When germs of a deadly disease such as tuberculosis infect us and give rise to manifest symptoms of sickness, we take treatment immediately and diligently. But often after some treatment, if the symptoms disappear, we presume that we have recovered, and we discontinue the treatment. However, the germs have only been silenced, not eliminated. When we stop the treatment prematurely, they re-surface, sometimes in stronger strains such as resistant-TB.
The same principle applies to our spiritual healing too. Gita wisdom explains that we are presently in a spiritually sick condition, being infected by the germs of selfish desires. These germs misdirect our natural quest for happiness from the selfless spiritual level to the selfish material level: from delighting as souls in loving and serving Krishna, the eternal Lord of our heart, to seeking pleasure in possessing and controlling worldly things. When such selfish desires become too forceful and impel us to immoral, anti-devotional activities, we feel tormented and start taking the treatment of devotional service, striving to absorb ourselves in Krishna. Such absorption provides us higher intelligence and taste, thus enabling us to resist those tempting and tormenting desires.
But when those desires subside, we tend to relax our devotional practices, doing them mechanically and lackadaisically. Due to not connecting with Krishna, we no longer relish higher happiness. And the germs of selfish desires re-surface and propel us towards lower indulgences once again.
Thankfully, those germs can never become resistant to Krishna. But we may become habituated to perfunctory performance of devotional service. Due to the obstructing force of this habit, we find it difficult to absorb ourselves in Krishna, even when we want to. To prevent such unnecessary resistance, we need to, as the Bhagavad-gita (06.24) urges, reject all selfish desires and stay constantly absorbed in spiritual consciousness.
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Hare Krishna Prabhuji,
Really very nice explanation of the verse. Unlike the drug resistant bacteria which become resistant by repetitive usage of drugs, the spiritual medicine in the form of bhakti will never ever cause resistance to the germs of these materialistic desires, rather this spiritual medicine becomes more powerful (as we use it with more sincerity and devotion) to eliminate these germs of the materialistic desires.
Thanks.