Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 25
Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed
यथा शयान: पुरुष आत्मानं गुणतत्त्वदृक् । नाममात्रेन्द्रियाभातं न वेद रहितं परम् ॥ २४ ॥ एवं त्वा नाममात्रेषु विषयेष्विन्द्रियेहया । मायया विभ्रमच्चित्तो न वेद स्मृत्युपप्लवात् ॥ २५ ॥
yathā śayānaḥ puruṣa ātmānaṁ guṇa-tattva-dṛk nāma-mātrendriyābhātaṁ na veda rahitaṁ param
A sleeping person imagines an alternative reality for himself and, seeing himself as having various names and forms, forgets his waking identity, which is distinct from the dream. Similarly, the senses of one whose consciousness is bewildered by illusion perceive only the names and forms of material objects. Thus such a person loses his memory and cannot know You.
Just as a person’s dream is a secondary reality created from the stock of his memories and desires, so this universe exists as the inferior creation of the Supreme Lord, in no real way separate from Him. And just as the person who awakens from sleep experiences the higher reality of his waking life, so the Supreme Lord also has His distinct, higher reality beyond everything we know of this world. In His own words,
FAQs
This verse explains that when the mind chases sense-objects and mere worldly designations, Māyā bewilders the consciousness and overwhelms true remembrance, so one fails to recognize the Supreme.
Kṛṣṇa points out that the senses push the mind toward external objects, and this outward drive makes remembrance of the Supreme fade, allowing illusion to dominate one’s perception.
Reduce compulsive sense-driven habits, and deliberately cultivate remembrance—through hearing, chanting, and mindful devotion—so the mind is not carried away by “names only” and temporary attractions.