FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.20

न साधयति मां योगो न साङ्ख्यं धर्म उद्धव । न स्वाध्यायस्तपस्त्यागो यथा भक्तिर्ममोर्जिता ॥ २० ॥
na sādhayati māṁ yogo
[na saadhayati maam yogo]
na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava
[na saankhyam dharma uddhava]
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo
[na svaadhyaayas tapas tyaago]
yathā bhaktir mamorjitā
[yathaa bhaktir mamorjitaa]
na — not sādhayati — brings under control mām — Me yogaḥ — the yoga system na — nor sāṅkhyam — the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy dharmaḥ — pious activities within the varṇāśrama system uddhava — My dear Uddhava na — not svādhyāyaḥ — Vedic study tapaḥ — austerity tyāgaḥ — renunciation yathā — as bhaktiḥ — devotional service mama — unto Me ūrjitā — strongly developed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na sādhayati māṁ yogo
na
not
sādhayati
brings under control
mām
Me
yogaḥ
the yoga system
na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava
na
nor
sāṅkhyam
the system of Sāṅkhya philosophy
dharmaḥ
pious activities within the varṇāśrama system
uddhava
My dear Uddhava
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo
na
not
svādhyāyaḥ
Vedic study
tapaḥ
austerity
tyāgaḥ
renunciation
yathā bhaktir mamorjitā
yathā
as
bhaktiḥ
devotional service
mama
unto Me
ūrjitā
strongly developed.
My dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sāṅkhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation.

One may make Kṛṣṇa the goal of mystic yoga, Sāṅkhya philosophy, etc.; yet such activities do not please the Lord as much as direct loving service, which one practices by hearing and chanting about the Lord and executing His mission. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: a devotee should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa and should not unnecessarily complicate his loving service with tendencies toward fruitive work or mental speculation. The residents of Vṛndāvana simply depend on Lord Kṛṣṇa. When the great serpent Aghāsura appeared in the precincts of Vraja, the cowherd boys, completely confident in their friendship with Lord Kṛṣṇa, fearlessly marched into the serpent’s gigantic mouth. Such pure love for Kṛṣṇa brings the Lord under the control of the devotee.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Uddhava! I am attained by unmixed bhakti. I cannot be attained by mystic yoga, Sāṅkhya philosophy, dharma, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation. “Just as bhakti is the means of attaining you, other processes like jñāna and yoga should be means to attain you, since they have a little portion of bhakti’s excellence.” Two verses answer. These processes are not means of attaining me. I am attained by strong (ūrjitā) bhakti--unmixed with karma or jñāna.
Unalloyed devotional service brings the Lord under His devotees' control; yoga, Sāṅkhya, ritual, study, austerity, and renunciation cannot do this. Devotion alone has this peculiar power.
Reflection Questions
  • What does 'controlling' the Lord through love even mean to me?
  • Where could devotion replace performance in my practice?
📝 My note

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