Śrīmad Bhāgavatam|Canto 11 Chapter 9

Detachment from All that Is Material

VERSE 11.9.1

śrī-brāhmaṇa uvāca

parigraho hi duḥkhāya
yad yat priyatamaṁ nṛṇām
anantaṁ sukham āpnoti
tad vidvān yas tv akiñcanaḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī-brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca — the saintly brāhmaṇa said; parigrahaḥ — attachment to possession; hi — certainly; duḥkhāya — leading to misery; yat yat — whatever; priya-tamam — is most dear; nṛṇām — of men; anantam — unlimited; sukham — happiness; āpnoti — achieves; tat — that; vidvān — knowing; yaḥ — whoever; tu — indeed; akiñcanaḥ — is free from such attachment.

TRANSLATION

The saintly brāhmaṇa said: Everyone considers certain things within the material world to be most dear to him, and because of attachment to such things one eventually becomes miserable. One who understands this gives up material possessiveness and attachment and thus achieves unlimited happiness.

VERSE 11.9.2

sāmiṣaṁ kuraraṁ jaghnur
balino ’nye nirāmiṣāḥ
tadāmiṣaṁ parityajya
sa sukhaṁ samavindata

SYNONYMS

sa-āmiṣam — having meat; kuraram — a large hawk; jaghnuḥ — they attacked; balinaḥ — very strong; anye — others; nirāmiṣāḥ — without meat; tadā — at that time; āmiṣam — the meat; parityajya — giving up; saḥ — he; sukham — happiness; samavindata — achieved.

TRANSLATION

Once a group of large hawks who were unable to find any prey attacked another, weaker hawk who was holding some meat. At that time, being in danger of his life, the hawk gave up his meat and experienced actual happiness.

VERSE 11.9.3

na me mānāpamānau sto
na cintā geha-putriṇām
ātma-krīḍa ātma-ratir
vicarāmīha bāla-vat

SYNONYMS

na — not; me — in me; māna — honor; apamānau — dishonor; staḥ — exist; na — there is not; cintā — anxiety; geha — of those who have a home; putriṇām — and children; ātma — by the self; krīḍaḥ — sporting; ātma — in the self alone; ratiḥ — enjoying; vicarāmi — I wander; iha — in this world; bāla-vat — like a child.

TRANSLATION

In family life, the parents are always in anxiety about their home, children and reputation. But I have nothing to do with these things. I do not worry at all about any family, and I do not care about honor and dishonor. I enjoy only the life of the soul, and I find love on the spiritual platform. Thus I wander the earth like a child.

VERSE 11.9.4

dvāv eva cintayā muktau
paramānanda āplutau
yo vimugdho jaḍo bālo
yo guṇebhyaḥ paraṁ gataḥ

SYNONYMS

dvau — two; eva — certainly; cintayā — from anxiety; muktau — freed; parama-ānande — in great happiness; āplutau — merged; yaḥ — one who; vimugdhaḥ — is ignorant; jaḍaḥ — retarded without developing activities; bālaḥ — childish; yaḥ — one who; guṇebhyaḥ — to the modes of nature; param — the Lord, who is transcendental; gataḥ — has achieved.

TRANSLATION

In this world two types of people are free from all anxiety and merged in great happiness: one who is a retarded and childish fool and one who has approached the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the three modes of material nature.

VERSE 11.9.5

kvacit kumārī tv ātmānaṁ
vṛṇānān gṛham āgatān
svayaṁ tān arhayām āsa
kvāpi yāteṣu bandhuṣu

SYNONYMS

kvacit — once; kumārī — a young girl; tu — indeed; ātmānam — herself; vṛṇānān — desiring as a wife; gṛham — to the house; āgatān — arrived; svayam — herself; tān — those men; arhayām āsa — received with great hospitality; kva api — to another place; yāteṣu — when they had gone; bandhuṣu — all her relatives.

TRANSLATION

Once a marriageable young girl was alone in her house because her parents and relatives had gone that day to another place. At that time a few men arrived at the house, specifically desiring to marry her. She received them with all hospitality.

