Devanagari
अर्चादावर्चयेत्तावदीश्वरं मां स्वकर्मकृत् ।
यावन्न वेद स्वहृदि सर्वभूतेष्ववस्थितम् ॥ २५ ॥
Verse text
arcādāv arcayet tāvad
īśvaraṁ māṁ sva-karma-kṛt
yāvan na veda sva-hṛdi
sarva-bhūteṣv avasthitam
Synonyms
arcā
—
ādau — beginning with worship of the Deity
;
arcayet
—
one should worship
;
tāvat
—
so long
;
īśvaram
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
mām
—
Me
;
sva
—
his own
;
karma
—
prescribed duties
;
kṛt
—
performing
;
yāvat
—
as long as
;
na
—
not
;
veda
—
he realizes
;
sva
—
hṛdi — in his own heart
;
sarva
—
bhūteṣu — in all living entities
;
avasthitam
—
situated .
Translation
Performing his prescribed duties, one should worship the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead until one realizes My presence in his own heart and in the hearts of other living entities as well.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When a person does not know that the Lord is situated in all beings, that person should worship me in the deity form along with prescribed duties without attachment.
Since those practicing pure bhakti by their nature have pure antaḥkaraṇas, they generally do not disrespect any living being. However, karma-miśra-bhaktas can disrespect other living entities. Until the impurities of the antaḥkaraṇa no longer remain disrespect is possible. When the antaḥkaraṇa is pure, disrespect is not possible. At that time he should no longer perform karma with his bhakti. Sva-karma-kṛt means the person performs karma-miśra-bhakti in sattva-guṇa. With the appearance of the state of seeing the Lord in all beings, the person should no longer perform karma-miśra-bhakti, since he is no longer qualified for karma. Performing jṣāna-miśra-bhakti, he should worship my deity form.
Purport
Worship of the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is prescribed herewith even for persons who are simply discharging their prescribed duties. There are prescribed duties for the different social classes of men — the
brāhmaṇas,
the
vaiśyas,
the
kṣatriyas
and the
śūdras
— and for the different
āśramas — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha
and
sannyāsa.
One should worship the Deity of the Lord until one appreciates the presence of the Lord in every living entity. In other words, one should not be satisfied simply by discharging his duties properly; he must realize his relationship and the relationship of all other living entities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he does not understand this, then even though he discharges his prescribed duties properly, it is to be understood that he is simply laboring without profit.
The word
sva-karma-kṛt
in this verse is very significant.
Sva-karma-kṛt
is one who engages in discharging his prescribed duties. It is not that one who has become a devotee of the Lord or who engages in devotional service should give up his prescribed duties. No one should be lazy under the plea of devotional service. One has to execute devotional service according to his prescribed duties.
Sva-karma-kṛt
means that one should discharge the duties prescribed for him without neglect.