bhakti to me with exclusive devotion, giving up all actions to attain me, giving up friends and relatives.
mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca
tapanti vividhās tāpā naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ
Taking shelter of me, they recite and listen to pure stories. They are not afflicted by material miseries, and thus fully absorb their minds in me.
ta ete sādhavaḥ sādhvi sarva-saṅga-vivarjitāḥ
saṅgas teṣv atha te prārthyaḥ saṅga-doṣa-harā hi te
Those devotees are devoid of attachment to artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa. You should desire their association. They destroy the faults of material association. SB 3.25.21-24