SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 9 Text 30
api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

api--even; cet--if; su-duracarah--one committing the most abominable actions; bhaiate--is engaged in devotional service; mam--unto Me; ananya-bhak--without deviation; sadhuh--a saint; eva--certainly; sah--he; mantavyah--is to be considered; samyak--completely; vyavasitah--situated in determination; hi--certainly; sah--he.

TRANSLATION

Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes at the end of his purport:
In the Nrsimha purana the following statement is given:

bhagavati ca harav ananya-ceta
bhrsa-malino 'pi virajate manusyah
na hi sasa-kalusa-cchabih kadacit
timira-parabhavatam upaiti candrah

The meaning is that even if one fully engaged in the devotional service of the Lord is sometimes found engaged in abominable activities, these activities should be considered to be like the spots that resemble the mark of a rabbit on the moon. Such spots do not become an impediment to the diffusion of moonlight. Similarly, the accidental falldown of a devotee from the path of saintly character does not make him abominable.

On the other hand, one should not misunderstand that a devotee in transcendental devotional service can act in all kinds of abominable ways; this verse only refers to an accident due to the strong power of material connections. Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory energy. As long as one is not strong enough to fight the illusory energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is no longer subjected to such falldowns, as previously explained. No one should take advantage of this verse and commit nonsense and think that he is still a devotee. If he does not improve in his character by devotional service, then it is to be understood that he is not a high devotee.

There is not much else one can say about the meaning of this sloka that Srila Prabhupada does not cover in his purport, so I will speak on a side issue; the "rabbit in the moon".

Here in the west we grow up looking at the "man in the moon", but on the other side of the world they see a rabbit. The moon they see in India at the beginning of the evening can be seen here in the west in the morning. The rabbit sits in profile with his ears back along the top of his head. With a little imagination, he is not hard to see at all.