SB 12.8.46 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.8.46

तस्मात्तवेह भगवन्नथ तावकानां शुक्लां तनुं स्वदयितां कुशला भजन्ति । यत् सात्वता: पुरुषरूपमुशन्ति सत्त्वं लोको यतोऽभयमुतात्मसुखं न चान्यत् ॥ ४६ ॥

tasmāt taveha bhagavann atha tāvakānāṁ

[tasmaat taveha bhagavann atha taavakaanaam]

śuklāṁ tanuṁ sva-dayitāṁ kuśalā bhajanti

[shuklaam tanum sva-dayitaam kushalaa bhajanti]

yat sātvatāḥ puruṣa-rūpam uśanti sattvaṁ

[yat saatvataah purusha-roopam ushanti sattvam]

loko yato ’bhayam utātma-sukhaṁ na cānyat

[loko yato ’bhayam utaatma-sukham na chaanyat]

Word-for-word

tasmāt — therefore tava — Your iha — in this world bhagavan — O Supreme Lord atha — and tāvakānām — of Your devotees śuklām — transcendental tanum — the personal form sva-dayitām — most dear to them kuśalāḥ — those who are expert in spiritual knowledge bhajanti — worship yat — because sātvatāḥ — the great devotees puruṣa — of the original Personality of Godhead rūpam — the form uśanti — consider sattvam — the mode of goodness lokaḥ — the spiritual world yataḥ — from which abhayam — fearlessness uta — and ātma-sukham — the happiness of the soul na — not ca — and anyat — any other.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tasmāt taveha bhagavann atha tāvakānāṁ

tasmāt

therefore

tava

Your

iha

in this world

bhagavan

O Supreme Lord

atha

and

tāvakānām

of Your devotees

śuklāṁ tanuṁ sva-dayitāṁ kuśalā bhajanti

śuklām

transcendental

tanum

the personal form

sva-dayitām

most dear to them

kuśalāḥ

those who are expert in spiritual knowledge

bhajanti

worship

yat sātvatāḥ puruṣa-rūpam uśanti sattvaṁ

yat

because

sātvatāḥ

the great devotees

puruṣa

of the original Personality of Godhead

rūpam

the form

uśanti

consider

sattvam

the mode of goodness

loko yato ’bhayam utātma-sukhaṁ na cānyat

lokaḥ

the spiritual world

yataḥ

from which

abhayam

fearlessness

uta

and

ātma-sukham

the happiness of the soul

not

and

anyat

any other.

O Lord, because fearlessness, spiritual happiness and the kingdom of God are all achieved through the mode of pure goodness, Your devotees consider this mode, but never passion and ignorance, to be a direct manifestation of You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Intelligent persons thus worship Your beloved transcendental form, composed of pure goodness, along with the spiritual forms of Your pure devotees.

Purport

Intelligent persons do not worship the demigods, who represent the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Brahmā represents passion, Lord Śiva represents ignorance, and demigods such as Indra also represent the modes of material nature. But Lord Viṣṇu, or Nārāyaṇa, represents pure spiritual goodness, which brings one realization of the spiritual world, freedom from fear, and spiritual bliss. Such benefits can never be derived from impure, material goodness, for it is always mixed with the modes of passion and ignorance. As clearly indicated in this verse, the transcendental form of God is fully constituted of eternal spiritual goodness and thus has no tinge of the material mode of goodness, passion or ignorance.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

O Lord! Therefore in this world, the wise worship your pure form and your devotee’s pure form, and not the forms made of material guṇas, since the devotees like Nārada recognize your form as śuddha-sattva, from which arises Vaikuṇṭha, a place which has no fear of falling and is endowed with spiritual bliss. Therefore the wise give up the impure forms of Indra and others made of māyā and worship the śuddha-sattva forms of the Lord and his devotees. Devotees like Nārada (sātvatāḥ) recognize the form of Viṣṇu which is sattva. “What type of sattva is this?” From this Lord arises Vaikuṇṭha, with no fear of falling. There is fear of falling from Svarga. Because there is no fear of falling there is spiritual happiness, not happiness arising from results of karma. Therefore, it is actually śuddha-sattva, not material sattva.

Related lectures

KKS SB 12-08-46 - 2013-01-02 Durban
His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami· 2013-01-02· English

Personal Guidance

Fearlessness, spiritual happiness, and the kingdom of God are all achieved through the mode of pure goodness; devotees consider that mode the form of Vasudeva. Sattva is not the end, but it is the doorway.

Reflection Questions

Which of my recent choices have raised me toward sattva, and which lowered me?
What sattvic step is most needed today?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io