Shloka 2
Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
देवानां शुद्धसत्त्वानामृषीणां चामलात्मनाम् । भक्तिर्मुकुन्दचरणे न प्रायेणोपजायते ॥ २ ॥
devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe na prāyeṇopajāyate
Même les demi-dieux établis dans la bonté pure et les grands ṛṣi à l’âme sans tache développent rarement un bhakti pur aux pieds de lotus de Mukunda.
FAQs
This verse teaches that high birth, celestial status, or even purified sattva and ascetic purity do not automatically produce devotion; bhakti to Mukunda is a distinct, uncommon grace and cultivation beyond mere virtue or knowledge.
Mukunda is the Supreme Lord who grants liberation; His feet symbolize surrender and personal devotion, indicating that true spiritual success is centered on loving refuge in the Lord, not only on purity or austerity.
Do not rely only on being “good,” educated, or spiritually disciplined—actively practice devotion (hearing, chanting, remembering, serving) and seek saintly association, understanding that bhakti is a special path requiring intentional cultivation.