Krishna Instructs Uddhava on Renunciation and the Avadhuta's Twenty-Four Gurus

Verse 1 (bhagavata.11.7.1)

श्रीभगवान् उवाच यद् आत्थ मां महाभाग तच्चिकीर्षितम् एव मे । ब्रह्मा भवो लोकपालाः स्वर्वासं मे ऽभिकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ 7.1 ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca yad āttha māṁ mahā-bhāga tac-cikīrṣitam eva me brahmā bhavo loka-pālāḥ svar-vāsaṁ me ’bhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ

The Lord said: O greatly fortunate Uddhava, what you have said is indeed what I intend to do; Brahma, Shiva, and the guardians of the worlds all desire My return to My heavenly abode.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.11.7.2)

मया निष्पादितं ह्यत्र देवकार्यमशेषतः । यदर्थमवतीर्णोऽहमंशेन ब्रह्मणार्थितः ॥ 7.2 ॥

mayā niṣpāditaṁ hy atra deva-kāryam aśeṣataḥ yad-artham avatīrṇo ’ham aṁśena brahmaṇārthitaḥ

The work of the gods, for whose sake, at Brahma's petition, I descended along with My portion, has now been fully accomplished by Me.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.11.7.3)

कुलं वै शापनिर्दग्धं नङ्क्ष्यत्यन्योन्यविग्रहात् । समुद्रः सप्तमे ह्येनां पुरीं च प्लावयिष्यति ॥ 7.3 ॥

kulaṁ vai śāpa-nirdagdhaṁ naṅkṣyaty anyonya-vigrahāt samudraḥ saptame hy enāṁ purīṁ ca plāvayiṣyati

This dynasty, consumed by the curse, will perish through mutual strife; and on the seventh day the ocean will flood this very city.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.11.7.4)

यर्ह्येवायं मया त्यक्तो लोकोऽयं नष्टमङ्गलः । भविष्यत्यचिरात्साधो कलिनापि निराकृतः ॥ 7.4 ॥

yarhy evāyaṁ mayā tyakto loko ’yaṁ naṣṭa-maṅgalaḥ bhaviṣyaty acirāt sādho kalināpi nirākṛtaḥ

O saintly one, the moment I abandon this world, it will very soon lose all auspiciousness, overcome by Kali himself.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.11.7.5)

न वस्तव्यं त्वयैवेह मया त्यक्ते महीतले । जनोऽभद्ररुचिर्भद्र भविष्यति कलौ युगे ॥ 7.5 ॥

na vastavyaṁ tvayaiveha mayā tyakte mahī-tale jano ’bhadra-rucir bhadra bhaviṣyati kalau yuge

O blessed one, you yourself should not remain on this earth once I have abandoned it; in the Age of Kali people will delight in what is inauspicious.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.11.7.6)

त्वं तु सर्वं परित्यज्य स्नेहं स्वजनबन्धुषु । मय्यावेश्य मनः सम्यक् समदृग् विचरस्व गाम् ॥ 7.6 ॥

tvaṁ tu sarvaṁ parityajya snehaṁ sva-jana-bandhuṣu mayy āveśya manaḥ saṁyak sama-dṛg vicarasva gām

But you, giving up all affection for your kinsmen and friends, and fixing your mind wholly on Me, should wander the earth with equal vision.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.11.7.7)

यदिदं मनसा वाचा चक्षुर्भ्यां श्रवणादिभिः । नश्वरं गृह्यमाणं च विद्धि मायामनोमयम् ॥ 7.7 ॥

yad idaṁ manasā vācā cakṣurbhyāṁ śravaṇādibhiḥ naśvaraṁ gṛhyamāṇaṁ ca viddhi māyā-mano-mayam

Know that whatever is perceived by mind, speech, eyes, ears, and the other senses is perishable, a mere creation of the mind through maya.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.11.7.8)

पुंसोऽयुक्तस्य नानार्थो भ्रमः स गुणदोषभाक् । कर्माकर्मविकर्मेति गुणदोषधियो भिदा ॥ 7.8 ॥

puṁso ’yuktasya nānārtho bhramaḥ sa guṇa-doṣa-bhāk karmākarma-vikarmeti guṇa-doṣa-dhiyo bhidā

For one whose mind is not united with truth, the many meanings he perceives are mere confusion, marked by good and bad qualities; from this notion of good and bad arises the distinction of prescribed action, inaction, and forbidden action.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.11.7.9)

तस्माद् युक्तेन्द्रियग्रामो युक्तचित्त इदम् जगत् । आत्मनीक्षस्व विततमात्मानं मय्यधीश्वरे ॥ 7.9 ॥

tasmād yuktendriya-grāmo yukta-citta idaṁ jagat ātmanīkṣasva vitatam ātmānaṁ mayy adhīśvare

Therefore, with your senses and mind mastered, see this world as spread out within the self, and see that self, in turn, within Me, the supreme controller.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.11.7.10)

ज्ञानविज्ञानसंयुक्त आत्मभूतः शरीरिणाम् । आत्मानुभवतुष्टात्मा नान्तरायैर्विहन्यसे ॥ 7.10 ॥

jñāna-vijñāna-saṁyukta ātma-bhūtaḥ śarīriṇām ātmānubhava-tuṣṭātmā nāntarāyair vihanyase

