Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.1
श्रीउद्धव उवाच
सुदुस्तरामिमां मन्ये योगचर्यामनात्मन: ।
यथाञ्जसा पुमान् सिद्ध्येत् तन्मे ब्रूह्यञ्जसाच्युत ॥ १ ॥
śrī-uddhava uvāca
[shree-uddhava uvaacha]
su-dustarām imāṁ manye
[su-dustaraam imaam manye]
yoga-caryām anātmanaḥ
[yoga-charyaam anaatmanah]
yathāñjasā pumān siddhyet
[yathaanjasaa pumaan siddhyet]
tan me brūhy añjasācyuta
[tan me broohy anjasaachyuta]
Word-for-word
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca
—
Śrī Uddhava said
su-dustarām
—
very difficult to execute
imām
—
this
manye
—
I think
yoga-caryām
—
process of yoga
anātmanaḥ
—
for one who has not controlled his mind
yathā
—
how
añjasā
—
easily
pumān
—
a person
siddhyet
—
may accomplish it
tat
—
that
me
—
to me
brūhi
—
please tell
añjasā
—
in a simple manner
acyuta
—
O infallible Lord.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-uddhava uvāca
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca
Śrī Uddhava said
su-dustarām imāṁ manye
su-dustarām
very difficult to execute
imām
this
manye
I think
yoga-caryām anātmanaḥ
yoga-caryām
process of yoga
anātmanaḥ
for one who has not controlled his mind
yathāñjasā pumān siddhyet
yathā
how
añjasā
easily
pumān
a person
siddhyet
may accomplish it
tan me brūhy añjasācyuta
tat
that
me
to me
brūhi
please tell
añjasā
in a simple manner
acyuta
O infallible Lord.
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, I fear that the method of yoga described by You is very difficult for one who cannot control his mind. Therefore please explain to me in simple terms how someone can more easily execute it.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Uddhava said: O Acyuta, I think that the method of yoga described by you is very difficult for one who cannot control his mind. Therefore please explain to me immediately how someone can more quickly attain perfection.
In the Twenty-ninth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa explains how one attains bhakti by taking shelter of great devotees and how one can attain liberation by realizing ātmā. Kṛṣṇa taught Uddhava powerful jñāna but Uddhava could not understand it. This he expresses in five verses. Practice of yoga by persons who are devoid of identity with the body has also been explained. But I think this is difficult for others to practice. Quickly tell me how one can quickly attain perfection. The repetition of añjasā is not redundant since the words modify different verbs.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Uddhava admits the yoga described is hard for those who cannot control the mind and asks for a simpler path. Honest naming of difficulty is itself wisdom.
Reflection Questions
- What yoga have I struggled with and not said so out loud?
- What simpler version might be available?
My note
Source: vedabase.io