Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

Verse 1 (bhagavata.7.15.1)

श्रीनारद उवाच कर्मनिष्ठा द्विजाः केचित्तपोनिष्ठा नृपापरे । स्वाध्यायेऽन्ये प्रवचने केचन ज्ञानयोगयोः ॥ १ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca karma-niṣṭhā dvijāḥ kecit tapo-niṣṭhā nṛpāpare svādhyāye ’nye pravacane kecana jñāna-yogayoḥ

Shri Narada said: Some brahmanas are devoted to ritual action, some kings to austerity, others to the study of scripture, and some few to teaching and to the path of knowledge and yoga.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.7.15.2)

ज्ञाननिष्ठाय देयानि कव्यान्यानन्त्यमिच्छता । दैवे च तदभावे स्यादितरेभ्यो यथार्हतः ॥ २ ॥

jñāna-niṣṭhāya deyāni kavyāny ānantyam icchatā daive ca tad-abhāve syād itarebhyo yathārhataḥ

One who desires the infinite should give oblations meant for the ancestors to one devoted to knowledge; and in the absence of such a person, to the gods, or otherwise to whatever kind of brahmana is fitting.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.7.15.3)

द्वौ दैवे पितृकार्ये त्रीनेकैकमुभयत्र वा । भोजयेत्सुसमृद्धोऽपि श्राद्धे कुर्यान्न विस्तरम् ॥ ३ ॥

dvau daive pitṛ-kārye trīn ekaikam ubhayatra vā bhojayet susamṛddho ’pi śrāddhe kuryān na vistaram

In offerings to the gods one should feed two brahmanas, and in rites for the ancestors, three; or, in either case, even a single one will do — even if one is wealthy, one should not make the shraddha elaborate.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.7.15.4)

देशकालोचितश्रद्धाद्रव्यपात्रार्हणानि च । सम्यग्भवन्ति नैतानि विस्तरात्स्वजनार्पणात् ॥ ४ ॥

deśa-kālocita-śraddhā- dravya-pātrārhaṇāni ca samyag bhavanti naitāni vistarāt sva-janārpaṇāt

Faith, ingredients, worthy recipients and worship suited to place and time are not properly attended to when the ceremony is made elaborate by inviting many relatives.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.7.15.5)

देशे काले च सम्प्राप्ते मुन्यन्नं हरिदैवतम् । श्रद्धया विधिवत्पात्रे न्यस्तं कामधुगक्षयम् ॥ ५ ॥

deśe kāle ca samprāpte muny-annaṁ hari-daivatam śraddhayā vidhivat pātre nyastaṁ kāmadhug akṣayam

When a fitting place and time are attained, food fit for a sage, dedicated to Hari, offered with faith and according to rule to a worthy person, becomes an inexhaustible wish-fulfilling gift.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.7.15.6)

देवर्षिपितृभूतेभ्य आत्मने स्वजनाय च । अन्नं संविभजन्पश्येत्सर्वं तत्पुरुषात्मकम् ॥ ६ ॥

devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtebhya ātmane sva-janāya ca annaṁ saṁvibhajan paśyet sarvaṁ tat puruṣātmakam

While distributing food to the gods, sages, ancestors and living beings, to oneself and to one's own kin, one should see all of it as belonging, in truth, to the Supreme Person.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.7.15.7)

न दद्यादामिषं श्राद्धे न चाद्याद्धर्मतत्त्ववित् । मुन्यन्नैः स्यात्परा प्रीतिर्यथा न पशुहिंसया ॥ ७ ॥

na dadyād āmiṣaṁ śrāddhe na cādyād dharma-tattvavit muny-annaiḥ syāt parā prītir yathā na paśu-hiṁsayā

One who knows the truth of dharma should never offer meat in the shraddha, nor eat it himself; supreme satisfaction comes through food fit for sages, not through violence to animals.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.7.15.8)

नैतादृशः परो धर्मो नृणां सद्धर्ममिच्छताम् । न्यासो दण्डस्य भूतेषु मनोवाक्कायजस्य यः ॥ ८ ॥

naitādṛśaḥ paro dharmo nṛṇāṁ sad-dharmam icchatām nyāso daṇḍasya bhūteṣu mano-vāk-kāyajasya yaḥ

For men who desire true dharma, there is no higher religion than this: the setting aside, toward all beings, of the harm one might do through mind, word or body.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.7.15.9)

एके कर्ममयान् यज्ञान् ज्ञानिनो यज्ञवित्तमाः । आत्मसंयमनेऽनीहा जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ ९ ॥

eke karmamayān yajñān jñānino yajña-vittamāḥ ātma-saṁyamane ’nīhā juhvati jñāna-dīpite

Some who are wise, most learned in sacrifice, free from striving and illumined by knowledge, offer ritual sacrifices themselves into the fire of self-control.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.7.15.10)

द्रव्ययज्ञैर्यक्ष्यमाणं दृष्ट्वा भूतानि बिभ्यति । एष माकरुणो हन्यादतज्ज्ञो ह्यसुतृप्ध्रुवम् ॥ १० ॥

dravya-yajñair yakṣyamāṇaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhūtāni bibhyati eṣa mākaruṇo hanyād ataj-jño hy asu-tṛp dhruvam

Seeing one about to be sacrificed with material offerings, creatures grow afraid, thinking: 'This merciless man, ignorant of the truth and satisfied only by taking life, will surely kill me.'

