Shloka 18
Nārada’s Past Life, the Lord’s Brief Vision, and the Power of Kīrtana
रूपं भगवतो यत्तन्मन:कान्तं शुचापहम् । अपश्यन् सहसोत्तस्थे वैक्लव्याद्दुर्मना इव ॥ १८ ॥
rūpaṁ bhagavato yat tan manaḥ-kāntaṁ śucāpaham apaśyan sahasottasthe vaiklavyād durmanā iva
Rupa transenden Tuhan itu menawan hati dan serta-merta menghapus dukacita serta kekusutan batin. Apabila rupa itu hilang dari pandanganku, aku segera bangun dengan gelisah, seperti orang kehilangan sesuatu yang diingini.
That the Lord is not formless is experienced by Nārada Muni. But His form is completely different from all forms of our material experience. For the whole duration of our life we go on seeing different forms in the material world, but none of them is just apt to satisfy the mind, nor can any one of them vanish all perturbance of the mind. These are the special features of the transcendental form of the Lord, and one who has once seen that form is not satisfied with anything else; no form in the material world can any longer satisfy the seer. That the Lord is formless or impersonal means that He has nothing like a material form and is not like any material personality.
FAQs
This verse states that Bhagavan’s form is “manaḥ-kāntaṁ” (captivating to the mind) and “śucāpaham” (that which takes away grief), indicating that divine vision and remembrance dispel inner sorrow.
Having once received the Lord’s darśana, Narada felt separation when the vision ceased; the sudden absence produced agitation and a downcast mood, showing the devotee’s intense longing for Bhagavan.
Turn the mind toward Bhagavan through steady bhakti practices—hearing, chanting, and remembrance—because focusing on the Lord’s form and qualities is described here as a direct remedy for grief.