Shloka 20
Yayāti’s Renunciation: The Allegory of the He-Goat and She-Goat
दृष्टं श्रुतमसद्बुद्ध्वा नानुध्यायेन्न सन्दिशेत् । संसृतिं चात्मनाशं च तत्र विद्वान् स आत्मदृक् ॥ २० ॥
dṛṣṭaṁ śrutam asad buddhvā nānudhyāyen na sandiśet saṁsṛtiṁ cātma-nāśaṁ ca tatra vidvān sa ātma-dṛk
One who knows that all material happiness—seen or heard of, in this life or the next—is temporary and worthless, and therefore neither dwells on it nor speaks of it, understanding that attachment to it brings samsara and forgetfulness of one’s true nature, is truly a seer of the Self.
The living entity is a spiritual soul, and the material body is his encagement. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.
FAQs
This verse says that seen and heard sense-objects are temporary; repeatedly thinking or talking about them deepens bondage (saṁsāra), while the wise, self-realized person withdraws from such absorption.
In Purūravā’s narrative, intense attachment leads to suffering and awakening; Śukadeva highlights that fixation on sense experiences fuels saṁsāra, whereas true wisdom is to turn inward toward the Self and the Lord.
Reduce obsessive consumption and discussion of sense-driven media, practice mindful restraint, and redirect attention toward sādhana—hearing and chanting about Bhagavān—so the mind becomes purified rather than entangled.