Endowed with knowledge and its realization, dear to all embodied beings as their very self, and content through direct experience of the self, you will never be checked by any obstacle.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.11.7.11)

दोषबुद्ध्योभयातीतो निषेधान्न निवर्तते । गुणबुद्ध्या च विहितं न करोति यथार्भकः ॥ 7.11 ॥

doṣa-buddhyobhayātīto niṣedhān na nivartate guṇa-buddhyā ca vihitaṁ na karoti yathārbhakaḥ

One who has transcended both notions does not abstain from what is forbidden out of thinking it wrong, nor does he perform what is prescribed out of thinking it good — just like a child.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.11.7.12)

सर्वभूतसुहृच्छान्तो ज्ञानविज्ञाननिश्चयः । पश्यन् मदात्मकं विश्वं न विपद्येत वै पुनः ॥ 7.12 ॥

sarva-bhūta-suhṛc chānto jñāna-vijñāna-niścayaḥ paśyan mad-ātmakaṁ viśvaṁ na vipadyeta vai punaḥ

The friend of all beings, at peace, firmly settled in knowledge and realization, seeing the universe as pervaded by Me, never again falls into ruin.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.11.7.13)

श्रीशुक उवाच इत्यादिष्टो भगवता महाभागवतो नृप । उद्धवः प्रणिपत्याह तत्त्वंजिज्ञासुरच्युतम् ॥ 7.13 ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca ity ādiṣṭo bhagavatā mahā-bhāgavato nṛpa uddhavaḥ praṇipatyāha tattvaṁ jijñāsur acyutam

Shri Shuka said: O King, thus instructed by the Lord, the great devotee Uddhava, bowing before Him, spoke to the infallible One, eager to know the truth.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.11.7.14)

श्रीउद्धव उवाच योगेश योगविन्यास योगात्मन् योगसम्भव । निःश्रेयसाय मे प्रोक्तस्त्यागः सन्न्यासलक्षणः ॥ 7.14 ॥

śrī-uddhava uvāca yogeśa yoga-vinyāsa yogātman yoga-sambhava niḥśreyasāya me proktas tyāgaḥ sannyāsa-lakṣaṇaḥ

Shri Uddhava said: O Lord of yoga, O bestower of yoga's arrangement, O soul realized through yoga, O source of yoga — for my ultimate good You have spoken of renunciation marked by sannyasa.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.11.7.15)

त्यागोऽयं दुष्करो भूमन् कामानां विषयात्मभिः । सुतरां त्वयि सर्वात्मन्नभक्तैरिति मे मतिः ॥ 7.15 ॥

tyāgo ’yaṁ duṣkaro bhūman kāmānāṁ viṣayātmabhiḥ sutarāṁ tvayi sarvātmann abhaktair iti me matiḥ

O infinite one, this renunciation is difficult indeed for those absorbed in the objects of desire, and especially, O Soul of all, for those without devotion to You — such is my understanding.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.11.7.16)

सोऽहं ममाहमिति मूढमतिर्विगाढ- स्त्वन्मायया विरचितात्मनि सानुबन्धे । तत्त्वञ्जसा निगदितं भवता यथाहं संसाधयामि भगवन्ननुशाधि भृत्यम् ॥ 7.16 ॥

so ’haṁ mamāham iti mūḍha-matir vigāḍhas tvan-māyayā viracitātmani sānubandhe tat tv añjasā nigaditaṁ bhavatā yathāhaṁ saṁsādhayāmi bhagavann anuśādhi bhṛtyam

I am one whose foolish mind is sunk deep in "I" and "mine," in this body and its attachments fashioned by Your maya; therefore, my Lord, teach me, Your servant, how I may easily accomplish what You have instructed.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.11.7.17)

सत्यस्य ते स्वदृश आत्मन आत्मनोऽन्यं वक्तारमीश विबुधेष्वपि नानुचक्षे । सर्वे विमोहितधियस्तव माययेमे ब्रह्मादयस्तनुभृतो बहिरर्थभावाः ॥ 7.17 ॥

satyasya te sva-dṛśa ātmana ātmano ’nyaṁ vaktāram īśa vibudheṣv api nānucakṣe sarve vimohita-dhiyas tava māyayeme brahmādayas tanu-bhṛto bahir-artha-bhāvāḥ

O Lord, besides You, the self-revealing Truth, I see no other qualified teacher of the self, even among the gods; for all of them, beginning with Brahma, are embodied souls whose minds are bewildered by Your maya, taking external things to be of ultimate value.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.11.7.18)

तस्माद् भवन्तमनवद्यमनन्तपारं सर्वज्ञमीश्वरमकुण्ठविकुण्ठधिष्ण्यम् । निर्विण्णधीरहमु हे वृजिनाभितप्तो नारायणं नरसखं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ 7.18 ॥

tasmād bhavantam anavadyam ananta-pāraṁ sarva-jñam īśvaram akuṇṭha-vikuṇṭha-dhiṣṇyam nirviṇṇa-dhīr aham u he vṛjinābhitapto nārāyaṇaṁ nara-sakhaṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye

