Shloka 22
The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (Śruti-stuti) and the Indescribable Absolute
त्वदनुपथं कुलायमिदमात्मसुहृत्प्रियव- च्चरति तथोन्मुखे त्वयि हिते प्रिय आत्मनि च । न बत रमन्त्यहो असदुपासनयात्महनो यदनुशया भ्रमन्त्युरुभये कुशरीरभृत: ॥ २२ ॥
tvad-anupathaṁ kulāyam idam ātma-suhṛt-priya-vac carati tathonmukhe tvayi hite priya ātmani ca na bata ramanty aho asad-upāsanayātma-hano yad-anuśayā bhramanty uru-bhaye ku-śarīra-bhṛtaḥ
Apabila tubuh manusia ini digunakan untuk perkhidmatan kebaktian kepada-Mu, ia bertindak sebagai diri sendiri, sahabat, dan kekasih. Namun malangnya, walaupun Engkau sentiasa menunjukkan belas kasihan, orang ramai memuja ilusi dan melakukan bunuh diri rohani.
The Vedas have strong words for those who choose to remain in illusion rather than serve the all-merciful Personality of Godhead. The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.3.15) states, ārāmam asya paśyanti na taṁ paśyati kaścana; na tam vidātha ya imā jajānānyad yuṣmākam antaram babhūva; nīhāreṇa prāvṛtā jalpyā cāsu-tṛpa uktha-śāsaś caranti: “Everyone can see the place where the Lord manifested Himself in this world for His own pleasure, but still no one sees Him. None of you know Him who generated all these living beings, and thus there is a great difference between your vision and His. Covered by the fog of illusion, you performers of Vedic rituals indulge in useless talk and live only to gratify your senses.”
FAQs
This verse says that those who worship the temporary and unreal do not relish the soul’s true shelter in the Lord; driven by lingering desires, they keep wandering and suffer while trapped in miserable bodies.
The Personified Vedas (Śrutis) are addressing the Supreme Lord, praising how turning toward Him—the dearest Self and benefactor—brings safety, while turning away leads to wandering and misery.
Turn your attention toward the indwelling Lord through bhakti practices (hearing, chanting, prayer), and reduce investment in purely temporary goals; this shifts life from anxiety-driven wandering to inner guidance and steadiness.