Shloka 35
Manu Offers Devahūti to Kardama; The Sage Accepts with a Devotional Vow
अयातयामास्तस्यासन् यामा:स्वान्तरयापना: । शृण्वतो ध्यायतो विष्णो: कुर्वतो ब्रुवत: कथा: ॥ ३५ ॥
ayāta-yāmās tasyāsan yāmāḥ svāntara-yāpanāḥ śṛṇvato dhyāyato viṣṇoḥ kurvato bruvataḥ kathāḥ
ਇਸ ਲਈ, ਭਾਵੇਂ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਉਮਰ ਹੌਲੀ-ਹੌਲੀ ਘਟਦੀ ਗਈ, ਤੱਥਾਪਿ ਮਨਵੰਤਰ ਜਿਤਨੀ ਲੰਮੀ ਆਯੁ ਵਿਅਰਥ ਨਾ ਗਈ; ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਹ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੀਲਾਵਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਥਾਵਾਂ ਸੁਣਦਾ, ਮਨਨ ਕਰਦਾ, ਲਿਖਦਾ ਅਤੇ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ।
As freshly prepared food is very tasteful but if kept for three or four hours becomes stale and tasteless, so the existence of material enjoyment can endure as long as life is fresh, but at the fag end of life everything becomes tasteless, and everything appears to be vain and painful. The life of Emperor Svāyambhuva Manu, however, was not tasteless; as he grew older, his life remained as fresh as in the beginning because of his continued Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The life of a man in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always fresh. It is said that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening and its business is to reduce the duration of everyone’s life. But the sunrise and sunset cannot diminish the life of one who engages in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Svāyambhuva Manu’s life did not become stale after some time, for he engaged himself always in chanting about and meditating upon Lord Viṣṇu. He was the greatest yogī because he never wasted his time. It is especially mentioned here, viṣṇoḥ kurvato bruvataḥ kathāḥ. When he talked, he talked only of Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead; when he heard something, it was about Kṛṣṇa; when he meditated, it was upon Kṛṣṇa and His activities.
FAQs
This verse says time becomes naturally fulfilling when one engages in hearing, remembering, serving, and speaking the glories of Lord Viṣṇu.
Because in the Bhagavatam’s narrative, devotion is shown to transform ordinary life—devotional remembrance and Hari-kathā make even the passing of hours spiritually potent rather than tiring.
Set a daily rhythm of listening to Bhagavatam/Viṣṇu-kathā, reflecting on it, doing a small act of service, and sharing one insight—this makes time feel lighter and the mind steadier.