Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1

Sanskrit:

श्रीनारद उवाचभक्तियोगस्य तत्सर्वमन्तरायतयार्भक: ।मन्यमानो हृषीकेशं स्मयमान उवाच ह ॥ १ ॥

ITRANS:

śrī-nārada uvācabhakti-yogasya tat sarvamantarāyatayārbhakaḥmanyamāno hṛṣīkeśaṁsmayamāna uvāca ha

Translation:

The saint Nārada Muni continued: Although Prahlāda Mahārāja was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva he considered them impediments on the path of devotional service. Thus he smiled very mildly and spoke as follows.

Purport:

Material achievements are not the ultimate goal of devotional service. The ultimate goal of devotional service is love of Godhead. Therefore although Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja and many devotee kings were materially very opulent, they accepted their material opulence in the service of the Lord, not for their personal sense gratification. Of course, possessing material opulence is always fearful because under the influence of material opulence one may be misdirected from devotional service. Nonetheless, a pure devotee (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam) is never misdirected by material opulence. On the contrary, whatever he possesses he engages one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. When one is allured by material possessions, they are considered to be given by māyā, but when one uses material possessions fully for service, they are considered God’s gifts, or facilities offered by Kṛṣṇa for enhancing one’s devotional service.