Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 3
Avadhūta’s Further Teachers: Detachment, Solitude, One-Pointed Meditation, and the Lord as Āśraya
न मे मानापमानौ स्तो न चिन्ता गेहपुत्रिणाम् । आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिर्विचरामीह बालवत् ॥ ३ ॥
na me mānāpamānau sto na cintā geha-putriṇām ātma-krīḍa ātma-ratir vicarāmīha bāla-vat
Pour moi, il n’y a ni honneur ni déshonneur, ni souci de maison et d’enfants. Je joue dans l’Âtman et je me réjouis dans l’Âtman; ainsi je parcours la terre comme un enfant.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a spiritually realized person remains steady amid respect and insult, because their happiness is rooted in the Self rather than social approval.
King Yadu questioned the Avadhūta’s carefree wandering; the Avadhūta explains that freedom from worldly anxiety and dependence on external validation comes from inner realization.
Reduce identity based on praise/blame, simplify unnecessary obligations, and cultivate daily inner practice (japa, meditation, śravaṇa) so contentment comes from within, not from status.