1–çré-çuka uväca
atränuvarëyate ‘bhékñëaà
viçvätmä bhagavän hariù
yasya prasäda-jo brahmä
rudraù krodha-samudbhavaù
Çukadeva Gosvämé said: This Çrémad-Bhägavatam has elaborately described
in various narrations the Supreme Soul of all that be—the Personality of
Godhead, Hari—from whose satisfaction Brahmä is born and from whose anger
Rudra takes birth.
2–tvaà tu räjan mariñyeti
paçu-buddhim imäà jahi
na jätaù präg abhüto ‘dya
deha-vat tvaà na naìkñyasi
O King, give up the animalistic mentality of thinking, “I am going lo die.”
Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in the past
when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed.
3–na bhaviñyasi bhütvä tvaà
putra-pauträdi-rüpavän
béjäìkura-vad dehäder
vyatirikto yathänalaù
You will not take birth again in the form of your sons and grandsons, like a
sprout taking birth from a seed and then generating a new seed. Rather, you are
entirely distinct from the material body and its paraphernalia, in the same way
that fire is distinct from its fuel.
4–svapne yathä çiraç-chedaà
païcatvädy ätmanaù svayam
yasmät paçyati dehasya
tata ätmä hy ajo ‘maraù
In a dream one can see his own head being cut off and thus understand that
his actual self is standing apart from the dream experience. Similarly, while
awake one can see that his body is a product of the five material elements.
Therefore it is to be understood that the actual self, the soul, is distinct from
the body it observes and is unborn and immortal.
5–ghaöe bhinne ghaöäkäça
äkäçaù syäd yathä purä
evaà dehe måte jévo
brahma sampadyate punaù
When a pot is broken, the portion of sky within the pot remains as the
element sky, just as before. In the same way, when the gross and subtle bodies
die, the living entity within resumes his spiritual identity.
6–manaù såjati vai dehän
guëän karmäëi cätmanaù
tan manaù såjate mäyä
tato jévasya saàsåtiù
The material bodies, qualities and activities of the spirit soul are created by
the material mind. That mind is itself created by the illusory potency of the
Supreme Lord, and thus the soul assumes material existence.
7–snehädhiñöhäna-varty-agnisaàyogo
yävad éyate
tävad dépasya dépatvam
evaà deha-kåto bhavaù
rajaù-sattva-tamo-våttyä
jäyate ‘tha vinaçyati
A lamp functions as such only by the combination of its fuel, vessel, wick
and fire. Similarly, material life, based on the soul’s identification with the
body, is developed and destroyed by the workings of material goodness, passion
and ignorance, which are the constituent elements of the body.
8–na taträtmä svayaà-jyotir
yo vyaktävyaktayoù paraù
äkäça iva cädhäro
dhruvo ‘nantopamas tataù
The soul within the body is self-luminous and is separate from the visible
gross body and invisible subtle body. It remains as the fixed basis of changing
bodily existence, just as the ethereal sky is the unchanging background of
material transformation. Therefore the soul is endless and without material
comparison.
9–evam ätmänam ätma-stham
ätmanaivämåça prabho
buddhyänumäna-garbhiëyä
väsudevänucintayä
My dear King, by constantly meditating upon the Supreme Lord, Väsudeva,
and by applying clear and logical intelligence, you should carefully consider your
true self and how it is situated within the material body.
10–codito vipra-väkyena
na tväà dhakñyati takñakaù
måtyavo nopadhakñyanti
måtyünäà måtyum éçvaram
The snake-bird Takñaka, sent by the curse of the brähmaëa, will not burn
your true self. The agents of death will never burn such a master of the self as
you, for you have already conquered all dangers on your path back to Godhead.
11/12–ahaà brahma paraà dhäma
brahmähaà paramaà padam
evaà samékñya cätmänam
ätmany ädhäya niñkale
daçantaà takñakaà päde
lelihänaà viñänanaiù
na drakñyasi çaréraà ca
199
viçvaà ca påthag ätmanaù
You should consider, “I am nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the
supreme abode, and that Absolute Truth, the supreme destination, is
nondifferent from me.” Thus resigning yourself to the Supreme Soul, who is
free from all material misidentifications, you will not even notice the snake-bird
Takñaka when he approaches with his poison-filled fangs and bites your foot.
Nor will you see your dying body or the material world around you, because
you will have realized yourself to be separate from them.
13–etat te kathitaà täta
yad ätmä påñöavän nåpa
harer viçvätmanaç ceñöäà
kià bhüyaù çrotum icchasi
Beloved King Parékñit, I have narrated to you the topics you originally
inquired about—the pastimes of Lord Hari, the Supreme Soul of the universe.
Now, what more do you wish to hear?
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