Shloka 12
Nārada Instructs Dakṣa’s Sons; Allegory of the World; Dakṣa Curses Nārada
एक एवेश्वरस्तुर्यो भगवान् स्वाश्रय: पर: । तमदृष्ट्वाभवं पुंस: किमसत्कर्मभिर्भवेत् ॥ १२ ॥
eka eveśvaras turyo bhagavān svāśrayaḥ paraḥ tam adṛṣṭvābhavaṁ puṁsaḥ kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
ഏകമാത്ര ഭോക്താവും ഈശ്വരനും പരമഭഗവാനാണ്—സ്വതന്ത്രൻ, സർവ്വദർശി, ഷഡൈശ്വര്യസമ്പന്നൻ, ത്രിഗുണാതീതൻ. അവനെ അറിയാതെ മനുഷ്യർ ക്ഷണികസുഖത്തിനായി പകലും രാത്രിയും വ്യർത്ഥമായി പണിയെടുക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, അവരുടെ കര്മങ്ങൾക്ക് എന്ത് പ്രയോജനം?
Nārada Muni had mentioned a kingdom where there is only one king with no competitor. The complete spiritual world, and specifically the cosmic manifestation, has only one proprietor or enjoyer — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond this material manifestation. The Lord has therefore been described as turya, existing on the fourth platform. He has also been described as abhava. The word bhava, which means “takes birth,” comes from the word bhū, “to be.” As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (8.19) , bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate: the living entities in the material world must be repeatedly born and destroyed. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is neither bhūtvā nor pralīyate; He is eternal. In other words, He is not obliged to take birth like human beings or animals, which repeatedly take birth and die because of ignorance of the soul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is not subjected to such changes of body, and one who thinks otherwise is considered a fool ( avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam ). Nārada Muni advises that human beings not waste their time simply jumping like cats and monkeys, without real benefit. The duty of the human being is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse states that liberation (abhava—cessation of material existence) is not attained through asat-karma; without realizing the Supreme Lord, such activities cannot bring true freedom.
Narada instructed Daksha’s sons to seek the Supreme Controller directly; he emphasized that mere worldly or fruitive pursuits cannot fulfill the ultimate goal of life—realization of Bhagavan and release from bondage.
Prioritize God-realization—through bhakti practices like hearing, chanting, and sincere devotion—rather than relying solely on material achievements or restless activity to find lasting peace and freedom.