FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.13.13

येषां न तुष्टो भगवान् यज्ञलिङ्गो जनार्दन: । तेषां श्रमो ह्यपार्थाय यदात्मा नाद‍ृत: स्वयम् ॥ १३ ॥
yeṣāṁ na tuṣṭo bhagavān
[yeshaam na tushto bhagavaan]
yajña-liṅgo janārdanaḥ
[yajna-lingo janaardanah]
teṣāṁ śramo hy apārthāya
[teshaam shramo hy apaarthaaya]
yad ātmā nādṛtaḥ svayam
[yad aatmaa naadritah svayam]
yeṣām — of those with whom na — never tuṣṭaḥ — satisfied bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead yajña-liṅgaḥ — the form of sacrifice janārdanaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa, or the viṣṇu-tattva teṣām — of them śramaḥ — labor hi — certainly apārthāya — without profit yat — because ātmā — the Supreme Soul na — not ādṛtaḥ — respected svayam — his own self.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yeṣāṁ na tuṣṭo bhagavān
yeṣām
of those with whom
na
never
tuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
yajña-liṅgo janārdanaḥ
yajña-liṅgaḥ
the form of sacrifice
janārdanaḥ
Lord Kṛṣṇa, or the viṣṇu-tattva
teṣāṁ śramo hy apārthāya
teṣām
of them
śramaḥ
labor
hi
certainly
apārthāya
without profit
yad ātmā nādṛtaḥ svayam
yat
because
ātmā
the Supreme Soul
na
not
ādṛtaḥ
respected
svayam
his own self.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Janārdana [Lord Kṛṣṇa], is the form to accept all the results of sacrifice. If He is not satisfied, then one’s labor for advancement is futile. He is the ultimate Self, and therefore one who does not satisfy Him certainly neglects his own interests.

Brahmā is deputed as the supreme head of universal affairs, and he in his turn deputes Manu and others as charges d’affaires of the material manifestation, but the whole show is for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmā knows how to satisfy the Lord, and similarly persons engaged in the line of Brahmā’s plan of activities also know how to satisfy the Lord. The Lord is satisfied by the process of devotional service, consisting of the ninefold process of hearing, chanting, etc. It is in one’s own sell-interest to execute prescribed devotional service, and anyone who neglects this process neglects his own self-interest. Everyone wants to satisfy his senses, but above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the intelligence, above the intelligence is the individual self, and above the individual self is the Superself. Above even the Superself is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, viṣṇu-tattva. The primeval Lord and the cause of all causes is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The complete process of perfectional service is to render service for the satisfaction of the transcendental senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Janārdana.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The efforts of those who do not satisfy the Lord are all useless labor since they have no respect even for their own souls. He who is known by the processes of worship, hearing and chanting, is called yajña-liṅgaḥ. Those who do not satisfy the Lord perform useless labor since their own ātmās are not respected. This means that by not respecting the Lord, such persons do not even respect their own ātmās. Not achieving anything for the self, they cannot be satisfied.
Talks about the Lord, repeated with attention, are described here as transformative in their own right. The verse implies that what we listen to all day is quietly shaping who we become. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • What podcast or playlist would you have to give up to make room for daily kṛṣṇa-kathā?
  • What would change if you treated 30 minutes of kṛṣṇa-kathā as non-negotiable as a meal?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 13