nehäbhikrama-näço 'sti
pratyaväyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
träyate mahato bhayät

SYNONYMS

na-there is not; iha-in this yoga; abhikrama-in endeavoring; näçaù-loss; asti-there is; pratyaväyaù-diminution; na-never; vidyate-there is; su-alpam-a little; api-although; asya-of this; dharmasya-occupation; träyate-releases; mahataù-from very great; bhayät-danger.

PURPORT

Activity in Kåñëa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kåñëa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kåñëa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kåñëa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kåñëa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit. Ajämila performed his duty in some percentage of Kåñëa consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord. There is a nice verse in this connection in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.5.17):

tyaktvä sva-dharmaà caraëämbujaà harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva väbhadram abhüd amuñya kià
ko värtha äpto 'bhajatäà sva-dharmataù

"If someone gives up his occupational duties and works in Kåñëa consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly?" Or, as the Christians say, "What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?"