Shloka 42
यच्छ्रद्धया श्रुतवत्या य भक्त्या संमृज्यमाने हृदयेऽवधाय । ज्ञानेन वैराग्यबलेन धीरा व्रजेम तत्तेऽङ्घ्रिसरोजपीठम् ॥ ४२ ॥
yac chraddhayā śrutavatyā ca bhaktyā sammṛjyamāne hṛdaye ’vadhāya jñānena vairāgya-balena dhīrā vrajema tat te ’ṅghri-saroja-pīṭham
One who, with faith and bhakti, eagerly hears of Your lotus feet and places them within the heart in meditation is at once illumined with true knowledge and, by the strength of detachment, becomes peaceful. Therefore we must take shelter of the sanctuary of Your lotus feet.
The miracles of meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord with eagerness and devotion are so great that no other process can compare to it. The minds of materialistic persons are so disturbed that it is almost impossible for them to search after the Supreme Truth by personal regulative endeavors. But even such materialistic men, with a little eagerness for hearing about the transcendental name, fame, qualities, etc., can surpass all other methods of attaining knowledge and detachment. The conditioned soul is attached to the bodily conception of the self, and therefore he is in ignorance. Culture of self-knowledge can bring about detachment from material affection, and without such detachment there is no meaning to knowledge. The most stubborn attachment for material enjoyment is sex life. One who is attached to sex life is to be understood as devoid of knowledge. Knowledge must be followed by detachment. That is the way of self-realization. These two essentials for self-realization — knowledge and detachment — become manifest very quickly if one performs devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord. The word dhīra is very significant in this connection. A person who is not disturbed even in the presence of cause of disturbance is called dhīra. Śrī Yāmunācārya says, “Since my heart has been overwhelmed by the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, I cannot even think of sex life, and if thoughts of sex come upon me I at once feel disgust.” A devotee of the Lord becomes an elevated dhīra by the simple process of meditating in eagerness on the lotus feet of the Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that faithful hearing, together with devotion, cleanses the heart, enabling steady seekers to become established in knowledge and detachment and thus reach the Lord’s lotus feet.
While instructing Vidura, Maitreya highlights that devotion purifies the heart, and from that purified state genuine knowledge and detachment naturally gain strength, culminating in surrender at the Lord’s lotus feet.
Regularly hear or study Bhagavatam with faith, practice devotion (prayer, remembrance, service), and let that purification guide your choices toward simpler living and clearer spiritual priorities.