If a devotee is sincere with simple heart, to comit a sin due to weakness-previous bad impressions, is not so bad as a devotee who externally follow all the rules of bhakti but keep hipocrisy inside his heart. ex: he knows that he is not liberated soul, have some anarthas but still is posing to the world as a Guru, as a personality who can liberate others. In fact, its the sinner who will be liberated and the other will have to go to hell. The first is harming himself only, the other harms himself and many others. We have heard that Sri Prahlad Maharaj in his previous birth was atached to a prostitute, but because he had simple heart and did nrsimha-chaturdasi-vrat (fasting) unkowingly, he became great suddha-bhakta in next birth. Ajamil, also aparently a sinner, got the same auspicious end as Prahlad. In fact, the Lord have told Arjun to declare it to whole world: "Declare that my sincere bhakta who comite sin, is still sadhu". But condition is that he must be sincere and have simple heart, without any duplicity. In other way, if a person follow all rules and is not externally doing any sin, if he is cheating himself and others by posing as a sadhu who can liberate others, this person will go to hell. God will always give priority to the internal mentality of everyone. The Lord Jeshua (Jesus) also rebuked the hebrews for this same matter. Its the way of the tricky Lord. We can not understand.
baladev das
baladev das