VERSE 11.9.6

teṣām abhyavahārārthaṁ
śālīn rahasi pārthiva
avaghnantyāḥ prakoṣṭha-sthāś
cakruḥ śaṅkhāḥ svanaṁ mahat

SYNONYMS

teṣām — of the guests; abhyavahāra-artham — so that they could eat; śālīn — rice; rahasi — being alone; pārthiva — O King; avaghnantyāḥ — of her who was beating; prakoṣṭha — on her forearms; sthāḥ — situated; cakruḥ — they made; śaṅkhāḥ — bracelets made of conchshell; svanam — a sound; mahat — great.

TRANSLATION

The girl went to a private place and began to make preparations so that the unexpected male guests could eat. As she was beating the rice, the conchshell bracelets on her arms were colliding and making a loud noise.

VERSE 11.9.7

sā taj jugupsitaṁ matvā
mahatī vrīḍitā tataḥ
babhañjaikaikaśaḥ śaṅkhān
dvau dvau pāṇyor aśeṣayat

SYNONYMS

— she; tat — that noise; jugupsitam — shameful; matvā — thinking; mahatī — very intelligent; vrīḍitā — shy; tataḥ — from her arms; babhañja — she broke; eka-ekaśaḥ — one by one; śaṅkhān — the shell bracelets; dvau dvau — two each; pāṇyoḥ — on her two hands; aśeṣayat — she kept on.

TRANSLATION

The young girl feared that the men would consider her family to be poor because their daughter was busily engaged in the menial task of husking rice. Being very intelligent, the shy girl broke the shell bracelets from her arms, leaving just two on each wrist.

VERSE 11.9.8

ubhayor apy abhūd ghoṣo
hy avaghnantyāḥ sva-śaṅkhayoḥ
tatrāpy ekaṁ nirabhidad
ekasmān nābhavad dhvaniḥ

SYNONYMS

ubhayoḥ — from the two (on each hand); api — still; abhūt — there was; ghoṣaḥ — noise; hi — indeed; avaghnantyāḥ — of her who was husking the rice; sva-śaṅkhayoḥ — from each set of two shell ornaments; tatra — therein; api — indeed; ekam — one only; nirabhidat — she separated; ekasmāt — from that one ornament; na — not; abhavat — there was; dhvaniḥ — a sound.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, as the young girl continued to husk the rice, the two bracelets on each wrist continued to collide and make noise. Therefore she took one bracelet off each arm, and with only one left on each wrist there was no more noise.

VERSE 11.9.9

anvaśikṣam imaṁ tasyā
upadeśam arindama
lokān anucarann etān
loka-tattva-vivitsayā

SYNONYMS

anvaśikṣam — I have seen with my own eyes; imam — this; tasyāḥ — of the young girl; upadeśam — lesson; arim-dama — O subduer of the enemy; lokān — worlds; anucaran — wandering; etān — these; loka — of the world; tattva — truth; vivitsayā — with a desire to know.

TRANSLATION

O subduer of the enemy, I travel throughout the surface of the earth learning constantly about the nature of this world, and thus I personally witnessed the lesson of the young girl.

VERSE 11.9.10

vāse bahūnāṁ kalaho
bhaved vārtā dvayor api
eka eva vaset tasmāt
kumāryā iva kaṅkaṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

vāse — in a residence; bahūnām — of many people; kalahaḥ — quarrel; bhavet — will be; vārtā — conversation; dvayoḥ — of two people; api — even; ekaḥ — alone; eva — certainly; vaset — one should live; tasmāt — therefore; kumāryāḥ — of the young girl; iva — like; kaṅkaṇaḥ — the bracelet.

TRANSLATION

When many people live together in one place there will undoubtedly be quarreling. And even if only two people live together there will be frivolous conversation and disagreement. Therefore, to avoid conflict, one should live alone, as we learn from the example of the bracelet of the young girl.

VERSE 11.9.11

mana ekatra saṁyuñjyāj
jita-śvāso jitāsanaḥ
vairāgyābhyāsa-yogena
dhriyamāṇam atandritaḥ

SYNONYMS

manaḥ — the mind; ekatra — in one place; saṁyuñjyāt — one should fix; jita — conquered; śvāsaḥ — the breathing process; jita — conquered; āsanaḥ — the yoga sitting postures; vairāgya — by detachment; abhyāsa-yogena — by the regulated practice of yoga; dhriyamāṇam — the mind being steadied; atandritaḥ — very carefully.

