Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.33
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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samāmnāyaḥ
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the entire Vedic literature
From sam + ā + √mnā (to remember together) — the whole received tradition. Gauḍīyas note that the Vedas converge on bhakti to Kṛṣṇa; Brahma-sūtra 1.1.1 ('athāto brahma-jijñāsā') ends in the puruṣārtha of prema.
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yogaḥ sāṅkhyam
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yoga and Sāṅkhya
The two great darśanas of methodical sādhana. Both rivers run to the same sea. Gauḍīyas accept their analyses, reject their finalities — neither yoga's kaivalya nor Sāṅkhya's discrimination is the ultimate.
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samudra-antāḥ
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leading to the ocean
Compound: samudra (ocean) + antāḥ (ending). The image: all rivers end in the ocean. Caitanya-caritāmṛta uses this very verse to argue that bhakti is the puruṣārtha all systems point toward.
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āpa-gāḥ
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rivers
Compound: āpa (water) + gāḥ (going). The water-goers — rivers. The image is precise: rivers are particular (each named, each with character), yet they merge in one sea. Gauḍīyas note that even particularity is preserved: rivers do not lose their water in the ocean; they share it.
Here the Lord states that all Vedic literature is meant ultimately to bring the soul to the point of controlling the mind and senses and fixing them in transcendental self-realization. Thus processes of so-called yoga, mysticism or religion that involve unrestricted sense gratification are not actually spiritual processes but rather convenient ways for foolish people to justify their beastly behavior. Lord Kṛṣṇa here assures the gopīs that by fixing their minds in self-realization, they will realize their spiritual oneness with the Lord. Thus they will no longer suffer the pangs of separation.
"All the methods in all the scriptures have as their purpose control of the mind." That is the import of this verse. "The final subject of the Vedas is control of the mind. Astanga yoga, the discrimination of soul and non-soul (sankhya), though they have different methods, they all lead to control of the mind, just as all rivers lead to the ocean." For the gopis the meaning is as follows. "Just as by control of the mind one can pass over the material ocean, so you can pass over the pain of separation from me by mind control. That is because the uncontrolled mind makes you think that association with me, which is actually true, is false." The meaning of the words is the same in both these interpretations.
Control of the mind is the conclusion of all scriptures (āmnāyaḥ), which give knowledge. Yoga (aṣṭāṅga), discriminating matter from spirit (sāṅkhya), taking sannyāsa (tyāga), performing austerities according to scripture, controlling the senses (dama), and truth are the methods mentioned in the scriptures. Truth means avoiding deception and acquisition of wealth in the various processes. Yoga and sāṅkhya are general processes for everyone. Renunciation is for the sannyāsi, austerity is for the vanaprastha, sense control is for the brahmacārī and truth is for the grhastha. Or tyāga means giving in charity, an act for the gṛhastha. Truth means seeing equally, an act for the sannyāsīi. Or, the actions mentioned are the chief actions for everyone. With all these meanings, the conclusion is the same: control the mind.
- Where do you treat the conclusion as one option among many rather than as the conclusion?
- How does converging discipline make your life simpler?
Vedas, yoga, Sāṅkhya, renunciation, austerity, sense-control, truthfulness — all rivers running to one ocean. Kṛṣṇa names His own teaching as the conclusion (anta) of every spiritual stream. The gopīs hear philosophy but understand only one word: that He is the ocean.
My note
Source: vedabase.io