Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart

Verse 1 (bhagavata.2.3.1)

श्री शुक उवाच एवमेतन्निगदितं पृष्टवान् यद्भवान् मम । नृणां यन्म्रियमाणानां मनुष्येषु मनीषिणाम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca evam etan nigaditaṁ pṛṣṭavān yad bhavān mama nṛṇāṁ yan mriyamāṇānāṁ manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṇām

Shri Shukadeva said: Thus have I fully answered what you asked of me — that which the wise, among men who are dying, ought to know.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.2.3.2)

ब्रह्मवर्चसकामस्तु यजेत ब्रह्मणः पतिम् । इन्द्रमिन्द्रियकामस्तु प्रजाकामः प्रजापतीन् ॥ २ ॥

brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim indram indriya-kāmas tu prajā-kāmaḥ prajāpatīn

One who desires the radiance of sacred learning should worship the Lord of the Veda; one who desires strong senses should worship Indra; and one who desires offspring should worship the Prajapatis.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.2.3.3)

देवीं मायां तु श्रीकामस्तेजस्कामो विभावसुम् । वसुकामो वसून रुद्रान् वीर्यकामोऽथ वीर्यवान् ॥ ३ ॥

devīṁ māyāṁ tu śrī-kāmas tejas-kāmo vibhāvasum vasu-kāmo vasūn rudrān vīrya-kāmo ’tha vīryavān

One who desires beauty and fortune should worship the goddess Maya; one who desires brilliance should worship Agni; one who desires wealth should worship the Vasus; and one who desires might should worship the mighty Rudras.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.2.3.4)

अन्नाद्यकामस्त्वदितिं स्वर्गकामोऽदितेःसुतान् । विश्वान्देवान् राज्यकामः साध्यान्संसाधको विशाम् ॥ ४ ॥

annādya-kāmas tv aditiṁ svarga-kāmo ’diteḥ sutān viśvān devān rājya-kāmaḥ sādhyān saṁsādhako viśām

One who desires abundant food should worship Aditi; one who desires the heavenly realms should worship the sons of Aditi; one who desires a kingdom should worship the Vishvadevas; and one who wishes to win over the common people should worship the Sadhyas.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.2.3.5)

आयुष्कामोऽश्विनौ देवौ पुष्टिकाम इलां यजेत् । प्रतिष्ठाकामः पुरुषो रोदसी लोकमातरौ ॥ ५ ॥

āyuṣ-kāmo ’śvinau devau puṣṭi-kāma ilāṁ yajet pratiṣṭhā-kāmaḥ puruṣo rodasī loka-mātarau

One who desires long life should worship the two Ashvin gods; one who desires nourishment should worship the earth; and one who desires firm standing should worship heaven and earth together, the parents of the worlds.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.2.3.6)

रूपाभिकामो गन्धर्वान् स्त्रीकामोऽप्सर उर्वशीम् । आधिपत्यकामः सर्वेषां यजेत परमेष्ठिनम् ॥ ६ ॥

rūpābhikāmo gandharvān strī-kāmo ’psara urvaśīm ādhipatya-kāmaḥ sarveṣāṁ yajeta parameṣṭhinam

One who longs for beauty should worship the Gandharvas; one who longs for a wife should worship the apsara Urvashi; and one who desires supremacy over all should worship Brahma, seated at the summit.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.2.3.7)

यज्ञं यजेद् यशस्कामः कोशकामः प्रचेतसम् । विद्याकामस्तु गिरिशं दाम्पत्यार्थ उमां सतीम् ॥ ७ ॥

yajñaṁ yajed yaśas-kāmaḥ kośa-kāmaḥ pracetasam vidyā-kāmas tu giriśaṁ dāmpatyārtha umāṁ satīm

One who desires fame should worship the Lord of sacrifice; one who desires treasure should worship Varuna; one who desires learning should worship Girisha, the Lord of the mountain; and for the sake of marital happiness, one should worship the chaste Uma.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.2.3.8)

धर्मार्थ उत्तमश्लोकं तन्तुः तन्वन् पितृन् यजेत् । रक्षाकामः पुण्यजनानोजस्कामो मरुद्गणान् ॥ ८ ॥

dharmārtha uttama-ślokaṁ tantuḥ tanvan pitṝn yajet rakṣā-kāmaḥ puṇya-janān ojas-kāmo marud-gaṇān

