Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 20 Verse 16

Canto 11: General History | Chapter 20: Pure Devotional Service Surpasses Knowledge and Detachment

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.20.16

aho-rātraiś chidyamānaḿ

buddhvāyur bhaya-vepathuḥ

mukta-sańgaḥ paraḿ buddhvā

nirīha upaśāmyati

SYNONYMS

ahaḥ — by days; rātraiḥ — by nights; chidyamānam — being cut down; buddhvā — knowing; āyuḥ — the duration of life; bhaya — with fear; vepathuḥ — trembling; mukta-sańgaḥ — free from attachment; param — the Supreme Lord; buddhvā — understanding; nirīhaḥ — without material desire; upaśāmyati — achieves perfect peace.

TRANSLATION

Knowing that one's duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace.

PURPORT

An intelligent devotee knows that the passing days and nights are exhausting one's duration of life, and he therefore gives up his futile attachment to material sense objects. Instead, he strives to achieve permanent benefit in life. Just as the detached bird immediately gives up its nest and goes to another tree, similarly, a devotee knows that there is no permanent opportunity for residence within the material world. Instead he dedicates his working energy to achieving eternal residence in the kingdom of God. Transcending the modes of material nature by attaining Kṛṣṇa's own spiritual nature, the devotee at last obtains perfect peace.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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