Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 62
Citraketu’s Detachment, Nārada’s Mantra, and the Darśana of Anantadeva
एवं विपर्ययं बुद्ध्वा नृणां विज्ञाभिमानिनाम् । आत्मनश्च गतिं सूक्ष्मां स्थानत्रयविलक्षणाम् ॥ ६१ ॥ दृष्टश्रुताभिर्मात्राभिर्निर्मुक्त: स्वेन तेजसा । ज्ञानविज्ञानसन्तृप्तो मद्भक्त: पुरुषो भवेत् ॥ ६२ ॥
evaṁ viparyayaṁ buddhvā nṛṇāṁ vijñābhimāninām ātmanaś ca gatiṁ sūkṣmāṁ sthāna-traya-vilakṣaṇām
One should understand that the activities of persons who are proud of their material experience bring only results contradictory to those such persons conceive while awake, sleeping and deeply sleeping. One should further understand that the spirit soul, although very difficult for the materialist to perceive, is above all these conditions, and by the strength of one’s discrimination, one should give up the desire for fruitive results in the present life and in the next. Thus becoming experienced in transcendental knowledge, one should become My devotee.
FAQs
This verse warns that people who are proud of their learning can remain in a mistaken outlook; true advancement comes by realizing the soul beyond the three states and becoming devoted to the Lord.
Citraketu was being guided from grief and material identification toward direct spiritual realization—moving beyond sense-based standards into jñāna, vijñāna, and pure devotion.
Reduce ego around “information,” practice sādhana that gives inner clarity (hearing, chanting, reflection), and measure progress by detachment and devotion rather than by external achievements.