B.G 9.30 to 33

अपि चेत् सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक्। साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग् व्यवसितो हि सः ॥३०॥

api cet sudurācāro bhajate māmananyabhāk। sādhureva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ ॥30॥

[अपि (api) - Even if; चेत् (cet) - if; सुदुराचारः (su-dur-ācāraḥ) - extremely ill-behaved; भजते (bhajate) - worships; माम् (mām) - Me; अनन्यभाक् (ananya-bhāk) - with exclusive devotion. साधुः (sādhuḥ) - saintly; एव (eva) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; मन्तव्यः (mantavyaḥ) - is to be considered; सम्यक् (samyak) - rightly; व्यवसितः (vyavasitaḥ) - resolved; हि (hi) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he.]

Even if one is extremely ill-behaved, if he worships Me with exclusive devotion, he is to be considered saintly, for he is rightly resolved.

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति। कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥३१॥

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvacchāntiṁ nigacchati। kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati ॥31॥

[क्षिप्रं (kṣipraṁ) - Quickly; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; धर्मात्मा (dharma-ātmā) - righteous-souled; शश्वत्-शान्तिं (śaśvat-śāntiṁ) - eternal peace; निगच्छति (nigacchati) - attains. कौन्तेय (kaunteya) - O son of Kunti; प्रतिजानीहि (pratijānīhi) - understand conclusively; न (na) - not; मे (me) - My; भक्तः (bhaktaḥ) - devotee; प्रणश्यति (praṇaśyati) - perishes.]

He quickly becomes righteous and attains eternal peace; O son of Kunti, understand conclusively that My devotee never perishes.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः। स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥३२॥

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye'pi syuḥ pāpayonayaḥ। striyo vaiśyāstathā śūdrāste'pi yānti parāṁ gatim ॥32॥

[माम् (mām) - Me; हि (hi) - indeed; पार्थ (pārtha) - O son of Pritha (Arjuna); व्यपाश्रित्य (vyapāśritya) - taking refuge in; ये अपि (ye api) - even those who; स्युः (syuḥ) - may be; पाप-योनयः (pāpa-yonayaḥ) - of sinful birth. स्त्रियः (striyaḥ) - women; वैश्याः (vaiśyāḥ) - merchants; तथा (tathā) - and also; शूद्राः (śūdrāḥ) - laborers; ते अपि (te api) - they also; यान्ति (yānti) - attain; परां (parāṁ) - supreme; गतिम् (gatim) - destination.]

Even those of sinful birth - women, merchants, and labourers, if they take refuge in Me, O Arjuna, they too attain the supreme destination.

किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा। अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ॥३३॥

kiṁ punarbrāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayastathā। anityamasukhaṁ lokamimaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām ॥33॥

[किं पुनः (kiṁ punaḥ) - What to speak then; ब्राह्मणाः (brāhmaṇāḥ) - of the Brahmins; पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - virtuous; भक्ताः (bhaktāḥ) - devotees; राजर्षयः (rāja-ṛṣayaḥ) - royal sages; तथा (tathā) - likewise. अनित्यम् (anityam) - impermanent; असुखं (asukhaṁ) - full of suffering; लोकम् (lokam) - world; इमम् (imam) - this; प्राप्य (prāpya) - having attained; भजस्व (bhajasva) - worship; माम् (mām) - Me.]

What to speak then of virtuous Brahmins and royal sages who are devoted? Having attained this impermanent and joyless world, worship Me.

Gīta Bhāshya 9.30 to 33

The Lord devotees generally does not misbehave. But because of unwinding of karma, temporarily he may misbehave. Such exceptions are rare and not common.

न भवत्येव प्रायः तद् भक्तः सुदुराचारः। तथापि बहुपुण्येन यदि कथञ्चित् भवति तर्हि साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः ॥३०॥

na bhavatyeva prāyaḥ tad bhaktaḥ sudurācāraḥ। tathāpi bahupuṇyena yadi kathañcit bhavati tarhi sādhureva sa mantavyaḥ ॥30॥

[न (na) - Not; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; एव (eva) - certainly; प्रायः (prāyaḥ) - generally; तत् (tat) - that; भक्तः (bhaktaḥ) - devotee; सुदुराचारः (su-dur-ācāraḥ) - extremely ill-behaved. तथापि (tathā api) - even then; बहु-पुण्येन (bahu-puṇyena) - because of excessive merit; यदि (yadi) - if; कथञ्चित् (kathañcit) - somehow; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; तर्हि (tarhi) - then; साधुः (sādhuḥ) - saintly; एव (eva) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; मन्तव्यः (mantavyaḥ) - is to be considered.]

Generally, a devotee does not become extremely ill-behaved; yet, because of excessive merit, somehow, he does, even then he is to be considered saintly.

