Shloka 17
The Lord in the Heart and the Discipline of Yoga-Bhakti
न यत्र कालोऽनिमिषां पर: प्रभु: कुतो नु देवा जगतां य ईशिरे । न यत्र सत्त्वं न रजस्तमश्च न वै विकारो न महान् प्रधानम् ॥ १७ ॥
na yatra kālo ’nimiṣāṁ paraḥ prabhuḥ kuto nu devā jagatāṁ ya īśire na yatra sattvaṁ na rajas tamaś ca na vai vikāro na mahān pradhānam
ലബ്ധോപശാന്തിയുടെ ആ അതീതാവസ്ഥയിൽ, നിമിഷരഹിത ദേവന്മാരെയും നിയന്ത്രിക്കുന്ന നാശകരമായ കാലത്തിന്റെ ആധിപത്യം ഇല്ല. അവിടെ സത്ത്വം ഇല്ല, രജസ് ഇല്ല, തമസ് ഇല്ല; അഹങ്കാരം ഇല്ല, മഹത്തത്ത്വം ഇല്ല, പ്രധാനം (പ്രകൃതി) പോലും ഇല്ല।
Devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods by its manifestations of past, present and future, does not act on the transcendental plane. The influence of time is exhibited by the symptoms of birth, death, old age and disease, and these four principles of material conditions are present everywhere in any part of the material cosmos up to the planet Brahmaloka, where the duration of life of the inhabitants appears to us to be fabulous. Insurmountable time even brings about the death of Brahmā, so what to speak of other demigods like Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Vāyu and Varuṇa? The astronomical influence directed by the different demigods over mundane creatures is also conspicuous by its absence. In material existence, the living entities are afraid of Satanic influence, but for a devotee on the transcendental plane there is no such fear at all. The living entities change their material bodies in different shapes and forms under the influence of the different modes of material nature, but in the transcendental state the devotee is guṇātīta, or above the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Thus the false ego of “I am the lord of all I survey” does not arise there. In the material world the false ego of the living being trying to lord it over the material nature is something like the moth’s falling in a blazing fire. The moth is captivated by the glaring beauty of the fire, and when he comes to enjoy it, the blazing fire consumes him. In the transcendental state the living being is pure in his consciousness, and as such he has no false ego to lord it over the material nature. Rather, his pure consciousness directs him to surrender unto the Supreme Lord, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) : vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. All this indicates that in the transcendental state there is neither material creation nor the Causal Ocean for material nature.
FAQs
This verse describes the transcendental domain where time has no power and the material modes (sattva, rajas, tamas) do not exist—indicating a reality beyond material nature.
Parīkṣit is preparing for death and seeking ultimate truth; Śukadeva explains the Lord’s transcendental position and the spiritual realm to direct Parīkṣit beyond fear, time, and material conditioning.
Cultivate bhakti—hearing and chanting the Lord’s names and teachings—while reducing identification with bodily moods and material impulses, aiming for steady remembrance of the Supreme beyond time.