Hymns to Nārāyaṇa: Humility, Bhakti, Yoga, and the Guṇas
मित्र उवाच / नतोस्म्यज्ञस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दं भवच्छिदं स्वस्त्ययनं भवच्छिदे / वेद स्वयं भगवान्वासुदेवो नाहं नाग्निर्न त्रिदेवा मुनीन्द्राः
mitra uvāca / natosmyajñastvaccaraṇāravindaṃ bhavacchidaṃ svastyayanaṃ bhavacchide / veda svayaṃ bhagavānvāsudevo nāhaṃ nāgnirna tridevā munīndrāḥ
密特罗说道:“纵然我愚昧,仍顶礼于你莲华般的圣足——你能斩断轮回之流,你是求解脱者的吉祥归依。诚然,唯有至福的主宰婆苏提婆(Vāsudeva)自知其全;非我,非火神阿耆尼,非三位天神,亦非诸大牟尼所能尽知。”
Mitra
Concept: Only Bhagavān Vāsudeva fully knows the highest truth; the devotee approaches through humility and surrender to the Lord’s feet as the auspicious refuge that cuts saṃsāra.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-sarvajñatva and jīva-alpatva; saṃsāra-ccheda through śaraṇāgati; implicit distinction between limited knowers (devas/ṛṣis) and the Supreme.
Application: Cultivate humility in spiritual inquiry; take refuge in Viṣṇu’s feet through prayer and remembrance rather than relying on status, learning, or even celestial authority.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring motif of ‘Hari’s feet’ as refuge and ‘saṃsāra-ccheda’ in bhakti passages (general thematic parallel)
This verse frames surrender to the Lord’s feet as an “auspicious refuge” that cuts through saṁsāra, emphasizing devotion as a direct support for liberation.
Mitra states that complete knowledge belongs to Bhagavān Vāsudeva alone, placing divine revelation above even gods (Agni, tri-devas) and great sages.
Cultivate humility in spiritual learning: seek guidance through devotion, and treat ultimate truth as something realized through surrender and practice, not mere status or scholarship.