Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.23.42
द्विज उवाच
नायं जनो मे सुखदु:खहेतु-
र्न देवतात्मा ग्रहकर्मकाला: ।
मन: परं कारणमामनन्ति
संसारचक्रं परिवर्तयेद् यत् ॥ ४२ ॥
dvija uvāca
[dvija uvaacha]
nāyaṁ jano me sukha-duḥkha-hetur
[naayam jano me sukha-duhkha-hetur]
na devatātmā graha-karma-kālāḥ
[na devataatmaa graha-karma-kaalaah]
manaḥ paraṁ kāraṇam āmananti
[manah param kaaranam aamananti]
saṁsāra-cakraṁ parivartayed yat
[samsaara-chakram parivartayed yat]
Word-for-word
dvijaḥ uvāca
—
the brāhmaṇa said
na
—
not
ayam
—
these
janaḥ
—
people
me
—
my
sukha
—
of happiness
duḥkha
—
and distress
hetuḥ
—
the cause
na
—
nor
devatā
—
the demigods
ātmā
—
my own body
graha
—
the controlling planets
karma
—
my past work
kālāḥ
—
or time
manaḥ
—
the mind
param
—
rather only
kāraṇaṁ
—
the cause
āmananti
—
is called by standard authorities
saṁsāra
—
of material life
cakram
—
the cycle
parivartayet
—
causes to rotate
yat
—
which.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dvija uvāca
dvijaḥ uvāca
the brāhmaṇa said
nāyaṁ jano me sukha-duḥkha-hetur
na
not
ayam
these
janaḥ
people
me
my
sukha
of happiness
duḥkha
and distress
hetuḥ
the cause
na devatātmā graha-karma-kālāḥ
na
nor
devatā
the demigods
ātmā
my own body
graha
the controlling planets
karma
my past work
kālāḥ
or time
manaḥ paraṁ kāraṇam āmananti
manaḥ
the mind
param
rather only
kāraṇaṁ
the cause
āmananti
is called by standard authorities
saṁsāra-cakraṁ parivartayed yat
saṁsāra
of material life
cakram
the cycle
parivartayet
causes to rotate
yat
which.
The brāhmaṇa said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
The brāhmaṇa said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the devatās, my self, the planets, my karma, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and causes one to wander in samsāra.
“Who has given me such misery?” Considering this, he concluded it was not caused by evil people. “Why are you denying the visible cause? Is it because these evil people are not acting independently?” If you say someone has inspired them, those persons should also be denied as the cause. No devatā or jīva or planet is causing this. They say the cause is only the mind. Śruti says manasā hy eva paśyati manasā hy eva śṛṇoti: one sees by the mind and hears by the mind. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.5.4) Parivartayet means “wanders.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
These people are not the cause of happiness and distress; nor are demigods, body, planets, karma, or time — only the mind causes them and perpetuates samsara. The mind is named as the actual agent.
Reflection Questions
- Where do I blame external causes for what the mind is generating?
- What does responsibility for the mind look like in practice?
My note
Source: vedabase.io