Verse 11 (bhagavata.7.15.11)

तस्माद्दैवोपपन्नेन मुन्यन्नेनापि धर्मवित् । सन्तुष्टोऽहरहः कुर्यान्नित्यनैमित्तिकीः क्रियाः ॥ ११ ॥

tasmād daivopapannena muny-annenāpi dharmavit santuṣṭo ’har ahaḥ kuryān nitya-naimittikīḥ kriyāḥ

Therefore, one who knows dharma, content with whatever sage-worthy food comes by providence, should perform the daily and occasional rites day after day.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.7.15.12)

विधर्मः परधर्मश्च आभास उपमा छलः । अधर्मशाखाः पञ्चेमा धर्मज्ञोऽधर्मवत्त्यजेत् ॥ १२ ॥

vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā dharma-jño ’dharmavat tyajet

Counter-dharma, another's dharma, its mere semblance, mimicry, and deceit — these are the five branches of adharma; one who knows dharma should reject them as he would reject adharma itself.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.7.15.13)

धर्मबाधो विधर्मः स्यात्परधर्मोऽन्यचोदितः । उपधर्मस्तु पाखण्डो दम्भो वा शब्दभिच्छलः ॥ १३ ॥

dharma-bādho vidharmaḥ syāt para-dharmo ’nya-coditaḥ upadharmas tu pākhaṇḍo dambho vā śabda-bhic chalaḥ

Vidharma is that which obstructs one's own dharma; paradharma is dharma prescribed for another; upadharma is hypocrisy or false pride masquerading as religion; and chala is deceit through the twisting of words.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.7.15.14)

यस्त्विच्छया कृतः पुम्भिराभासो ह्याश्रमात्पृथक् । स्वभावविहितो धर्मः कस्य नेष्टः प्रशान्तये ॥ १४ ॥

yas tv icchayā kṛtaḥ pumbhir ābhāso hy āśramāt pṛthak sva-bhāva-vihito dharmaḥ kasya neṣṭaḥ praśāntaye

That which people willfully fashion apart from their own ashrama is a mere semblance of dharma; but the dharma naturally suited to one's own nature — for whom is that not conducive to peace?

Verse 15 (bhagavata.7.15.15)

धर्मार्थमपि नेहेत यात्रार्थं वाधनो धनम् । अनीहानीहमानस्य महाहेरिव वृत्तिदा ॥ १५ ॥

dharmārtham api neheta yātrārthaṁ vādhano dhanam anīhānīhamānasya mahāher iva vṛttidā

Even a poor man should not strive for wealth, whether for dharma's sake or for mere survival; for one who makes no effort, sustenance comes of its own accord, as it does for the great serpent.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.7.15.16)

सन्तुष्टस्य निरीहस्य स्वात्मारामस्य यत्सुखम् । कुतस्तत्कामलोभेन धावतोऽर्थेहया दिशः ॥ १६ ॥

santuṣṭasya nirīhasya svātmārāmasya yat sukham kutas tat kāma-lobhena dhāvato ’rthehayā diśaḥ

What happiness a person who is content, free from striving and delighting in the self enjoys — how can that happiness ever come to one running in every direction after wealth, driven by lust and greed?

Verse 17 (bhagavata.7.15.17)

सदा सन्तुष्टमनसः सर्वाः शिवमया दिशः । शर्कराकण्टकादिभ्यो यथोपानत्पदः शिवम् ॥ १७ ॥

sadā santuṣṭa-manasaḥ sarvāḥ śivamayā diśaḥ śarkarā-kaṇṭakādibhyo yathopānat-padaḥ śivam

For one whose mind is always content, every direction becomes auspicious — just as, for one wearing sandals, pebbles and thorns cause no harm; everything becomes safe for him.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.7.15.18)

सन्तुष्टः केन वा राजन्न वर्तेतापि वारिणा । औपस्थ्यजैह्व्यकार्पण्याद्गृहपालायते जनः ॥ १८ ॥

santuṣṭaḥ kena vā rājan na vartetāpi vāriṇā aupasthya-jaihvya-kārpaṇyād gṛha-pālāyate janaḥ

O King, what would a contented man not manage with, even with plain water alone? But out of servility to the tongue and the genitals, a person becomes like a watchdog of the household.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.7.15.19)

असन्तुष्टस्य विप्रस्य तेजो विद्या तपो यशः । स्रवन्तीन्द्रियलौल्येन ज्ञानं चैवावकीर्यते ॥ १९ ॥

asantuṣṭasya viprasya tejo vidyā tapo yaśaḥ sravantīndriya-laulyena jñānaṁ caivāvakīryate

The spiritual power, learning, austerity and reputation of a discontented brahmana leak away through the restlessness of the senses, and his knowledge too becomes scattered.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.7.15.20)

कामस्यान्तं हि क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां क्रोधस्यैतत्फलोदयात् । जनो याति न लोभस्य जित्वा भुक्त्वा दिशो भुवः ॥ २० ॥

kāmasyāntaṁ hi kṣut-tṛḍbhyāṁ krodhasyaitat phalodayāt jano yāti na lobhasya jitvā bhuktvā diśo bhuvaḥ

Desire finds its end through hunger and thirst, and anger through the arising of its own consequence; but a person, though he conquer and enjoy every direction of the earth, never finds an end to greed.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.7.15.21)

पण्डिता बहवो राजन्बहुज्ञाः संशयच्छिदः । सदसस्पतयोऽप्येके असन्तोषात्पतन्त्यधः ॥ २१ ॥

paṇḍitā bahavo rājan bahu-jñāḥ saṁśaya-cchidaḥ sadasas patayo ’py eke asantoṣāt patanty adhaḥ

O King, many learned men, deeply knowledgeable, capable of resolving all doubts, even some fit to preside over great assemblies, fall down into a lower state simply from discontent.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.7.15.22)

असङ्कल्पाज्जयेत्कामं क्रोधं कामविवर्जनात् । अर्थानर्थेक्षया लोभं भयं तत्त्वावमर्शनात् ॥ २२ ॥

asaṅkalpāj jayet kāmaṁ krodhaṁ kāma-vivarjanāt arthānarthekṣayā lobhaṁ bhayaṁ tattvāvamarśanāt

