Verse 2.3.129

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.129:

तथापि कार्या प्रेम्णैव परिहाराय हृद्-रुजः ।
फलान्तरेषु कामस्य वैकुण्ठाप्ति-विरोधिनः ॥ १२९ ॥

tathāpi kāryā premṇaiva parihārāya hṛd-rujaḥ |
phalāntareṣu kāmasya vaikuṇṭhāpti-virodhinaḥ || 129 ||

tathā api–nevertheless; kāryā–it should be done; premṇā–with love; eva–certainly; parihārāya–for removing; hṛt–of the heart; rujaḥ–the disease; phala-antareṣu–for extraneous benefits; kāmasya–one who has desire; vaikuṇṭha–of Vaikuṇṭha; āpti–attains; virodhinaḥ–obstacle.

Even so, because any extraneous desire poses a great obstacle to attaining Vaikuṇṭha, in order to remove the disease of material desires in the heart, it is necessary to perform that ninefold devotional process with a loving, devotional mood.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

The Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas say, “However, it is crucial to execute navadhā-bhakti with prema, a mood of pure love. Why? It will remove worldly desires, which are opposed to the goal of achieving residence in Vaikuṇṭha. Prema, which is blissful by nature, has no other objective, and thus it destroys all extraneous desires, which are obstacles to entering Vaikuṇṭha.

“Factually, the desire for anything other than residence in Vaikuṇṭha is a sign of a diseased heart. Such desire ignites the heart with the fever of anxiety, and if one enjoys the results of his material desires, he then faces grave obstacles blocking him from Vaikuṇṭha. Such desires, relating to this world and the next (paraloka), are certainly against one’s better interests. Prema, however, being naturally devoid of material ambition, bestows bliss in both worlds and is the only means to attain great joy.”