FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.24.78

इदं य: कल्य उत्थाय प्राञ्जलि: श्रद्धयान्वित: । श‍ृणुयाच्छ्रावयेन्मर्त्यो मुच्यते कर्मबन्धनै: ॥ ७८ ॥
idaṁ yaḥ kalya utthāya
[idam yah kalya utthaaya]
prāñjaliḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ
[praanjalih shraddhayaanvitah]
śṛṇuyāc chrāvayen martyo
[shrinuyaach chraavayen martyo]
mucyate karma-bandhanaiḥ
[muchyate karma-bandhanaih]
idam — this prayer yaḥ — a devotee who kalye — early in the morning utthāya — after getting up from bed prāñjaliḥ — with folded hands śraddhayā — with faith and devotion anvitaḥ — thus being absorbed śṛṇuyāt — personally chants and hears śrāvayet — and gets others to hear martyaḥ — such a human being mucyate — becomes freed karma-bandhanaiḥ — from all kinds of actions resulting from fruitive activities.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
idaṁ yaḥ kalya utthāya
idam
this prayer
yaḥ
a devotee who
kalye
early in the morning
utthāya
after getting up from bed
prāñjaliḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ
prāñjaliḥ
with folded hands
śraddhayā
with faith and devotion
anvitaḥ
thus being absorbed
śṛṇuyāc chrāvayen martyo
śṛṇuyāt
personally chants and hears
śrāvayet
and gets others to hear
martyaḥ
such a human being
mucyate karma-bandhanaiḥ
mucyate
becomes freed
karma-bandhanaiḥ
from all kinds of actions resulting from fruitive activities.
A devotee who rises early in the morning and with folded hands chants these prayers sung by Lord Śiva, and gives facility to others to hear them, certainly becomes free from all bondage to fruitive activities.

Mukti, or liberation, means becoming free from the results of fruitive activities. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.10.6) , muktir hitvānyathā-rūpam svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: mukti means giving up all other activities and being situated in one’s constitutional position. In this conditional state, we are entangled by one fruitive activity after another. Karma-bandhana means “the bonds of fruitive activity.” As long as one’s mind is absorbed in fruitive activities, he has to manufacture plans for happiness. The bhakti-yoga process is different, for bhakti-yoga means acting according to the order of the supreme authority. When we act under the direction of supreme authority, we do not become entangled by fruitive results. For instance, Arjuna fought because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted him to; therefore he was not responsible for the outcome of the fighting. As far as devotional service is concerned, even hearing and chanting is as good as acting with our body, mind and senses. Actually, hearing and chanting are also activities of the senses. When the senses are utilized for one’s own sense gratification, they entangle one in karma, but when they are used for the satisfaction of the Lord, they establish one in bhakti.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A devotee who, rising early in the morning and folding his hands, hears these prayers and lets other hear them certainly becomes free from all bondage of karma.
A devotee who rises early, chants with folded hands, and helps others hear becomes free of all karma-bondage. Early rising, folded hands, sharing — three small actions, large effect.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of these three (early rising, folded hands, sharing) is most underdeveloped in me?
  • Where would adding one of them today begin freeing me?
📝 My note

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