Therefore, my mind now weary, tormented by worldly sorrow, I take refuge in You — flawless, boundless, all-knowing Lord, whose abode Vaikuntha nothing can disturb — Narayana, the friend of humankind.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.11.7.19)

श्रीभगवानुवाच प्रायेण मनुजा लोके लोकतत्त्वविचक्षणाः । समुद्धरन्ति ह्यात्मानमात्मनैवाशुभाशयात् ॥ 7.19 ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca prāyeṇa manujā loke loka-tattva-vicakṣaṇāḥ samuddharanti hy ātmānam ātmanaivāśubhāśayāt

The Lord said: For the most part, those humans in this world who are expert in discerning the true nature of things deliver themselves, by their own effort, from the inauspicious state of desire.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.11.7.20)

आत्मनो गुरुरात्मैव पुरुषस्य विशेषतः । यत् प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्यां श्रेयोऽसावनुविन्दते ॥ 7.20 ॥

ātmano gurur ātmaiva puruṣasya viśeṣataḥ yat pratyakṣānumānābhyāṁ śreyo ’sāv anuvindate

Indeed, for a person the self is its own particular teacher, since through direct perception and inference one attains one's own true good.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.11.7.21)

पुरुषत्वे च मां धीराः साङ्ख्ययोगविशारदाः । आविस्तरां प्रपश्यन्ति सर्वशक्त्युपबृंहितम् ॥ 7.21 ॥

puruṣatve ca māṁ dhīrāḥ sāṅkhya-yoga-viśāradāḥ āvistarāṁ prapaśyanti sarva-śakty-upabṛṁhitam

In the human state, the wise, expert in Sankhya and yoga, see Me directly manifest, endowed with all My powers.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.11.7.22)

एकद्वित्रिचतुष्पादो बहुपादस्तथापदः । बह्व्यः सन्ति पुरः सृष्टास्तासां मे पौरुषी प्रिया ॥ 7.22 ॥

eka-dvi-tri-catuṣ-pādo bahu-pādas tathāpadaḥ bahvyaḥ santi puraḥ sṛṣṭās tāsāṁ me pauruṣī priyā

There exist many created bodies — with one, two, three, four, or many legs, and some with none — but of these, the human form is dearest to Me.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.11.7.23)

अत्र मां मृगयन्त्यद्धा युक्ता हेतुभिरीश्वरम् । गृह्यमाणैर्गुणैर्लिङ्गैरग्राह्यमनुमानतः ॥ 7.23 ॥

atra māṁ mṛgayanty addhā yuktā hetubhir īśvaram gṛhyamāṇair guṇair liṅgair agrāhyam anumānataḥ

Here, in that form, those who are disciplined directly seek Me out, the Lord otherwise ungraspable, through the qualities that can be perceived and through indirect signs inferred by reason.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.11.7.24)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । अवधूतस्य संवादं यदोरमिततेजसः ॥ 7.24 ॥

atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam avadhūtasya saṁvādaṁ yador amita-tejasaḥ

On this very subject, they cite an ancient account: the conversation between the immeasurably powerful King Yadu and an avadhuta.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.11.7.25)

अवधूतं द्विजं कञ्चिच्चरन्तमकुतोभयम् । कविं निरीक्ष्य तरुणं यदुः पप्रच्छ धर्मवित् ॥ 7.25 ॥

avadhūtaṁ dvijaṁ kañcic carantam akuto-bhayam kaviṁ nirīkṣya taruṇaṁ yaduḥ papraccha dharma-vit

Seeing a certain young and learned avadhuta brahmana wandering about entirely without fear, King Yadu, himself versed in dharma, questioned him.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.11.7.26)

श्रीयदुरुवाच कुतो बुद्धिरियं ब्रह्मन्नकर्तुः सुविशारदा । यामासाद्य भवाल्लोकं विद्वांश्चरति बालवत् ॥ 7.26 ॥

śrī-yadur uvāca kuto buddhir iyaṁ brahmann akartuḥ su-viśāradā yām āsādya bhavāl lokaṁ vidvāṁś carati bāla-vat

Shri Yadu said: O brahmana, whence comes this expert wisdom of yours, though you undertake no work — with which, though learned, you wander this world like a child?

