FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.40.25

अनित्यानात्मदु:खेषु विपर्ययमतिर्ह्यहम् । द्वन्द्वारामस्तमोविष्टो न जाने त्वात्मन: प्रियम् ॥ २५ ॥
anityānātma-duḥkheṣu
[anityaanaatma-duhkheshu]
viparyaya-matir hy aham
[viparyaya-matir hy aham]
dvandvārāmas tamo-viṣṭo
[dvandvaaraamas tamo-vishto]
na jāne tvātmanaḥ priyam
[na jaane tvaatmanah priyam]
Word-for-word
anitya — not eternal anātma — not the real self duḥkheṣu — in the sources of misery viparyaya — backwards matiḥ — whose mentality hi — indeed aham — I dvandva — in duality ārāmaḥ — taking pleasure tamaḥ — in ignorance viṣṭaḥ — absorbed na jāne — I fail to recognize tvā — You ātmanaḥ — of myself priyam — the dearmost .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anityānātma-duḥkheṣu
anitya
not eternal
anātma
not the real self
duḥkheṣu
in the sources of misery
viparyaya-matir hy aham
viparyaya
backwards
matiḥ
whose mentality
hi
indeed
aham
I
dvandvārāmas tamo-viṣṭo
dvandva
in duality
ārāmaḥ
taking pleasure
tamaḥ
in ignorance
viṣṭaḥ
absorbed
na jāne tvātmanaḥ priyam
na jāne
I fail to recognize
tvā
You
ātmanaḥ
of myself
priyam
the dearmost .
Important Words
  • anitya — non-eternal
    a- + nitya. The first of three mistakes — taking the impermanent for the permanent. Gauḍīyas trace this as the root saṁskāra Bhakti must reverse: nitya-priya-vastu (Kṛṣṇa) vs. anitya-vastu (everything else).
  • viparyaya-matiḥ — inverted intelligence
    Compound: viparyaya (inversion) + mati (intelligence). The technical Yoga-sūtra term (1.8) for wrong knowledge. Akrūra is naming his condition in Patañjali's own vocabulary, but in service of bhakti, not kaivalya.
  • dvandva-ārāmaḥ — delighting in dualities
    Compound: dvandva (pair of opposites) + ārāma (pleasure-garden). Pleasure-seeking in heat/cold, gain/loss, honor/dishonor. Gītā 5.22 directly: ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogāḥ duḥkha-yonaya eva te.
  • ātmanaḥ priyam — the beloved of the self
    Genitive + accusative. The Lord is the priya of the ātmā — the one true beloved. Gauḍīya reading: kṛṣṇa nitya-dāsa — Kṛṣṇa is the soul's eternal beloved-and-master. To miss this is to miss everything.
  • tamaḥ-viṣṭaḥ — covered by ignorance
    Compound: tamas (darkness) + viṣṭa (entered). The third guṇa returning here in the personal confession — the same darkness that bound the cosmos in verse 11 binds Akrūra's own seeing.
Thus mistaking the temporary for the eternal, my body for my self, and sources of misery for sources of happiness, I have tried to take pleasure in material dualities. Covered in this way by ignorance, I could not recognize You as the real object of my love.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Thus mistaking the temporary for the eternal, my body for my self, and sources of misery for sources of happiness, I have tried to take pleasure in material dualities. Covered in this way by ignorance, I could not recognize You as the real object of my love.
Commentary

Those with inverted intelligence, taking the temporary fruits of action to be eternal, taking the body to be the soul, and sorrows of house and home to be happiness, continue to sport with happiness and distress in this world. Because I am covered by the mode of ignorance, I cannot realize you, the object of love for the soul (atmanah priya).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

With mistaken intelligence for certain (hi) I have enjoyed dualities and not recognized that you (tvā) are affectionate to me (and not my sons etc.) since you are Paramātmā. You should be known since you are more affectionate than family members. But I have not realized you. Or because of this, there are great obstacles. The three phrases show causes: my intelligence is reversed, I take pleasure in dualities and am covered in ignorance. I do not know you, who are dearer than myself. Otherwise, I would not be attached to my body and possessions.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 18.64 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 8.2 BG 7.8 BG 10.3 BG 13.1 BG 5.18 BG 6.1 BG 6.5
Personal Guidance
Mistaking the temporary for eternal, body for self, sources of misery for sources of happiness — covered by ignorance, I could not recognize You as the real object of my love. The whole material confusion can be summarized as misdirected love.
Reflection Questions
  • Where are you loving the wrong object because the right One was less visible?
  • What would re-aiming a single attachment toward Kṛṣṇa look like?
Analogy

A child mistakes the painted picture of fire for warmth and reaches in; mistakes a lamp for the sun; mistakes salty water for sweet. The whole machinery of dvandva-pleasure works on inverted vision — and the cost is that Kṛṣṇa, the only true priya, remains unrecognized in the very heart that contains Him.

Stories
Ajāmila's two priyas

Ajāmila spent his life loving his youngest son Nārāyaṇa — feeding him, calling his name, doting on him. At death the call for the son became the call for the Lord, and the Viṣṇudūtas arrived (SB 6.1–3).

Akrūra's verse 25 confesses what Ajāmila lived: na jāne tvā ātmanaḥ priyam — I did not know You as the true beloved of my self. The mercy is that even the wrongly-aimed love, if it touches a name of the Lord, finally reaches Him.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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