Dedication to Krishna surpasses all austerities and guarantees eternal security beyond maya's reach.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: na tathā hy aghavān rājan pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā [SB 6.1.16] [My dear King, if a sinful person engages in the service of a bona fide devotee of the Lord and thus learns how to dedicate his life unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can be completely purified. One cannot be purified merely by undergoing austerity, penance, brahmacarya and the other methods of atonement I have previously described.] This verse we were discussing last week. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is affirming, "My dear King, hy aghavān." Hy aghavān means those who are sinful persons. Practically everyone of us who is within this material world more or less we are all sinful.
The degrees may be different but nobody is uncontaminated. Simply those who are engaged in the devotional service they are on the prophylactic platform. But that does not mean they are uncontaminated. The devotees they are also contaminated.
But they are put into such transcendental platform that further contamination cannot attack them and whatever contaminated life was there in the past that is being counteracted. But don't think for a moment that now we have perfected ourselves. No. We should always bear in mind that we are in the midst of infected area.
Any moment the infection can attack us. Take for example that in a neighbourhood where there is infection of disease, say cholera or typhoid like that. Those who have taken vaccines, anti-cholera vaccine or anti-typhoid vaccines. Just like physicians, doctors they go to treat contaminated patient but if they are not cautious the physician will become himself contaminated.
Then the question will come out physician heal thyself. A physician goes to treat but he... If he is himself a diseased man how he can treat? So our preachers, our devotees should always remember that māyā is very strong. As soon as there is slackness, immediately māyā will attack.
Just like the darkness and sunshine. You'll find in daytime that they are side-by-side. Just on the margin, there is darkness, there is sun, sunshine. So you can remain either in the sunshine or in the darkness that is your choice.
But the both things are side-by-side. Similarly Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Māyā has no existence, just like darkness has no existence. Darkness means absence of light that's all.