TRANSLATION

Having perfected the yoga sitting postures and conquered the breathing process, one should make the mind steady by detachment and the regulated practice of yoga. Thus one should carefully fix the mind on the single goal of yoga practice.

VERSE 11.9.12

yasmin mano labdha-padaṁ yad etac
chanaiḥ śanair muñcati karma-reṇūn
sattvena vṛddhena rajas tamaś ca
vidhūya nirvāṇam upaity anindhanam

SYNONYMS

yasmin — in which (the Supreme Lord); manaḥ — the mind; labdha — having obtained; padam — a permanent situation; yat etat — that very mind; śanaiḥ śanaiḥ — gradually, step by step; muñcati — gives up; karma — of fruitive activities; reṇūn — the contamination; sattvena — by the mode of goodness; vṛddhena — which has grown strong; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; ca — also; vidhūya — giving up; nirvāṇam — the transcendental position in which one is united with the object of his meditation; upaiti — achieves; anindhanam — without fuel.

TRANSLATION

The mind can be controlled when it is fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Having achieved a stable situation, the mind becomes free from polluted desires to execute material activities; thus as the mode of goodness increases in strength, one can completely give up the modes of passion and ignorance, and gradually one transcends even the material mode of goodness. When the mind is freed from the fuel of the modes of nature, the fire of material existence is extinguished. Then one achieves the transcendental platform of direct relationship with the object of his meditation, the Supreme Lord.

VERSE 11.9.13

tadaivam ātmany avaruddha-citto
na veda kiñcid bahir antaraṁ vā
yatheṣu-kāro nṛpatiṁ vrajantam
iṣau gatātmā na dadarśa pārśve

SYNONYMS

tadā — at that time; evam — thus; ātmani — in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; avaruddha — fixed; cittaḥ — the mind; na — does not; veda — know; kiñcit — anything; bahiḥ — outside; antaram — inside; — either; yathā — just as; iṣu — of arrows; kāraḥ — a maker; nṛ-patim — the king; vrajantam — going; iṣau — in the arrow; gata-ātmā — being absorbed; na dadarśa — did not see; pārśve — right next to him.

TRANSLATION

Thus, when one’s consciousness is completely fixed on the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one no longer sees duality, or internal and external reality. The example is given of the arrow maker who was so absorbed in making a straight arrow that he did not even see or notice the king himself, who was passing right next to him.

VERSE 11.9.14

eka-cāry aniketaḥ syād
apramatto guhāśayaḥ
alakṣyamāṇa ācārair
munir eko ’lpa-bhāṣaṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

eka — alone; cārī — moving; aniketaḥ — without fixed residence; syāt — should be; apramattaḥ — being very alert; guhā-āśayaḥ — remaining secluded; alakṣyamāṇaḥ — without being recognized; ācāraiḥ — by his activities; muniḥ — a sage; ekaḥ — without companions; alpa — very little; bhāṣaṇaḥ — speaking.

TRANSLATION

A saintly person should remain alone and constantly travel without any fixed residence. Being alert, he should remain secluded and should act in such a way that he is not recognized or noticed by others. Moving without companions, he should not speak more than required.

VERSE 11.9.15

gṛhārambho hi duḥkhāya
viphalaś cādhruvātmanaḥ
sarpaḥ para-kṛtaṁ veśma
praviśya sukham edhate

SYNONYMS

gṛha — of a home; ārambhaḥ — construction; hi — certainly; duḥkhāya — leads to unhappiness; viphalaḥ — fruitless; ca — also; adhruva — impermanent; ātmanaḥ — of the living being; sarpaḥ — a serpent; parakṛtam — built by others; veśma — home; praviśya — having entered; sukham — happily; edhate — prospers.

TRANSLATION

When a person living in a temporary material body tries to construct a happy home, the result is fruitless and miserable. The snake, however, enters a home that has been built by others and prospers happily.