Verse 27 (bhagavata.11.7.27)

प्रायो धर्मार्थकामेषु विवित्सायां च मानवाः । हेतुनैव समीहन्त आयुषो यशसः श्रियः ॥ 7.27 ॥

prāyo dharmārtha-kāmeṣu vivitsāyāṁ ca mānavāḥ hetunaiva samīhanta āyuṣo yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

For the most part, men strive after dharma, wealth, desire, and even the pursuit of knowledge, only for the sake of long life, fame, and prosperity.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.11.7.28)

त्वं तु कल्पः कविर्दक्षः सुभगोऽमृतभाषणः । न कर्ता नेहसे किञ्चिज्जडोन्मत्तपिशाचवत् ॥ 7.28 ॥

tvaṁ tu kalpaḥ kavir dakṣaḥ su-bhago ’mṛta-bhāṣaṇaḥ na kartā nehase kiñcij jaḍonmatta-piśāca-vat

But you, though capable, learned, skillful, handsome, and sweet of speech, undertake nothing and desire nothing — like one dull, mad, or possessed.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.11.7.29)

जनेषु दह्यमानेषु कामलोभदवाग्निना । न तप्यसेऽग्निना मुक्तो गङ्गाम्भःस्थ इव द्विपः ॥ 7.29 ॥

janeṣu dahyamāneṣu kāma-lobha-davāgninā na tapyase ’gninā mukto gaṅgāmbhaḥ-stha iva dvipaḥ

While people are burning in the wildfire of lust and greed, you are not scorched, free of that fire, like an elephant standing in the waters of the Ganga.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.11.7.30)

त्वं हि नः पृच्छतां ब्रह्मन्नात्मन्यानन्दकारणम् । ब्रूहि स्पर्शविहीनस्य भवतः केवलात्मनः ॥ 7.30 ॥

tvaṁ hi naḥ pṛcchatāṁ brahmann ātmany ānanda-kāraṇam brūhi sparśa-vihīnasya bhavataḥ kevalātmanaḥ

O brahmana, please tell us, who are asking, the cause of the joy within you, untouched by anything, living entirely as the self alone.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.11.7.31)

श्रीभगवानुवाच यदुनैवं महाभागो ब्रह्मण्येन सुमेधसा । पृष्टः सभाजितः प्राह प्रश्रयावनतं द्विजः ॥ 7.31 ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca yadunaivaṁ mahā-bhāgo brahmaṇyena su-medhasā pṛṣṭaḥ sabhājitaḥ prāha praśrayāvanataṁ dvijaḥ

The Lord said: Thus questioned and honored by the greatly fortunate, wise Yadu, who was ever respectful to brahmanas, the brahmana spoke to the King, who bowed before him in humility.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.11.7.32)

श्रीब्राह्मण उवाच सन्ति मे गुरवो राजन् बहवो बुद्ध्युपाश्रिताः । यतो बुद्धिमुपादाय मुक्तोऽटामीह तान् शृणु ॥ 7.32 ॥

śrī-brāhmaṇa uvāca santi me guravo rājan bahavo buddhy-upāśritāḥ yato buddhim upādāya mukto ’ṭāmīha tān śṛṇu

The brahmana said: O King, I have many gurus, taken shelter of through my own intelligence; having gained wisdom from them, I wander this world liberated — hear of them.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.11.7.33)

पृथिवी वायुराकाशमापोऽग्निश्चन्द्रमा रविः । कपोतोऽजगरः सिन्धुः पतङ्गो मधुकृद् गजः ॥ 7.33 ॥

pṛthivī vāyur ākāśam āpo ’gniś candramā raviḥ kapoto ’jagaraḥ sindhuḥ pataṅgo madhukṛd gajaḥ

The earth, air, sky, water, fire, moon, and sun; the pigeon, the python, the ocean, the moth, the bee, and the elephant;

Verse 34 (bhagavata.11.7.34)

मधुहाहरिणो मीनः पिङ्गला कुररोऽर्भकः । कुमारी शरकृत् सर्प ऊर्णनाभिः सुपेशकृत् ॥ 7.34 ॥

madhu-hā hariṇo mīnaḥ piṅgalā kuraro ’rbhakaḥ kumārī śara-kṛt sarpa ūrṇanābhiḥ supeśakṛt

the honey-thief, the deer, the fish, Pingala, the osprey, and the child; the young girl, the arrow-maker, the serpent, the spider, and the wasp —

Verse 35 (bhagavata.11.7.35)

एते मे गुरवो राजन् चतुर्विंशतिराश्रिताः । शिक्षा वृत्तिभिरेतेषामन्वशिक्षमिहात्मनः ॥ 7.35 ॥

ete me guravo rājan catur-viṁśatir āśritāḥ śikṣā vṛttibhir eteṣām anvaśikṣam ihātmanaḥ

These, O King, are the twenty-four gurus I have taken shelter of; from the conduct of each of them I have learned something concerning the self, here in this world.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.11.7.36)

यतो यदनुशिक्षामि यथा वा नाहुषात्मज । तत्तथा पुरुषव्याघ्र निबोध कथयामि ते ॥ 7.36 ॥

yato yad anuśikṣāmi yathā vā nāhuṣātmaja tat tathā puruṣa-vyāghra nibodha kathayāmi te

O son of Nahusha, O tiger among men, listen as I recount to you exactly what and how I have learned from each.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.11.7.37)

भूतैराक्रम्यमाणोऽपि धीरो दैववशानुगैः । तद् विद्वान्न चलेन्मार्गादन्वशिक्षं क्षितेर्व्रतम् ॥ 7.37 ॥

bhūtair ākramyamāṇo ’pi dhīro daiva-vaśānugaiḥ tad vidvān na calen mārgād anvaśikṣaṁ kṣiter vratam

