Does it have any use at all then? The acaryas say yes, because one cannot catch an object travelling west by travelling east. So one cannot pursue the goal of sense gratification and Krsna at the same time. One should have only one-pointed devotional service- for Krsna pleasure. If one tries to get sense gratification, such as a luxurious lifestyle, praise, followers etc, from one's practice of devotional service, it will be adulterated. But if one is not pursuing a goal of sense gratification- but still there are lingering anarthas for the same- then one need not wait for them all to subside before practising bhakti. Anartha nvritti is a rung of bhakti. It is not prior to bhakti (or none of us could perform bhakti)
Conversation between Vashistha Muni and Lord Ram:
"He is indeed an unfortunate person who, not
knowing his own Self, takes pleasure in sense-objects,
like one who realizes too late that the food eaten by him
was poisonous"
"That perverted man who, even after knowing
that worldly objects are deceptive, still thinks of them, is
an ass not a man."
This does not refer to devotees whom we should not think of asses, even if they take pleasure in the senses, because their greater pleasure and sole aim of life is to develop their love for Krsna. Because their aim is not sense-pleasure, their aim is to learn how to love Krsna, they are very dear to Him. Krsna says that "they should be considered saintly" Not as asses.
There is a difference between pursuing sense pleasure, having it as one's goal, and accepting sufficient sense pleasure so as to perform one's devotional service peacefully.
SB 11.20.27-28 — "Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities."
