Pure devotion without material motive never falls down; material-driven spirituality inevitably deteriorates.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.14.14 — November 16, 1971, Delhi 711116SB-DELHI [40:33 Minutes] SB-04.14.14_711116SB-DELHI Prabhupāda: śrī munaya ūcuḥ nṛpa-varya nibodhaitad yat te vijñāpayāma bhoḥ āyuḥ-śrī-bala-kīrtīnāṁ tava tāta vivardhanam [SB 4.14.14] [aside:] You can close this door. So irresponsible government. It is not now; such things happened in long, long days ago also. That is the nature of this material world, that everything deteriorates. Whatever good thing you may prepare, in due course of time, it will deteriorate.
That is the nature of material nature, that something is produced which in the beginning it goes on nicely, then gradually it deteriorates. Influence of time, and then vanish. So even in religious movement, if there is materialistic motive, then it will deteriorate. It will not stand. So beginning of religious life should be without any material motive.
Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Brs. 1.1.11(1)], no material motive. Generally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, people go to the temple and the churches or any religious..., synagogue, with a material motive. Ārto arthārthī. Generally they are in need of money or they are unhappy some way or other, and they go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or according to their religious principle, and pray for material benefit. But that is also accepted as good, because they are approaching Kṛṣṇa, or God. But that is not pure devotion.
If such material motive continues, then he will fall down from that devotional service. Because as soon as his distress is mitigated, he will think that there is no more need of worshiping. Naturally he forgets. Just like rich man.
A rich man becomes rich not very easily—with great austerity either in this life or in the past. But when he gets money, he becomes extravagant and again falls down. Similarly, we may go to Kṛṣṇa in times of distress, but as soon as the distress is gone, we forget Kṛṣṇa. There is a very nice verse in Hindi that, duḥkha se saba hari bhaje sukha se bhaje koī sukha se agar hari bhaje duḥkha kāthāṭ se haya Generally people take to devotional service when they are in materially distressed condition. The rich man, they do not care for it.
But if a rich man takes care that "I have got this money by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. I must use it for Kṛṣṇa," then he will never be unhappy. He will never be unhappy. Because after all, whatever we get, it is by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
So by His favor we get opulence, riches, but when we are opulent we forget Kṛṣṇa, because māyā is very strong. Māyā will detect, "Oh, you have got so much money, why don't you enjoy wine and woman?" as it is going on in European and American countries, anyone who gets money, he utilizes it for wine and woman; he has no other engagement. He does not know how to utilize money. Therefore, now the British Empire, we have seen it practically how opulent British Empire was, and now how they are coming down.