FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.18

रूपं भगवतो यत्तन्मन:कान्तं शुचापहम् । अपश्यन् सहसोत्तस्थे वैक्लव्याद्दुर्मना इव ॥ १८ ॥
rūpaṁ bhagavato yat tan
[roopam bhagavato yat tan]
manaḥ-kāntaṁ śucāpaham
[manah-kaantam shuchaapaham]
apaśyan sahasottasthe
[apashyan sahasottasthe]
vaiklavyād durmanā iva
[vaiklavyaad durmanaa iva]
rūpam — form bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead yat — as it is tat — that manaḥ — of the mind kāntam — as it desires śucā-apaham — vanishing all disparity apaśyan — without seeing sahasā — all of a sudden uttasthe — got up vaiklavyāt — being perturbed durmanāḥ — having lost the desirable iva — as it were.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rūpaṁ bhagavato yat tan
rūpam
form
bhagavataḥ
of the Personality of Godhead
yat
as it is
tat
that
manaḥ-kāntaṁ śucāpaham
manaḥ
of the mind
kāntam
as it desires
śucā-apaham
vanishing all disparity
apaśyan
without seeing
apaśyan sahasottasthe
sahasā
all of a sudden
uttasthe
got up
vaiklavyād durmanā iva
vaiklavyāt
being perturbed
durmanāḥ
having lost the desirable
iva
as it were.
The transcendental form of the Lord, as it is, satisfies the mind’s desire and at once erases all mental incongruities. Upon losing that form, I suddenly got up, being perturbed, as is usual when one loses that which is desirable.

That the Lord is not formless is experienced by Nārada Muni. But His form is completely different from all forms of our material experience. For the whole duration of our life we go on seeing different forms in the material world, but none of them is just apt to satisfy the mind, nor can any one of them vanish all perturbance of the mind. These are the special features of the transcendental form of the Lord, and one who has once seen that form is not satisfied with anything else; no form in the material world can any longer satisfy the seer. That the Lord is formless or impersonal means that He has nothing like a material form and is not like any material personality.

As spiritual beings, having eternal relations with that transcendental form of the Lord, we are, life after life, searching after that form of the Lord, and we are not satisfied by any other form of material appeasement. Nārada Muni got a glimpse of this, but having not seen it again he became perturbed and stood up all of a sudden to search it out. What we desire life after life was obtained by Nārada Muni, and losing sight of Him again was certainly a great shock for him.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Suddenly not seeing the attractive form of the Lord which destroys all lamentation, I became agitated from the sorrow of separation. I became despondent like someone who has lost a treasure.
Commentary

Suddenly not seeing the Lord, I became roused. Like a man who has lost a treasure, I became despondent (durmanā).

The Lord's transcendental form satisfies the mind completely; losing it leaves a holy ache. Once you taste something truly satisfying, all substitutes feel hollow. Real spiritual desire is born of real spiritual contact.
Reflection Questions
  • What spiritual taste, once experienced, made everything else taste thin?
  • Where am I trying to satisfy my heart with substitutes for what only the Lord can give?
📝 My note

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