FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.25

यथाग्निना हेम मलं जहाति ध्मातं पुन: स्वं भजते च रूपम् । आत्मा च कर्मानुशयं विधूय मद्भ‍‍क्तियोगेन भजत्यथो माम् ॥ २५ ॥
yathāgninā hema malaṁ jahāti
[yathaagninaa hema malam jahaati]
dhmātaṁ punaḥ svaṁ bhajate ca rūpam
[dhmaatam punah svam bhajate cha roopam]
ātmā ca karmānuśayaṁ vidhūya
[aatmaa cha karmaanushayam vidhooya]
mad-bhakti-yogena bhajaty atho mām
[mad-bhakti-yogena bhajaty atho maam]
Word-for-word
yathā — just as agninā — by fire hema — gold malam — impurities jahāti — gives up dhmātam — smelted punaḥ — again svam — its own bhajate — enters ca — also rūpam — form ātmā — the spirit soul or consciousness ca — also karma — of fruitive activities anuśayam — the resultant contamination vidhūya — removing mat-bhakti-yogena — by loving service to Me bhajati — worships atho — thus mām — Me.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathāgninā hema malaṁ jahāti
yathā
just as
agninā
by fire
hema
gold
malam
impurities
jahāti
gives up
dhmātaṁ punaḥ svaṁ bhajate ca rūpam
dhmātam
smelted
punaḥ
again
svam
its own
bhajate
enters
ca
also
rūpam
form
ātmā ca karmānuśayaṁ vidhūya
ātmā
the spirit soul or consciousness
ca
also
karma
of fruitive activities
anuśayam
the resultant contamination
vidhūya
removing
mad-bhakti-yogena bhajaty atho mām
mat-bhakti-yogena
by loving service to Me
bhajati
worships
atho
thus
mām
Me.
Just as gold, when smelted in fire, gives up its impurities and returns to its pure brilliant state, similarly, the spirit soul, absorbed in the fire of bhakti-yoga, is purified of all contamination caused by previous fruitive activities and returns to its original position of serving Me in the spiritual world.
Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, this verse indicates that the devotee goes back home, back to Godhead, and there worships Lord Kṛṣṇa in his original spiritual body, which is compared to the original pure form of smelted gold. Gold alloyed with inferior metals cannot be purified by water and soap; similarly, the heart’s impurities cannot be removed by superficial processes. Only the fire of love of Godhead can cleanse one’s soul and send one back home, back to Godhead, to engage in eternal loving service to the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as gold, when smelted in fire, gives up its impurities and attains its pure state, similarly the ātmā becomes purified of all contamination caused by impressions of karma by bhakti-yoga and then serves me directly. By bhakti the ātmā is purified. No other process does this. An example is given. Just as gold heated by fire gives up its impurities, whereas washing it does not purify it, and it then partakes of its true form, so the jīva, purified of the contamination of impressions of karma (karma anuśayam), directly serves me in my planet.
Personal Guidance
As gold loses impurities in fire and returns to brilliance, the soul absorbed in bhakti-yoga is purified of karmic contamination and returns to its original servant-of-the-Lord position. Fire restores what it does not destroy.
Reflection Questions
  • What in me is the impurity, and what is the gold?
  • What would the fire of bhakti look like in my daily life?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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