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Shloka 38

Nārada’s Arrival, the Nine Yogendras, and the Foundations of Bhāgavata-dharma

अविद्यमानोऽप्यवभाति हि द्वयो ध्यातुर्धिया स्वप्नमनोरथौ यथा । तत् कर्मसङ्कल्पविकल्पकं मनो बुधो निरुन्ध्यादभयं तत: स्यात् ॥ ३८ ॥

avidyamāno ’py avabhāti hi dvayo dhyātur dhiyā svapna-manorathau yathā tat karma-saṅkalpa-vikalpakaṁ mano budho nirundhyād abhayaṁ tataḥ syāt

مع أنّ الازدواجية لا وجود لها في الحقيقة، فإنها تبدو للمتأمّل بعقله المقيَّد كالحلم والخيال. فليضبط العاقلُ الذهنَ الذي يضع القبول والرفض في الأفعال؛ فإذا انضبط نال المرءُ اللاخوف الحقّ.

अविद्यमानःthough non-existent
अविद्यमानः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ-विद्यमान (प्रातिपदिक; विद्यमान = √विद् + शानच्)
FormPresent participle (शानच्) with negation; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifies implied ‘द्वयः/द्वैतः’
अपिeven/though
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) ‘even/though’
अवभातिappears/shines forth
अवभाति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअव-भा (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात)
द्वयःduality
द्वयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘duality’
ध्यातुःof the contemplator
ध्यातुः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootध्यातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the meditator/thinker’
धियाby the mind/intellect
धिया:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootधि (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
स्वप्न-मनोरथौdream and daydream
स्वप्न-मनोरथौ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: स्वप्नश्च मनोरथश्च
यथाjust as
यथा:
Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
FormComparative adverb (उपमानवाचक अव्यय)
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; refers to the duality just mentioned
कर्म-सङ्कल्प-विकल्पकम्(mind) characterized by action-based resolve and doubt
कर्म-सङ्कल्प-विकल्पकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootकर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + विकल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; multi-member tatpurusha: कर्म-सम्बन्धी सङ्कल्प-विकल्पः यस्य (having volition and doubt/alternation regarding action); qualifies ‘मनः’
मनःthe mind
मनः:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of ‘निरुन्ध्यात्’
बुधःthe wise person
बुधः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
निरुन्ध्यात्should restrain
निरुन्ध्यात्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनि-रुध् (धातु)
FormOptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद; ‘should restrain’
अभयम्fearlessness
अभयम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअ-भय (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
ततःthereupon/therefrom
ततः:
Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (तस्मात्-अर्थे) ‘thereupon/from that’
स्यात्would arise/be
स्यात्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
FormOptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद

Although the conditioned mind is bewildered by the objects of sense gratification offered by māyā, illusion, if one takes to the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord such material sense gratification gradually dissipates, for it is merely a mental concoction of the conditioned soul. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has emphasized by the words avyabhicāriṇī bhakti that one cannot dissipate the illusion of material sense gratification unless one takes to the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. As Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated:

K
Kṛṣṇa
U
Uddhava

FAQs

This verse explains that duality appears in consciousness even when it is not ultimately real—similar to dreams and mental fantasies—so one should not take such appearances as absolute truth.

In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on liberation: since the mind creates bondage through resolve and doubt, mastering it is essential for realizing the fearless spiritual position.

Observe how decisions and anxieties arise from mental looping (resolve vs. doubt), then steady the mind through disciplined practice—especially devotion, remembrance, and self-restraint—so fear and reactivity reduce.