SB 11.14.44 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.44

तत्र लब्धपदं चित्तमाकृष्य व्योम्नि धारयेत् । तच्च त्यक्त्वा मदारोहो न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् ॥ ४४ ॥

tatra labdha-padaṁ cittam

[tatra labdha-padam chittam]

ākṛṣya vyomni dhārayet

[aakrishya vyomni dhaarayet]

tac ca tyaktvā mad-āroho

[tach cha tyaktvaa mad-aaroho]

na kiñcid api cintayet

[na kinchid api chintayet]

Word-for-word

tatra — in such meditation on the Lord’s face labdha-padam — being established cittam — consciousness ākṛṣya — withdrawing vyomni — in the sky dhārayet — one should meditate tat — such meditation in the sky as the cause of material manifestation ca — also tyaktvā — giving up mat — to Me ārohaḥ — having ascended na — not kiñcit — anything api — at all cintayet — one should think of.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tatra labdha-padaṁ cittam

tatra

in such meditation on the Lord’s face

labdha-padam

being established

cittam

consciousness

ākṛṣya vyomni dhārayet

ākṛṣya

withdrawing

vyomni

in the sky

dhārayet

one should meditate

tac ca tyaktvā mad-āroho

tat

such meditation in the sky as the cause of material manifestation

also

tyaktvā

giving up

mat

to Me

ārohaḥ

having ascended

na kiñcid api cintayet

not

kiñcit

anything

api

at all

cintayet

one should think of.

Being established in meditation on the Lord’s face, one should then withdraw the consciousness and fix it in the sky. Then giving up such meditation, one should become established in Me and give up the process of meditation altogether.

Purport

As one becomes established in pure consciousness, the duality of “I am meditating and this is the object of my meditation” vanishes, and one comes to the stage of spontaneous relationship with the Personality of Godhead. Every living entity is originally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and when that forgotten eternal relationship is revived one experiences remembrance of the Absolute Truth. In that stage, described here as mad-ārohaḥ, one no longer sees oneself as a meditator nor the Lord as a mere object of meditation, but rather one enters the spiritual sky for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in direct loving relationship with the Lord.

Uddhava originally inquired about the procedure of meditation for those desiring liberation. The word labdha-padam indicates that when one fixes the mind upon the Lord’s face, one achieves full liberation. In the postliberation phase one then proceeds to render service to the original Personality of Godhead. By giving up the concept of being a meditator, one casts off the last small remnant of illusory energy and sees the Lord as He actually is.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Being established in meditation on the Lord’s face, one should then withdraw the consciousness and fix it in space. Then, giving up the mind, one should become established in me as Brahman and not think of anything. Having made the consciousness fixed (labdha-padam) without wandering elsewhere, by concentrating on the face, one should give up meditating on the face. Withdrawing the mind from the body and senses, but not from meditation with bhakti, one should concentrate on space. Then giving up the mind, ascending to me as Brahman, one should not think of anything. The jīva, endowed with a particle of bhakti, then realizes Brahman. Haṁsa has explained this method of giving up the guṇas and material consciousness (SB 11.13.33). One who gives up karma and jñāna must not desire to give up meditation using bhakti, according to Kapila: dhyānāyanaṁ prahasitaṁ bahulādharoṣṭha- bhāsāruṇāyita-tanu-dvija-kunda-paṅkti dhyāyet svadeha-kuhare 'vasitasya viṣṇor bhaktyārdrayārpita-manā na pṛthag didṛkṣet One should meditate upon the Lord’s laughter, an easy object of meditation, which shows his teeth like a row of jasmine buds with his shining, full, red lips. One should not desire to see anything except the Viṣṇu who is present in one’s heart with a mind steeped in mature devotion. SB 3.28.33

Personal Guidance

Established on the Lord's face, withdraw consciousness into the sky, then give up that meditation and rest in Me, abandoning meditation altogether. The ladder ends in a quiet that is not even meditation.

Reflection Questions

What might 'rest in Me, abandoning meditation' mean for someone still climbing?
What is its earliest taste available to me?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io