Text 18

Residence in the heavenly planets, residence in Brahmaloka, sovereignty over the Earth and lower planetary systems, the perfections of yoga and the eighteen mystic perfections are all insignificant from the perspective of a devotee.

This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.11.25):

न नाक-पृष्ठं न च पारमेष्ठ्यं न सार्व-भौमं न रसाधिपत्यम्
न योग-सिद्धीर् अपुनर्-भवं वा समञ्जस त्वा विरहय्य काङ्क्षे

na nāka-pṛṣṭhaṃ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṃ na sārva-bhaumaṃ na rasādhipatyam
na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaṃ vā samañjasa tvā virahayya kāṅkṣe

O source of all good fortune, I have no desire to have a position of great sovereignty like that of Dhruva or Brahmā, or rulership over the Earth; nor do I desire aṇimā or any other mystic perfection. I do not even want liberation, if attaining it means I would have to give You up.

स्वर्ग परमेष्ठी-स्थान, सार्वभौम-पद
रसातल-आधिपत्य, योगेर सम्पद

svarga parameṣṭhī-sthāna, sārvabhauma-pada
rasātala-ādhipatya, yogera sampada

निर्वाण इत्यादि यत छाडि’ सेवा तव
नाहि मागि, ए मोर प्रतिज्ञा अकैतव

nirvāṇa ityādi yata chāḍi’ sevā tava
nāhi māgi, e mora pratijñā akaitava

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

Śrī Bhagavān prevents His devotees from endeavouring for dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, and this infers His mercy. While His mercy is easily attained by the devotees whose only possession is Kṛṣṇa (akiñcana-bhaktas), it is extremely difficult to attain for living entities who are absorbed in sense enjoyment.

This Text is a prayer by Vṛtrāsura. While fighting with Indra, Vṛtrāsura considered it better to choose death over either victory or defeat, so that he could quickly cut his bodily bondage. He would then be able to directly serve the Supreme Lord.

Directly perceiving Śrī Bhagavān, Vṛtrāsura expressed the moods of his heart. “O source of all good fortune, I do not want a position in Dhruvaloka or Brahmaloka, nor do I want sole rulership of the Earth. I have no desire for mystic perfections or even liberation–which is the goal of impersonalists, who perform severe practices to attain it–if I have to give You up. My life is leaving my body in the fire of separation from You. O Lord, how can I ever attain eternal service to Your lotus feet?”

Devotees long to attain the eternal service of Śrī Bhagavān. Only one who has factually realised the bliss of service (sevānanda) knows the significance of this. By obtaining dharma, artha and kāma, the living entity does not stop his transmigration, and by sāyujya-mukti, the living entity simply remains like an inert object in the effulgent brahma. Devotees, however, relish the sweetness of service in newer and newer ways in the eternal abode of the Supreme Lord. This is the unique characteristic of the bhakta and bhakti.

Bhakti-devī disappears from the heart of that person who eagerly desires liberation, and this is confirmed in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 1.92):

तार मध्ये मोक्ष-वाञ्छा कैतव-प्रधान
याहा हैते कृष्ण-भक्ति हय अन्तर्धान

tāra madhye mokṣa-vāñchā kaitava-pradhāna
yāhā haite kṛṣṇa-bhakti haya antardhāna

The foremost process of cheating is to desire to achieve liberation by merging into the Supreme, for this causes the permanent disappearance of loving service to Kṛṣṇa. *