Shloka 50
Mahārāja Parīkṣit Cursed by a Brāhmaṇa Boy (Śṛṅgi) and the Moral Crisis of Kali-yuga
प्रायश: साधवो लोके परैर्द्वन्द्वेषु योजिता: । न व्यथन्ति न हृष्यन्ति यत आत्माऽगुणाश्रय: ॥ ५० ॥
prāyaśaḥ sādhavo loke parair dvandveṣu yojitāḥ na vyathanti na hṛṣyanti yata ātmā ’guṇāśrayaḥ
Generally, the saintly, though drawn by others into the world’s dualities, are neither distressed nor elated, for their self is sheltered in that which is beyond the guṇas.
The transcendentalists are the empiric philosophers, the mystics and the devotees of the Lord. Empiric philosophers aim at the perfection of merging into the being of the Absolute, mystics aim at perceiving the all-pervading Supersoul, and the devotees of the Lord are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Personality of Godhead. Since Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are different phases of the same Transcendence, all these transcendentalists are beyond the three modes of material nature. Material distresses and happinesses are products of the three modes, and therefore the causes of such material distress and happiness have nothing to do with the transcendentalists. The King was a devotee, and the ṛṣi was a mystic. Therefore both of them were unattached to the accidental incident created by the supreme will. The playful child was an instrument in fulfilling the Lord’s will.
FAQs
This verse says that true sādhus may be placed in dualities by others, yet they neither grieve nor rejoice because they take shelter beyond the material modes (guṇas).
In the context of Parīkṣit facing a grave situation, Śukadeva highlights the saint’s steadiness to show the ideal response: transcend reactive emotion by taking shelter in the spiritual self beyond the guṇas.
Practice seeing praise/blame and gain/loss as temporary dvandvas, and anchor your identity in devotional service—regular hearing, chanting, and remembrance—so the mind becomes less reactive.