abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi
abhyāse — in practice;
api — if;
asamarthaḥ — unable;
asi — you;
mat-karma paramaḥ — devotedly work for me;
bhava — be;
mat-artham — for my sake;
api — also;
karmāṇi — work;
kurvan — performing;
siddhim — perfection;
avāpsyasi — you shall achieve
This verse is saying that if you're not able to follow the specific rules and practices of bhakti-yoga—like meditation, chanting, or rituals—don’t worry! Instead, you can still help out by doing work for God. This simply means that even if you're not deep into spiritual practices, you can contribute in other ways that are also valuable.
Think of it this way: in a business, there are many roles. Some people may be responsible for the day-to-day tasks, while others may help with organization, investment, or even with promoting the business. Similarly, in the context of serving God, not everyone needs to be a priest or a monk. If you are unable to engage in direct devotional practices, you can still play a significant role by doing work that promotes spiritual ideas, like helping to spread the message of God—this is working for God, too.
For example, if someone has a lot of money, they could help by donating to build a temple where people can gather to pray and learn more about spirituality. If someone is good with writing, they might choose to write articles or books that spread spiritual teachings. Even just volunteering your time for causes related to helping people in a spiritual context counts as working for God.
The key idea here is that no effort to support spiritual activities is too small, and every bit helps. Whether you are directly practicing or not, what's important is to make sure that your work is dedicated to a higher purpose, which is pleasing God.
When you focus your efforts on helping to bring others closer to God, it helps you grow in your own understanding and love for God. It's like planting seeds in a garden; every little bit counts and over time, with care and attention, those seeds can blossom into something beautiful. So, if you can't practice the structured techniques of spirituality, just engaging in good deeds and supporting the cause of God can still bring you closer to spiritual fulfillment. By doing work that aims to help and uplift others in the name of God, you will eventually reach a deeper stage of spiritual understanding and peace.