Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 57
Kardama Muni’s Mystic Opulence, Devahūti’s Rejuvenation, and the Turning Toward Fearlessness
साहं भगवतो नूनं वञ्चिता मायया दृढम् । यत्त्वां विमुक्तिदं प्राप्य न मुमुक्षेय बन्धनात् ॥ ५७ ॥
sāhaṁ bhagavato nūnaṁ vañcitā māyayā dṛḍham yat tvāṁ vimuktidaṁ prāpya na mumukṣeya bandhanāt
我が主よ、至上主の打ち破り難いマーヤーは、まことに私を堅く欺きました。物質の束縛から解放を与えるあなたの交わりを得ながら、私はその解脱を求めなかったのです。
An intelligent man should utilize good opportunities. The first opportunity is the human form of life, and the second opportunity is to take birth in a suitable family where there is cultivation of spiritual knowledge; this is rarely obtained. The greatest opportunity is to have the association of a saintly person. Devahūti was conscious that she was born as the daughter of an emperor. She was sufficiently educated and cultured, and at last she got Kardama Muni, a saintly person and a great yogī, as her husband. Still, if she did not get liberation from the entanglement of material energy, then certainly she would be cheated by the insurmountable illusory energy. Actually, the illusory material energy is cheating everyone. People do not know what they are doing when they worship the material energy in the form of goddess Kālī or Durgā for material boons. They ask, “Mother, give me great riches, give me a good wife, give me fame, give me victory.” But such devotees of the goddess Māyā, or Durgā, do not know that they are being cheated by that goddess. Material achievement is actually no achievement because as soon as one is illusioned by the material gifts, he becomes more and more entangled, and there is no question of liberation. One should be intelligent enough to know how to utilize material assets for the purpose of spiritual realization. That is called karma-yoga or jñāna-yoga. Whatever we have we should use as service to the Supreme Person. It is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya: one should try to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by one’s assets. There are many forms of service to the Supreme Lord, and anyone can render service unto Him according to the best of his ability.
FAQs
This verse shows that even when one comes close to a liberating spiritual guide, māyā can still keep the mind from desiring freedom from material bondage unless true awakening and devotion arise.
Devahūti, recognizing Kapila as the liberating Lord/teacher, laments that despite receiving such rare association, she remained entangled in worldly identification and did not earnestly seek liberation.
It’s a reminder to use genuine spiritual opportunities—saṅga, teachings, and practice—to consciously aim for inner freedom, rather than letting distractions and habits (māyā) dilute one’s spiritual priorities.