FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.29.34

नैकान्तत: प्रतीकार: कर्मणां कर्म केवलम् । द्वयं ह्यविद्योपसृतं स्वप्ने स्वप्न इवानघ ॥ ३४ ॥
naikāntataḥ pratīkāraḥ
[naikaantatah prateekaarah]
karmaṇāṁ karma kevalam
[karmanaam karma kevalam]
dvayaṁ hy avidyopasṛtaṁ
[dvayam hy avidyopasritam]
svapne svapna ivānagha
[svapne svapna ivaanagha]
na — never ekāntataḥ — ultimately pratīkāraḥ — counteraction karmaṇām — of different activities karma — another activity kevalam — only dvayam — both hi — because avidyā — due to illusion upasṛtam — accepted svapne — in a dream svapnaḥ — a dream iva — like anagha — O you who are free from sinful activities.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
naikāntataḥ pratīkāraḥ
na
never
ekāntataḥ
ultimately
pratīkāraḥ
counteraction
karmaṇāṁ karma kevalam
karmaṇām
of different activities
karma
another activity
kevalam
only
dvayaṁ hy avidyopasṛtaṁ
dvayam
both
hi
because
avidyā
due to illusion
upasṛtam
accepted
svapne svapna ivānagha
svapne
in a dream
svapnaḥ
a dream
iva
like
anagha
O you who are free from sinful activities.
Nārada continued: O you who are free from all sinful activity! No one can counteract the effects of fruitive activity simply by manufacturing a different activity devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All such activity is due to our ignorance. When we have a troublesome dream, we cannot relieve it with a troublesome hallucination. One can counteract a dream only by awaking. Similarly, our material existence is due to our ignorance and illusion. Unless we awaken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we cannot be relieved of such dreams. For the ultimate solution to all problems, we must awaken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

There are two kinds of fruitive activity: we can place the burden on the head, or we can place it on the shoulder. Actually, keeping the burden in either place is the same. The transferal, however, is taking place under the name of counteraction. In this connection Prahlāda Mahārāja said that fools and rascals in the material world plan so gorgeously for bodily comfort without knowing that such arrangements, even if successful, are only māyā. People are working hard day and night for the illusory happiness of the body. This is not a way to achieve happiness. One has to get out of this material entanglement and return home, back to Godhead. That is real happiness. The Vedas therefore enjoin: “Don’t remain in the darkness of this material world. Go to the light of the spiritual world.” To counteract the distress of this material body, one has to take on another distressed condition. Both situations are only illusion. There is no gain in taking on one trouble to counteract another trouble. The conclusion is that one cannot be perpetually happy as long as one exists in this material world. The only remedy is to get out of this material world altogether and return home, back to Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O sinless King! There is no remedy for action by more action. Both the sinful act and the remedial measure take shelter of ignorance. It is like the suffering in a dream while one sleeps. “The cause of suffering is sinful actions. Therefore with a desire to destroy all sinful actions, by perform in a great sacrifice one can destroy all suffering.” Two verses give the answer. Both the sinful act and the action of atonement take shelter of (upasṛtam) ignorance, since both are caused by tamas and rajas. Though the sattva portion of the remedy in rajas destroys the tamas portion of acts previously committed, the tamas portion of the remedy in rajas remains. Thus, though a sacrifice destroys all sinful acts, the tamas portion, consisting of killing animals, remains. An example is given. In a dream a son dies and one grieves. In that same dream, one dreams that the son lives, and one’s grief disappears. Then a snake bites the son, and again one suffers. Just as the suffering in the dream cannot be stopped except by waking up, the suffering in saṁsāra cannot be stopped except by destroying saṁsāra.
No one can counteract karma by manufacturing another karma without Kṛṣṇa-consciousness; dream-problems aren't solved by other dreams. You can't fix bondage with bondage; you need a different mode entirely.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my fixes is 'another dream' rather than waking?
  • Where would waking be more efficient than fixing?
📝 My note

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