Shloka 6
Vyāsa’s Vision, the Power of Bhāgavatam, and the Arrest of Aśvatthāmā
अनर्थोपशमं साक्षाद्भक्तियोगमधोक्षजे । लोकस्याजानतो विद्वांश्चक्रे सात्वतसंहिताम् ॥ ६ ॥
anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
ความทุกข์อันเกินจำเป็นของสัตว์โลกดับได้โดยตรงด้วยภักติ-โยคะต่อพระอธกฺษชะ; แต่ผู้คนไม่รู้ความจริงนี้ จึงทำให้ปราชญ์วยาสเทวะรจนาสาตวตะ-สังหิตา
Śrīla Vyāsadeva saw the all-perfect Personality of Godhead. This statement suggests that the complete unit of the Personality of Godhead includes His parts and parcels also. He saw, therefore, His different energies, namely the internal energy, the marginal energy and the external energy. He also saw His different plenary portions and parts of the plenary portions, namely His different incarnations also, and he specifically observed the unwanted miseries of the conditioned souls, who are bewildered by the external energy. And at last he saw the remedial measure for the conditioned souls, namely the process of devotional service. It is a great transcendental science and begins with the process of hearing and chanting the name, fame, glory, etc., of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Revival of the dormant affection or love of Godhead does not depend on the mechanical system of hearing and chanting, but it solely and wholly depends on the causeless mercy of the Lord. When the Lord is fully satisfied with the sincere efforts of the devotee, He may endow him with His loving transcendental service. But even with the prescribed forms of hearing and chanting, there is at once mitigation of the superfluous and unwanted miseries of material existence. Such mitigation of material affection does not wait for development of transcendental knowledge. Rather, knowledge is dependent on devotional service for the ultimate realization of the Supreme Truth.
FAQs
This verse says that bhakti-yoga to Adhokṣaja directly brings anartha-upaśama—the cessation of impurities and miseries—and that the Bhāgavatam was compiled to teach this.
Because people were not understanding the direct path of devotion to the transcendent Lord (Adhokṣaja), the wise Vyāsa compiled the Sātvata-saṁhitā to guide them.
Regular hearing/reading of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and devotion to the Lord beyond sense perception helps reduce inner impurities, anxiety, and misguided desires, steadily purifying one’s life.