Shloka 20
Devotion in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and the Glory of Bhārata-varṣa
Rāmacandra & Nara-Nārāyaṇa; Rivers, Varṇāśrama, and Liberation
योऽसौ भगवति सर्वभूतात्मन्यनात्म्येऽनिरुक्तेऽनिलयने परमात्मनि वासुदेवेऽनन्यनिमित्तभक्तियोगलक्षणो नानागतिनिमित्ताविद्याग्रन्थिरन्धनद्वारेण यदा हि महापुरुषपुरुषप्रसङ्ग: ॥ २० ॥
yo ’sau bhagavati sarva-bhūtātmany anātmye ’nirukte ’nilayane paramātmani vāsudeve ’nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇo nānā-gati-nimittāvidyā-granthi-randhana-dvāreṇa yadā hi mahā-puruṣa-puruṣa-prasaṅgaḥ.
Devotional service—bhakti-yoga with no other motive—unto Lord Vāsudeva, the Paramātmā, the Soul of all beings, beyond mind and speech, inexpressible and unattached, is the true path of liberation. When, after many births, one gains the association of pure devotees, the knot of ignorance formed by varied fruitive pursuits is cut, and one gradually engages in the Lord’s service and attains emancipation.
Brahman realization is the beginning of liberation, and Paramātmā realization is still further advancement toward the realm of liberation, but one achieves real liberation when he understands his position as an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ). In the material world, in the bodily concept of life, everyone is working in the wrong direction. When one becomes brahma-bhūta, spiritually realized, one understands that he is not the body and that working in the bodily concept of life is useless and misdirected. Then his devotional service begins. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54) :
FAQs
This verse teaches that association with great devotees opens the “door” to true devotion to Vāsudeva, and by that bhakti the knot of ignorance that causes repeated births in various conditions is cut.
Avidyā-granthi refers to the deep entanglement of misidentification with the body and material life, which propels the jīva into many destinations; bhakti to Vāsudeva, awakened by saintly association, unties it.
Seek regular company of sincere devotees, hear and discuss the Lord’s teachings with them, and practice motive-free devotion to Vāsudeva; this gradually dissolves confusion and material attachment at the root.