Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 12
Pṛthu Mahārāja’s Renunciation, Austerities, Departure, and the Glory of Hearing His History
छिन्नान्यधीरधिगतात्मगतिर्निरीह- स्तत्तत्यजेऽच्छिनदिदं वयुनेन येन । तावन्न योगगतिभिर्यतिरप्रमत्तो यावद्गदाग्रजकथासु रतिं न कुर्यात् ॥ १२ ॥
chinnānya-dhīr adhigatātma-gatir nirīhas tat tatyaje ’cchinad idaṁ vayunena yena tāvan na yoga-gatibhir yatir apramatto yāvad gadāgraja-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt
حين تحرّر تمامًا من توهّم أن الحياة هي هذا الجسد، أدرك الملك بريثو شري كريشنا جالسًا في قلب كل كائن بوصفه البرماتما. وبما أنه كان يتلقى منه الإرشاد من الداخل، ترك سائر ممارسات اليوغا والجنّانا، ولم يعد يهتم حتى بكمالاتها. إذ تيقّن أن البهاكتي لكريشنا هي الغاية العليا للحياة، وأن اليوغيين والعارفين ما لم ينجذبوا إلى كريشنا-كاثا فلن تزول أوهامهم عن الوجود.
As long as one is too much absorbed in the bodily conception of life, he becomes interested in many different processes of self-realization, such as the mystic yoga system or the system utilizing the speculative empiric methods. However, when one understands that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Kṛṣṇa, he realizes Kṛṣṇa within everyone’s heart and therefore helps everyone who is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually the perfection of life depends on one’s inclination to hear about Kṛṣṇa. It is therefore mentioned in this verse, yāvad gadāgraja-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt: unless one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa, in His pastimes and activities, there is no question of liberation by means of yoga practice or speculative knowledge.
FAQs
This verse teaches that even advanced yogic realization is incomplete until one develops genuine loving attraction (rati) for hearing and speaking the Lord’s narrations (Krishna-kathā).
Gadāgraja means “the elder brother of Gada” and refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, indicating that attachment to Kṛṣṇa’s topics is the true perfection.
Alongside self-discipline and meditation, regularly hear/read Bhagavatam and discuss Kṛṣṇa’s teachings—because steady spiritual progress culminates in taste and love for divine narratives, not merely technique.