Shloka 40
Nimi Questions the Yogendras: Māyā, Cosmic Dissolution, Guru-Śaraṇāgati, Bhakti, and Deity Worship
यर्ह्यब्जनाभचरणैषणयोरुभक्त्या चेतोमलानि विधमेद् गुणकर्मजानि । तस्मिन् विशुद्ध उपलभ्यत आत्मतत्त्वं साक्षाद् यथामलदृशो: सवितृप्रकाश: ॥ ४० ॥
yarhy abja-nābha-caraṇaiṣaṇayoru-bhaktyā ceto-malāni vidhamed guṇa-karma-jāni tasmin viśuddha upalabhyata ātma-tattvaṁ śākṣād yathāmala-dṛśoḥ savitṛ-prakāśaḥ
ഒരാൾ ഗൗരവത്തോടെ പദ്മനാഭനായ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണന്റെ പാദപദ്മങ്ങളെ ജീവിതലക്ഷ്യമായി ഹൃദയത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ച് മഹാഭക്തിയോടെ സേവിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഗുണ-കർമജന്യമായ ചിത്തമലങ്ങൾ—അനവധി അശുദ്ധ ആഗ്രഹങ്ങൾ—വേഗത്തിൽ നീങ്ങിപ്പോകുന്നു. ഹൃദയം വിശുദ്ധമായാൽ പരമാത്മാവിനെയും സ്വന്തം ആത്മതത്ത്വത്തെയും നേരിട്ട് അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു; ആരോഗ്യമുള്ള ദൃഷ്ടിക്ക് സൂര്യപ്രകാശം നേരിട്ട് അനുഭവപ്പെടുന്നതുപോലെ.
In the previous verse it was explained that one can have a preliminary glimpse of the eternal, unchanging soul by remembering one’s experience of peacefully sleeping even while the mind and senses were totally inactive. One may ask, If in deep sleep there is a preliminary experience of the soul, why upon waking does one return to illusory material existence? It may be answered that because of material desires lodged within the heart the conditioned soul is addicted to the nescience of material sense gratification. A prisoner may glimpse through the bars the free light outside the prison window but still remain captive behind the bars. Similarly, although a conditioned soul may have a glimpse of the spirit soul, he remains captured within the bondage of material desires. Therefore, although one may have a preliminary understanding of the eternal soul that exists within the temporary body, or even of the Supersoul that accompanies the individual soul within the heart, a specific process is still required to eliminate the cause of material existence, namely material desire.
FAQs
This verse says that intense devotion focused on the Lord’s lotus feet removes mental impurities created by the gunas and karma, and that purified consciousness then reveals direct knowledge of the Self.
Because, as explained here, the mind is clouded by guna- and karma-born contamination; when that is washed away by bhakti, reality is perceived directly—like the sun seen clearly by healthy eyes.
Regularly center your desires on devotion (hearing, chanting, remembering the Lord) and reduce karma-driven agitation; as the mind becomes cleaner, clarity, detachment, and steady spiritual insight naturally arise.