One should conquer lust by refusing to entertain its resolve, anger by giving up desire itself, greed by contemplating the harm that comes from wealth, and fear by inquiry into the truth.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.7.15.23)

आन्वीक्षिक्या शोकमोहौ दम्भं महदुपासया । योगान्तरायान्मौनेन हिंसां कामाद्यनीहया ॥ २३ ॥

ānvīkṣikyā śoka-mohau dambhaṁ mahad-upāsayā yogāntarāyān maunena hiṁsāṁ kāmādy-anīhayā

Grief and delusion are conquered through philosophical inquiry, pride through service to the great, obstacles to yoga through silence, and violence through abstaining from lust and its kin.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.7.15.24)

कृपया भूतजं दुःखं दैवं जह्यात्समाधिना । आत्मजं योगवीर्येण निद्रां सत्त्वनिषेवया ॥ २४ ॥

kṛpayā bhūtajaṁ duḥkhaṁ daivaṁ jahyāt samādhinā ātmajaṁ yoga-vīryeṇa nidrāṁ sattva-niṣevayā

Suffering caused by other beings should be overcome through kindness, suffering caused by providence through meditation, and suffering born of one's own body through the power of yoga; sleep should be overcome by cultivating goodness.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.7.15.25)

रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वेन सत्त्वं चोपशमेन च । एतत्सर्वं गुरौ भक्त्या पुरुषो ह्यञ्जसा जयेत् ॥ २५ ॥

rajas tamaś ca sattvena sattvaṁ copaśamena ca etat sarvaṁ gurau bhaktyā puruṣo hy añjasā jayet

Passion and ignorance are conquered by the mode of goodness, and goodness itself by tranquility; and a person, through devotion to the guru, can easily conquer all of this together.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.7.15.26)

यस्य साक्षाद्भगवति ज्ञानदीपप्रदे गुरौ । मर्त्यासद्धीः श्रुतं तस्य सर्वं कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥ २६ ॥

yasya sākṣād bhagavati jñāna-dīpa-prade gurau martyāsad-dhīḥ śrutaṁ tasya sarvaṁ kuñjara-śaucavat

For one who holds the mortal, unspiritual notion regarding the guru — who is directly Bhagavan, the giver of the lamp of knowledge — all his learning becomes as worthless as the bathing of an elephant.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.7.15.27)

एष वै भगवान्साक्षात् प्रधानपुरुषेश्वरः । योगेश्वरैर्विमृग्याङ्घ्रिर्लोको यं मन्यते नरम् ॥ २७ ॥

eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣāt pradhāna-puruṣeśvaraḥ yogeśvarair vimṛgyāṅghrir loko yaṁ manyate naram

This very person is indeed Bhagavan Himself, the Lord of the primal nature and of the individual soul, whose feet are sought after even by masters of yoga — though the world considers Him merely a man.

Verse 28 (bhagavata.7.15.28)

षड्वर्गसंयमैकान्ताः सर्वा नियमचोदनाः । तदन्ता यदि नो योगानावहेयुः श्रमावहाः ॥ २८ ॥

ṣaḍ-varga-saṁyamaikāntāḥ sarvā niyama-codanāḥ tad-antā yadi no yogān āvaheyuḥ śramāvahāḥ

All the injunctions of discipline are meant solely for controlling the six enemies of the mind; if, even after such control, they do not lead one to actual yoga, they become mere labor bringing fatigue.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.7.15.29)

यथा वार्तादयो ह्यर्था योगस्यार्थं न बिभ्रति । अनर्थाय भवेयुः स्म पूर्तमिष्टं तथासतः ॥ २९ ॥

yathā vārtādayo hy arthā yogasyārthaṁ na bibhrati anarthāya bhaveyuḥ sma pūrtam iṣṭaṁ tathāsataḥ

Just as occupations like trade and the rest do not carry one toward the goal of yoga, so too, for one who is not a devotee, even charitable and ceremonial works [purta and ishta] become a source of harm rather than benefit.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.7.15.30)

यश्चित्तविजये यत्तः स्यान्निःसङ्गोऽपरिग्रहः । एको विविक्तशरणो भिक्षुर्भैक्ष्यमिताशनः ॥ ३० ॥

yaś citta-vijaye yattaḥ syān niḥsaṅgo ’parigrahaḥ eko vivikta-śaraṇo bhikṣur bhaikṣya-mitāśanaḥ

One who strives to conquer the mind should be free from attachment, without possessions, alone, taking shelter of solitude — a mendicant who eats only what alms provide, and that in measured amount.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.7.15.31)

देशे शुचौ समे राजन्संस्थाप्यासनमात्मनः । स्थिरं सुखं समं तस्मिन्नासीतर्ज्वङ्ग ओमिति ॥ ३१ ॥

deśe śucau same rājan saṁsthāpyāsanam ātmanaḥ sthiraṁ sukhaṁ samaṁ tasminn āsītarjv-aṅga om iti

O King, in a pure and level place, having established a seat for himself, he should sit there steadily and comfortably, holding his body erect, and utter the syllable Om.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.7.15.32)

प्राणापानौ सन्निरुन्ध्यात्पूरकुम्भकरेचकैः । यावन्मनस्त्यजेत कामान्स्वनासाग्रनिरीक्षणः ॥ ३२ ॥

prāṇāpānau sannirundhyāt pūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥ yāvan manas tyajet kāmān sva-nāsāgra-nirīkṣaṇaḥ

He should regulate the inward and outward breath through inhalation, retention and exhalation, gazing at the tip of his own nose, until the mind gives up all its desires.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.7.15.33)

यतो यतो निःसरति मनः कामहतं भ्रमत् । ततस्तत उपाहृत्य हृदि रुन्ध्याच्छनैर्बुधः ॥ ३३ ॥

yato yato niḥsarati manaḥ kāma-hataṁ bhramat tatas tata upāhṛtya hṛdi rundhyāc chanair budhaḥ

