Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 16
Bhakti as the Easy and Supreme Yoga: Seeing Kṛṣṇa in All and Uddhava’s Departure to Badarikāśrama
विसृज्य स्मयमानान् स्वान् दृशं व्रीडां च दैहिकीम् । प्रणमेद् दण्डवद् भूमावाश्वचाण्डालगोखरम् ॥ १६ ॥
visṛjya smayamānān svān dṛśaṁ vrīḍāṁ ca daihikīm praṇamed daṇḍa-vad bhūmāv ā-śva-cāṇḍāla-go-kharam
Tanpa menghiraukan ejekan rakan, hendaklah seseorang meninggalkan kesedaran jasmani serta rasa malu yang mengiringinya. Kemudian sujud dandanvat di bumi dan memberi hormat kepada semua—bahkan kepada anjing, golongan terbuang, lembu dan keldai.
One should practice seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead within all creatures. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised all devotees to consider themselves lower than a blade of grass and to be more tolerant than a tree. In such a humble position, one will not be disturbed in the prosecution of pure devotional service to the Lord. A devotee does not foolishly think that a cow or an ass is God, but rather the devotee sees the Supreme Lord within all creatures, and on this higher, spiritual plane he does not discriminate.
FAQs
In this verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa teaches that a devotee should abandon social embarrassment and pride, and offer full respect (daṇḍavat praṇāma) without discrimination—even when others mock—showing humility as a foundation of bhakti.
In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa is instructing Uddhava on pure devotion and detachment. This teaching targets subtle ego—concern for reputation, caste-status, and bodily identification—so Uddhava can embody unalloyed bhakti.
Practice respect without status-calculation: serve and honor devotees and living beings, drop fear of social judgment, and replace “what will people think?” with sincere devotion and compassionate conduct.