Shloka 21
Dharma, Purity, and the Inner Purpose of the Vedas
Karma-kāṇḍa Reoriented to Bhakti
तया विरहित: साधो जन्तु: शून्याय कल्पते । ततोऽस्य स्वार्थविभ्रंशो मूर्च्छितस्य मृतस्य च ॥ २१ ॥
tayā virahitaḥ sādho jantuḥ śūnyāya kalpate tato ’sya svārtha-vibhraṁśo mūrcchitasya mṛtasya ca
हे साधु उद्धवा! त्या (खऱ्या बुद्धी)पासून वंचित प्राणी शून्यासारखा मानला जातो. मग तो जीवनाच्या खऱ्या उद्देशापासून भरकटतो आणि मूर्छित किंवा मृतासारखा जड होतो.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so vital and essential that one who has deviated from this progressive path of self-realization is considered to be virtually unconscious, or like a dead person. Since every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, anyone who falsely identifies with the external body is actually unconscious of his real position. Thus it is stated, śūnyāya kalpate: pursuing that which has no factual existence, he is devoid of any tangible progress or benefit in life. One whose consciousness is absorbed in the nonexistent becomes himself practically nonexistent. In this way, the eternal living entities become fallen, lost in the ocean of material existence, and it is only by the special mercy of the pure devotees of the Lord that they can be rescued. The Lord’s devotees therefore instruct the fallen people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By this process our real consciousness and life can be quickly revived.
FAQs
This verse says that when one is separated from the inner spiritual faculty that connects one to the Supreme, one becomes “empty” and loses svārtha—one’s real welfare—like a person unconscious or dead.
In the Uddhava Gita, Krishna instructs Uddhava on spiritual discernment and detachment, explaining how forgetfulness of the divine inner guidance causes a living being to miss life’s true purpose.
Regularly cultivate spiritual clarity—through sādhana like hearing sacred texts, prayer, and mindful self-examination—so decisions align with lasting well-being rather than short-term impulses.