VERSE 11.9.16

eko nārāyaṇo devaḥ
pūrva-sṛṣṭaṁ sva-māyayā
saṁhṛtya kāla-kalayā
kalpānta idam īśvaraḥ
eka evādvitīyo ’bhūd
ātmādhāro ’khilāśrayaḥ

SYNONYMS

ekaḥ — alone; nārāyaṇaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; devaḥ — God; pūrva — previously; sṛṣṭam — created; sva-māyayā — by His own potency; saṁhṛtya — withdrawing within Himself; kāla — of time; kalayā — by the portion; kalpa-ante — at the time of annihilation; idam — this universe; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; ekaḥ — alone; eva — indeed; advitīyaḥ — without a second; abhūt — became; ātma-ādhāraḥ — one whose self is the reservoir and resting place of everything; akhila — of all potencies; āśrayaḥ — the reservoir.

TRANSLATION

The Lord of the universe, Nārāyaṇa, is the worshipable God of all living entities. Without extraneous assistance, the Lord creates this universe by His own potency, and at the time of annihilation the Lord destroys the universe through His personal expansion of time and withdraws all of the cosmos, including all the conditioned living entities, within Himself. Thus, His unlimited Self is the shelter and reservoir of all potencies. The subtle pradhāna, the basis of all cosmic manifestation, is conserved within the Lord and is in this way not different from Him. In the aftermath of annihilation the Lord stands alone.

VERSE 11.9.17-18

kālenātmānubhāvena
sāmyaṁ nītāsu śaktiṣu
sattvādiṣv ādi-puruṣaḥ
pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ

parāvarāṇāṁ parama
āste kaivalya-saṁjñitaḥ
kevalānubhavānanda-
sandoho nirupādhikaḥ

SYNONYMS

kālena — by the time factor; ātma-anubhāvena — which is the Lord’s own potency; sāmyam — to equilibrium; nītāsu — being brought; śaktiṣu — the material potencies; sattva-ādiṣu — the mode of goodness, etc; ādi-puruṣaḥ — the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead; pradhāna-puruṣa-īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller of the neutral state of nature (pradhāna) and of the living entities; para — of the liberated living entities or the demigods; avarāṇām — of ordinary conditioned souls; paramaḥ — the supreme worshipable object; āste — exists; kaivalya — liberated existence; saṁjñitaḥ — that which is indicated by the term; kevala — pure without material tinge; anubhava — experience of revelation; ānanda — bliss; sandohaḥ — the totality; nirupādhikaḥ — devoid of materially designated relationships.

TRANSLATION

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead displays His own potency in the form of time and guides His material potencies, such as the mode of goodness, into a neutral condition of equilibrium, He remains as the supreme controller of that neutral state, called pradhāna, as well as of the living entities. He is also the supreme worshipable object for all beings, including liberated souls, demigods and ordinary conditioned souls. The Lord is eternally free from any material designation, and He constitutes the totality of spiritual bliss, which one experiences by seeing the Lord’s spiritual form. The Lord thus exhibits the fullest meaning of the word “liberation.”

VERSE 11.9.19

kevalātmānubhāvena
sva-māyāṁ tri-guṇātmikām
saṅkṣobhayan sṛjaty ādau
tayā sūtram arindama

SYNONYMS

kevala — pure; ātma — of His own Self; anubhāvena — by the potency; sva-māyām — His own energy; tri — three; guṇa — modes; ātmikām — composed of; saṅkṣobhayan — agitating; sṛjati — He manifests; ādau — at the time of creation; tayā — with that energy; sūtram — the mahat-tattva distinguished by the power of action; arindama — O subduer of the enemies.

TRANSLATION

O subduer of the enemies, at the time of creation the Personality of Godhead expands His own transcendental potency in the form of time, and agitating His material energy, māyā, composed of the three modes of material nature, He creates the mahat-tattva.

VERSE 11.9.20

tām āhus tri-guṇa-vyaktiṁ
sṛjantīṁ viśvato-mukham
yasmin protam idaṁ viśvaṁ
yena saṁsarate pumān

SYNONYMS

tām — the mahat-tattva; āhuḥ — they say; tri-guṇa — the three modes of material nature; vyaktim — manifesting as the cause; sṛjantīm — creating; viśvataḥ-mukham — many different categories of cosmic manifestation; yasmin — within the mahat-tattva; protam — strung and bound; idam — this; viśvam — universe; yena — by which; saṁsarate — undergoes material existence; pumān — the living being.