Wherever the desire-struck, wandering mind escapes to, from there, again and again, the wise man should gently draw it back and restrain it within the heart.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.7.15.34)

एवमभ्यस्यतश्चित्तं कालेनाल्पीयसा यतेः । अनिशं तस्य निर्वाणं यात्यनिन्धनवह्निवत् ॥ ३४ ॥

evam abhyasyataś cittaṁ kālenālpīyasā yateḥ aniśaṁ tasya nirvāṇaṁ yāty anindhana-vahnivat

For the ascetic who thus practices continually, in a very short time the mind attains a lasting stillness, like a fire with no more fuel to burn.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.7.15.35)

कामादिभिरनाविद्धं प्रशान्ताखिलवृत्ति यत् । चित्तं ब्रह्मसुखस्पृष्टं नैवोत्तिष्ठेत कर्हिचित् ॥ ३५ ॥

kāmādibhir anāviddhaṁ praśāntākhila-vṛtti yat cittaṁ brahma-sukha-spṛṣṭaṁ naivottiṣṭheta karhicit

The mind that is untouched by lust and its kin, whose every activity has grown fully peaceful, and that has come into contact with the bliss of Brahman, never again rises up into agitation.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.7.15.36)

यः प्रव्रज्य गृहात्पूर्वं त्रिवर्गावपनात्पुनः । यदि सेवेत तान्भिक्षुः स वै वान्ताश्यपत्रपः ॥ ३६ ॥

yaḥ pravrajya gṛhāt pūrvaṁ tri-vargāvapanāt punaḥ yadi seveta tān bhikṣuḥ sa vai vāntāśy apatrapaḥ

One who takes up the mendicant life, renouncing the household along with its threefold pursuits, and then returns again to serve those very pursuits, is a shameless vomit-eater.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.7.15.37)

यैः स्वदेहः स्मृतोऽनात्मा मर्त्यो विट्कृमिभस्मवत् । त एनमात्मसात्कृत्वा श्लाघयन्ति ह्यसत्तमाः ॥ ३७ ॥

yaiḥ sva-dehaḥ smṛto ’nātmā martyo viṭ-kṛmi-bhasmavat ta enam ātmasāt kṛtvā ślāghayanti hy asattamāḥ

The most degraded of men are those who, having once recognized this mortal body as not the self — destined for stool, worms and ashes — nevertheless take it back as their own and glorify it.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.7.15.38)

गृहस्थस्य क्रियात्यागो व्रतत्यागो वटोरपि । तपस्विनो ग्रामसेवा भिक्षोरिन्द्रियलोलता ॥ ३८ ॥

gṛhasthasya kriyā-tyāgo vrata-tyāgo vaṭor api tapasvino grāma-sevā bhikṣor indriya-lolatā

It is a disgrace for a householder to abandon his prescribed duties, for a student to abandon his vows even while under the guru's care, for a forest-dweller to seek out village comforts, and for a mendicant to be a slave to his senses.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.7.15.39)

आश्रमापसदा ह्येते खल्वाश्रमविडम्बनाः । देवमायाविमूढांस्तानुपेक्षेतानुकम्पया ॥ ३९ ॥

āśramāpasadā hy ete khalv āśrama-viḍambanāḥ deva-māyā-vimūḍhāṁs tān upekṣetānukampayā

These are the disgraces of their respective ashramas, mere mockeries of the order they claim; deluded by the divine illusion, they should be regarded with compassion, and simply left alone.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.7.15.40)

आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयात्परं ज्ञानधुताशयः । किमिच्छन्कस्य वा हेतोर्देहं पुष्णाति लम्पटः ॥ ४० ॥

ātmānaṁ ced vijānīyāt paraṁ jñāna-dhutāśayaḥ kim icchan kasya vā hetor dehaṁ puṣṇāti lampaṭaḥ

If a person could understand the self and the Supreme through knowledge that shakes off all worldly attachment, desiring what, or for whose sake, would a lustful man go on merely fattening the body?

Verse 41 (bhagavata.7.15.41)

आहुः शरीरं रथमिन्द्रियाणि हयानभीषून्मन इन्द्रियेशम् । वर्त्मानि मात्रा धिषणां च सूतं सत्त्वं बृहद् बन्धुरमीशसृष्टम् ॥ ४१ ॥

āhuḥ śarīraṁ ratham indriyāṇi hayān abhīṣūn mana indriyeśam vartmāni mātrā dhiṣaṇāṁ ca sūtaṁ sattvaṁ bṛhad bandhuram īśa-sṛṣṭam

They say the body is the chariot, the senses the horses, the mind — controller of the senses — the reins, the sense-objects the roads, intelligence the charioteer, and the great sattva, kinsman to all, fashioned by the Lord, is the driver's seat.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.7.15.42)

अक्षं दशप्राणमधर्मधर्मौ चक्रेऽभिमानं रथिनं च जीवम् । धनुर्हि तस्य प्रणवं पठन्ति शरं तु जीवं परमेव लक्ष्यम् ॥ ४२ ॥

akṣaṁ daśa-prāṇam adharma-dharmau cakre ’bhimānaṁ rathinaṁ ca jīvam dhanur hi tasya praṇavaṁ paṭhanti śaraṁ tu jīvaṁ param eva lakṣyam

The ten vital airs are the wheel's spokes, adharma and dharma the two wheels, the embodied living being — identified with the body — is the chariot's owner, the pranava mantra is called its bow, and the pure living soul itself, they say, is the arrow, with the Supreme alone as its true target.

