Shloka 38
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
तपसा विद्यया पक्वकषायो नियमैर्यमै: । युयुजे ब्रह्मण्यात्मानं विजिताक्षानिलाशय: ॥ ३८ ॥
tapasā vidyayā pakva- kaṣāyo niyamair yamaiḥ yuyuje brahmaṇy ātmānaṁ vijitākṣānilāśayaḥ
By austerity, spiritual knowledge, and the disciplines of yama and niyama, King Malayadhvaja’s impurities ripened and were burned away. Conquering his senses, his life-air, and his consciousness, he fixed his whole being upon the Supreme Brahman—Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Whenever the word brahman appears, the impersonalists take this to mean the impersonal effulgence, the brahmajyoti. Actually, however, Parabrahman, the Supreme Brahman, is Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) , vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: Vāsudeva extends everywhere as the impersonal Brahman. One cannot fix one’s mind upon an impersonal “something.” Bhagavad-gītā (12.5) therefore says, kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: “For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome.” Consequently, when it is said herein that King Malayadhvaja fixed his mind on Brahman, “Brahman” means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva.
FAQs
This verse teaches that yamas (restraints) and niyamas (disciplines), combined with austerity and true knowledge, purify one’s inner impurities and enable steady absorption in Brahman.
Because his withdrawal from worldly life culminated in yogic mastery—sense control, regulation of the life-air, and mental steadiness—so he could fully fix himself on the Supreme Reality.
Adopt consistent spiritual routines (niyama), ethical restraints (yama), and reflective study; reduce impulsive sense-driven habits so the mind becomes calm and capable of sustained meditation and devotion.