Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.18.38
दु:खोदर्केषु कामेषु जातनिर्वेद आत्मवान् ।
अजिज्ञासितमद्धर्मो मुनिं गुरुमुपव्रजेत् ॥ ३८ ॥
duḥkhodarkeṣu kāmeṣu
[duhkhodarkeshu kaameshu]
jāta-nirveda ātmavān
[jaata-nirveda aatmavaan]
ajijñāsita-mad-dharmo
[ajijnaasita-mad-dharmo]
muniṁ gurum upavrajet
[munim gurum upavrajet]
Word-for-word
duḥkha
—
unhappiness
udarkeṣu
—
in that which brings as its future result
kāmeṣu
—
in sense gratification
jāta
—
arisen
nirvedaḥ
—
detachment
ātma-vān
—
desiring spiritual perfection in life
ajijñāsita
—
one who has not seriously considered
mat
—
Me
dharmaḥ
—
the process of obtaining
munim
—
a wise person
gurum
—
a spiritual master
upavrajet
—
he should approach.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
duḥkhodarkeṣu kāmeṣu
duḥkha
unhappiness
udarkeṣu
in that which brings as its future result
kāmeṣu
in sense gratification
jāta-nirveda ātmavān
jāta
arisen
nirvedaḥ
detachment
ātma-vān
desiring spiritual perfection in life
ajijñāsita-mad-dharmo
ajijñāsita
one who has not seriously considered
mat
Me
dharmaḥ
the process of obtaining
muniṁ gurum upavrajet
munim
a wise person
gurum
a spiritual master
upavrajet
he should approach.
One who is detached from sense gratification, knowing its result to be miserable, and who desires spiritual perfection, but who has not seriously analyzed the process for obtaining Me, should approach a bona fide and learned spiritual master.
Purport
In the previous verses Lord Kṛṣṇa described the duty of one who has developed perfect knowledge. Now Lord Kṛṣṇa discusses the situation of one who, desiring self-realization, has become detached from material life but lacks perfect knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such a detached person desiring self-realization must approach the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then he will quickly come to the standard of perfect understanding. One who is seriously inclined toward spiritual perfection should not hesitate to adopt the regular discipline necessary for achieving the highest perfection in life.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
One who is detached from material enjoyment, knowing its result to be miserable, and who desires spiritual perfection, but who has not seriously considered Paramātmā, should approach a wise guru.
Having describes the activities of a person who has attained knowledge, Kṛṣṇa describes the activities of a person desiring to attain knowledge. The person who has not considered Paramātmā (ajijñāsita-mad dharmaḥ) should approach a guru.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
One detached from gratification, knowing its result is misery, but who has not seriously analyzed the path to the Lord, should approach a bona fide spiritual master. The Lord points specifically to gurus, not books, for the missing piece.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I trying to figure it out alone when a guide is named?
- What honest approach to a teacher is my next step?
My note
Source: vedabase.io