Verse 2.3.169

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.169:

इच्छा-वशात् पापम् उपासकानां क्षीयेत भोगोन्मुखम् अप्य् अमुस्मात् ।
प्रारब्ध-मात्रं भवतीतरेषां कर्मावशिष्टं तद् अवश्य-भोग्यम् ॥ १६९ ॥

icchā-vaśāt pāpam upāsakānāṃ kṣīyeta bhogonmukham apy amusmāt |
prārabdha-mātraṃ bhavatītareṣāṃ karmāvaśiṣṭaṃ tad avaśya-bhogyam || 169 ||

icchā–by their desire; vaśāt–influenced; pāpam–sin; upāsakānām–of the worshipers; kṣīyeta–it can be destroyed; bhogaunmukham–the inclination for material enjoyment; api–however; amuṣmāt–from that; prārabdha–already manifest; mātram–only; bhavati–becomes; itareṣām–for others; karma–of their fruitive work; avaśiṣṭam–remaining results; tad-avaśya–that inevitably; bhogyam–to be suffered.

In accordance with the desire of those worshipers who are always attached to serving the names of Bhagavān, their sinful reactions that are imminent are destroyed. However, for non-worshipers who occasionally engage in nāma-kīrtana, only the sinful reactions from which they are presently suffering (prārabdha-karma) remain, and it is necessary that they experience them.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might doubt, “Despite performing the powerful process of nāma-kīrtana, why are the devotees still seen to be subject to different forms of distress?” In response, the Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas speak this verse beginning with icchā.

They say, “Although all the fructified sinful reactions (prārabdha karma-phala) of those who are devoted to serving the names of Śrī Bhagavān may be visible in the form of distress, nevertheless, their sinful reactions are destroyed according to their own desire and only the pious merit (puṇya) that bestows auspiciousness remains intact. Why? It is up to the person engaging in nāma-saṅkīrtana whether he wants to alleviate his prārabdha-karma or not.”

It is mentioned in Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya:

कर्म-चक्रं तु यत् प्रोक्तम् अविलङ्घ्यं सुरासुरैः
मद्-भक्ति-प्रबलैर् मर्त्यैर् विद्धि लङ्घितम् एव तत्

karma-cakraṃ tu yat proktam avilaṅghyaṃ surāsuraiḥ
mad-bhakti-prabalair martyair viddhi laṅghitam eva tat

The cycle of karma, which even the demigods and the demons are unable to transcend, is easily surmounted by the devotees due to the influence of bhakti.

“Those who do not worship the names of the Lord must suffer the sinful reactions (prārabdha-karma) that are presently manifesting even if they have somehow, at some time, engaged in nāma-saṅkīrtana. However, although their manifest (prārabdha) karma can only be exhausted by undergoing it, that karma which is not yet manifest (aprārabdha), as well as that which is latent (kūṭa-stha), and so on are destroyed.”