Shloka 20
Lord Śiva Instructs the Pracetās (Śiva-stuti and the Path of Bhakti)
ससमुद्रमुप विस्तीर्णमपश्यन् सुमहत्सर: । महन्मन इव स्वच्छं प्रसन्नसलिलाशयम् ॥ २० ॥
sa-samudram upa vistīrṇam apaśyan sumahat saraḥ mahan-mana iva svacchaṁ prasanna-salilāśayam
وأثناء المسير رأى البرشيتاس خزانًا عظيمًا من الماء كأنه بحر. كان ماؤه صافياً ساكناً كقلبِ روحٍ عظيمة.
The word sa-samudra means “near the sea.” The reservoir of water was like a bay, for it was not very far from the sea. The word upa, meaning “more or less,” is used in many ways, as in the word upapati, which indicates a husband “more or less,” that is to say, a lover who is acting like a husband. Upa also means “greater,” “smaller” or “nearer.” Considering all these points, the reservoir of water which was seen by the Pracetās while they were traveling was actually a large bay or lake. And unlike the sea or ocean, which has turbulent waves, this reservoir was very calm and quiet. Indeed, the water was so clear that it seemed like the mind of some great soul. There may be many great souls — jñānīs, yogīs and bhaktas, or pure devotees, are also called great souls — but they are very rarely found. One can find many great souls amongst yogīs and jñānīs, but a truly great soul, a pure devotee of the Lord, who is fully surrendered to the Lord, is very rarely found ( sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ, Bg. 7.19 ). A devotee’s mind is always calm, quiet and desireless because he is always anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam, having no desire other than to serve Kṛṣṇa as His personal servant, friend, father, mother or conjugal lover. Due to his association with Kṛṣṇa, a devotee is always very calm and cool. It is also significant that within that reservoir all the aquatics were also very calm and quiet. Because the disciples of a devotee have taken shelter of a great soul, they become very calm and quiet and are not agitated by the waves of the material world.
FAQs
This verse compares a vast, calm, clear reservoir of water to the serene, transparent heart of a great soul—teaching that inner purity is marked by clarity and peacefulness.
Because the Bhagavatam often uses nature as a mirror for spiritual qualities; as still, clear water reflects without distortion, a purified heart reflects truth and devotion without agitation.
Cultivate a “clear reservoir” within through steady sādhana—hearing sacred texts, chanting, and ethical living—so the mind becomes calm, clean, and receptive to bhakti.