Even when assailed by creatures who merely follow the sway of fate, the wise man, knowing this, should not swerve from his path — this vow I learned from the earth.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.11.7.38)

शश्वत्परार्थसर्वेहः परार्थैकान्तसम्भवः । साधुः शिक्षेत भूभृत्तो नगशिष्यः परात्मताम् ॥ 7.38 ॥

śaśvat parārtha-sarvehaḥ parārthaikānta-sambhavaḥ sādhuḥ śikṣeta bhū-bhṛtto naga-śiṣyaḥ parātmatām

The saintly should learn from the mountain to devote every effort forever to others' good, existing solely for others' sake; as the tree's disciple, one should learn to live for others.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.11.7.39)

प्राणवृत्त्यैव सन्तुष्येन्मुनिर्नैवेन्द्रियप्रियैः । ज्ञानं यथा न नश्येत नावकीर्येत वाङ्मनः ॥ 7.39 ॥

prāṇa-vṛttyaiva santuṣyen munir naivendriya-priyaiḥ jñānaṁ yathā na naśyeta nāvakīryeta vāṅ-manaḥ

A sage should be content with merely sustaining the life-breath, not with what pleases the senses, so that knowledge is not destroyed and speech and mind are not scattered.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.11.7.40)

विषयेष्वाविशन् योगी नानाधर्मेषु सर्वतः । गुणदोषव्यपेतात्मा न विषज्जेत वायुवत् ॥ 7.40 ॥

viṣayeṣv āviśan yogī nānā-dharmeṣu sarvataḥ guṇa-doṣa-vyapetātmā na viṣajjeta vāyu-vat

A yogi moving among sense-objects of every varied nature, his self free of the notion of merit and fault, should not become entangled — like the wind.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.11.7.41)

पार्थिवेष्विह देहेषु प्रविष्टस्तद्गुणाश्रयः । गुणैर्न युज्यते योगी गन्धैर्वायुरिवात्मदृक् ॥ 7.41 ॥

pārthiveṣv iha deheṣu praviṣṭas tad-guṇāśrayaḥ guṇair na yujyate yogī gandhair vāyur ivātma-dṛk

Having entered bodies made of earth, and taking on their qualities, the yogi who sees the self is not bound by those qualities — as the wind, though carrying scents, is not bound by them.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.11.7.42)

अन्तर्हितश्च स्थिरजङ्गमेषु ब्रह्मात्मभावेन समन्वयेन । व्याप्त्याव्यवच्छेदमसङ्गमात्मनो मुनिर्नभस्त्वं विततस्य भावयेत् ॥ 7.42 ॥

antarhitaś ca sthira-jaṅgameṣu brahmātma-bhāvena samanvayena vyāptyāvyavacchedam asaṅgam ātmano munir nabhastvaṁ vitatasya bhāvayet

Present within all that is still and all that moves, by the realization "I am spirit" running through them all, the sage should meditate upon the self's sky-like nature — pervading, undivided, unattached.

Verse 43 (bhagavata.11.7.43)

तेजोऽबन्नमयैर्भावैर्मेघाद्यैर्वायुनेरितैः । न स्पृश्यते नभस्तद्वत् कालसृष्टैर्गुणैः पुमान् ॥ 7.43 ॥

tejo-’b-anna-mayair bhāvair meghādyair vāyuneritaiḥ na spṛśyate nabhas tadvat kāla-sṛṣṭair guṇaiḥ pumān

As the sky is untouched by objects of fire, water, and earth — clouds and the rest, driven by the wind — so is a person untouched by the modes born of time.

Verse 44 (bhagavata.11.7.44)

स्वच्छः प्रकृतितः स्निग्धो माधुर्यस्तीर्थभूर्नृणाम् । मुनिः पुनात्यपां मित्रमीक्षोपस्पर्शकीर्तनैः ॥ 7.44 ॥

svacchaḥ prakṛtitaḥ snigdho mādhuryas tīrtha-bhūr nṛṇām muniḥ punāty apāṁ mitram īkṣopasparśa-kīrtanaiḥ

Pure by nature, gentle, sweet-spoken, a very place of pilgrimage for men — the sage, friend of water, purifies through the sight, touch, and praise of him.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.11.7.45)

तेजस्वी तपसा दीप्तो दुर्धर्षोदरभाजनः । सर्वभक्ष्योऽपि युक्तात्मा नादत्ते मलमग्निवत् ॥ 7.45 ॥

tejasvī tapasā dīpto durdharṣodara-bhājanaḥ sarva-bhakṣyo ’pi yuktātmā nādatte malam agni-vat

Radiant, ablaze with austerity, his stomach an unassailable vessel, though eating all manner of food, one whose self is disciplined takes on no impurity — like fire.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.11.7.46)

क्वचिच्छन्नः क्वचित् स्पष्ट उपास्यः श्रेय इच्छताम् । भुङ्क्ते सर्वत्र दातृणां दहन् प्रागुत्तराशुभम् ॥ 7.46 ॥

kvacic channaḥ kvacit spaṣṭa upāsyaḥ śreya icchatām bhuṅkte sarvatra dātṝṇāṁ dahan prāg-uttarāśubham

