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Shloka 37

Kapila Describes Bhakti-Saturated Aṣṭāṅga-Yoga and Meditation on the Lord’s Form

देहं च तं न चरम: स्थितमुत्थितं वा सिद्धो विपश्यति यतोऽध्यगमत्स्वरूपम् । दैवादुपेतमथ दैववशादपेतं वासो यथा परिकृतं मदिरामदान्ध: ॥ ३७ ॥

dehaṁ ca taṁ na caramaḥ sthitam utthitaṁ vā siddho vipaśyati yato ’dhyagamat svarūpam daivād upetam atha daiva-vaśād apetaṁ vāso yathā parikṛtaṁ madirā-madāndhaḥ

अपने स्वरूप को प्राप्त कर लेने से सिद्ध पुरुष को यह बोध नहीं रहता कि यह देह स्थिर है या चल रही है; वह दैव से प्राप्त हुई और दैववश छूट जाने वाली है—जैसे मदिरा से मतवाला मनुष्य यह नहीं जान पाता कि उसके शरीर पर वस्त्र है या नहीं।

dehamthe body
deham:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)
tamthat (body)
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; pronoun referring to body
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
caramaḥthe last/ultimate (person)
caramaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootcarama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective of siddhaḥ
sthitamstanding; remaining
sthitam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootsthita (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था + kta)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with deham
utthitamrisen; moving
utthitam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootutthita (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था + ut- + kta)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with deham
or
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormDisjunctive particle (विकल्प-निपात) = 'or'
siddhaḥthe perfected one
siddhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsiddha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
vipaśyatisees clearly
vipaśyati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√paś (धातु) with vi-
FormLat-lakāra (Present/वर्तमान), 3rd Person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
yataḥbecause
yataḥ:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyataḥ (अव्यय)
FormCausal/relative indeclinable (हेतुवाचक-अव्यय) = 'because/from which'
adhyagamatrealized; came to know
adhyagamat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootadhi-√gam (धातु)
FormLuṅ-lakāra (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), 3rd Person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
sva-rūpamone’s own true form
sva-rūpam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य रूपम्)
daivātby destiny
daivāt:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootdaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; adverbial ablative = 'by fate/from destiny'
upetamobtained; come upon
upetam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootupeta (कृदन्त; √i ए/इ + upa- + kta)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with deham
athathen; and
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
FormParticle (अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग-निपात) = 'then/and'
daiva-vaśātdue to the control of fate
daiva-vaśāt:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootdaiva (प्रातिपदिक) + vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दैवस्य वशः)
apetamdeparted; gone away
apetam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootapeta (कृदन्त; √i इ + apa- + kta)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with deham
vāsaḥa garment
vāsaḥ:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
yathāas; like
yathā:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormComparative indeclinable (उपमानवाचक-अव्यय)
parikṛtamput on; worn
parikṛtam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootparikṛta (कृदन्त; pari-√kṛ कृ + kta)
FormNeuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with vāsaḥ
madirā-mada-andhaḥone blinded by intoxication from liquor
madirā-mada-andhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmadirā (प्रातिपदिक) + mada (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मदिरायाः मदेन अन्धः)

This stage of life is explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. A person whose mind is completely dovetailed with the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who engages one hundred percent in the service of the Lord, forgets his material bodily demands.

K
Kapila
D
Devahuti

FAQs

This verse teaches that a siddha (perfected person) sees the body as something that arrives and departs by destiny, like clothing, because he has realized his true spiritual identity (svarūpa).

Kapila instructs Devahuti in bhakti-yoga and sāṅkhya discrimination, emphasizing that liberation requires seeing oneself as the soul and the body as a temporary covering subject to providence.

Practice witnessing: observe bodily states (health, age, activity) without defining yourself by them, and strengthen devotion and self-knowledge so identity rests in the soul, not in changing circumstances.