FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.38

ममाहमिति देहादौ हित्वामिथ्यार्थधीर्मतिम् । धास्ये मनो भगवति शुद्धं तत्कीर्तनादिभि: ॥ ३८ ॥
mamāham iti dehādau
[mamaaham iti dehaadau]
hitvāmithyārtha-dhīr matim
[hitvaamithyaartha-dheer matim]
dhāsye mano bhagavati
[dhaasye mano bhagavati]
śuddhaṁ tat-kīrtanādibhiḥ
[shuddham tat-keertanaadibhih]
mama — my aham — I iti — thus deha-ādau — in the body and things related to the body hitvā — giving up amithyā — not false artha — on values dhīḥ — with my consciousness matim — the attitude dhāsye — I shall engage manaḥ — my mind bhagavati — on the Supreme Personality of Godhead śuddham — pure tat — His name kīrtana-ādibhiḥ — by chanting, hearing and so on.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mamāham iti dehādau
mama
my
aham
I
iti
thus
deha-ādau
in the body and things related to the body
hitvāmithyārtha-dhīr matim
hitvā
giving up
amithyā
not false
artha
on values
dhīḥ
with my consciousness
matim
the attitude
dhāsye mano bhagavati
dhāsye
I shall engage
manaḥ
my mind
bhagavati
on the Supreme Personality of Godhead
śuddhaṁ tat-kīrtanādibhiḥ
śuddham
pure
tat
His name
kīrtana-ādibhiḥ
by chanting, hearing and so on.
Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees, my heart is now becoming purified. Therefore I shall not fall victim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of “I” and “mine” and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

How a living entity becomes a victim of the material condition is lucidly explained in this verse. The beginning is to misidentify the body as one’s self. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā begins with the spiritual instruction that one is not the body, but is within the body. This consciousness can be possible only if one chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and always keeps oneself in the association of devotees. This is the secret of success. Therefore we stress that one should chant the holy name of the Lord and keep oneself free from the contaminations of this material world, especially the contaminations of lusty desires for illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. With determination, one should vow to follow these principles and thus be saved from the miserable condition of material existence. The first necessity is to become freed from the bodily concept of life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Understanding the temporary nature of material objects such as the body and giving up the mentality of I and mine, I will concentrate my pure mind on the Supreme Lord by chanting his name and other processes. Having the understanding that these objects such as body are false, I will give up the conception of I and mine.
A single moment of association with devotees has already begun purifying his heart, and he refuses to fall for sensual lures again. Holy association does work that years of self-effort cannot.
Reflection Questions
  • How am I prioritizing time with devotees in my week?
  • What lure do I keep failing to resist, that holy association might dissolve?
📝 My note

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