Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
Nimi Questions the Yogendras: Varṇāśrama’s Purpose, Ritualism’s Fall, and Yuga-Avatāras with Kali-yuga Saṅkīrtana
श्रीराजोवाच भगवन्तं हरिं प्रायो न भजन्त्यात्मवित्तमा: । तेषामशान्तकामानां क निष्ठाविजितात्मनाम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-rājovāca bhagavantaṁ hariṁ prāyo na bhajanty ātma-vittamāḥ teṣām aśānta-kāmānāṁ kā niṣṭhāvijitātmanām
King Nimi said: O Yogendras, you are perfected in knowledge of the self; therefore please explain the destination of those who generally do not worship Bhagavān Hari, whose desires remain unpacified and who lack self-control.
In the Fifth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto, Camasa Ṛṣi describes the inauspicious path of those who are unfavorable to the devotional service of Lord Viṣṇu, and the sage Karabhājana explains the yuga-dharmāvatāras, the incarnations of the Lord who present the authorized process of religion for each different age.
FAQs
This verse explains that when desires remain unpeaceful and the mind is unconquered, genuine steadiness in devotion does not arise, even if one is considered learned in the self.
In Canto 11 Chapter 5, King Nimi is inquiring from the sages about the path of spiritual perfection; he highlights the puzzle of why even reputedly self-knowing persons may not take to devotion.
Reduce restless desire through regulated habits and self-control, and then practice consistent worship—regular hearing, chanting, and remembrance—so devotion becomes steady rather than occasional.