Shloka 42
Chapter 54
तवेयं विषमा बुद्धिः सर्व-भूतेषु दुर्हृदाम् ।
यन् मन्यसे सदाभद्रं सुहृदां भद्रम् अज्ञ-वत् ॥
taveyaṃ viṣamā buddhiḥ sarva-bhūteṣu durhṛdām / yan manyase sadābhadraṃ suhṛdāṃ bhadram ajña-vat //
Your intelligence is distorted: you see enemies in all beings. Like an ignorant man, you deem well-wishing friends always inauspicious, and you accept what is truly harmful as good.
This verse describes the distorted vision produced by envy and hostility. A “durhṛd”—one who bears ill will—projects threat everywhere, interpreting even neutral or benevolent actions as attacks. Such a person reverses values: genuine well-wishers appear troublesome, while harmful influences feel comforting because they flatter one’s ego. In the setting of Canto 10, Chapter 54, this addresses the mentality that drives needless opposition to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. The Bhāgavatam repeatedly teaches that the root problem is not merely external politics but internal adharma—misdirected intelligence (viṣamā buddhiḥ). When the heart is crooked, perception becomes crooked: one mistrusts saintly counsel, rejects reconciliation, and clings to antagonism. Spiritually, the verse is a warning about “asat-saṅga” and the danger of scorning devotees. A person may label dharma as inconvenient and devotion as weakness, while calling aggression, manipulation, or revenge “strength.” Bhakti corrects this inversion by cleansing the heart (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam): one learns to recognize sādhus as true friends, to see Kṛṣṇa’s presence within all beings, and to act for genuine auspiciousness—service, humility, and protection of dharma. Thus the verse functions as both character diagnosis and invitation: abandon envy, accept the guidance of the Lord’s well-wishers, and let intelligence become straight through devotion.
FAQs
It describes this as distorted intelligence born of ill will—an envious person misreads all beings as hostile and loses the ability to recognize true well-wishers.
Because it reverses reality: devotees and saintly counselors bring genuine good, but envy makes one interpret their guidance as a threat to ego or ambition.
By checking suspicion and resentment, seeking saintly association, and judging advice by dharma and devotion rather than by whether it flatters one’s pride.