bhaktes tu ‘vikriditam vrajavadhubhih’ ityadau—
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrid rogam asvapahinotyacirena dhirah
(bhag. 10.33.39)

ityatra ‘ktva’ pratyayena hrid rogavatyevadhikarini paramaya api tasyah prathamam eva pravesas tatas tayaiva parama svatantraya kamadinam apagamas ca. tesham kadacit sattve’pi ‘api cet suduracaro bhajate mam’ iti ‘badhyamano’pi mad bhakta’ ityadibhis ca tadvatam na kvapi sastreshu ninda leso’pi. ajamilasya bhaktatvam vishnudutair nirupitam. ‘sanketa bhagavannama putra snehanushangajam ityadi drishtya tad abhasavatam apyajamiladinam bhaktatvam sarvaih sangitam eva’ tad evam karma yogadinam antah karana suddhi dravya desa suddhyadayah sadhakas tad vaigunyadayo badhaka bhaktis tu prana dayinyeveti. sarvatha paratantryam eva tesham. nahi svatantrah kenapi sadhyante badhyante veti.

TRANSLATION:

Although lust is also considered a fault on the path of bhakti, one can still enter the devotional path, despite being still afflicted by lust and other material desires.
Srimad-Bhagavata (10.33.39) says:

“A person who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s pastimes of rasa-lila with the gopis of Vraja attains supreme devotion of the Lord. He quickly becomes steady and conquers over the senses, giving up lust, the disease of the heart.”

In this text “after attaining supreme devotion” is an unfinished act showing that bhakti can be attained even though one has lusty desires. This shows the most independent nature and power of bhakti to destroy lusty desires. Sometimes lusty desires exist even while practicing devotion. From verses like,
“If the most sinful person worships Me exclusively…” and “Though my devotee is afflicted by lusty desires…” it is clear that though lusty desires may exist in a devotee, still he is not condemned even slightly.
The messengers of Vishnu judged Ajamila as a devotee. From sastric evidence it is seen, “Ajamila uttered the name of the Lord, though he was calling his son’s name out of affection.” Uttering of the Lord’s name by Ajamila was just an abhasa (glimpse). He did not chant the Lord’s name, but merely used it to call his own son named Narayana. Still, he is glorified as a devotee by all. With karma-yoga and jnana-yoga, perfection depends on purity of heart, materials, place, and so on.

Purity of all these factors assists in attaining the fruits of karma and jnana.
Their lack obstructs the attainment of their respective fruits.
Bhakti, however, infuses life in them. Karma, jnana, and yoga are always dependent on bhakti, and they are never independent. They are nourished by certain factors and obstructed by others.

Piyusha kana explanation (commentary):

Sacrifices performed by karmis are inhibited even by minor faults, and may give opposite results. As long as lusty desires exist, jnana and yoga practice is not possible. By the slightest unworthy acts, jnanis and yogis are condemned, and their eventual falldown from their paths is inevitable. But under the shelter of bhakti, most pure and autonomous, a devotee is never condemned though some sinful activities may be observed in him. Bhakti bestows her mercy and finally gives him divine prema. The author is establishing this fact by sastric evidence. In Srimad-Bhagavata (10.33.39) while narrating the rasa-lila, the crest jewel of all pastimes, Sukadeva Muni describes the most powerful glories of devotion —

vikriditam vrajavadhubhir idam ca vishnoh sraddhanvito’nusrinuyad atha varnayed yah bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrid rogam asvapahinotyacirena dhirah

“Whoever faithfully hears and narrates the loving pastimes of Sri Krishna with the ladies of Vraja will attain the topmost devotion for the Lord, will swiftly become grave and give up the heart’s disease of lust.”

In this verse the saying ‘he attains the highest devotion to the Lord’ is an asamapika kriya or unfinished act, whereas the words kamam hrid rogam asvapahinoti, ‘he will swiftly give up the hearts disease of lust’ is a samapika kriya or a completed act.

Thus it is established that while lust is not yet conquered the symptoms of topmost loving devotion are already present, and that later, by the force of the most powerful and independent bhakti, the heart’s disease of lust will be destroyed.
In the Vaishnava-toshani commentary on this verse it is explained

“atra tu hrid rogapahanat purvam eva parama bhakti praptih tasmat parama balavad evedam sadhanam iti bhavah” that the common principle is that first lusty and other material desires are destroyed, and then one attains prema-bhakti. Here, however, the attainment of prema-bhakti is described, though lusty desires still exist.
This indicates that hearing or describing the rasa-lila is a very powerful process of devotion by which one quickly attains prema-bhakti.
The Gosvamis explain here that the word para- bhakti refers to the most exalted prema-bhakti, existing in the Vraja gopis.
What to speak of the existence of lust, even a very sinful person can perform bhakti
and still he is not condemned. Evidence is given in the Gita (9.30):

api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah

Sri Krishna says,

“O Arjuna! If a person with his heart exclusively absorbed in worshipping Me commits very sinful acts, he is still considered a sadhu, because his efforts in devotion are commendable.”

