FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.13.15

मनस्विनो निर्जितदिग्गजेन्द्रा ममेति सर्वे भुवि बद्धवैरा: । मृधे शयीरन्न तु तद्‌व्रजन्ति यन्न्यस्तदण्डो गतवैरोऽभियाति ॥ १५ ॥
manasvino nirjita-dig-gajendrā
[manasvino nirjita-dig-gajendraa]
mameti sarve bhuvi baddha-vairāḥ
[mameti sarve bhuvi baddha-vairaah]
mṛdhe śayīran na tu tad vrajanti
[mridhe shayeeran na tu tad vrajanti]
yan nyasta-daṇḍo gata-vairo ’bhiyāti
[yan nyasta-dando gata-vairo ’bhiyaati]
Word-for-word
manasvinaḥ — very great heroes (mental speculators) nirjita-dik-gajendrāḥ — who have conquered many other heroes as powerful as elephants mama — my (my land, my country, my family, my community, my religion) iti — thus sarve — all (great political, social and religious leaders) bhuvi — in this world baddha-vairāḥ — who have created enmity among themselves mṛdhe — in battle śayīran — fall dead on the ground na — not tu — but tat — the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead vrajanti — approach yat — which nyasta-daṇḍaḥ — a sannyāsī gata-vairaḥ — who has no enmity throughout the whole world abhiyāti — attains that perfection.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
manasvino nirjita-dig-gajendrā
manasvinaḥ
very great heroes (mental speculators)
nirjita-dik-gajendrāḥ
who have conquered many other heroes as powerful as elephants
mameti sarve bhuvi baddha-vairāḥ
mama
my (my land, my country, my family, my community, my religion)
iti
thus
sarve
all (great political, social and religious leaders)
bhuvi
in this world
baddha-vairāḥ
who have created enmity among themselves
mṛdhe śayīran na tu tad vrajanti
mṛdhe
in battle
śayīran
fall dead on the ground
na
not
tu
but
tat
the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
vrajanti
approach
yan nyasta-daṇḍo gata-vairo ’bhiyāti
yat
which
nyasta-daṇḍaḥ
a sannyāsī
gata-vairaḥ
who has no enmity throughout the whole world
abhiyāti
attains that perfection.
There were and are many political and social heroes who have conquered enemies of equal power, yet due to their ignorance in believing that the land is theirs, they fight one another and lay down their lives in battle. They are not able to take up the spiritual path accepted by those in the renounced order. Although they are big heroes and political leaders, they cannot take to the path of spiritual realization.
Purport

Big political leaders might be able to conquer equally powerful political enemies, but unfortunately they cannot subdue their strong senses, the enemies that always accompany them. Not being able to conquer these nearby enemies, they simply try to conquer other enemies, and ultimately they die in the struggle for existence. They do not take to the path of spiritual realization or become sannyāsīs. Sometimes these big leaders take up the guise of a sannyāsī and call themselves mahātmās, but their only business is conquering their political enemies. Because they spoil their lives with the illusion of “this is my land and my family,” they cannot progress spiritually and attain liberation from the clutches of māyā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Warriors, who have conquered even the elephants of the directions but think in terms of “mine,” surrounded by their enemies, all fall dead on the battlefield. They do not attain the abode attained by those who have renounced all material attachments and have no enemies. Great warriors conquer even the elephants of the directions situated far away, but they cannot conquer the eleven senses, which are close enemies. This is their courage, but it is not spiritual. Thinking in terms of “mine,” they all die on the battlefield. Spiritual courage is then described. Real courage is having no enmity and giving up all material attachments.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Great political and military heroes conquer external enemies but die without conquering their own senses. Worldly success is no protection against spiritual failure. The real war is internal, and most heroes never fight it.
Reflection Questions
  • What external victory are you currently chasing while the internal war goes unaddressed?
  • Where could you redirect even a fraction of your conquering energy to the senses themselves?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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