Verse 43 (bhagavata.7.15.43)

रागो द्वेषश्च लोभश्च शोकमोहौ भयं मदः । मानोऽवमानोऽसूया च माया हिंसा च मत्सरः ॥ ४३ ॥

rāgo dveṣaś ca lobhaś ca śoka-mohau bhayaṁ madaḥ māno ’vamāno ’sūyā ca māyā hiṁsā ca matsaraḥ

Attachment, hostility, greed, grief, delusion, fear, intoxication, pride, contempt, envy, deceit, violence, and jealousy —

Verse 44 (bhagavata.7.15.44)

रजः प्रमादः क्षुन्निद्रा शत्रवस्त्वेवमादयः । रजस्तमःप्रकृतयः सत्त्वप्रकृतयः क्वचित् ॥ ४४ ॥

rajaḥ pramādaḥ kṣun-nidrā śatravas tv evam ādayaḥ rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ sattva-prakṛtayaḥ kvacit

passion, negligence, hunger and sleep, and other such foes as these — all of these are born of the modes of passion and ignorance, and only rarely of the mode of goodness.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.7.15.45)

यावन्नृकायरथमात्मवशोपकल्पं धत्ते गरिष्ठचरणार्चनया निशातम् । ज्ञानासिमच्युतबलो दधदस्तशत्रुः स्वानन्दतुष्ट उपशान्त इदं विजह्यात् ॥ ४५ ॥

yāvan nṛ-kāya-ratham ātma-vaśopakalpaṁ dhatte gariṣṭha-caraṇārcanayā niśātam jñānāsim acyuta-balo dadhad asta-śatruḥ svānanda-tuṣṭa upaśānta idaṁ vijahyāt

As long as one must maintain this chariot of the human body — an instrument only partly under one's own control — one should sharpen the sword of knowledge through worship of the feet of the greatest of gurus. Then, armed with the strength of Achyuta and having destroyed one's enemies, satisfied in the bliss of the self and fully at peace, one should give up even this body.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.7.15.46)

नोचेत्प्रमत्तमसदिन्द्रियवाजिसूता नीत्वोत्पथं विषयदस्युषु निक्षिपन्ति । ते दस्यवः सहयसूतममुं तमोऽन्धे संसारकूप उरुमृत्युभये क्षिपन्ति ॥ ४६ ॥

nocet pramattam asad-indriya-vāji-sūtā nītvotpathaṁ viṣaya-dasyuṣu nikṣipanti te dasyavaḥ sahaya-sūtam amuṁ tamo ’ndhe saṁsāra-kūpa uru-mṛtyu-bhaye kṣipanti

Otherwise, the untrue senses — acting as unruly horses along with their charioteer, the intelligence — carelessly drive the inattentive soul off the true path and cast it among the plunderers of sense-gratification, who in turn hurl this rider, with his horses and charioteer, into the blind darkness of the well of material existence, into the vast terror of repeated death.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.7.15.47)

प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च द्विविधं कर्म वैदिकम् । आवर्तते प्रवृत्तेन निवृत्तेनाश्नुतेऽमृतम् ॥ ४७ ॥

pravṛttaṁ ca nivṛttaṁ ca dvi-vidhaṁ karma vaidikam āvartate pravṛttena nivṛttenāśnute ’mṛtam

Vedic activity is of two kinds: pravritti and nivritti. Through pravritti one returns again and again to this world, but through nivritti one attains immortality.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.7.15.48)

हिंस्रं द्रव्यमयं काम्यमग्निहोत्राद्यशान्तिदम् । दर्शश्च पूर्णमासश्च चातुर्मास्यं पशुः सुतः ॥ ४८ ॥

hiṁsraṁ dravyamayaṁ kāmyam agni-hotrādy-aśāntidam darśaś ca pūrṇamāsaś ca cāturmāsyaṁ paśuḥ sutaḥ

Rites involving violence, material offerings, and desire — such as the Agnihotra and the rest — do not bring true peace; these include the Darsha, the Purnamasa, the Chaturmasya, animal sacrifice, and the Soma rite.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.7.15.49)

एतदिष्टं प्रवृत्ताख्यं हुतं प्रहुतमेव च । पूर्तं सुरालयारामकूपाजीव्यादिलक्षणम् ॥ ४९ ॥

etad iṣṭaṁ pravṛttākhyaṁ hutaṁ prahutam eva ca pūrtaṁ surālayārāma- kūpājīvyādi-lakṣaṇam

These are called pravritti rites — the ishta, huta and prahuta sacrifices; and the purta works, marked by building temples, gardens, wells, and providing for public welfare and the like.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.7.15.50)

द्रव्यसूक्ष्मविपाकश्च धूमो रात्रिरपक्षयः । अयनं दक्षिणं सोमो दर्श ओषधिवीरुधः ॥ ५० ॥

dravya-sūkṣma-vipākaś ca dhūmo rātrir apakṣayaḥ ayanaṁ dakṣiṇaṁ somo darśa oṣadhi-vīrudhaḥ

The subtle transformation of the offered substance becomes smoke, then night, then the waning fortnight, then the southern course of the sun, then the moon, and then the herbs and plants of the Darsha rite —

Verse 51 (bhagavata.7.15.51)

अन्नं रेत इति क्ष्मेश पितृयानं पुनर्भवः । एकैकश्येनानुपूर्वं भूत्वा भूत्वेह जायते ॥ ५१ ॥

annaṁ reta iti kṣmeśa pitṛ-yānaṁ punar-bhavaḥ ekaikaśyenānupūrvaṁ bhūtvā bhūtveha jāyate

— O lord of the earth, becoming grain, then semen, entering the path of the ancestors, one is born again and again, passing successively, one stage at a time, through this world.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.7.15.52)

निषेकादिश्मशानान्तैः संस्कारैः संस्कृतो द्विजः । इन्द्रियेषु क्रियायज्ञान् ज्ञानदीपेषु जुह्वति ॥ ५२ ॥

niṣekādi-śmaśānāntaiḥ saṁskāraiḥ saṁskṛto dvijaḥ indriyeṣu kriyā-yajñān jñāna-dīpeṣu juhvati