कुतः क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा। देवदेवांशादिषु एव च तद्भवति। उक्तं च शाण्डिल्यशाखायाम् -

kutaḥ kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā। devadevāṁśādiṣu eva ca tadbhavati। uktaṁ ca śāṇḍilyaśākhāyām

[कुतः (kutaḥ) - how; क्षिप्रं (kṣipraṁ) - quickly; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; धर्मात्मा (dharma-ātmā) - righteous soul. देवदेव-अंश-आदिषु (deva-deva-aṁśa-ādiṣu) - among the parts or portions of the Lord of lords; एव (eva) - indeed; च (ca) - and; तत् (tat) - that; भवति (bhavati) - becomes. उक्तं (uktaṁ) - it is said; च (ca) - and; शाण्डिल्य-शाखायाम् (śāṇḍilya-śākhāyām) - in the Śāṇḍilya branch (of Vedic literature).]

How does such a one quickly become righteous? It happens only for those deities, sages and those who have portions of the deities or sages. This is also stated in the Śāṇḍilya branch of the Vedas.

"नाविरतो दुश्चरितान्नाभक्तो नासमाहितः। सम्यग् भक्तो भवेत् कञ्चित् वासुदेवेऽमलाशयः। देवर्षयस्तदंशाश्च भवन्ति क्व च ज्ञानतः॥

"nāvirato duścaritānnābhakto nāsamāhitaḥ। samyag bhakto bhavet kañcit vāsudeve'malāśayaḥ। devarṣayastadaṁśāśca bhavanti kva ca jñānataḥ॥

[न (na) - not; अविरतः (avirataḥ) - one who has not withdrawn; दुश्चरितात् (duścaritāt) - from evil conduct; न (na) - not; अभक्तः (abhaktaḥ) - one who is not devoted; न (na) - not; असमाहितः (asamāhitaḥ) - one who is not composed/concentrated. सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; भक्तः (bhaktaḥ) - a devotee; भवेत् (bhavet) - becomes; कञ्चित् (kañcit) - someone; वासुदेवے (vāsudeve) - in Vāsudeva (the Supreme); अमलाशयः (amalāśayaḥ) - with pure mind/intention. देवर्षयः (devarṣayaḥ) - divine sages; तत्-अंशाः (tat-aṁśāḥ) - parts of theirs; च (ca) - and; भवन्ति (bhavanti) - become; क्व (kva) - where; च (ca) - and; ज्ञानतः (jñānataḥ) - through knowledge.]

"One who has not turned away from evil conduct, who is not devoted, and who is not composed - none of them can truly become a proper devotee of Vāsudeva with a pure heart. Divine sages and those who are their portions become through their knowledge."

इति।

iti।

[इति (iti) - thus, so.]

- stated thus.

अतः अन्यः कश्चित् भवति चेत् डाम्भिकत्वेन सोनुमेयः। साधारणपापानां तत्सन्गात् महत्यपि कथञ्चित् भक्तिः भवति। साधारणभक्तिर्वा इतरेषाम् -

ataḥ anyaḥ kaścit bhavati cet ḍāmbhikatvena sonumeyaḥ। sādhāraṇapāpānāṁ tatsangāt mahatyapi kathañcit bhaktiḥ bhavati। sādhāraṇabhaktirvā itareṣām -

[अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - someone else; कश्चित् (kaścit) - a certain one; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; चेत् (cet) - if; डाम्भिकत्वेन (ḍāmbhikatvena) - due to hypocrisy; सः (saḥ) - he; अनुमेयः (anumeyaḥ) - is to be inferred. साधारणपापानाम् (sādhāraṇa-pāpānām) - of common sinners; तत्-सङ्गात् (tat-saṅgāt) - from association with them; महति (mahati) - great; अपि (api) - even; कथञ्चित् (kathañcit) - somehow; भक्तिः (bhaktiḥ) - devotion; भवति (bhavati) - arises. साधारण-भक्तिः (sādhāraṇa-bhaktiḥ) - ordinary devotion; वा (vā) - or; इतरेषाम् (itareṣām) - of others.]

Therefore, if some other person appears (to be a devotee), he is to be inferred as hypocritical. Even among great sinners, devotion may arise rarely from their association (with great devotees). Elsewhere, there is usually only ordinary devotion:

"स शठमतिरुपयाति योऽर्थतृष्णां तमधमचेष्टमवैहि नास्य भक्तिः।"

"sa śaṭhamatirupayāti yo'rthatr̥ṣṇāṁ tamadhamaceṣṭamavaihi nāsya bhaktiḥ।"

[सः (saḥ) - he; शठ-मतिः (śaṭha-matiḥ) - of deceitful mind; उपयाति (upayāti) - approaches; यः (yaḥ) - who; अर्थ-तृष्णाम् (artha-tṛṣṇām) - craving for wealth/desires; तम् (tam) - him; अधम-चेष्टम् (adhama-ceṣṭam) - of vile conduct; अवैहि (avaihi) - know; न (na) - not; अस्य (asya) - his; भक्तिः (bhaktiḥ) - devotion.]

"He who, with a deceitful mind, pursues craving for wealth - know him to be of vile conduct; he has no true devotion."

इति श्रीविष्णुपुराणे।

iti śrīviṣṇupurāṇe।

[इति (iti) - thus; श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe) - in the Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa.]

- stated thus in the Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa.