Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 7: The Science of God | Chapter 9: Prahlāda Pacifies Lord Nrisimhadeva with Prayers |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.39
naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuntha-nātha
samprīyate durita-dushtam asādhu tīvram
kāmāturam harsha-śoka-bhayaishanārtam
tasmin katham tava gatim vimriśāmi dīnah
SYNONYMS
na — certainly not; etat — this; manah — mind; tava — Your; kathāsu — in transcendental topics; vikuntha-nātha — O Lord of Vaikuntha, where there is no anxiety; samprīyate — is pacified or interested in; durita — by sinful activities; dushtam — polluted; asādhu — dishonest; tīvram — very difficult to control; kāma-āturam — always full of different desires and lusty propensities; harsha-śoka — sometimes by jubilation and sometimes by distress; bhaya — and sometimes by fear; eshanā — and by desiring; ārtam — distressed; tasmin — in that mental status; katham — how; tava — Your; gatim — transcendental activities; vimriśāmi — I shall consider and try to understand; dīnah — who am most fallen and poor.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord of the Vaikuntha planets, where there is no anxiety, my mind is extremely sinful and lusty, being sometimes so-called happy and sometimes so-called distressed. My mind is full of lamentation and fear, and it always seeks more and more money. Thus it has become most polluted and is never satisfied in topics concerning You. I am therefore most fallen and poor. In such a status of life, how shall I be able to discuss Your activities?
PURPORT
Here Prahlāda Mahārāja represents himself as a common man, although he actually has nothing to do with this material world. Prahlāda is always situated in the Vaikuntha planets of the spiritual world, but on behalf of the fallen souls he asks how, when his mind is always disturbed by material things, he can discuss the transcendental position of the Lord. The mind becomes sinful because we are always engaged in sinful activities. Anything not connected with Krishna consciousness should be understood to be sinful. Indeed, Krishna demands in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66):
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." As soon as one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, Krishna immediately relieves one of the reactions of sinful activities. Therefore one who is not surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord should be understood to be sinful, foolish, degraded among men and bereft of all real knowledge because of atheistic propensities. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.15):
prapadyante narādhamāh
māyayāpahrita-jñānā
Therefore, especially in this age of Kali, the mind must be cleansed, and this is possible only by the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra. Ceto-darpana-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. In this age, the process of chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra is the only method by which to cleanse the sinful mind. When the mind is completely cleansed of all sinful reactions, one can then understand his duty in the human form of life. The Krishna consciousness movement is meant to educate sinful men so that they may become pious simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra.
[Adi 17.21]
To cleanse the heart so that one may become sober and wise in this age of Kali, there is no value to any method other than the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra. Prahlāda Mahārāja has confirmed this process in previous verses. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmrita-magna-cittah. Prahlāda further confirms that if one's mind is always absorbed in thought of Krishna, that very qualification will purify one and keep one purified always. To understand the Lord and His activities, one must free his mind from all contamination of the material world, and this one can achieve by simply chanting the Lord's holy name. Thus one becomes free from all material bondage.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness