FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.6.9-10

परीक्षिदपि राजर्षिरात्मन्यात्मानमात्मना । समाधाय परं दध्यावस्पन्दासुर्यथा तरु: ॥ ९ ॥ प्राक्कूले बर्हिष्यासीनो गङ्गाकूल उदङ्‍मुख: । ब्रह्मभूतो महायोगी नि:सङ्गश्छिन्नसंशय: ॥ १० ॥
parīkṣid api rājarṣir
[pareekshid api raajarshir]
ātmany ātmānam ātmanā
[aatmany aatmaanam aatmanaa]
samādhāya paraṁ dadhyāv
[samaadhaaya param dadhyaav]
aspandāsur yathā taruḥ
[aspandaasur yathaa taruh]
prāk-kūle barhiṣy āsīno
[praak-koole barhishy aaseeno]
gaṅgā-kūla udaṅ-mukhaḥ
[gangaa-koola udan-mukhah]
brahma-bhūto mahā-yogī
[brahma-bhooto mahaa-yogee]
niḥsaṅgaś chinna-saṁśayaḥ
[nihsangash chinna-samshayah]
parīkṣit — Mahārāja Parīkṣit api — furthermore rāja-ṛṣiḥ — the great saintly King ātmani — within his own spiritual identity ātmānam — his mind ātmanā — by his intelligence samādhāya — placing param — upon the Supreme dadhyau — he meditated aspanda — motionless asuḥ — his living air yathā — just as taruḥ — a tree prāk-kūle — with the tips of its stalks facing east barhiṣi — upon darbha grass āsīnaḥ — sitting gaṅgā-kūle — on the bank of the Gaṅgā udak-mukhaḥ — facing north brahma-bhūtaḥ — in perfect realization of his true identity mahā-yogī — the exalted mystic niḥsaṅgaḥ — free of all material attachment chinna — broken off saṁśayaḥ — all doubts.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
parīkṣid api rājarṣir
parīkṣit
Mahārāja Parīkṣit
api
furthermore
rāja-ṛṣiḥ
the great saintly King
ātmany ātmānam ātmanā
ātmani
within his own spiritual identity
ātmānam
his mind
ātmanā
by his intelligence
samādhāya paraṁ dadhyāv
samādhāya
placing
param
upon the Supreme
dadhyau
he meditated
aspandāsur yathā taruḥ
aspanda
motionless
asuḥ
his living air
yathā
just as
taruḥ
a tree
prāk-kūle barhiṣy āsīno
prāk-kūle
with the tips of its stalks facing east
barhiṣi
upon darbha grass
āsīnaḥ
sitting
gaṅgā-kūla udaṅ-mukhaḥ
gaṅgā-kūle
on the bank of the Gaṅgā
udak-mukhaḥ
facing north
brahma-bhūto mahā-yogī
brahma-bhūtaḥ
in perfect realization of his true identity
mahā-yogī
the exalted mystic
niḥsaṅgaś chinna-saṁśayaḥ
niḥsaṅgaḥ
free of all material attachment
chinna
broken off
saṁśayaḥ
all doubts.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit then sat down on the bank of the Ganges, upon a seat made of darbha grass with the tips of its stalks facing east, and turned himself toward the north. Having attained the perfection of yoga, he experienced full self-realization and was free of material attachment and doubt. The saintly King settled his mind within his spiritual self by pure intelligence and proceeded to meditate upon the Supreme Absolute Truth. His life air ceased to move, and he became as stationary as a tree.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The saintly King Parīkṣit then sat down on the bank of the Ganges, upon a seat made of darbha grass with the tips of its stalks facing east, and turned himself toward the north. Having attained the perfection of yoga, having freed himself of all material association, having cast off all doubts, merging his life airs within, concentrating intently, situated in the spiritual realm, he placed Kṛṣṇa in his mind by his intelligence. By his intelligence (ātmanā) he concentrated acutely (param) on Kṛṣṇa (ātmanam) in his mind (ātmani) and merged his life airs within (aspandāsuḥ) while sitting on kuśa with tips facing east and surpassing the three guṇas (brahma-bhūtaḥ). Brahma here means spiritual substance. Parīkṣit became situated in the spiritual sky. It is said tāsaṁ madhye sākṣad brahma gopalā-purī: among the places, the abode of Kṛṣṇa is directly Brahman.
Pariksit sits on darbha grass facing east, turns himself toward Brahman, and waits. He does not protest his fate or scramble for protection. There is a courage in receiving death consciously, in chosen posture, that bhakti makes possible.
Reflection Questions
  • Could I, today, sit consciously with one thing I have been avoiding?
  • What posture — physical or inner — most supports facing reality squarely?
📝 My note

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