Question: Why is a devotee sometimes subjected to suffering, even though the process of surrender + diksa remove all sins, even the tendency to commit sins?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
BRS 1.1.22 commentary by VCT
Happiness and distress are also seen in the devotee, even with the destruction of all prärabdha-karmas. Happiness is one of the incidental results of practicing bhakti. It is said:
hari-bhakti-mahä-devyäù sarvä mukty-ädi-siddhayaù |
bhuktayaç cädbhutäs tasyäç ceöikävad anudrutäù ||
“All the perfections such as liberation and wondrous enjoyments pursue the great goddess of devotion to the Lord like maidservants.” Närada Païcarätra
The distress experienced by the devotee is sometimes given by the Lord, not due to karma.
asyäham anugåhëämi hariñye tad-dhanaà çanaiù
tato ’dhanaà tyajanty asya svajanä duùkha-duùkhitam
“If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another.” SB 10.88.8
Sometimes however the suffering is a result of offense to the Vaiñëavas.