TRANSLATION

According to great sages, that which is the basis of the three modes of material nature and which manifests the variegated universe is called the sūtra or mahat-tattva. Indeed, this universe is resting within that mahat-tattva, and due to its potency the living entity undergoes material existence.

VERSE 11.9.21

yathorṇanābhir hṛdayād
ūrṇāṁ santatya vaktrataḥ
tayā vihṛtya bhūyas tāṁ
grasaty evaṁ maheśvaraḥ

SYNONYMS

yathā — just as; ūrna-nābhiḥ — the spider; hṛdayāt — from within himself; ūrṇām — thread; santatya — expanding; vaktrataḥ — from his mouth; tayā — with that thread; vihṛtya — enjoying; bhūyaḥ — again; tām — that thread; grasati — he swallows; evam — in the same way; mahā-īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

Just as from within himself the spider expands thread through his mouth, plays with it for some time and eventually swallows it, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands His personal potency from within Himself. Thus, the Lord displays the network of cosmic manifestation, utilizes it according to His purpose and eventually withdraws it completely within Himself.

VERSE 11.9.22

yatra yatra mano dehī
dhārayet sakalaṁ dhiyā
snehād dveṣād bhayād vāpi
yāti tat-tat-svarūpatām

SYNONYMS

yatra yatra — wherever; manaḥ — the mind; dehī — the conditioned soul; dhārayet — fixes; sakalam — with complete concentration; dhiyā — with the intelligence; snehāt — because of affection; dveṣāt — because of envy; bhayāt — because of fear; api — either; yāti — he goes; tat-tat — to that, whatever it is; svarūpatām — particular state of existence.

TRANSLATION

If out of love, hate or fear an embodied soul fixes his mind with intelligence and complete concentration upon a particular bodily form, he will certainly attain the form that he is meditating upon.

VERSE 11.9.23

kīṭaḥ peśaskṛtaṁ dhyāyan
kuḍyāṁ tena praveśitaḥ
yāti tat-sātmatāṁ rājan
pūrva-rūpam asantyajan

SYNONYMS

kīṭaḥ — an insect; peśaskṛtam — a wasp; dhyāyan — meditating on; kuḍyām — in his hive; tena — by the wasp; praveśitaḥ — forced to enter; yāti — he goes; tat — of the wasp; sa-ātmatām — the same state of existence; rājan — O King; pūrva-rūpam — the previous body; asantyajan — not giving up.

TRANSLATION

O King, once a wasp forced a weaker insect to enter his hive and kept him trapped there. In great fear the weak insect constantly meditated upon his captor, and without giving up his body, he gradually achieved the same state of existence as the wasp. Thus one achieves a state of existence according to one’s constant concentration.

VERSE 11.9.24

evaṁ gurubhya etebhya
eṣā me śikṣitā matiḥ
svātmopaśikṣitāṁ buddhiṁ
śṛṇu me vadataḥ prabho

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; gurubhyaḥ — from the spiritual masters; etebhyaḥ — from these; eṣā — this; me — by me; śikṣitā — learned; matiḥ — knowledge; sva-ātma — from one’s own body; upaśikṣitām — learned; buddhim — knowledge; śṛṇu — please hear; me — from me; vadataḥ — as I am speaking; prabho — O King.

TRANSLATION

O King, from all these spiritual masters I have acquired great wisdom. Now please listen as I explain what I learned from my own body.

VERSE 11.9.25

deho gurur mama virakti-viveka-hetur
bibhrat sma sattva-nidhanaṁ satatārty-udarkam
tattvāny anena vimṛśāmi yathā tathāpi
pārakyam ity avasito vicarāmy asaṅgaḥ

SYNONYMS

dehaḥ — the body; guruḥ — spiritual master; mama — my; virakti — of detachment; viveka — and intelligence which facilitates; hetuḥ — the cause; bibhrat — maintaining; sma — certainly; sattva — existence; nidhanam — destruction; satata — always; ārti — suffering; udarkam — future result; tattvāni — the truths of this world; anena — with this body; vimṛśāmi — I contemplate; yathā — even though; tathā api — nevertheless; pārakyam — belonging to others; iti — thus; avasitaḥ — being convinced; vicarāmi — I wander about; asaṅgaḥ — without attachment.

