FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.9

भारतेऽपि वर्षे भगवान्नरनारायणाख्य आकल्पान्तमुपचितधर्मज्ञानवैराग्यैश्वर्योपशमोपरमात्मोपलम्भनमनुग्रहायात्मवतामनुकम्पया तपोऽव्यक्तगतिश्चरति ॥ ९ ॥
bhārate ’pi varṣe bhagavān nara-nārāyaṇākhya ākalpāntam upacita-dharma-jñāna-vairāgyaiśvaryopaśamoparamātmopalambhanam anugrahāyātmavatām anukampayā tapo ’vyakta-gatiś carati.
[bhaarate ’pi varshe bhagavaan nara-naaraayanaakhya aakalpaantam upachita-dharma-jnaana-vairaagyaishvaryopashamoparamaatmopalambhanam anugrahaayaatmavataam anukampayaa tapo ’vyakta-gatish charati.]
bhārate — in Bhārata api — also varṣe — the tract of land bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead nara-nārāyaṇa-ākhyaḥ — known as Nara-Nārāyaṇa ā-kalpa-antam — up to the end of the millennium upacita — increasing dharma — religion jñāna — knowledge vairāgya — renunciation or nonattachment aiśvarya — mystic opulences upaśama — control of the senses uparama — freedom from false ego ātma-upalambhanam — self-realization anugrahāya — to show favor ātma-vatām — unto persons interested in self-realization anukampayā — by causeless mercy tapaḥ — austerities avyakta-gatiḥ — whose glories are inconceivable carati — executes.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhārate ’pi varṣe bhagavān nara-nārāyaṇākhya ākalpāntam upacita-dharma-jñāna-vairāgyaiśvaryopaśamoparamātmopalambhanam anugrahāyātmavatām anukampayā tapo ’vyakta-gatiś carati.
bhārate
in Bhārata
api
also
varṣe
the tract of land
bhagavān
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
nara-nārāyaṇa-ākhyaḥ
known as Nara-Nārāyaṇa
ā-kalpa-antam
up to the end of the millennium
upacita
increasing
dharma
religion
jñāna
knowledge
vairāgya
renunciation or nonattachment
aiśvarya
mystic opulences
upaśama
control of the senses
uparama
freedom from false ego
ātma-upalambhanam
self-realization
anugrahāya
to show favor
ātma-vatām
unto persons interested in self-realization
anukampayā
by causeless mercy
tapaḥ
austerities
avyakta-gatiḥ
whose glories are inconceivable
carati
executes.
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are inconceivable. He has appeared in the form of Nara-Nārāyaṇa in the land of Bhārata-varṣa, at the place known as Badarikāśrama, to favor His devotees by teaching them religion, knowledge, renunciation, spiritual power, sense control and freedom from false ego. He is advanced in the opulence of spiritual assets, and He engages in executing austerity until the end of this millennium. This is the process of self-realization.

People in India may visit the temple of Nara-Nārāyaṇa at Badarikāśrama just to learn how the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Nara-Nārāyaṇa engages in austerities to teach the people of the world how to achieve self-realization. It is impossible to realize oneself simply by absorbing oneself in speculation and material activities. One must be very serious about self-realization and the practice of austerity. Unfortunately, the people of this Age of Kali do not even know the meaning of austerity. Under these circumstances, the Lord has appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to bestow upon the fallen souls the easiest method of self-realization, technically called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing of the dirt from the core of one’s heart. This method is extremely simple. Anyone can chant the glorious kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this age there are different forms of so-called advanced scientific knowledge, such as anthropology, Marxism, Freudianism, nationalism and industrialism, but if we work very hard under their guidance instead of adopting the process practiced by Nara-Nārāyaṇa, we shall waste our valuable human form of life. Thus we shall certainly be cheated and misled.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In Bhārata-varṣa, the Lord in the form of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, whose glories are inconceivable, to favor to the jñānīs, mercifully performs austerities till the end of the yuga, which included realization of ātmā, abundant dharma, knowledge, renunciation, powers, sense control and freedom from false ego. Nara-nārāyaṇa perform penance by which one realizes one’s ātmā, and in which there is control of the senses (upaśama) and absence of ahaṅkāra (uparama). He showed mercy (anugrahāya) to the jñānīs. He showed mercy by giving teachings about austerity. Therefore performing austerities was necessary. Performing austerities was his mercy also (anukampayā). The two words for mercy are therefore not repetitive.
Nara-Nārāyaṇa performs unceasing austerity to teach by example: religion, knowledge, renunciation, sense control, and freedom from ego are achieved by serious practice, not by speculation. Self-realization is not a thought experiment.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I been substituting reading and thinking for actual disciplined practice?
  • What one austerity could I take up that would teach my own self what philosophy hasn't?
📝 My note

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