Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 13: The Hamsa-avatara Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahma

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.13.35

drishtim tatah pratinivartya nivritta-trishnas

tushnim bhaven nija-sukhanubhavo nirihah

sandrisyate kva ca yadidam avastu-buddhya

tyaktam bhramaya na bhavet smritir a-nipatat

SYNONYMS

drishtim -- sight; tatah -- from that illusion; pratinivartya -- pulling away; nivritta -- ceased; trishnah -- material hankering; tushnim -- silent; bhavet -- one should become; nija -- one's own (of the soul); sukha -- happiness; anubhavah -- perceiving; nirihah -- without material activities; sandrisyate -- is observed; kva ca -- sometimes; yadi -- if; idam -- this material world; avastu -- of not being reality; buddhya -- by the consciousness; tyaktam -- given up; bhramaya -- further illusion; na -- not; bhavet -- may become; smritih -- remembrance; a-nipatat -- until giving up the material body.

TRANSLATION

Having understood the temporary illusory nature of material things, and thus having pulled one's vision away from illusion, one should remain without material desires. By experiencing the happiness of the soul, one should give up material speaking and activities. If sometimes one must observe the material world, one should remember that it is not ultimate reality and therefore one has given it up. By such constant remembrance up till the time of death, one will not again fall into illusion.

PURPORT

To maintain the material body one cannot avoid eating and sleeping. In these and other ways, one will sometimes be forced to deal with the material world and the physical aspects of one's own body. At such times one should remember that the material world is not actual reality and that therefore one has given it up to become Krishna conscious. By such constant remembrance, by enjoying spiritual bliss within oneself and by retiring from any material activities of the mind, speech or body, one will not fall into material illusion.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments as follows. "The living entity, while living in the external energy of the Lord, should give up any anxiety for sense gratification and should not act for his personal enjoyment. Rather, one should search out spiritual bliss through devotional service to the Supreme Lord. By reviving one's relationship with Lord Krishna, one will understand that if one accepts any material object for one's personal enjoyment, attachment will inevitably develop, and thus one will be bewildered by illusion. By gradually developing one's spiritual body, one will no longer desire to enjoy anything within the material world."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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