For the sake of dharma, one should worship the Lord of sublime praise; one extending his family line should worship the ancestors; one who desires protection should worship the Yakshas; and one who desires vigor should worship the host of Maruts.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.2.3.9)

राज्यकामो मनून् देवान् निऋर्तिं त्वभिचरन् यजेत् । कामकामो यजेत् सोममकामः पुरुषं परम् ॥ ९ ॥

rājya-kāmo manūn devān nirṛtiṁ tv abhicaran yajet kāma-kāmo yajet somam akāmaḥ puruṣaṁ param

One who desires a kingdom should worship the Manus; one performing rites against an enemy should worship Nirriti; one who desires sense-enjoyment should worship Soma; but one who desires nothing at all should worship the Supreme Person.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.2.3.10)

अकामः सर्वकामो वा मोक्षकाम उदारधीः । तीव्रेण भक्तियोगेन यजेत पुरुषं परम् ॥ १० ॥

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param

Whether free of desire, full of every desire, or desiring liberation, the person of expansive understanding should worship the Supreme Person with intense devotional yoga.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.2.3.11)

एतावानेव यजतामिह निःश्रेयसोदयः । भगवत्यचलो भावो यद् भागवतसंगतः ॥ ११ ॥

etāvān eva yajatām iha niḥśreyasodayaḥ bhagavaty acalo bhāvo yad bhāgavata-saṅgataḥ

For all these worshipers, the highest good that can arise in this life is simply this: unwavering devotion toward Bhagavan, which comes only through the company of His devotees.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.2.3.12)

ज्ञानं यदाप्रतिनिवृत्तगुणोर्मिचक्र - मात्मप्रसाद उत यत्र गुणेष्वसङ्गः । कैवल्यसम्मतपथस्त्वथ भक्तियोगः को निर्वृतो हरिकथासु रतिं न कुर्यात् ॥ १२ ॥

jñānaṁ yad āpratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram ātma-prasāda uta yatra guṇeṣv asaṅgaḥ kaivalya-sammata-pathas tv atha bhakti-yogaḥ ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt

That knowledge which brings the whirling waves of the material qualities to a complete halt is self-satisfying, being free of attachment to those very qualities; and the path of devotional yoga, approved even by those who seek pure oneness — who, once truly content, would fail to develop love for the accounts of Hari?

Verse 13 (bhagavata.2.3.13)

शौनक उवाच इत्यभिव्याहृतं राजा निशम्य भरतर्षभः । किमन्यत्पृष्टवान् भूयो वैयासकिमृषिं कविम् ॥ १३ ॥

śaunaka uvāca ity abhivyāhṛtaṁ rājā niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ kim anyat pṛṣṭavān bhūyo vaiyāsakim ṛṣiṁ kavim

Shaunaka said: Having heard all that was spoken, what more did the king, best of the Bharatas, go on to ask the poet-sage, the son of Vyasa?

Verse 14 (bhagavata.2.3.14)

एतच्छुश्रूषतां विद्वन् सूत नोऽर्हसि भाषितुम् । कथा हरिकथोदर्काः सतां स्युः सदसि ध्रुवम् ॥ १४ ॥

etac chuśrūṣatāṁ vidvan sūta no ’rhasi bhāṣitum kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam

O learned Suta, we are eager to hear; you should tell us this, for whatever story leads at last to a story of Hari surely belongs in the assembly of the virtuous.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.2.3.15)

स वै भागवतो राजा पाण्डवेयो महारथः । बालक्रीडनकैः क्रीडन् कृष्णक्रीडां य आददे ॥ १५ ॥

sa vai bhāgavato rājā pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan kṛṣṇa-kṛīḍāṁ ya ādade

That great warrior-king, the grandson of the Pandavas, was indeed a devotee; even while playing with children's toys, he would take up the play of Krishna.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.2.3.16)

वैयासकिश्च भगवान् वासुदेवपरायणः । उरुगायगुणोदाराः सतां स्युर्हि समागमे ॥ १६ ॥

vaiyāsakiś ca bhagavān vāsudeva-parāyaṇaḥ urugāya-guṇodārāḥ satāṁ syur hi samāgame

And the son of Vyasa was himself devoted wholly to Vasudeva; surely, in that meeting of the two, the conversation turned to the exalted qualities of the widely-glorified Lord.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.2.3.17)

आयुर्हरति वै पुंसामुद्यन्नस्तं च यन्नसौ । तस्यर्ते यत्क्षणो नीत उत्तमश्लोकवार्तया ॥ १७ ॥