Sometimes hidden, sometimes revealed, worshiped by those desiring the highest good, he everywhere accepts what givers offer, consuming their past and future sins.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.11.7.47)

स्वमायया सृष्टमिदं सदसल्लक्षणं विभुः । प्रविष्ट ईयते तत्तत्स्वरूपोऽग्निरिवैधसि ॥ 7.47 ॥

sva-māyayā sṛṣṭam idaṁ sad-asal-lakṣaṇaṁ vibhuḥ praviṣṭa īyate tat-tat- svarūpo ’gnir ivaidhasi

The all-pervading Lord, having entered this creation of His own maya, marked by higher and lower forms, appears to take on the identity of each — like fire within firewood.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.11.7.48)

विसर्गाद्याः श्मशानान्ता भावा देहस्य नात्मनः । कलानामिव चन्द्रस्य कालेनाव्यक्तवर्त्मना ॥ 7.48 ॥

visargādyāḥ śmaśānāntā bhāvā dehasya nātmanaḥ kalānām iva candrasya kālenāvyakta-vartmanā

The states beginning with birth and ending at the cremation ground belong to the body, not to the self — just as the phases belong to the moon, brought about by time whose movement is unseen.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.11.7.49)

कालेन ह्योघवेगेन भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययौ । नित्यावपि न दृश्येते आत्मनोऽग्नेर्यथार्चिषाम् ॥ 7.49 ॥

kālena hy ogha-vegena bhūtānāṁ prabhavāpyayau nityāv api na dṛśyete ātmano ’gner yathārciṣām

Though the birth and death of created beings, through time's flood-like force, are constant, they are not perceived in relation to the self — just as one does not perceive the birth and death of flames belonging to fire.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.11.7.50)

गुणैर्गुणानुपादत्ते यथाकालं विमुञ्चति । न तेषु युज्यते योगी गोभिर्गा इव गोपतिः ॥ 7.50 ॥

guṇair guṇān upādatte yathā-kālaṁ vimuñcati na teṣu yujyate yogī gobhir gā iva go-patiḥ

With his senses he takes in sense-objects, and in due time releases them; the yogi is not bound by them — as the sun, by its rays, is not bound to the waters it draws up.

Verse 51 (bhagavata.11.7.51)

बुध्यते स्वे न भेदेन व्यक्तिस्थ इव तद्गतः । लक्ष्यते स्थूलमतिभिरात्मा चावस्थितोऽर्कवत् ॥ 7.51 ॥

budhyate sve na bhedena vyakti-stha iva tad-gataḥ lakṣyate sthūla-matibhir ātmā cāvasthito ’rka-vat

Though appearing to be present within, and divided among, separate reflecting bodies, it is only to the dull-witted that the self seems so divided — like the sun.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.11.7.52)

नातिस्नेहः प्रसङ्गो वा कर्तव्यः क्वापि केनचित् । कुर्वन् विन्देत सन्तापं कपोत इव दीनधीः ॥ 7.52 ॥

nāti-snehaḥ prasaṅgo vā kartavyaḥ kvāpi kenacit kurvan vindeta santāpaṁ kapota iva dīna-dhīḥ

One should never form excessive affection or attachment with anyone, anywhere; doing so, one meets with great sorrow, like the pitiably minded pigeon.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.11.7.53)

कपोतः कश्चनारण्ये कृतनीडो वनस्पतौ । कपोत्या भार्यया सार्धमुवास कतिचित् समाः ॥ 7.53 ॥

kapotaḥ kaścanāraṇye kṛta-nīḍo vanaspatau kapotyā bhāryayā sārdham uvāsa katicit samāḥ

A certain pigeon, having built a nest in a tree in the forest, dwelt there for some years together with his pigeon-wife.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.11.7.54)

कपोतौ स्नेहगुणितहृदयौ गृहधर्मिणौ । दृष्टिं दृष्ट्याङ्गमङ्गेन बुद्धिं बुद्ध्या बबन्धतुः ॥ 7.54 ॥

kapotau sneha-guṇita- hṛdayau gṛha-dharmiṇau dṛṣṭiṁ dṛṣṭyāṅgam aṅgena buddhiṁ buddhyā babandhatuḥ

The two pigeons, their hearts bound together by affection, devoted householders, tied each other — glance to glance, body to body, mind to mind.

Verse 55 (bhagavata.11.7.55)

शय्यासनाटनस्थानवार्ताक्रीडाशनादिकम् । मिथुनीभूय विश्रब्धौ चेरतुर्वनराजिषु ॥ 7.55 ॥

śayyāsanāṭana-sthāna vārtā-krīḍāśanādikam mithunī-bhūya viśrabdhau ceratur vana-rājiṣu

Resting, sitting, wandering, standing, conversing, playing, eating, and the rest — as a trusting pair, they carried on together in the forest groves.

Verse 56 (bhagavata.11.7.56)

यं यं वाञ्छति सा राजन् तर्पयन्त्यनुकम्पिता । तं तं समनयत् कामं कृच्छ्रेणाप्यजितेन्द्रियः ॥ 7.56 ॥

yaṁ yaṁ vāñchati sā rājan tarpayanty anukampitā taṁ taṁ samanayat kāmaṁ kṛcchreṇāpy ajitendriyaḥ

O King, whatever she desired, pleading with him tenderly, that very desire he, unable to master his senses, fulfilled for her, even with great difficulty.

