Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame
Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka
श्रीभगवानुवाच परस्वभावकर्माणि न प्रशंसेन्न गर्हयेत् । विश्वमेकात्मकं पश्यन् प्रकृत्या पुरुषेण च ॥ १ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca para-svabhāva-karmāṇi na praśaṁsen na garhayet viśvam ekātmakaṁ paśyan prakṛtyā puruṣeṇa ca
ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ സ്വഭാവത്തെയും പ്രവൃത്തികളെയും പ്രശംസിക്കരുത്, നിന്ദിക്കരുത്. പ്രകൃതിയും പുരുഷനും ചേർന്നുണ്ടായ ഈ ലോകത്തെ ഒരേ പരമതത്ത്വത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതമായ ഏകാത്മമായി കാണുക.
Material situations and activities appear to be good, passionate or ignorant according to the interaction of the modes of nature. These modes are produced by the illusory potency of the Lord, which is itself not different from its master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So a devotee of the Lord remains aloof from the illusory, temporary manifestations of material nature. At the same time, he accepts material nature as the potency of the Lord and thus essentially real. The example may be given that modeling clay is shaped by a child into various playful forms such as tigers, men or houses. The modeling clay is real, whereas the temporary shapes it assumes are illusory, not being actual tigers, men or houses. Similarly, the entire cosmic manifestation is modeling clay in the hands of the Supreme Lord, who acts through māyā to shape the glaring temporary forms of illusion, which absorb the minds of those who are not devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse teaches that a seeker should neither praise nor condemn others’ nature and actions, because with spiritual vision one sees all existence as one reality expressed through prakṛti and the indwelling puruṣa.
In His instructions to Uddhava, Krishna emphasizes jñāna-yoga and equal vision—training the devotee to rise above dualities like admiration and blame by seeing the one spiritual essence behind all appearances.
Reduce reactive judgment: pause before praising or blaming, remember that people act according to their conditioning, and cultivate steady awareness of the same divine presence within all—responding with clarity rather than impulsive criticism.