Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 53
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
इन्द्रियाणि मनस्यूर्मौ वाचि वैकारिकं मन: । वाचं वर्णसमाम्नाये तमोङ्कारे स्वरे न्यसेत् । ओङ्कारं बिन्दौ नादे तं तं तु प्राणे महत्यमुम् ॥ ५३ ॥
indriyāṇi manasy ūrmau vāci vaikārikaṁ manaḥ vācaṁ varṇa-samāmnāye tam oṁkāre svare nyaset oṁkāraṁ bindau nāde taṁ taṁ tu prāṇe mahaty amum
Offre toutes les activités des sens dans le mental, agité par les vagues d’acceptation et de rejet; offre le mental dans la parole; la parole dans l’ensemble des lettres; et cet ensemble dans le son concis de l’oṁkāra. Puis offre l’oṁkāra dans le bindu, le bindu dans le nāda, le nāda dans le prāṇa; et enfin établis le jīva restant dans le Brahman suprême : telle est la voie du sacrifice.
The mind is always agitated by acceptance and rejection, which are compared to mental waves that are constantly tossing. The living entity is floating in the waves of material existence because of his forgetfulness. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore sung in his Gītāvalī: miche māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese’, khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi. “My dear mind, under the influence of māyā you are being carried away by the waves of rejection and acceptance. Simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa.” Jīva kṛṣṇa-dāsa, ei viśvāsa, karle ta’ āra duḥkha nāi: if we simply regard the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as our ultimate shelter, we shall be saved from all these waves of māyā, which are variously exhibited as mental and sensual activities and the agitation of rejection and acceptance. Kṛṣṇa instructs in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66) :
FAQs
This verse outlines a step-by-step withdrawal: senses into mind, mind into its material agitation, then into speech and sound—culminating in merging into prāṇa and the mahat-tattva, showing progressive internalization of consciousness.
In his instructions on civilized life and spiritual advancement, Prahlāda describes methods of inner purification and detachment, presenting a meditative sequence that reduces material identification and steadies consciousness.
Practice conscious sense-restraint: reduce sensory overload, bring attention to the mind, regulate speech, and use sacred sound (such as oṁ or mantra) to center awareness—supporting calmer breathing and clearer spiritual focus.