Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
समृद्धकामोहीनो वा नारायणपरो मुनि: । नोत्सर्पेत न शुष्येत सरिद्भिरिव सागर: ॥ ६ ॥
samṛddha-kāmo hīno vā nārāyaṇa-paro muniḥ notsarpeta na śuṣyeta saridbhir iva sāgaraḥ
Le muni qui a pris Narayana pour but de sa vie reçoit parfois une grande opulence et parfois connaît le dénuement; pourtant il ne s’enorgueillit pas dans l’abondance ni ne s’attriste dans la pauvreté. Tel l’océan, qui ne déborde pas aux pluies ni ne se dessèche en été, bien que les rivières grossissent ou diminuent.
A sincere devotee of the Lord is always eager to meet the Lord and render Him transcendental service. He wants to remain fixed as an atom at the lotus feet of the Lord because Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Nārāyaṇa, is the reservoir of all pleasure. He rejoices when experiencing pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is morose when Kṛṣṇa is not present in his mind. In his dealings with the material world, a devotee cannot be disturbed by ordinary, materialistic people who sometimes insult him and accuse him of neglecting material sense gratification, just as the ocean cannot be disturbed by the innumerable rivers that enter into it. Sometimes lusty women approach a pure devotee, and sometimes speculative philosophers try to argue against the Personality of Godhead, but with all such ordinary people, a pure devotee is detached and undisturbed in his blissful Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a sage devoted to Nārāyaṇa stays balanced whether desires are fulfilled or he has nothing—neither inflated by gain nor crushed by loss, like the ocean that remains full and steady despite rivers entering it.
He uses the ocean analogy to show inner fullness and stability: external circumstances may “flow in” like rivers, but a Nārāyaṇa-centered devotee is not disturbed by changing conditions.
Anchor your identity and purpose in devotion to God rather than outcomes; then treat success and failure as passing waves—practice gratitude without pride and endurance without despair.