Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.7.40

viṣayeṣv āviśan yogī

nānā-dharmeṣu sarvataḥ

guṇa-doṣa-vyapetātmā

na viṣajjeta vāyu-vat

SYNONYMS

viṣayeṣu — into contact with material objects; āviśan — entering; yogī — one who has attained self-control; nānā-dharmeṣu — which have different varieties of qualities; sarvataḥ — everywhere; guṇa — good qualities; doṣa — and faults; vyapeta-ātmā — a person who has transcended; na viṣajjeta — should not become entangled; vāyu-vat — like the wind.

TRANSLATION

Even a transcendentalist is surrounded by innumerable material objects, which possess good and bad qualities. However, one who has transcended material good and evil should not become entangled even when in contact with the material objects; rather, he should act like the wind.

PURPORT

The wind is the external manifestation of air, whereas prāṇa is the internal manifestation. When the wind passes over waterfalls it carries sprinkles of clear water and thus becomes most refreshing. Sometimes the wind blows through a beautiful forest, carrying the fragrances of fruits and flowers; at other times the wind may fuel a fire that burns the same forest to ashes. The wind, however, being fixed in its own nature, remains neutral in both its auspicious and inauspicious activities. Similarly, within this material world we will inevitably face both pleasing and disgusting situations. If, however, we remain fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we will not be disturbed by the inauspicious, nor will we become attached to the materially auspicious. In the course of his spiritual duties, a devotee sometimes finds himself chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in a beautiful country atmosphere, and sometimes he finds himself doing the same thing in a hellish city. In both cases the devotee fixes his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa and experiences transcendental bliss. Although the wind passes through the most dark and forbidding places, the wind is not frightened or disturbed. Similarly, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa should never be fearful or anxious, even when in the most difficult situation. One who is attached to materially pleasing forms, tastes, smells, sounds and touches will also be repelled by the opposite in each category. Thus finding himself surrounded by innumerable good and bad things, the materialist is constantly disturbed. When the wind blows in many directions at once, the atmosphere becomes agitated. Similarly, if the mind is constantly attracted and repelled by material objects there will be such mental disturbance that it will be impossible to think of the Absolute Truth. Therefore, one should learn from the blowing wind the art of moving throughout the material world without attachment.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari