. A devotee’s mind is never diverted to the material side of the temple. The bricks, stone and wood used in the construction of the temple are spiritual, just as the Deity, although made of stone, is not stone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. The more one advances in spiritual consciousness, the more he can understand the elements of devotional service. Nothing in devotional service is material; everything is spiritual. Consequently a devotee is awarded so-called material opulence for spiritual advancement. This opulence is an aid to help the devotee advance toward the spiritual kingdom. Thus Maharaja Citraketu remained in material opulence as a vidyadhara-pati, master of the Vidyadharas, and by executing devotional service he became perfect within a very few days and returned home, back to Godhead, taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Sesa, Ananta.
A karmi’s material opulence and a devotee’s material opulence are not on the same level. Srila Madhvacarya comments in this way:
anyantaryaminam visnum
upasyanya-samipagah
bhaved yogyataya tasya
padam va prapnuyan narah
By worshiping Lord Visnu one can get whatever he desires, but a pure devotee never asks Lord Visnu for any material profit. Instead he serves Lord Visnu without material desires and is therefore ultimately transferred to the spiritual kingdom. In this regard, Srila Viraraghava Acarya comments, yathesta-gatir ity arthah: by worshiping Visnu, a devotee can get whatever he likes. Maharaja Citraketu wanted only to return home, back to Godhead, and therefore he achieved success in that way.
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Srimad Bhagavatam Canto-06, Chapter-16, Text-29
tatah katipayahobhir
vidyayeddha-mano-gatih
jagama deva-devasya
sesasya caranantikam
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Thereafter, within a very few days, by the influence of the mantra that Citraketu had practiced, his mind became increasingly enlightened in spiritual progress, and he attained shelter at the lotus feet of Anantadeva.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
A devotee’s ultimate achievement is to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in any one of the planets in the spiritual sky. As a result of rigid execution of devotional service, a devotee receives all material opulences if these are required; otherwise, the devotee is not interested in material opulences, nor does the Supreme Lord award them. When a devotee is actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, his apparently material opulences are not material; they are all spiritual. For example, if a devotee spends money to construct a beautiful and costly temple, the construction is not material but spiritual (nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate). A devotee’s mind is never diverted to the material side of the temple. The bricks, stone and wood used in the construction of the temple are spiritual, just as the Deity, although made of stone, is not stone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. The more one advances in spiritual consciousness, the more he can understand the elements of devotional service. Nothing in devotional service is material; everything is spiritual. Consequently a devotee is awarded so-called material opulence for spiritual advancement. This opulence is an aid to help the devotee advance toward the spiritual kingdom. Thus Maharaja Citraketu remained in material opulence as a vidyadhara-pati, master of the Vidyadharas, and by executing devotional service he became perfect within a very few days and returned home, back to Godhead, taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Sesa, Ananta.
A karmi’s material opulence and a devotee’s material opulence are not on the same level. Srila Madhvacarya comments in this way:
anyantaryaminam visnum
upasyanya-samipagah
bhaved yogyataya tasya
padam va prapnuyan narah
By worshiping Lord Visnu one can get whatever he desires, but a pure devotee never asks Lord Visnu for any material profit. Instead he serves Lord Visnu without material desires and is therefore ultimately transferred to the spiritual kingdom. In this regard, Srila Viraraghava Acarya comments, yathesta-gatir ity arthah: by worshiping Visnu, a devotee can get whatever he likes. Maharaja Citraketu wanted only to return home, back to Godhead, and therefore he achieved success in that way.
[To hear more on this verse, visit – http://www.srimadbhagavatamclass.com/srimad-bhagavatam-canto-06-chapter-16-text-29/]
