FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.4

स त्वयाराधित: शुक्लो वितन्वन्मामकंयश: । छेत्ता ते हृदयग्रन्थिमौदर्यो ब्रह्मभावन: ॥ ४ ॥
sa tvayārādhitaḥ śuklo
[sa tvayaaraadhitah shuklo]
vitanvan māmakaṁ yaśaḥ
[vitanvan maamakam yashah]
chettā te hṛdaya-granthim
[chettaa te hridaya-granthim]
audaryo brahma-bhāvanaḥ
[audaryo brahma-bhaavanah]
saḥ — He tvayā — by you ārādhitaḥ — being worshiped śuklaḥ — the Personality of Godhead vitanvan — spreading māmakam — my yaśaḥ — fame chettā — He will cut te — your hṛdaya — of the heart granthim — knot audaryaḥ — your son brahma — knowledge of Brahman bhāvanaḥ — teaching.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa tvayārādhitaḥ śuklo
saḥ
He
tvayā
by you
ārādhitaḥ
being worshiped
śuklaḥ
the Personality of Godhead
vitanvan māmakaṁ yaśaḥ
vitanvan
spreading
māmakam
my
yaśaḥ
fame
chettā te hṛdaya-granthim
chettā
He will cut
te
your
hṛdaya
of the heart
granthim
knot
audaryo brahma-bhāvanaḥ
audaryaḥ
your son
brahma
knowledge of Brahman
bhāvanaḥ
teaching.
The Personality of Godhead, being worshiped by you, will spread my name and fame. He will vanquish the knot of your heart by becoming your son and teaching knowledge of Brahman.

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes to disseminate spiritual knowledge for the benefit of all people, He generally descends as the son of a devotee, being pleased by the devotee’s devotional service. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father of everyone. Therefore no one is His father, but by His inconceivable energy He accepts some of the devotees as His parents and descendants. It is explained here that spiritual knowledge vanquishes the knot of the heart. Matter and spirit are knotted by false ego. This identification of oneself with matter, which is called hṛdaya-granthi, exists for all conditioned souls, and it becomes more and more tightened when there is too much affection for sex life. The explanation was given by Lord Ṛṣabha to His sons that this material world is an atmosphere of attraction between male and female. That attraction takes the shape of a knot in the heart, and by material affection it becomes still more tight. For people who hanker after material possessions, society, friendship and love, this knot of affection becomes very strong. It is only by brahma-bhāvana — the instruction by which spiritual knowledge is enhanced — that the knot in the heart is cut to pieces. No material weapon is needed to cut this knot, but it requires bona fide spiritual instruction. Kardama Muni instructed his wife, Devahūti, that the Lord would appear as her son and disseminate spiritual knowledge to cut the knot of material identification.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Being worshipped by you, Viṣṇu, spreading my glories and becoming your son, will teach about Brahman and cut the knot of attachment in your heart. He will cut material bondage, the knot of ahaṅkara in the heart. Audaryaḥ means a son, born in the womb. Brahma-bhāvanah means teacher of Brahman.
Real devotion is steady, not theatrical. The verse treats bhakti as the work the soul was made for — every other career is a temporary detour from this primary employment. The verse anchors this in Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • What part of your day still belongs entirely to your own enjoyment, and could even a corner of it be offered?
  • Where in your life are you still 'enjoying' the fruits of work you call devotional?
📝 My note

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