Shloka 22
Paramahaṁsa-Dharma: The Avadhūta-like Sannyāsī and Prahlāda’s Dialogue with the ‘Python’ Saint
यस्य नारायणो देवो भगवान्हृद्गत: सदा । भक्त्या केवलयाज्ञानं धुनोति ध्वान्तमर्कवत् ॥ २२ ॥
yasya nārāyaṇo devo bhagavān hṛd-gataḥ sadā bhaktyā kevalayājñānaṁ dhunoti dhvāntam arkavat
Благодаря чистой бхакти Господь Нараяна, Бхагаван, всегда пребывает в сердце и, подобно солнцу, непрестанно рассеивает тьму невежества.
The words bhaktyā kevalayā indicate that simply by executing devotional service one can become full of all knowledge. Kṛṣṇa is the master of all knowledge ( aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ ). The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart ( īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati ), and when the Lord is pleased with a devotee, the Lord instructs him. Only to the devotees, however, does the Lord give instructions by which to advance further and further in devotional service. To others, the nondevotees, the Lord gives instructions according to the manner of their surrender. The pure devotee is described by the words bhaktyā kevalayā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that bhaktyā kevalayā means jñāna-karmādy-amiśrayā, “unmixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge.” Simply surrendering at the lotus feet is the cause of all a devotee’s enlightenment and awareness.
FAQs
This verse explains that when Lord Nārāyaṇa is always present in the heart, pure devotion naturally awakens true knowledge, which destroys the darkness of ignorance like sunlight removes night.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is speaking to King Parīkṣit, describing the transformative power of pure devotion as part of the broader teachings on ideal conduct and spiritual life in Canto 7, Chapter 13.
Cultivate steady remembrance through sincere chanting, prayer, and devotional service; as devotion becomes unmixed, clarity and right understanding arise, reducing confusion, anxiety, and harmful habits rooted in ignorance.