Shloka 26
Kapila on Liberation: Detachment, Devotional Discipline, and the Soul’s Aloofness from the Guṇas
एवं विदिततत्त्वस्य प्रकृतिर्मयि मानसम् । युञ्जतो नापकुरुत आत्मारामस्य कर्हिचित् ॥ २६ ॥
evaṁ vidita-tattvasya prakṛtir mayi mānasam yuñjato nāpakuruta ātmārāmasya karhicit
Thus, one who knows the truth and yokes his mind to Me—the self-satisfied soul—cannot be harmed by material nature, even while engaged in material activities.
Lord Kapila says that mayi mānasam, a devotee whose mind is always fixed upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called ātmārāma or vidita-tattva. Ātmārāma means “one who rejoices in the self,” or “one who enjoys in the spiritual atmosphere.” Ātmā, in the material sense, means the body or the mind, but when referring to one whose mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, ātmārāma means “one who is fixed in spiritual activities in relationship with the Supreme Soul.” The Supreme Soul is the Personality of Godhead, and the individual soul is the living entity. When they engage in reciprocation of service and benediction, the living entity is said to be in the ātmārāma position. This ātmārāma position can be attained by one who knows the truth as it is. The truth is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the enjoyer and that the living entities are meant for His service and enjoyment. One who knows this truth, and who tries to engage all resources in the service of the Lord, escapes all material reactions and influences of the modes of material nature.
FAQs
This verse says that when a person knows the truth and yokes the mind to the Lord, prakriti cannot harm or disturb them, because they become ātmārāma—internally satisfied.
Kapila is teaching Devahuti the path of devotional absorption and liberation, explaining that steady God-centered mind and realized knowledge make one unaffected by material disturbances.
Regularly anchor the mind in Bhagavan through daily japa, hearing/reading Bhagavatam, and offering actions as service; this reduces anxiety and reactivity to changing external conditions.