Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 3
Aditi’s Payo-vrata and Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as Her Son
Prelude to Vāmana
चिन्तयन्त्येकया बुद्ध्या महापुरुषमीश्वरम् । प्रगृह्येन्द्रियदुष्टाश्वान्मनसा बुद्धिसारथि: ॥ २ ॥ मनश्चैकाग्रया बुद्ध्या भगवत्यखिलात्मनि । वासुदेवे समाधाय चचार ह पयोव्रतम् ॥ ३ ॥
cintayanty ekayā buddhyā mahā-puruṣam īśvaram pragṛhyendriya-duṣṭāśvān manasā buddhi-sārathiḥ
With undivided, one-pointed intelligence, Aditi meditated upon the Mahāpuruṣa, the Supreme Lord. Making her discernment the charioteer, she restrained the unruly senses like wild horses, fixed her mind in Bhagavān Vāsudeva, the Soul of all, and thus observed the vow known as payo-vrata.
This is the process of bhakti-yoga.
FAQs
This verse compares the senses to unruly horses and teaches that one must restrain them with the mind, guided by steady intelligence, while meditating on the Supreme Lord.
Aditi is preparing to perform a sacred vow and worship to please the Supreme Lord so that He may protect the devas—this meditation is her inner discipline supporting the vow.
Set a clear spiritual priority (buddhi), then use the mind to repeatedly bring attention back from distractions—especially sense-driven impulses—toward prayer, japa, and disciplined daily choices.