FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.2

भवतोदाहृत: स्वामिन् भक्तियोगोऽनपेक्षित: । निरस्य सर्वत: सङ्गं येन त्वय्याविशेन्मन: ॥ २ ॥
bhavatodāhṛtaḥ svāmin
[bhavatodaahritah svaamin]
bhakti-yogo ’napekṣitaḥ
[bhakti-yogo ’napekshitah]
nirasya sarvataḥ saṅgaṁ
[nirasya sarvatah sangam]
yena tvayy āviśen manaḥ
[yena tvayy aavishen manah]
bhavatā — by You udāhṛtaḥ — clearly stated svāmin — O my Lord bhakti-yogaḥ — devotional service anapekṣitaḥ — without material desires nirasya — removing sarvataḥ — in all respects saṅgam — material association yena — by which (devotional service) tvayi — in Your Lordship āviśet — may enter manaḥ — the mind.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhavatodāhṛtaḥ svāmin
bhavatā
by You
udāhṛtaḥ
clearly stated
svāmin
O my Lord
bhakti-yogo ’napekṣitaḥ
bhakti-yogaḥ
devotional service
nirasya sarvataḥ saṅgaṁ
anapekṣitaḥ
without material desires
nirasya
removing
sarvataḥ
in all respects
saṅgam
material association
yena tvayy āviśen manaḥ
yena
by which (devotional service)
tvayi
in Your Lordship
āviśet
may enter
manaḥ
the mind.
My dear Lord, You have clearly explained the process of unalloyed devotional service, by which a devotee removes all material association from his life, enabling him to fix his mind on You.

It is now clearly established that pure devotional service is the supreme process for fixing the mind in the Supreme Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. The next point to be clarified is this: Can everyone practice this process, or is it limited to an elite class of transcendentalists? In discussing the relative advantages of different spiritual processes, one must immediately ascertain the goal of spiritual life and then isolate the process that actually awards this goal. Processes must be defined in terms of primary and secondary functions. A method that gives one the highest perfection is primary, whereas processes that merely assist or enhance the primary function are considered secondary. The mind is most flickering and unsteady; therefore by clear intelligence one must fix oneself in a progressive mode of life, and thus one can achieve the Absolute Truth in this lifetime. This is the sober purpose of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s conversation with Śrī Uddhava.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Lord! You have explained the process of unalloyed bhakti, by which a devotee removes all material association from his life and is able to fix his mind on you. According to you bhakti is the best. You have particularly pointed out niṣkāma-bhakti as the best. By this bhakti the mind becomes absorbed in you. Is bhakti the best among all processes? You should explain this.
Uddhava acknowledges the Lord has clearly explained unalloyed devotional service, by which the devotee removes material association and fixes the mind on Him. Hearing requires acknowledging what was said.
Reflection Questions
  • When was the last time I summarized back what the Lord taught, before asking the next question?
  • What would such acknowledgment do for my practice?
📝 My note

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