Shloka 61
Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed
श्रीवसुदेव उवाच भ्रातरीशकृत: पाशो नृणां य: स्नेहसंज्ञित: । तं दुस्त्यजमहं मन्ये शूराणामपि योगिनाम् ॥ ६१ ॥
śrī-vasudeva uvāca bhrātar īśa-kṛtaḥ pāśo nṛnāṁ yaḥ sneha-saṁjñitaḥ taṁ dustyajam ahaṁ manye śūrāṇām api yoginām
Śrī Vasudeva said: My dear brother, God Himself has tied the knot called affection, which tightly binds human beings. It seems to me that even great heroes and mystics find it very difficult to free themselves from it.
Heroic leaders of men try to transcend their petty attachments by force of will, while introspective yogīs pursue knowledge for the same purpose. But the Lord’s illusory energy, Māyā, is much stronger than any conditioned soul. Only by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Māyā, can one become immune to her influence.
FAQs
This verse calls affection for relatives a ‘noose’ arranged by the Lord, implying that worldly attachment can bind the mind and is hard to renounce even for disciplined yogīs.
In the Kurukṣetra setting of Canto 10, Vasudeva reflects on how powerful bonds of kinship are, acknowledging that even spiritually advanced or courageous people struggle to transcend them without deeper devotion and divine grace.
Perform family responsibilities with care while reducing possessiveness—see relationships as sacred service offered to God, and cultivate remembrance, prayer, and satsanga so affection becomes supportive rather than binding.