āyur harati vai puṁsām udyann astaṁ ca yann asau tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta uttama-śloka-vārtayā

The sun, in its rising and its setting, steals away the lifespan of every person — except for one whose every moment is spent in discourse about the Lord of sublime praise.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.2.3.18)

तरवः किं न जीवन्ति भस्त्राः किं न श्वसन्त्युत । न खादन्ति न मेहन्ति किं ग्रामे पशवोऽपरे ॥ १८ ॥

taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta na khādanti na mehanti kiṁ grāme paśavo ’pare

Do the trees not also live? Does the blacksmith's bellows not also breathe? Do the beasts roaming the village not also eat and excrete?

Verse 19 (bhagavata.2.3.19)

श्वविड्वराहोष्ट्रखरैः संस्तुतः पुरुषः पशुः । न यत्कर्णपथोपेतो जातु नाम गदाग्रजः ॥ १९ ॥

śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ na yat-karṇa-pathopeto jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ

A man whose ears have never once been reached by the name of Gadagraja is, in truth, an animal — worthy only of the praise given by dogs, stool-eating hogs, camels and donkeys.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.2.3.20)

बिले बतोरुक्रमविक्रमान् ये न शृण्वतः कर्णपुटे नरस्य । जिह्वासती दार्दुरिकेव सूत न चोपगायत्युरुगायगाथाः ॥ २० ॥

bile batorukrama-vikramān ye na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ

O Suta, the ears of a man who has never heard the mighty deeds of the wide-striding Lord are but snake-holes, and the tongue that never sings aloud the songs of that widely-sung Lord is as useless as the croak of a frog.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.2.3.21)

भारः परं पट्टकिरीटजुष्ट - मप्युत्तमाङ्गं न नमेन्मुकुन्दम् । शावौ करौ नो कुरुते सपर्यां हरेर्लसत्काञ्चनकङ्कणौ वा ॥ २१ ॥

bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā

The head, though crowned with a silken turban, is but a heavy burden if it does not bow before Mukunda; and hands, though adorned with gleaming golden bangles, are as good as a corpse's if they do not offer worship to Hari.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.2.3.22)

बर्हायिते ते नयने नराणां लिङ्गानि विष्णोर्न निरीक्षतो ये । पादौ नृणां तौ द्रुमजन्मभाजौ क्षेत्राणि नानुव्रजतो हरेर्यौ ॥ २२ ॥

barhāyite te nayane narāṇāṁ liṅgāni viṣṇor na nirīkṣato ye pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau kṣetrāṇi nānuvrajato harer yau

The eyes of men that never gaze upon the forms and signs of Vishnu are like the eye-marks on a peacock's feather, and the legs of men that never walk toward the sacred places of Hari are as good as rooted like a tree.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.2.3.23)

जीवञ्छवो भागवताङ्घ्रिरेणुं न जातु मर्त्योऽभिलभेत यस्तु । श्रीविष्णुपद्या मनुजस्तुलस्याः श्वसञ्छवो यस्तु न वेद गन्धम् ॥ २३ ॥

jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham

The mortal who has never received upon himself the dust of a devotee's feet is a living corpse; and the man who has never known the fragrance of the tulasi that has bathed the feet of Vishnu is, though breathing, a corpse all the same.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.2.3.24)

तदश्मसारं हृदयं बतेदं यद् गृह्यमाणैर्हरिनामधेयैः । न विक्रियेताथ यदा विकारो नेत्रे जलं गात्ररुहेषु हर्षः ॥ २४ ॥

tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ

That heart is indeed made of stone which does not melt even while taking up the holy names of Hari — when the true transformation would be tears filling the eyes and the hair standing on end in joy.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.2.3.25)

अथाभिधेह्यङ्ग मनोऽनुकूलं प्रभाषसे भागवतप्रधानः । यदाह वैयासकिरात्मविद्या- विशारदो नृपतिं साधु पृष्टः ॥ २५ ॥

athābhidhehy aṅga mano-’nukūlaṁ prabhāṣase bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ yad āha vaiyāsakir ātma-vidyā- viśārado nṛpatiṁ sādhu pṛṣṭaḥ

So now, dear Suta, foremost among devotees, please relate that which is pleasing to our minds — what the son of Vyasa, that master of the science of the self, spoke in answer to the king's excellent question.