TRANSLATION

The material body is also my spiritual master because it teaches me detachment. Being subject to creation and destruction, it always comes to a painful end. Thus, although using my body to acquire knowledge, I always remember that it will ultimately be consumed by others, and remaining detached, I move about this world.

VERSE 11.9.26

jāyātmajārtha-paśu-bhṛtya-gṛhāpta-vargān
puṣṇāti yat-priya-cikīrṣayā vitanvan
svānte sa-kṛcchram avaruddha-dhanaḥ sa dehaḥ
sṛṣṭvāsya bījam avasīdati vṛkṣa-dharmaḥ

SYNONYMS

jāyā — wife; ātma-ja — children; artha — money; paśu — domestic animals; bhṛtya — servants; gṛha — home; āpta — relatives and friends; vargān — all these categories; puṣṇāti — nourishes; yat — the body; priya-cikīrṣayā — with a desire to please; vitanvan — expanding; sva-ante — at the time of death; sa-kṛcchram — with great struggle; avaruddha — accumulated; dhanaḥ — wealth; saḥ — this; dehaḥ — body; sṛṣṭvā — having created; asya — of the living entity; bījam — the seed; avasīdati — falls down and dies; vṛkṣa — the tree; dharmaḥ — following the nature of.

TRANSLATION

A man attached to the body accumulates money with great struggle to expand and protect the position of his wife, children, property, domestic animals, servants, homes, relatives, friends, and so on. He does all this for the gratification of his own body. As a tree before dying produces the seed of a future tree, the dying body manifests the seed of one’s next material body in the form of one’s accumulated karma. Thus assuring the continuation of material existence, the material body sinks down and dies.

VERSE 11.9.27

jihvaikato ’mum apakarṣati karhi tarṣā
śiśno ’nyatas tvag udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit
ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir
bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti

SYNONYMS

jihvā — the tongue; ekataḥ — on one side; amum — the body or the conditioned soul who identifies with the body; apakarṣati — drags away; karhi — sometimes; tarṣā — thirst; śiśnaḥ — the genitals; anyataḥ — on another side; tvak — the sense of touch; udaram — the belly; śravaṇam — the ears; kutaścit — from somewhere else; ghrāṇaḥ — the sense of smell; anyataḥ — from another side; capala-dṛk — the fickle eyes; kva ca — somewhere else; karma-śaktiḥ — the other active organs and limbs of the body; bahvyaḥ — many; sa-patnyaḥ — co-wives; iva — like; geha-patim — the head of the household; lunanti — pull in many directions.

TRANSLATION

A man who has many wives is constantly harassed by them. He is responsible for their maintenance, and thus all the ladies constantly pull him in different directions, each struggling for her self-interest. Similarly, the material senses harass the conditioned soul, pulling him in many different directions at once. On one side the tongue is pulling him to arrange tasty food; then thirst drags him to get a suitable drink. Simultaneously the sex organs clamor for satisfaction, and the sense of touch demands soft, sensuous objects. The belly harasses him until it is filled, the ears demand to hear pleasing sounds, the sense of smell hankers for pleasant aromas, and the fickle eyes clamor for pleasing sights. Thus the senses, organs and limbs, all desiring satisfaction, pull the living entity in many directions.

VERSE 11.9.28

sṛṣṭvā purāṇi vividhāny ajayātma-śaktyā
vṛkṣān sarīsṛpa-paśūn khaga-dandaśūkān
tais tair atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ puruṣaṁ vidhāya
brahmāvaloka-dhiṣaṇaṁ mudam āpa devaḥ

SYNONYMS

sṛṣṭvā — having created; purāṇi — material bodies that house the conditioned souls; vividhāni — many varieties; ajayā — through the agency of māyā; ātma-śaktyā — the Lord’s own potency; vṛkṣān — trees; sarīsṛpa — reptiles; paśūn — animals; khaga — birds; danda-śūkān — snakes; taiḥ taiḥ — by all these different varieties of bodies; atuṣṭa — unsatisfied; hṛdayaḥ — His heart; puruṣam — the human form of life; vidhāya — creating; brahma — the Absolute Truth; avaloka — vision of; dhiṣaṇam — intelligence suitable for; mudam — happiness; āpā — achieved; devaḥ — the Lord.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, expanding His own potency, māyā-śakti, created innumerable species of life to house the conditioned souls. Yet by creating the forms of trees, reptiles, animals, birds, snakes and so on, the Lord was not satisfied within His heart. Then He created human life, which offers the conditioned soul sufficient intelligence to perceive the Absolute Truth, and became pleased.

