Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 10
Kapila’s Devotional Sāṅkhya: Sādhu-saṅga, Bhakti-yoga, and Fearlessness in the Supreme Shelter
अथ मे देव सम्मोहमपाक्रष्टुं त्वमर्हसि । योऽवग्रहोऽहंममेतीत्येतस्मिन् योजितस्त्वया ॥ १० ॥
atha me deva sammoham apākraṣṭuṁ tvam arhasi yo ’vagraho ’haṁ mametīty etasmin yojitas tvayā
اب، اے دیو! میری اس بڑی گمراہی کو دور کرنے کی مہربانی فرمائیں۔ ‘میں’ اور ‘میرا’ کے جھوٹے اَہنکار میں آپ کی مایا نے مجھے باندھ رکھا ہے۔
The false ego of identifying one’s body as one’s self and of claiming things possessed in relationship with this body is called māyā. In Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter, the Lord says, “I am sitting in everyone’s heart, and from Me come everyone’s remembrance and forgetfulness.” Devahūti has stated that false identification of the body with the self and attachment for possessions in relation to the body are also under the direction of the Lord. Does this mean that the Lord discriminates by engaging one in His devotional service and another in sense gratification? If that were true, it would be an incongruity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but that is not the actual fact. As soon as the living entity forgets his real, constitutional position of eternal servitorship to the Lord and wants instead to enjoy himself by sense gratification, he is captured by māyā. This capture by māyā is the consciousness of false identification with the body and attachment for the possessions of the body. These are the activities of māyā, and since māyā is also an agent of the Lord, it is indirectly the action of the Lord. The Lord is merciful; if anyone wants to forget Him and enjoy this material world, He gives him full facility, not directly but through the agency of His material potency. Therefore, since the material potency is the Lord’s energy, indirectly it is the Lord who gives the facility to forget Him. Devahūti therefore said, “My engagement in sense gratification was also due to You. Now kindly get me free from this entanglement.”
FAQs
This verse shows that the root of bondage is the false identification “I” and possessiveness “mine,” and Devahuti asks the Lord to remove this delusion.
As Kapila is the Lord and her spiritual teacher, Devahuti approaches Him to be freed from material misidentification and to receive the path of devotion and liberation.
Practice seeing yourself as a servant of God, use possessions in His service, and reduce possessiveness by gratitude, charity, and steady devotional hearing and chanting.