Verse 57 (bhagavata.11.7.57)

कपोती प्रथमं गर्भं गृह्णन्ती काल आगते । अण्डानि सुषुवे नीडे स्वपत्युः सन्निधौ सती ॥ 7.57 ॥

kapotī prathamaṁ garbhaṁ gṛhṇantī kāla āgate aṇḍāni suṣuve nīḍe sta-patyuḥ sannidhau satī

When her time came, the she-pigeon, bearing her first pregnancy, laid her eggs in the nest, chaste, in her husband's presence.

Verse 58 (bhagavata.11.7.58)

प्रजाः पुपुषतुः प्रीतौ दम्पती पुत्रवत्सलौ । शृण्वन्तौ कूजितं तासां निवृतौ कलभाषितैः ॥ 7.58 ॥

teṣu kāle vyajāyanta racitāvayavā hareḥ śaktibhir durvibhāvyābhiḥ komalāṅga-tanūruhāḥ

In time, from those eggs were born young ones whose limbs and soft downy feathers had been shaped by the Lord Hari's inconceivable powers.

Verse 59 (bhagavata.11.7.59)

तासां पतत्रैः सुस्पर्शैः कूजितैर्मुग्धचेष्टितैः । प्रत्युद्गमैरदीनानां पितरौ मुदमापतुः ॥ 7.59 ॥

prajāḥ pupuṣatuḥ prītau dampatī putra-vatsalau śṛṇvantau kūjitaṁ tāsāṁ nirvṛtau kala-bhāṣitaiḥ

The affectionate couple, delighted, nurtured their offspring, taking joy in hearing their children's sweet, faltering chirps.

Verse 60 (bhagavata.11.7.60)

तासां पतत्रैः सुस्पर्शैः कूजितैर्मुग्धचेष्टितैः । प्रत्युद्गमैरदीनानां पितरौ मुदमापतुः ॥ 7.60 ॥

tāsāṁ patatraiḥ su-sparśaiḥ kūjitair mugdha-ceṣṭitaiḥ pratyudgamair adīnānāṁ pitarau mudam āpatuḥ

By their soft wings, their chirping, their charming movements, and their eager little hops toward flight, the parents, seeing their children content, were filled with joy.

Verse 61 (bhagavata.11.7.61)

स्नेहानुबद्धहृदयावन्योन्यं विष्णुमायया । विमोहितौ दीनधियौ शिशून् पुपुषतुः प्रजाः ॥ 7.61 ॥

snehānubaddha-hṛdayāv anyonyaṁ viṣṇu-māyayā vimohitau dīna-dhiyau śiśūn pupuṣatuḥ prajāḥ

Their hearts bound to each other by affection, thoroughly bewildered by Vishnu's maya, their minds weak, they continued to nourish their offspring, their children.

Verse 62 (bhagavata.11.7.62)

एकदा जग्मतुस्तासामन्नार्थं तौ कुटुम्बिनौ । परितः कानने तस्मिन्नर्थिनौ चेरतुश्चिरम् ॥ 7.62 ॥

ekadā jagmatus tāsām annārthaṁ tau kuṭumbinau paritaḥ kānane tasminn arthinau ceratuś ciram

One day, the two heads of the household went out in search of food for them, wandering about that forest for a long time.

Verse 63 (bhagavata.11.7.63)

दृष्ट्वा तान् लुब्धकः कश्चिद् यदृच्छातो वनेचरः । जगृहे जालमातत्य चरतः स्वालयान्तिके ॥ 7.63 ॥

dṛṣṭvā tān lubdhakaḥ kaścid yadṛcchāto vane-caraḥ jagṛhe jālam ātatya carataḥ svālayāntike

A hunter, wandering by chance through that forest, saw those young ones moving about near their home, and, spreading his net, caught them.

Verse 64 (bhagavata.11.7.64)

कपोतश्च कपोती च प्रजापोषे सदोत्सुकौ । गतौ पोषणमादाय स्वनीडमुपजग्मतुः ॥ 7.64 ॥

kapotaś ca kapotī ca prajā-poṣe sadotsukau gatau poṣaṇam ādāya sva-nīḍam upajagmatuḥ

The pigeon and his wife, ever eager for the nourishment of their young, having gone and gathered food, returned toward their own nest.

Verse 65 (bhagavata.11.7.65)

कपोती स्वात्मजान् वीक्ष्य बालकान् जालसंवृतान् । तानभ्यधावत् क्रोशन्ती क्रोशतो भृशदुःखिता ॥ 7.65 ॥

kapotī svātmajān vīkṣya bālakān jāla-saṁvṛtān tān abhyadhāvat krośantī krośato bhṛśa-duḥkhitā

Seeing her own children trapped in the net, the she-pigeon, deeply distressed, cried out and rushed toward them as they cried out in return.

