Shloka 47
Bhagīratha Brings Gaṅgā; Saudāsa’s Curse; Khaṭvāṅga’s Instant Renunciation
अथेशमायारचितेषु सङ्गं गुणेषु गन्धर्वपुरोपमेषु । रूढं प्रकृत्यात्मनि विश्वकर्तु- र्भावेन हित्वा तमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ४७ ॥
atheśa-māyā-raciteṣu saṅgaṁ guṇeṣu gandharva-puropameṣu rūḍhaṁ prakṛtyātmani viśva-kartur bhāvena hitvā tam ahaṁ prapadye
Therefore I shall abandon my attachment to the guṇas and objects fashioned by the Lord’s external māyā, like an illusory city. Fixing my thought on the Creator of the universe, I surrender unto Him.
When passing through a mountainous region in an airplane, one may sometimes see a city in the sky with towers and palaces, or one may see similar things in a big forest. This is called a gandharva-pura, a phantasmagoria. This entire world resembles such a phantasmagoria, and every materially situated person has attachment for it. But Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja, because of his advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness, was not interested in such things. Even though a devotee may engage in apparently materialistic activities, he knows his position very well. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. If one engages all material things in relation with the loving service of the Lord, one is situated in yukta-vairāgya, proper renunciation. In this material world, nothing should be accepted for one’s sense gratification: everything should be accepted for the service of the Lord. This is the mentality of the spiritual world. Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga advises that one give up material attachments and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus one achieves success in life. This is pure bhakti-yoga, which involves vairāgya-vidyā — renunciation and knowledge.
FAQs
This verse teaches that māyā-made attractions—though dazzling—are ultimately illusory, and one overcomes them by giving up attachment to the guṇas and surrendering to the Supreme Lord with devotion.
“Gandharva-pura” refers to an enchanting but unreal, castle-in-the-air-like appearance—used here as a metaphor for the deceptive beauty of material life created by the guṇas.
See pleasures and anxieties as temporary movements of nature, reduce compulsive attachment, and consciously take refuge in God through prayer, remembrance, and steady devotional practice.