FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.13

इदं हि योगेश्वर योगनैपुणं हिरण्यगर्भो भगवाञ्जगाद यत् । यदन्तकाले त्वयि निर्गुणे मनो भक्त्या दधीतोज्झितदुष्कलेवर: ॥ १३ ॥
idaṁ hi yogeśvara yoga-naipuṇaṁ
[idam hi yogeshvara yoga-naipunam]
hiraṇyagarbho bhagavāṣ jagāda yat
[hiranyagarbho bhagavaash jagaada yat]
yad anta-kāle tvayi nirguṇe mano
[yad anta-kaale tvayi nirgune mano]
bhaktyā dadhītojjhita-duṣkalevaraḥ
[bhaktyaa dadheetojjhita-dushkalevarah]
idam — this hi — certainly yoga-īśvara — O my Lord, master of all mystic power yoga-naipuṇam — the expert process of executing yogic principles hiraṇya-garbhaḥ — Lord Brahmā bhagavān — the most powerful jagāda — spoke yat — which yat — which anta-kāle — at the time of death tvayi — in You nirguṇe — the transcendence manaḥ — the mind bhaktyā — with a devotional attitude dadhīta — one should place ujjhita-duṣkalevaraḥ — having given up his identification with the material body.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
idaṁ hi yogeśvara yoga-naipuṇaṁ
idam
this
hi
certainly
yoga-īśvara
O my Lord, master of all mystic power
yoga-naipuṇam
the expert process of executing yogic principles
hiraṇyagarbho bhagavāṣ jagāda yat
hiraṇya-garbhaḥ
Lord Brahmā
bhagavān
the most powerful
jagāda
spoke
yat
which
yad anta-kāle tvayi nirguṇe mano
yat
which
anta-kāle
at the time of death
tvayi
in You
nirguṇe
the transcendence
manaḥ
the mind
bhaktyā dadhītojjhita-duṣkalevaraḥ
bhaktyā
with a devotional attitude
dadhīta
one should place
ujjhita-duṣkalevaraḥ
having given up his identification with the material body.
O my Lord, master of all mystic yoga, this is the explanation of the yogic process spoken of by Lord Brahmā [Hiraṇyagarbha], who is self-realized. At the time of death, all yogīs give up the material body with full detachment simply by placing their minds at Your lotus feet. That is the perfection of yoga.

Śrīla Madhvācārya says:

yasya samyag bhagavati jñānaṁ bhaktis tathaiva ca niścintas tasya mokṣaḥ syāt sarva-pāpa-kṛto ’pi tu

“For one who very seriously practices devotional service during his lifetime in order to understand the constitutional position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, liberation from this material world is guaranteed, even if he has previously been addicted to sinful habits.” This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā :

api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.” ( Bg. 9.30 ) The only purpose of life is to be fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and His form, pastimes, activities and qualities. If one is able to think of Kṛṣṇa in this way, twenty-four hours a day, he is already liberated ( svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ). Whereas materialists are absorbed in material thoughts and activities, devotees, on the contrary, are always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s activities. Therefore they are already on the platform of liberation. One has to think of Kṛṣṇa with full absorption at the time of death. Then he will certainly return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O my Lord, master of all mystic yoga! Lord Brahmā has explained that expertise in yoga means that at the time of death, the mind, giving up bodily identification, becomes fixed with devotion in you who are beyond the guṇas. This verse explains the secret of yoga practitioners. The fickle (yat –present particle of yā, to go) mind should be fixed on you. Ujjhita, a past participle has a present meaning.
Related verses
The perfection of yoga at the moment of death is placing the mind at the Lord's feet with full detachment. That perfection is not built in the last hour; it is the harvest of how we trained the mind all our years. Practice the dying now.
Reflection Questions
  • If I died tonight, where would my mind naturally go?
  • What practice am I doing today that builds the muscle of placing my mind at the Lord's feet?
📝 My note

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