The essence of the Sarartha Varshini-commentary of this sloka by Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada is as follows: “Affection of the Lord for His devotees is very natural. The devotion of a devotee is never destroyed though he commits very sinful acts. Rather, the Lord elevates him.
To express this idea in this verse, the Lord describes the ananya-bhaktas, those bhaktas solely and wholeheartedly engaged in devotion. That means they do not worship any other gods, taking shelter of karma, jnana or any other path except bhakti, and desire nothing other than Krishna.

If such a devotee, by the effect of some previous sinful habits, commits violence, has illicit sex, or steals, still he must be considered as sadhu. The word mantavya in the imperative case means one must consider him as a sadhu. As this is a direct order of the Lord, non-acceptance of His order is offensive. There is hence no space for doubts as to whether or how one can be a sadhu and yet commit such sinful acts.

One may ask:
“Can a person not be partially considered a sadhu to the extent to which he is doing bhajana, while his sinful acts make him partially condemned as a sinner?” The words sadhur eva, are given here, however, eva meaning that he should not be partially considered as sadhu, but in all respects. He is rightly situated and sincerely believes that, “I will never give up the exclusive devotion of the Lord, though I have to go to hell or take an animal life for my sinful acts, which are difficult to give up.”

The conclusion here is that this Gita-verse glorifies ananya-bhakti, not that it condones sinful acts. Since there is generally no possibility of the existence of evil desires within the heart of an ananya-bhakta, the word api is used to indicate that ‘if somehow or other they would exist’.
If such a devotee accidentally commits sinful acts due to some serious evil samskaras of his previous births or by the effect of evil association, they cannot exist for long by the immense power of Bhakti-devi.
Bhakti by its presence burns the heart of a devotee in the fire of repentance and very soon purifies it. Therefore the Lord proclaims in the next verse (9.31):

kshipram bhavati dharmatma sasvac-chantim nigacchati kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati

“O Arjuna! Such a devotee being firmly fixed in devotion very soon attains eternal peace and becomes saintly. Therefore declare loudly that My devotee never perishes.”

Persons not considering the link between these two verses misunderstand their essence. They deliberately commit sinful acts on the strength of the verse api cet suduracaro, with no repentance for their acts.
They cannot be considered sadhus at all; rather, they are guilty of the grave offense of committing sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name.

One should know that if one in a state of repentance, giving up all sinful activities, is constantly engaged in nama-sankirtana, then gradually the holy name becomes pleased and he again attains the stage of a sadhu, otherwise not.

In jnana-yoga, however, if a jnani commits even a slight unworthy act, he is condemned and is not considered knowledgeable.

The Bhagavata (11.18.40) says:

yas tvasamyata shad vargah pracandendriya-sarathih jnana vairagya rahitas tri dandam upajivati

“A sannyasi following the path of jnana with uncontrolled mind and senses is controlled by the intellect acting as a chariot driver of the powerful senses. He accepts the staff of renunciation just for his own livelihood, but he is devoid of jnana and vairagya.”
On the other hand, though a devotee may commit serious evil acts, neither he nor his devotion is condemned.” The author further clarifies this fact with another verse from the Bhagavata (11.14.18):

badhyamano’pi mad-bhakto vishayair ajitendriyah prayah pragalbhaya bhaktya vishayair nabhibhuyate

“O Uddhava! By his powerful devotion, My devotee who has not fully controlled his senses is not bewildered by sense objects.”

To say nothing of the power of full devotion, a sinful person who has just a glimpse of bhakti (bhaktyabhasa) is considered to be a devotee.
The messengers of Lord Vishnu considered Ajamila to be a devotee.
“Ajamila accidentally uttered the Lord’s name, affectionately calling his son named Narayana, not the Lord.”

On the basis of this scriptural statement it can be concluded that Ajamila was considered a devotee simply by accidentally chanting the name of the Lord. Everyone glorifies him as such.

Now it can be concluded that in the practice of karma, jnana, and yoga, certain factors help in attaining perfection while others become obstacles.
For instance, purity of heart is necessary for perfection in jnana and the presence of lust is an obstacle in its practice. That practice that depends on the help of other factors and is obstructed by an obstacle cannot be considered as independent.

With most powerful bhakti, purity of heart is not necessary, since chanting and hearing is possible even in impure stages of the heart.
Moreover, the existence of lusty desires does not obstruct the practice of bhakti. Therefore, undoubtedly the path of devotion is quite independent of other paths and practices. Bhakti, being so independent, is neither nourished nor obstructed by any other process.

(taken from “Madhurya Kadambini” by Sripad Vishvanath Cakravarti Thakur, commentaries by Srila Ananta das Babaji, English translation by Advaita das)