FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.54

इन्द्रियार्थेषु सज्जन्त्या प्रसङ्गस्त्वयि मे कृत: । अजानन्त्या परं भावं तथाप्यस्त्वभयाय मे ॥ ५४ ॥
indriyārtheṣu sajjantyā
[indriyaartheshu sajjantyaa]
prasaṅgas tvayi me kṛtaḥ
[prasangas tvayi me kritah]
ajānantyā paraṁ bhāvaṁ
[ajaanantyaa param bhaavam]
tathāpy astv abhayāya me
[tathaapy astv abhayaaya me]
indriya-artheṣu — to sense gratification sajjantyā — being attached prasaṅgaḥ — affinity tvayi — for you me — by me kṛtaḥ — was done ajānantyā — not knowing param bhāvam — your transcendent situation tathā api — nonetheless astu — let it be abhayāya — for fearlessness me — my.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
indriyārtheṣu sajjantyā
indriya-artheṣu
to sense gratification
sajjantyā
being attached
prasaṅgas tvayi me kṛtaḥ
prasaṅgaḥ
affinity
tvayi
for you
me
by me
kṛtaḥ
was done
ajānantyā paraṁ bhāvaṁ
ajānantyā
not knowing
param bhāvam
your transcendent situation
tathāpy astv abhayāya me
tathā api
nonetheless
astu
let it be
abhayāya
for fearlessness
me
my.
Not knowing your transcendental situation, I have loved you while remaining attached to the objects of the senses. Nonetheless, let the affinity I have developed for you rid me of all fear.

Devahūti is lamenting her position. As a woman, she had to love someone. Somehow or other, she came to love Kardama Muni, but without knowing of his spiritual advancement. Kardama Muni could understand Devahūti’s heart. Generally all women desire material enjoyment; they are called less intelligent because they are mostly prone to material enjoyment. Devahūti laments because her husband had given her the best kind of material enjoyment, but she did not know that he was so advanced in spiritual realization. Her plea was that even though she did not know the glories of her great husband, because she had taken shelter of him she must be delivered from material entanglement. Association with a great personality is most important. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lord Caitanya says that sādhu-saṅga, the association of a great saintly person, is very important, because even if one is not advanced in knowledge, simply by association with a great saintly person one can immediately make considerable advancement in spiritual life. As a woman, as an ordinary wife, Devahūti became attached to Kardama Muni in order to satisfy her sense enjoyment and other material necessities, but actually she associated with a great personality. Now she understood this, and she wanted to utilize the advantage of the association of her great husband.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I have associated with you, while being attached to enjoyment and not knowing your superior condition as a devotee with great detachment. Still, you should give me fearlessness. People are delivered by even a moment’s association with you, a great devotee. There are two reasons why I did not get deliverance even after many years of association with you. I was attached to sense pleasure and I did not know your supreme position-- you have great detachment and are a great devotee of the Lord. Since you are inclined to give up all possessiveness in an instant, give mercy to me, an offender.
Mind and senses, left ungoverned, will quietly run a life into the ground. The verse implies that small daily regulation is more powerful than occasional dramatic resolve.
Reflection Questions
  • What is your mind feeding on most often, and how is that diet shaping your devotion?
  • What small regulation of routine would free up the most attention for inner life?
📝 My note

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