FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.19

मद्धर्मणो गुणैरेतै: परिसंशुद्ध आशय: । पुरुषस्याञ्जसाभ्येति श्रुतमात्रगुणं हि माम् ॥ १९ ॥
mad-dharmaṇo guṇair etaiḥ
[mad-dharmano gunair etaih]
parisaṁśuddha āśayaḥ
[parisamshuddha aashayah]
puruṣasyāñjasābhyeti
[purushasyaanjasaabhyeti]
śruta-mātra-guṇaṁ hi mām
[shruta-maatra-gunam hi maam]
mat-dharmaṇaḥ — of My devotee guṇaiḥ — with the attributes etaiḥ — these parisaṁśuddhaḥ — completely purified āśayaḥ — consciousness puruṣasya — of a person añjasā — instantly abhyeti — approaches śruta — by hearing mātra — simply guṇam — quality hi — certainly mām — Me.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mad-dharmaṇo guṇair etaiḥ
mat-dharmaṇaḥ
of My devotee
guṇaiḥ
with the attributes
etaiḥ
these
parisaṁśuddha āśayaḥ
parisaṁśuddhaḥ
completely purified
āśayaḥ
consciousness
puruṣasyāñjasābhyeti
puruṣasya
of a person
añjasā
instantly
abhyeti
approaches
śruta-mātra-guṇaṁ hi mām
śruta
by hearing
mātra
simply
guṇam
quality
hi
certainly
mām
Me.
When one is fully qualified with all these transcendental attributes and his consciousness is thus completely purified, he is immediately attracted simply by hearing My name or hearing of My transcendental quality.

In the beginning of this instruction, the Lord explained to His mother that mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa, simply by hearing of the name, quality, form, etc., of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is immediately attracted. A person becomes fully qualified with all transcendental qualities by following the rules and regulations, as recommended in different scriptures. We have developed certain unnecessary qualities by material association, and by following the above process we become free from that contamination. To develop transcendental qualities, as explained in the previous verse, one must become free from these contaminated qualities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Being purified by the above methods, the mind of a person engaged in serving me quickly attains the perfect form of bhakti, consisting of actions such as hearing my qualities, which is non-different from attaining me. The mind of a person who performs activities of hearing and chanting about me (mad-dharmaṇaḥ), purified by these methods, approaches the perfection of bhakti-yoga represented by hearing about my qualities, which is the same as attaining me.
The verse places hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā at the centre of spiritual practice. It is not preparation for some later realization — it is itself the work that does the rewiring. The verse keeps returning to Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is your ear most often during the day, and what is that input doing to your taste?
  • What would change if you treated 30 minutes of kṛṣṇa-kathā as non-negotiable as a meal?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 29