Shloka 14

Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot

Devanagari script

कर्माशयं हृदयग्रन्थिबन्ध- मविद्ययासादितमप्रमत्त: । अनेन योगेन यथोपदेशं सम्यग्व्यपोह्योपरमेत योगात् ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

karmāśayaṁ hṛdaya-granthi-bandham avidyayāsāditam apramattaḥ anena yogena yathopadeśaṁ samyag vyapohyoparameta yogāt

Translation

Seperti yang telah Aku nasihatkan kepada kamu, wahai anak-anak-Ku yang dikasihi, kamu harus bertindak sewajarnya. Berhati-hatilah. Dengan cara ini kamu akan dibebaskan daripada kejahilan kegiatan membuahkan hasil, dan ikatan di dalam hati akan terputus sepenuhnya.

Synonyms

• कर्माशयम्: the repository of karma
• कर्माशयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: कर्मणाम् आशयः = storehouse of karma

• हृदयग्रन्थिबन्धम्: the bondage of the heart-knot
• हृदयग्रन्थिबन्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय + ग्रन्थि + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: हृदयस्य ग्रन्थेः बन्धः = bondage of the heart-knot

• अविद्यया: by ignorance
• अविद्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• आसादितम्: brought about/attained
• आसादितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with कर्माशयम्/बन्धम्

• अप्रमत्तः: vigilant
• अप्रमत्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रमत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• योगेन: by yoga
• योगेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय)

• उपदेशम्: instruction
• उपदेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (रीतिवाचक-अव्यय)

• व्यपोह्य: having removed
• व्यपोह्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अप + √ऊह्/√अपोह् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), avyaya-kṛdanta (अव्यय-कृदन्त)

• उपरमेत: should cease/come to rest
• उपरमेत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √रम् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada

• योगात्: from yoga
• योगात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Purport

The process of liberation is brahma jijñāsā, the search for the Absolute Truth. Generally brahma jijñāsā is called neti neti, the process by which one analyzes existence to search out the Absolute Truth. This method continues as long as one is not situated in his spiritual life. Spiritual life is brahma-bhūta, the self-realized state. In the words of Bhagavad-gītā (18.54) :

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabhadeva

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about cutting the heart-knot (hṛdaya-granthi)?

This verse says the heart-knot—bondage formed by ignorance and karmic impressions—should be thoroughly removed by the prescribed yoga, leading to freedom from bondage.

Why did Lord Ṛṣabhadeva teach this yoga instruction to His sons?

Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His sons to become vigilant and uproot ignorance-born karmic bondage, so their lives would culminate in liberation rather than continued entanglement in material desires.

How can I apply this teaching in modern life?

Practice a disciplined spiritual method (yoga as taught by scripture and guru), stay alert to desire-driven habits, and aim to remove the root ignorance behind them—so practice becomes a means to inner freedom, not another identity.