Shloka 41
Varṣā-Śarad Vṛndāvana-Śobha: The Beauty of the Rainy and Autumn Seasons in Vraja
केदारेभ्यस्त्वपोऽगृह्णन् कर्षका दृढसेतुभि: । यथा प्राणै: स्रवज्ज्ञानं तन्निरोधेन योगिन: ॥ ४१ ॥
kedārebhyas tv apo ’gṛhṇan karṣakā dṛḍha-setubhiḥ yathā prāṇaiḥ sravaj jñānaṁ tan-nirodhena yoginaḥ
Farmers built strong earthen banks to keep the water from draining out of their rice fields; similarly, yogic practitioners, by restraining the prāṇa, check the flow of consciousness and knowledge that would spill out through the restless senses.
Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: “In autumn, farmers save the water within the fields by building strong walls so that the water contained within the field cannot run out. There is hardly any hope for new rainfall; therefore they want to save whatever is in the field. Similarly, a person who is actually advanced in self-realization protects his energy by controlling the senses. It is advised that after the age of fifty one should retire from family life and conserve the energy of the body for utilization in the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one is able to control the senses and engage them in the transcendental loving service of Mukunda, there is no possibility of salvation.”
FAQs
This verse compares farmers restraining water with embankments to yogīs restraining the prāṇas; by checking the restless flow of the life-airs, one prevents the mind’s scattering and preserves steady, realized knowledge.
While describing Vrindavana’s seasonal changes, Shukadeva draws spiritual lessons from nature—here, the controlled flow of irrigation water becomes an analogy for yogic restraint and inner discipline.
Create “embankments” for attention: regulate breath, reduce sensory overload, and keep consistent spiritual practice—so your clarity and learning don’t ‘leak away’ through distraction.