FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.63

तन्निमित्तस्मरव्याजग्रहग्रस्तो विचेतन: । तामेव मनसा ध्यायन् स्वधर्माद्विरराम ह ॥ ६३ ॥
tan-nimitta-smara-vyāja-
[tan-nimitta-smara-vyaaja-]
graha-grasto vicetanaḥ
[graha-grasto vichetanah]
tām eva manasā dhyāyan
[taam eva manasaa dhyaayan]
sva-dharmād virarāma ha
[sva-dharmaad viraraama ha]
tat-nimitta — caused by the sight of her smara-vyāja — taking advantage of his thinking of her always graha-grastaḥ — being caught by an eclipse vicetanaḥ — having completely forgotten his real position tām — her eva — certainly manasā — by the mind dhyāyan — meditating upon sva-dharmāt — from the regulative principles executed by a brāhmaṇa virarāma ha — he completely ceased.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tan-nimitta-smara-vyāja-
tat-nimitta
caused by the sight of her
smara-vyāja
taking advantage of his thinking of her always
graha-grasto vicetanaḥ
graha-grastaḥ
being caught by an eclipse
vicetanaḥ
having completely forgotten his real position
tām eva manasā dhyāyan
tām
her
eva
certainly
manasā
by the mind
dhyāyan
meditating upon
sva-dharmād virarāma ha
sva-dharmāt
from the regulative principles executed by a brāhmaṇa
virarāma ha
he completely ceased.
In the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brāhmaṇa lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situation, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house and abandoned all the regulative principles of a brāhmaṇa.

By speaking this verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī wants to impress upon the mind of the reader that Ajāmila’s exalted position as a brāhmaṇa was vanquished by his association with the prostitute, so much so that he forgot all his brahminical activities. Nevertheless, at the end of his life, by chanting the four syllables of the name Nārāyaṇa, he was saved from the gravest danger of falling down. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down from the exalted position of a brāhmaṇa through sexual indulgence, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is advised that one not forget the chanting of the holy name even for a moment ( satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ ). There are so many dangers in this material world that one may fall down from an exalted position at any time. Yet if one keeps himself always pure and steady by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he will be safe without a doubt.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Becoming possessed because of lust arising from seeing her and losing his memory, he began to meditate on her with his mind, and gave up his practice of dharma. He could not protect himself from falling by jñāna and by his steadiness in dharma, but he attained Vaikuṇṭha after restoring himself by nāmābhāsa alone. This shows the inherent strengths of dharma, jñāna and bhakti.
As an eclipse darkens sun and moon, the prostitute eclipsed Ajāmila's good sense; he installed her at home and abandoned all brahminical regulations. One untreated attachment can collapse a whole edifice of sādhana in a short time.
Reflection Questions
  • Which single attachment has the potential to eclipse my entire spiritual life if I let it grow?
  • What 'regulative principles' have I already begun quietly abandoning that I should restore today?
📝 My note

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