Shloka 30
Vidura’s Questions: How the Unchangeable Lord Relates to Māyā; Bhakti as the Remedy; Blueprint for the Coming Cosmology
यज्ञस्य च वितानानि योगस्य च पथ: प्रभो । नैष्कर्म्यस्य च सांख्यस्य तन्त्रं वा भगवत्स्मृतम् ॥ ३० ॥
yajñasya ca vitānāni yogasya ca pathaḥ prabho naiṣkarmyasya ca sāṅkhyasya tantraṁ vā bhagavat-smṛtam
Xin hãy trình bày các hình thức mở rộng của tế lễ yajña, các con đường yoga, niṣkarmya, sāṅkhya, và tantra của bhakti được gọi là bhagavat-smṛti—tất cả cùng những quy tắc tương ứng của chúng.
The word tantram is significant herein. Sometimes tantram is misunderstood to be the black spiritual science of materialistic persons engaged in sense gratification, but here tantram means the science of devotional service compiled by Śrīla Nārada Muni. One can take advantage of such regulative explanations of the path of devotional service and make progressive advancement in the devotional service of the Lord. Sāṅkhya philosophy is the basic principle of acquiring knowledge, as will be explained by the sage Maitreya. The Sāṅkhya philosophy enunciated by Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti, is the real source of knowledge about the Supreme Truth. Knowledge not based on the Sāṅkhya philosophy is mental speculation and can yield no tangible profit.
FAQs
This verse shows Vidura requesting Maitreya to explain multiple authorized spiritual paths—sacrifice (yajña), yoga, naiṣkarmya (freedom from karmic reaction), and Sāṅkhya—as teachings ultimately grounded in the Lord’s own authority.
In Canto 3, Vidura approaches the sage Maitreya to understand the Lord’s creation and the means of liberation; here he broadens his inquiry to include the principal Vedic disciplines and asks for the Lord-authorized synthesis of these methods.
Naiṣkarmya can be practiced by doing one’s duties without selfish motive and offering the results to God, thereby reducing karmic bondage while keeping life spiritually centered.