This article is dedicated to those who are ever ready to expose, ridicule and punish sinners.
(Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura - Bhagavad Gita Commentary 9.30-32 - Sarartha Varsini)
30. Even if the most sinful person worships Me with no other desire than to please Me, I consider that person to be My devotee, as he has fixed himself completely in Me.
My attachment to My devotee is My very nature. That attachment does not decrease even if the devotee commits wrong, for I make him come up to the highest standard. If someone with bad conduct, addicted to violence, thievery, or adultery (suduräcäraù), worships Me, and worships no one except Me, and does not follow any other process like karma or jïäna, and has no other desire than My desire (ananya- bhak), he is My devotee (sädhuù).
“But, considering his bad conduct, how is he a devotee?”
“He is to be respected (mantavyaù) as a devotee because of his devotee qualities. It is a command. Not doing so is offense. My order is the authority.”
“So he should be considered a devotee in that portion where he worship You, and as a non-devotee in that portion where he commits adultery?”
“No, he should be considered as a devotee (eva) in all his parts. You should not see his bad qualities at all. He is completely convinced (samyak vyavasthitaù). He makes a splendid resolution: ‘I will go to hell for my sinful actions which are hard to give up, but I will not give up dedicated worship of Kåñëa.’
31. Very quickly he becomes a righteous person, and becomes completely devoid of contamination. O son of Kunté, you declare that My devotee never perishes.
“How can You accept the worship of such a sinful person? How can you eat the food and drink offered by a heart contaminated with lust and anger?”
“Very quickly he becomes righteous.” The present is used and not the future to express the fact that having committed sin, by remembering the Lord, he becomes repentant, and thus very quickly becomes righteous.
“O how unfortunate I am! There is no one as low as I, bringing bad name to the devotees.” Repeatedly (çaçvat), he feels completely (ni for nitaräm) disgust (çäntim) for those actions.
Or, the use of the present tense can indicate that in the future he will develop righteousness fully, but even right now it exists in a subtle form. After taking medicine, though the destructive effects of fever or poison remains for some time, it is not considered seriously. Thus, with the entrance of bhakti in his mind, the sinful actions are not taken seriously. And the traces of sin such as lust and anger should be considered insignificant, like the biting of a toothless snake. Thus he attains (nigacchati) complete cessation of lust and anger (çäntim) permanently (çaçvat). In nigacchati, ni stands for nitaräm, completely. This means that even during the stage of having tendency to commit sin, he has a pure heart.
“If he eventually becomes righteous there would be no argument. However, if a devotee is sinful right up till his death, what is his position?”
The Lord, affectionate to His devotees, then speaks loudly with a little anger.
“O son of Kunté, My devotee is not destroyed. At the time of death, he does not fall.”
“But arguers with harsh tongues will not respect this.”
Kåñëa then encourages the worried, lamenting Arjuna. “O Kaunteya, going to the squabbling assembly, with a tumultuous sound of drums, throwing your hands in the air, you should fearless declare this.”
“Declare what?”
“Declare that My devotee, the devotee of the Supreme Lord, though committing sin, does not perish, but rather reaches success. Arguments defeated, pride deflated, they should undoubtedly respect you as a guru.” This is Çrédhara Svämé’s explanation. But why does the Lord order Arjuna to declare this, when He could do it himself? As He will say later, mäm evaiñyasi satyaà te pratijäne priyo’si me: I declare to you that you will truly come to Me. You are very dear to Me.” (BG 18.65) In the same way, why does He not now say, “I declare, Kaunteya, that My devotee does not perish.”?
The reason is explained here. The Lord considered as follows. Being affectionate to My devotee and not tolerating even a slight degradation of My devotee, I will under all circumstances uphold the declaration made by My devotee, whereas I can break My own promise and accept criticism of Myself--just as, in breaking My own promise in fighting with Bhéñma, I fulfilled Bhéñma’s promise. Thus, hearing a declaration from My mouth, the materialistic disputers will laugh, but they will accept Arjuna’s declaration as if written on stone. Therefore, I will have Arjuna make the declaration. And thus, one should not accept the statements of the falsely intelligent persons, who, after hearing about ananyä bhakti even of the greatest sinner, think that this declaration made by the pure devotee cannot apply in cases where attachment to wife and children, sinful acts, lamentation, illusion, lust, anger and other despicable qualities manifest.
32. Women, vaiçyas and çüdräs, and even the outcastes, if they surrender to Me, attain the supreme goal.
Is it so remarkable that My bhakti does not consider the accidental faults arising by actions of My misbehaving devotee? For My bhakti does not even consider the inherent faults of such a person which arise from his very birth. Even those of sinful birth (papa-yonayaù), outcastes or mlecchas, who surrender to Me, attain the supreme goal.
kiräta-hüëändhra-pulinda-pulkaçä
äbhéra-çumbhä yavanäù khasädayaù
ye’nye ca päpä yad-apäçrayäçrayäù
çudhyanti tasmai prabhaviñëave namaù
Kiräta, Huëa, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkaça, Äbhéra, Çumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. SB 2.4.18
aho bata çva-paco ’to garéyän
yaj-jihvägre vartate näma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuù sasnur äryä
brahmänücur näma gåëanti ye te
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Äryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required. SB 3.33.7
What then to speak of women, vaiçyas or others who are impure or subject to bad qualities such as lying?
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