Shloka 20
Karmic Aspirations, Demigod Worship, and the Supreme Duty of Bhakti
Hari-kathā as Life’s True Gain
बिले बतोरुक्रमविक्रमान् ये न शृण्वत: कर्णपुटे नरस्य । जिह्वासती दार्दुरिकेव सूत न चोपगायत्युरुगायगाथा: ॥ २० ॥
bile batorukrama-vikramān ye na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ
ഉരുക്രമനായ ഭഗവാന്റെ വീര്യവും അത്ഭുതകൃത്യങ്ങളും കാതിൽ കേൾക്കാത്തവനും, ഉരുഗായനായ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ ഗാഥകൾ ഉച്ചത്തിൽ പാടാത്തവനും—അവന്റെ കാതുതുളകൾ പാമ്പിൻ കുഴികളുപോലെയും നാവ് തവളയുടെ നാവുപോലെയും ആകുന്നു.
Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all limbs or parts of the body. It is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul; therefore a devotee is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. One can engage in devotional service when the senses of the body are purified in relation with the Lord, and one can render service to the Lord with the help of all the senses. As such, the senses and the action of the senses are to be considered impure or materialistic as long as they are employed only in sense gratification. The purified senses are engaged not in sense gratification but in the service of the Lord in toto. The Lord is the Supreme with all senses, and the servitor, who is part and parcel of the Lord, also has the same senses. Service to the Lord is the completely purified use of the senses, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord imparted instructions with full senses, and Arjuna received them with full senses, and thus there was a perfect exchange of sensible and logical understanding between the master and the disciple. Spiritual understanding is nothing like an electrical charge from the master to the disciple, as foolishly claimed by some propaganda-mongers. Everything is full of sense and logic, and the exchange of views between the master and disciple is possible only when the reception is submissive and real. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that one should receive the teaching of Lord Caitanya with intellect and full senses so that one can logically understand the great mission.
FAQs
This verse declares that a human life is pitiable if one does not hear the Lord’s mighty deeds and that the tongue is wasted if it does not sing the Lord’s glories—showing śravaṇam and kīrtanam as essential limbs of bhakti.
A frog’s croak makes noise without higher purpose; similarly, speech that does not glorify the Lord is portrayed as empty sound, lacking the purifying power of Hari-kathā.
Make daily space for hearing Bhagavatam/Krishna-kathā (talks, readings) and use your speech for kīrtana, japa, and sharing uplifting, God-centered words instead of purposeless chatter.