FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.30

कामाद् द्वेषाद्भ‍यात्स्‍नेहाद्यथा भक्त्येश्वरे मन: । आवेश्य तदघं हित्वा बहवस्तद्गतिं गता: ॥ ३० ॥
kāmād dveṣād bhayāt snehād
[kaamaad dveshaad bhayaat snehaad]
yathā bhaktyeśvare manaḥ
[yathaa bhaktyeshvare manah]
āveśya tad-aghaṁ hitvā
[aaveshya tad-agham hitvaa]
bahavas tad-gatiṁ gatāḥ
[bahavas tad-gatim gataah]
kāmāt — from lust dveṣāt — from hatred bhayāt — from fear snehāt — from affection yathā — as well as bhaktyā — by devotion īśvare — in the Supreme manaḥ — the mind āveśya — absorbing tat — of that agham — sin hitvā — giving up bahavaḥ — many tat — of that gatim — path of liberation gatāḥ — attained.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kāmād dveṣād bhayāt snehād
kāmāt
from lust
dveṣāt
from hatred
bhayāt
from fear
snehāt
from affection
yathā bhaktyeśvare manaḥ
yathā
as well as
bhaktyā
by devotion
īśvare
in the Supreme
manaḥ
the mind
āveśya tad-aghaṁ hitvā
āveśya
absorbing
tat
of that
agham
sin
hitvā
giving up
bahavas tad-gatiṁ gatāḥ
bahavaḥ
many
tat
of that
gatim
path of liberation
gatāḥ
attained.
Many, many persons have attained liberation simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa with great attention and giving up sinful activities. This great attention may be due to lusty desires, inimical feelings, fear, affection or devotional service. I shall now explain how one receives Kṛṣṇa’s mercy simply by concentrating one’s mind upon Him.

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.39) :

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito ’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ

If a bona fide listener hears of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with the gopīs, which seem to be lusty affairs, the lusty desires in his heart, which constitute the heart disease of the conditioned soul, will be vanquished, and he will become a most exalted devotee of the Lord. If one who hears of the gopīs’ lusty behavior with Kṛṣṇa becomes free from lusty desires, certainly the gopīs who approached Kṛṣṇa became free from all such desires. Similarly, Śiśupāla and others who were very much envious of Kṛṣṇa and who constantly thought of Kṛṣṇa became free from envy. Nanda Mahārāja and mother Yaśodā were fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of affection. When the mind is somehow or other fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, the material part is very soon vanquished, and the spiritual part — attraction to Kṛṣṇa — becomes manifest. This indirectly confirms that if one thinks of Kṛṣṇa enviously, simply because of thinking of Kṛṣṇa he becomes free from all sinful reactions and thus becomes a pure devotee. Examples of this are given in the following verse.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as by vaidhi-bhakti one can attain one’s spiritual goals, many persons have attained suitable forms after asorbing their minds in the Lord out of lust, hatred, fear, and family relationships filled with affection, and after giving up absorption in enmity of the Lord (in the case of hatred and fear). All persons with moods favorable or unfavorable towards the Lord attain him. However, by reasoning, one should understand that, according to the sādhana, the result will be different. That is described in this verse. “Giving up sin arising from hatred of the Lord (tad-aghaṁ hitvā)” means “giving up absorption in the Lord based on hatred.” This phrase does not apply to those who have conjugal desire for the Lord, since there is no sin in this type of kāma. This word kāma refers to the gopīs: uktaṁ purastād etat te caidyaḥ siddhiṁ yathā gataḥ dviṣann api hṛṣīkeśaṁ kim utādhokṣaja-priyāḥ This point was explained to you previously. Since even Śiśupāla, who hated Kṛṣṇa, achieved perfection, then what to speak of the Lord's dear gopīs. SB 10.29.13 If those who hate the Lord attain him, how much more those who have affection for him will attain! Tad-gatiṁ means one’s cherished goal of prema, or liberation as the case may be.
Liberation has come to many through intense attention — even via lust, fear, enmity, or affection — when sinful action is given up. Mercy is granted not for the flavor of the emotion but for the wholeheartedness of the attention. Give up the sin; keep the focus.
Reflection Questions
  • What sinful pattern is dulling the spiritual potency of your strong emotions?
  • Which intense feeling in you could be redirected toward the Lord this week?
📝 My note

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