The twice-born, purified by the sacraments from conception to the funeral rite, offers the ritual sacrifices of the senses into the lamps of knowledge.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.7.15.53)

इन्द्रियाणि मनस्यूर्मौ वाचि वैकारिकं मनः । वाचं वर्णसमाम्नाये तमोङ्कारे स्वरे न्यसेत् । ओङ्कारं बिन्दौ नादे तं तं तु प्राणे महत्यमुम् ॥ ५३ ॥

indriyāṇi manasy ūrmau vāci vaikārikaṁ manaḥ vācaṁ varṇa-samāmnāye tam oṁkāre svare nyaset oṁkāraṁ bindau nāde taṁ taṁ tu prāṇe mahaty amum

He should offer the senses into the mind, the wave of the mind into speech, that transformed mind into the alphabet of speech, speech into the syllable Om, Om into the point [bindu], and that into the resonance [nada] which he should then offer into the vital breath, and that in turn into the great cosmic principle.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.7.15.54)

अग्निः सूर्यो दिवा प्राह्णः शुक्लो राकोत्तरं स्वराट् । विश्वोऽथ तैजसः प्राज्ञस्तुर्य आत्मा समन्वयात् ॥ ५४ ॥

agniḥ sūryo divā prāhṇaḥ śuklo rākottaraṁ sva-rāṭ viśvo ’tha taijasaḥ prājñas turya ātmā samanvayāt

Fire, the sun, day, forenoon, the bright fortnight, the northern course, and Svarat; then Vishva, Taijasa and Prajna, and finally, through their unification, the Fourth — the Self.

Verse 55 (bhagavata.7.15.55)

देवयानमिदं प्राहुर्भूत्वा भूत्वानुपूर्वशः । आत्मयाज्युपशान्तात्मा ह्यात्मस्थो न निवर्तते ॥ ५५ ॥

deva-yānam idaṁ prāhur bhūtvā bhūtvānupūrvaśaḥ ātma-yājy upaśāntātmā hy ātma-stho na nivartate

This is called the path of the gods; passing through these stages one by one, one who has fully offered the self and become perfectly peaceful, being established in the Self, does not return again.

Verse 56 (bhagavata.7.15.56)

य एते पितृदेवानामयने वेदनिर्मिते । शास्त्रेण चक्षुषा वेद जनस्थोऽपि न मुह्यति ॥ ५६ ॥

ya ete pitṛ-devānām ayane veda-nirmite śāstreṇa cakṣuṣā veda jana-stho ’pi na muhyati

One who understands, through the eye of scripture, these two paths of the ancestors and the gods, fashioned by the Veda, is never bewildered, even while residing among ordinary people.

Verse 57 (bhagavata.7.15.57)

आदावन्ते जनानां सद् बहिरन्तः परावरम् । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं वचो वाच्यं तमो ज्योतिस्त्वयं स्वयम् ॥ ५७ ॥

ādāv ante janānāṁ sad bahir antaḥ parāvaram jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ vaco vācyaṁ tamo jyotis tv ayaṁ svayam

That which exists at the beginning and end of all beings, within and without, higher and lower — He is knowledge and the object of knowledge, speech and its meaning, darkness, and He Himself is the light.

Verse 58 (bhagavata.7.15.58)

आबाधितोऽपि ह्याभासो यथा वस्तुतया स्मृतः । दुर्घटत्वादैन्द्रियकं तद्वदर्थविकल्पितम् ॥ ५८ ॥

ābādhito ’pi hy ābhāso yathā vastutayā smṛtaḥ durghaṭatvād aindriyakaṁ tadvad artha-vikalpitam

Just as a reflection, though logically contestable, is still remembered as having a factual existence, so too whatever the senses perceive, though it may be philosophically difficult to establish, has a conditional reality of its own.

Verse 59 (bhagavata.7.15.59)

क्षित्यादीनामिहार्थानां छाया न कतमापि हि । न सङ्घातो विकारोऽपि न पृथङ्नान्वितो मृषा ॥ ५९ ॥

kṣity-ādīnām ihārthānāṁ chāyā na katamāpi hi na saṅghāto vikāro ’pi na pṛthaṅ nānvito mṛṣā

The objects of this world, beginning with earth, are not a mere shadow of anything; nor are they a mere aggregate, nor a transformation; they are neither wholly separate nor wholly identified with their cause — none of these theories alone is true.

Verse 60 (bhagavata.7.15.60)

धातवोऽवयवित्वाच्च तन्मात्रावयवैर्विना । न स्युर्ह्यसत्यवयविन्यसन्नवयवोऽन्ततः ॥ ६० ॥

dhātavo ’vayavitvāc ca tan-mātrāvayavair vinā na syur hy asaty avayaviny asann avayavo ’ntataḥ

The gross elements cannot exist without their subtle constituent parts, since they are composed of them; therefore, since the composite is not ultimately real, its parts too, in the end, cannot be said to be truly real.

Verse 61 (bhagavata.7.15.61)

स्यात्सादृश्यभ्रमस्तावद्विकल्पे सति वस्तुनः । जाग्रत्स्वापौ यथा स्वप्ने तथा विधिनिषेधता ॥ ६१ ॥

syāt sādṛśya-bhramas tāvad vikalpe sati vastunaḥ jāgrat-svāpau yathā svapne tathā vidhi-niṣedhatā

The illusion of similarity arises only when a distinction is imagined within a single reality — just as, in a dream, one imagines waking and sleep to be different states; it is in just such a state that scriptural injunction and prohibition operate.

