Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 46
The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa (Avanti-brāhmaṇa-gītā): Mind as the Root of Suffering and Equanimity Amid Insult
समाहितं यस्य मन: प्रशान्तं दानादिभि: किं वद तस्य कृत्यम् । असंयतं यस्य मनो विनश्यद् दानादिभिश्चेदपरं किमेभि: ॥ ४६ ॥
samāhitaṁ yasya manaḥ praśāntaṁ dānādibhiḥ kiṁ vada tasya kṛtyam asaṁyataṁ yasya mano vinaśyad dānādibhiś ced aparaṁ kim ebhiḥ
Si l’esprit de quelqu’un est parfaitement recueilli et apaisé, dis-moi : à quoi lui servent la charité rituelle et les autres rites pieux ? Et si son mental demeure indiscipliné, se perdant dans l’ignorance, quelle utilité ont pour lui ces engagements ?
FAQs
This verse teaches that charity and similar pious acts cannot grant the highest benefit if the mind remains uncontrolled; inner steadiness and peace are essential for real spiritual progress.
In the Bhagavatam’s teachings on renunciation and devotion, Shukadeva highlights that the root of bondage is the restless mind; when the mind is pacified and fixed properly, external duties become secondary.
Do good deeds, but prioritize daily mind-training—sadhana, prayer, japa, and self-discipline—so that charity is guided by purity rather than ego, impulse, or distraction.