Shloka 29
Paramahaṁsa-Dharma: The Avadhūta-like Sannyāsī and Prahlāda’s Dialogue with the ‘Python’ Saint
जलं तदुद्भवैश्छन्नं हित्वाज्ञो जलकाम्यया । मृगतृष्णामुपाधावेत्तथान्यत्रार्थदृक् स्वत: ॥ २९ ॥
jalaṁ tad-udbhavaiś channaṁ hitvājño jala-kāmyayā mṛgatṛṣṇām upādhāvet tathānyatrārtha-dṛk svataḥ
ເຫມືອນກວາງທີ່ໂງ່ບໍ່ເຫັນນ້ຳໃນບໍ່ທີ່ຖືກຫຍ້າປົກຄຸມ ແຕ່ກັບວິ່ງຕາມມິຣາຈນ້ຳຢູ່ທີ່ອື່ນ ຊີວະທີ່ຖືກຮ່າງກາຍວັດຖຸປົກຄຸມກໍບໍ່ເຫັນຄວາມສຸກໃນຕົນ ແຕ່ວິ່ງຫາຄວາມສຸກໃນໂລກວັດຖຸ.
This is an accurate example depicting how the living entity, because of lack of knowledge, runs after happiness outside his own self. When one understands his real identity as a spiritual being, he can understand the supreme spiritual being, Kṛṣṇa, and the real happiness exchanged between Kṛṣṇa and one’s self. It is very interesting to note how this verse points to the body’s growth from the spirit soul. The modern materialistic scientist thinks that life grows from matter, but actually the fact is that matter grows from life. The life, or the spiritual soul, is compared herein to water, from which clumps of matter grow in the form of grass. One who is ignorant of scientific knowledge of the spirit soul does not look inside the body to find happiness in the soul; instead, he goes outside to search for happiness, just as a deer without knowledge of the water beneath the grass goes out to the desert to find water. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove the ignorance of misled human beings who are trying to find water outside the jurisdiction of life. Raso vai saḥ. Raso ’ham apsu kaunteya. The taste of water is Kṛṣṇa. To quench one’s thirst, one must taste water by association with Kṛṣṇa. This is the Vedic injunction.
FAQs
This verse compares material pursuit to running after a mirage—abandoning the real ‘water’ (inner spiritual truth) and wasting life on illusions created by desire.
In Canto 7 Chapter 13, Nārada instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on the qualities and conduct of a truly saintly person, warning that worldly cravings make one ignore genuine spiritual benefit.
Notice craving-driven decisions (status, pleasure, constant consumption) and redirect attention to steady practices—bhakti, self-discipline, and inner clarity—rather than chasing short-lived ‘mirages.’