FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.43

चीरवासा निराहारो बद्धवाङ्‍मुक्तमूर्धज: । दर्शयन्नात्मनो रूपं जडोन्मत्तपिशाचवत् । अनवेक्षमाणो निरगादश‍ृण्वन्बधिरो यथा ॥ ४३ ॥
cīra-vāsā nirāhāro
[cheera-vaasaa niraahaaro]
baddha-vāṅ mukta-mūrdhajaḥ
[baddha-vaan mukta-moordhajah]
darśayann ātmano rūpaṁ
[darshayann aatmano roopam]
jaḍonmatta-piśācavat
[jadonmatta-pishaachavat]
anavekṣamāṇo niragād
[anavekshamaano niragaad]
aśṛṇvan badhiro yathā
[ashrinvan badhiro yathaa]
cīra-vāsāḥ — accepted torn clothing nirāhāraḥ — gave up all solid foodstuff baddha-vāk — stopped talking mukta-mūrdhajaḥ — untied his hair darśayan — began to show ātmanaḥ — of himself rūpam — bodily features jaḍa — inert unmatta — mad piśāca-vat — just like an urchin anavekṣamāṇaḥ — without waiting for niragāt — was situated aśṛṇvan — without hearing badhiraḥ — just like a deaf man yathā — as if.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cīra-vāsā nirāhāro
cīra-vāsāḥ
accepted torn clothing
nirāhāraḥ
gave up all solid foodstuff
baddha-vāṅ mukta-mūrdhajaḥ
baddha-vāk
stopped talking
mukta-mūrdhajaḥ
untied his hair
darśayann ātmano rūpaṁ
darśayan
began to show
ātmanaḥ
of himself
rūpam
bodily features
jaḍonmatta-piśācavat
jaḍa
inert
unmatta
mad
piśāca-vat
just like an urchin
anavekṣamāṇo niragād
anavekṣamāṇaḥ
without waiting for
niragāt
was situated
aśṛṇvan badhiro yathā
aśṛṇvan
without hearing
badhiraḥ
just like a deaf man
yathā
as if.
After that, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira dressed himself in torn clothing, gave up eating all solid foods, voluntarily became dumb and let his hair hang loose. All this combined to make him look like an urchin or madman with no occupation. He did not depend on his brothers for anything. And, just like a deaf man, he heard nothing.

Thus being freed from all external affairs, he had nothing to do with imperial life or family prestige, and for all practical purposes he posed himself exactly like an inert mad urchin and did not speak of material affairs. He had no dependence on his brothers, who had all along been helping him. This stage of complete independence from everything is also called the purified stage of fearlessness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He wore torn cloth, did not eat, stopped speaking, shaved his head, and showed himself as a dumb or insane person or a ghost.
Commentary

Two verses describe his total disregard for the external world. Baddha-vāk means not speaking.

He then dressed in torn clothing, gave up solid food, voluntarily became silent, let his hair hang loose — appearing as an urchin or madman with no occupation. He did not depend on his brothers. Total external simplification.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'urchin-like' simplification is calling me?
  • Where am I dependent on family or rank I should release?
📝 My note

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