Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 58
Nārada’s Instructions: Śrāddha, True Dharma, Contentment, Yoga, and Devotion-Centered Renunciation
आबाधितोऽपि ह्याभासो यथा वस्तुतया स्मृत: । दुर्घटत्वादैन्द्रियकं तद्वदर्थविकल्पितम् ॥ ५८ ॥
ābādhito ’pi hy ābhāso yathā vastutayā smṛtaḥ durghaṭatvād aindriyakaṁ tadvad artha-vikalpitam
Bagaman maaaring ituring na huwad ang repleksiyon ng araw sa salamin, mayroon pa rin itong faktuwal na pag-iral. Gayundin, napakahirap patunayan sa pamamagitan ng haka-hakang kaalaman na ang mundong nadarama ng mga pandama ay walang anumang realidad.
The impersonalists try to prove that the varieties in the vision of the empiric philosopher are false. The impersonalist philosophy, vivarta-vāda, generally cites the acceptance of a rope to be a snake as an example of this fact. According to this example, the varieties within our vision are false, just as a rope seen to be a snake is false. The Vaiṣṇavas say, however, that although the idea that the rope is a snake is false, the snake is not false; one has experience of a snake in reality, and therefore he knows that although the representation of the rope as a snake is false or illusory, there is a snake in reality. Similarly, this world, which is full of varieties, is not false; it is a reflection of the reality in the Vaikuṇṭha world, the spiritual world.
FAQs
This verse explains that sense-based experience can be unreliable, and the mind often treats mere appearances as reality by superimposing imagined meaning onto what is perceived.
In his instructions on civilized life and spiritual advancement, Nārada warns Yudhiṣṭhira about the deceptive nature of sense perception and the tendency to mistake appearances for truth, encouraging discrimination and detachment.
Pause before reacting to impressions, verify assumptions, and practice mindfulness—recognizing that the mind can project meaning onto experiences—so decisions are guided by dharma and devotion rather than impulse.