VERSE 11.9.29

labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte
mānuṣyam artha-dam anityam apīha dhīraḥ
tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anu-mṛtyu yāvan
niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt

SYNONYMS

labdhvā — having obtained; su-durlabham — that which is very difficult to obtain; idam — this; bahu — many; sambhava — births; ante — after; mānuṣyam — human form of life; artha-dam — which awards great value; anityam — not eternal; api — although; iha — in this material world; dhīraḥ — one who has sober intelligence; tūrṇam — immediately; yateta — should endeavor; na — not; patet — has fallen; anu-mṛtyu — always subject to death; yāvat — as long as; niḥśreyasāya — for ultimate liberation; viṣayaḥ — sense gratification; khalu — always; sarvataḥ — in all conditions; syāt — is possible.

TRANSLATION

After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is possible only for a human being.

VERSE 11.9.30

evaṁ sañjāta-vairāgyo
vijñānāloka ātmani
vicarāmi mahīm etāṁ
mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṅkṛtaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; sañjāta — completely developed; vairāgyaḥ — detachment; vijñāna — realized knowledge; ālokaḥ — having vision; ātmani — in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vicarāmi — I wander; mahīm — the earth; etām — this; mukta — freed; saṅgaḥ — from attachment; anahaṅkṛtaḥ — without false ego.

TRANSLATION

Having learned from my spiritual masters, I remain situated in realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and, fully renounced and enlightened by realized spiritual knowledge, wander the earth without attachment or false ego.

VERSE 11.9.31

na hy ekasmād guror jñānaṁ
su-sthiraṁ syāt su-puṣkalam
brahmaitad advitīyaṁ vai
gīyate bahudharṣibhiḥ

SYNONYMS

na — not; hi — certainly; ekasmāt — from one; guroḥ — guru; jñānam — knowledge; su-sthiram — very steady; syāt — can be; su-puṣkalam — very complete; brahma — the Absolute Truth; etat — this; advitīyam — one without a second; vai — certainly; gīyate — is glorified; bahudhā — in many ways; ṛṣibhiḥ — by the sages.

TRANSLATION

Although the Absolute Truth is one without a second, the sages have described Him in many different ways. Therefore one may not be able to acquire very firm or complete knowledge from one spiritual master.

VERSE 11.9.32

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

ity uktvā sa yaduṁ vipras
tam āmantrya gabhīra-dhīḥ
vanditaḥ sv-arcito rājñā
yayau prīto yathāgatam

SYNONYMS

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; iti — thus; uktvā — having spoken; saḥ — he; yadum — to King Yadu; vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa; tam — to the King; āmantrya — bidding farewell; gabhīra — extremely deep; dhīḥ — intelligence; vanditaḥ — being offered obeisances; su-arcitaḥ — being properly worshiped; rājñā — by the King; yayau — he went; prītaḥ — with his mind satisfied; yathā — just as; āgatam — he had come.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Having thus spoken to King Yadu, the wise brāhmaṇa accepted obeisances and worship from the King and felt pleased within himself. Then bidding farewell, he left exactly as he had come.

VERSE 11.9.33

avadhūta-vacaḥ śrutvā
pūrveṣāṁ naḥ sa pūrva-jaḥ
sarva-saṅga-vinirmuktaḥ
sama-citto babhūva ha

SYNONYMS

avadhūta — of the avadhūta brāhmaṇa; vacaḥ — the words; śrutvā — having heard; pūrveṣām — of the ancestors; naḥ — our; saḥ — he; pūrvajaḥ — himself a forefather; sarva — all; saṅga — from attachment; vinirmuktaḥ — being freed; sama-cittaḥ — with his consciousness on the spiritual platform and thus equal everywhere; babhūva — he became; ha — certainly.

TRANSLATION

O Uddhava, hearing the words of the avadhūta, the saintly King Yadu, who is the forefather of our own ancestors, became free from all material attachment, and thus his mind was evenly fixed on the spiritual platform.