Verse 62 (bhagavata.7.15.62)

भावाद्वैतं क्रियाद्वैतं द्रव्याद्वैतं तथात्मनः । वर्तयन्स्वानुभूत्येह त्रीन्स्वप्नान्धुनुते मुनिः ॥ ६२ ॥

bhāvādvaitaṁ kriyādvaitaṁ dravyādvaitaṁ tathātmanaḥ vartayan svānubhūtyeha trīn svapnān dhunute muniḥ

Contemplating the non-duality of existence, of action, and of substance, and thus of the self, through his own direct realization here, the sage shakes off these three states, as though waking from three kinds of dream.

Verse 63 (bhagavata.7.15.63)

कार्यकारणवस्त्वैक्यदर्शनं पटतन्तुवत् । अवस्तुत्वाद्विकल्पस्य भावाद्वैतं तदुच्यते ॥ ६३ ॥

kārya-kāraṇa-vastv-aikya- darśanaṁ paṭa-tantuvat avastutvād vikalpasya bhāvādvaitaṁ tad ucyate

Seeing the oneness of cause and effect, as one sees cloth and its threads as one substance, is called bhavadvaita — the non-duality of existence — since the very notion of their difference has no real basis.

Verse 64 (bhagavata.7.15.64)

यद् ब्रह्मणि परे साक्षात्सर्वकर्मसमर्पणम् । मनोवाक्तनुभिः पार्थ क्रियाद्वैतं तदुच्यते ॥ ६४ ॥

yad brahmaṇi pare sākṣāt sarva-karma-samarpaṇam mano-vāk-tanubhiḥ pārtha kriyādvaitaṁ tad ucyate

O Partha, when all actions performed with mind, speech and body are directly offered to the Supreme Brahman, that is called kriyadvaita — the non-duality of action.

Verse 65 (bhagavata.7.15.65)

आत्मजायासुतादीनामन्येषां सर्वदेहिनाम् । यत्स्वार्थकामयोरैक्यं द्रव्याद्वैतं तदुच्यते ॥ ६५ ॥

ātma-jāyā-sutādīnām anyeṣāṁ sarva-dehinām yat svārtha-kāmayor aikyaṁ dravyādvaitaṁ tad ucyate

When one's own self-interest and desire become one with those of one's wife, children and all other embodied beings, that is called dravyadvaita — the non-duality of substance.

Verse 66 (bhagavata.7.15.66)

यद् यस्य वानिषिद्धं स्याद्येन यत्र यतो नृप । स तेनेहेत कार्याणि नरो नान्यैरनापदि ॥ ६६ ॥

yad yasya vāniṣiddhaṁ syād yena yatra yato nṛpa sa teneheta kāryāṇi naro nānyair anāpadi

O King, whatever is not forbidden to a person, by whatever means, in whatever place, and from whatever source — with that alone, and not by any other means, should a man, in the absence of emergency, pursue his affairs.

Verse 67 (bhagavata.7.15.67)

एतैरन्यैश्च वेदोक्तैर्वर्तमानः स्वकर्मभिः । गृहेऽप्यस्य गतिं यायाद् राजंस्तद्भक्तिभाङ्नरः ॥ ६७ ॥

etair anyaiś ca vedoktair vartamānaḥ sva-karmabhiḥ gṛhe ’py asya gatiṁ yāyād rājaṁs tad-bhakti-bhāṅ naraḥ

O King, one who lives by these and other Vedic duties proper to his own station, remaining devoted to the Lord, attains His destination even while at home.

Verse 68 (bhagavata.7.15.68)

यथा हि यूयं नृपदेव दुस्त्यजा दापद्गणादुत्तरतात्मनः प्रभोः । यत्पादपङ्केरुहसेवया भवा नहारषीन्निर्जितदिग्गजः क्रतून् ॥ ६८ ॥

yathā hi yūyaṁ nṛpa-deva dustyajād āpad-gaṇād uttaratātmanaḥ prabhoḥ yat-pāda-paṅkeruha-sevayā bhavān ahāraṣīn nirjita-dig-gajaḥ kratūn

O godlike King, just as all of you crossed over an insurmountable host of calamities by the grace of the Lord, your own protector — and through service to His lotus feet you, having conquered the elephant-guardians of the directions, were able to carry out great sacrifices —

Verse 69 (bhagavata.7.15.69)

अहं पुराभवं कश्चिद्गन्धर्व उपबर्हणः । नाम्नातीते महाकल्पे गन्धर्वाणां सुसम्मतः ॥ ६९ ॥

ahaṁ purābhavaṁ kaścid gandharva upabarhaṇaḥ nāmnātīte mahā-kalpe gandharvāṇāṁ susammataḥ

In a former life, I was once a certain Gandharva named Upabarhana, in a bygone great cosmic age, held in high esteem among the Gandharvas.

Verse 70 (bhagavata.7.15.70)

रूपपेशलमाधुर्यसौगन्ध्यप्रियदर्शनः । स्त्रीणां प्रियतमो नित्यं मत्तः स्वपुरलम्पटः ॥ ७० ॥

rūpa-peśala-mādhurya- saugandhya-priya-darśanaḥ strīṇāṁ priyatamo nityaṁ mattaḥ sva-pura-lampaṭaḥ

Beautiful in form, sweet and fragrant, pleasant to behold, forever the most beloved of women — I was thus proud and self-indulgent, addicted to the pleasures of my own city.

Verse 71 (bhagavata.7.15.71)

एकदा देवसत्रे तु गन्धर्वाप्सरसां गणाः । उपहूता विश्वसृग्भिर्हरिगाथोपगायने ॥ ७१ ॥

ekadā deva-satre tu gandharvāpsarasāṁ gaṇāḥ upahūtā viśva-sṛgbhir hari-gāthopagāyane

Once, at a sacrificial gathering of the gods, the hosts of Gandharvas and Apsaras were invited by the Prajapatis to join in singing the glories of Hari.