Verse 66 (bhagavata.11.7.66)

सासकृत्स्नेहगुणिता दीनचित्ताजमायया । स्वयं चाबध्यत शिचा बद्धान् पश्यन्त्यपस्मृतिः ॥ 7.66 ॥

sāsakṛt sneha-guṇitā dīna-cittāja-māyayā svayaṁ cābadhyata śicā baddhān paśyanty apasmṛtiḥ

She, ever bound by affection, her mind wretched, forgetting herself through the unborn Lord's maya, watching her captive children, herself became caught in the net.

Verse 67 (bhagavata.11.7.67)

कपोतः स्वात्मजान् बद्धानात्मनोऽप्यधिकान् प्रियान् । भार्यां चात्मसमां दीनो विललापातिदुःखितः ॥ 7.67 ॥

kapotaḥ svātmajān baddhān ātmano ’py adhikān priyān bhāryāṁ cātma-samāṁ dīno vilalāpāti-duḥkhitaḥ

Seeing his own children, dearer to him than his own life, trapped, and his wife, equal to his own self, likewise caught, the wretched pigeon, overcome with grief, lamented.

Verse 68 (bhagavata.11.7.68)

अहो मे पश्यतापायमल्पपुण्यस्य दुर्मतेः । अतृप्तस्याकृतार्थस्य गृहस्त्रैवर्गिकोहतः ॥ 7.68 ॥

aho me paśyatāpāyam alpa-puṇyasya durmateḥ atṛptasyākṛtārthasya gṛhas trai-vargiko hataḥ

"Alas, behold my ruin! Ill-fated and foolish, unsatisfied, my purpose unfulfilled, my household — the very seat of my dharma, wealth, and pleasure — is destroyed!"

Verse 69 (bhagavata.11.7.69)

अनुरूपानुकूला च यस्य मे पतिदेवता । शून्ये गृहे मां सन्त्यज्य पुत्रैः स्वर्याति साधुभिः ॥ 7.69 ॥

anurūpānukūlā ca yasya me pati-devatā śūnye gṛhe māṁ santyajya putraiḥ svar yāti sādhubhiḥ

"She who was my well-matched, devoted wife, who held me as her very deity — leaving me behind in this empty home, she now goes to heaven with our saintly children."

Verse 70 (bhagavata.11.7.70)

सोऽहं शून्ये गृहे दीनो मृतदारो मृतप्रजः । जिजीविषे किमर्थं वा विधुरो दुःखजीवितः ॥ 7.70 ॥

so ’haṁ śūnye gṛhe dīno mṛta-dāro mṛta-prajaḥ jijīviṣe kim arthaṁ vā vidhuro duḥkha-jīvitaḥ

"Now I, wretched in this empty home, my wife gone, my children gone — for what purpose should I wish to live, bereft, my life nothing but suffering?"

Verse 71 (bhagavata.11.7.71)

तांस्तथैवावृतान् शिग्भिर्मृत्युग्रस्तान् विचेष्टतः । स्वयं च कृपणः शिक्षु पश्यन्नप्यबुधोऽपतत् ॥ 7.71 ॥

tāṁs tathaivāvṛtān śigbhir mṛtyu-grastān viceṣṭataḥ svayaṁ ca kṛpaṇaḥ śikṣu paśyann apy abudho ’patat

Even as he watched them, thus caught in the net and seized by death, struggling helplessly, the wretched, unwise pigeon himself fell into the net.

Verse 72 (bhagavata.11.7.72)

तं लब्ध्वा लुब्धकः क्रूरः कपोतं गृहमेधिनम् । कपोतकान् कपोतीं च सिद्धार्थः प्रययौ गृहम् ॥ 7.72 ॥

taṁ labdhvā lubdhakaḥ krūraḥ kapotaṁ gṛha-medhinam kapotakān kapotīṁ ca siddhārthaḥ prayayau gṛham

Having thus obtained the householder pigeon, along with the young ones and their mother, the cruel hunter, his purpose accomplished, set off for home.

Verse 73 (bhagavata.11.7.73)

एवं कुटुम्ब्यशान्तात्मा द्वन्द्वारामः पतत्रिवत् । पुष्णन् कुटुम्बं कृपणः सानुबन्धोऽवसीदति ॥ 7.73 ॥

evaṁ kuṭumby aśāntātmā dvandvārāmaḥ patatri-vat puṣṇan kuṭumbaṁ kṛpaṇaḥ sānubandho ’vasīdati

Thus a family man, his mind never at peace, delighting in the pairs of opposites like this bird, wretched, maintaining his family, perishes along with all his attachments.

Verse 74 (bhagavata.11.7.74)

यः प्राप्य मानुषं लोकं मुक्तिद्वारमपावृतम् । गृहेषु खगवत् सक्तस्तमारूढच्युतं विदुः ॥ 7.74 ॥

yaḥ prāpya mānuṣaṁ lokaṁ mukti-dvāram apāvṛtam gṛheṣu khaga-vat saktas tam ārūḍha-cyutaṁ viduḥ

One who, having attained the human state, with the door of liberation wide open, remains attached to household life like this bird, is regarded as one who climbed high only to fall.