Verse 72 (bhagavata.7.15.72)

अहं च गायंस्तद्विद्वान् स्त्रीभिः परिवृतो गतः । ज्ञात्वा विश्वसृजस्तन्मे हेलनं शेपुरोजसा । याहि त्वं शूद्रतामाशु नष्टश्रीः कृतहेलनः ॥ ७२ ॥

ahaṁ ca gāyaṁs tad-vidvān strībhiḥ parivṛto gataḥ jñātvā viśva-sṛjas tan me helanaṁ śepur ojasā yāhi tvaṁ śūdratām āśu naṣṭa-śrīḥ kṛta-helanaḥ

Knowing this well, I too went, singing, surrounded by women; and the Prajapatis, perceiving my irreverence, forcefully cursed me: 'Since you have shown irreverence, may your glory be destroyed — go at once and become a shudra!'

Verse 73 (bhagavata.7.15.73)

तावद्दास्यामहं जज्ञे तत्रापि ब्रह्मवादिनाम् । शुश्रूषयानुषङ्गेण प्राप्तोऽहं ब्रह्मपुत्रताम् ॥ ७३ ॥

tāvad dāsyām ahaṁ jajñe tatrāpi brahma-vādinām śuśrūṣayānuṣaṅgeṇa prāpto ’haṁ brahma-putratām

I was then born as the son of a maidservant, yet even there, through service to knowers of Brahman, I attained, in due course, the status of a son of Brahma.

Verse 74 (bhagavata.7.15.74)

धर्मस्ते गृहमेधीयो वर्णितः पापनाशनः । गृहस्थो येन पदवीमञ्जसा न्यासिनामियात् ॥ ७४ ॥

dharmas te gṛha-medhīyo varṇitaḥ pāpa-nāśanaḥ gṛhastho yena padavīm añjasā nyāsinām iyāt

To you I have thus described the sin-destroying dharma of the householder, by which a householder may easily attain the very path of the renunciants.

Verse 75 (bhagavata.7.15.75)

यूयं नृलोके बत भूरिभागा लोकं पुनाना मुनयोऽभियन्ति । येषां गृहानावसतीति साक्षाद् गूढं परं ब्रह्म मनुष्यलिङ्गम् ॥ ७५ ॥

yūyaṁ nṛ-loke bata bhūri-bhāgā lokaṁ punānā munayo ’bhiyanti yeṣāṁ gṛhān āvasatīti sākṣād gūḍhaṁ paraṁ brahma manuṣya-liṅgam

How truly fortunate you are among men in this world, that sages who purify the very worlds come to visit your homes — homes in which the Supreme Brahman itself dwells, hidden, in human guise.

Verse 76 (bhagavata.7.15.76)

स वा अयं ब्रह्म महद्विमृग्य कैवल्यनिर्वाणसुखानुभूतिः । प्रियः सुहृद् वः खलु मातुलेय आत्मार्हणीयो विधिकृद्गुरुश्च ॥ ७६ ॥

sa vā ayaṁ brahma mahad-vimṛgya- kaivalya-nirvāṇa-sukhānubhūtiḥ priyaḥ suhṛd vaḥ khalu mātuleya ātmārhaṇīyo vidhi-kṛd guruś ca

He alone is that great Brahman, sought after by the wise as the experience of liberating, blissful oneness — and He is your dear friend, your cousin, worthy of your worship, your ordainer, and your guru.

Verse 77 (bhagavata.7.15.77)

न यस्य साक्षाद्भवपद्मजादिभी रूपं धिया वस्तुतयोपवर्णितम् । मौनेन भक्त्योपशमेन पूजितः प्रसीदतामेष स सात्वतां पतिः ॥ ७७ ॥

na yasya sākṣād bhava-padmajādibhī rūpaṁ dhiyā vastutayopavarṇitam maunena bhaktyopaśamena pūjitaḥ prasīdatām eṣa sa sātvatāṁ patiḥ

He whose true form even Shiva, Brahma and the others have never been able to describe as it actually is, even through their intelligence — worshiped through silence, devotion, and tranquility — may that same Lord of the Satvatas be pleased.

Verse 78 (bhagavata.7.15.78)

श्रीशुक उवाच इति देवर्षिणा प्रोक्तं निशम्य भरतर्षभः । पूजयामास सुप्रीतः कृष्णं च प्रेमविह्वलः ॥ ७८ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca iti devarṣiṇā proktaṁ niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ pūjayām āsa suprītaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ ca prema-vihvalaḥ

Shri Shukadeva said: Having heard this from the divine sage, the foremost of the Bharatas, overcome with love, joyfully worshiped Krishna.

Verse 79 (bhagavata.7.15.79)

कृष्णपार्थावुपामन्त्र्य पूजितः प्रययौ मुनिः । श्रुत्वा कृष्णं परं ब्रह्म पार्थः परमविस्मितः ॥ ७९ ॥

kṛṣṇa-pārthāv upāmantrya pūjitaḥ prayayau muniḥ śrutvā kṛṣṇaṁ paraṁ brahma pārthaḥ parama-vismitaḥ

Having taken leave of Krishna and Partha, the sage, duly honored, departed; and Partha, having heard that Krishna is the Supreme Brahman, was struck with the deepest wonder.

Verse 80 (bhagavata.7.15.80)

इति दाक्षायणीनां ते पृथग्वंशाः प्रकीर्तिताः । देवासुरमनुष्याद्या लोका यत्र चराचराः ॥ ८० ॥

iti dākṣāyaṇīnāṁ te pṛthag vaṁśāḥ prakīrtitāḥ devāsura-manuṣyādyā lokā yatra carācarāḥ

Thus have been described the separate dynasties of the daughters of Daksha, in which arose the various worlds — of gods, demons and human beings — together with all that is moving and unmoving.