FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.32

कतमोऽपि न वेन: स्यात्पञ्चानां पुरुषं प्रति । तस्मात् केनाप्युपायेन मन: कृष्णे निवेशयेत् ॥ ३२ ॥
katamo ’pi na venaḥ syāt
[katamo ’pi na venah syaat]
pañcānāṁ puruṣaṁ prati
[panchaanaam purusham prati]
tasmāt kenāpy upāyena
[tasmaat kenaapy upaayena]
manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet
[manah krishne niveshayet]
Word-for-word
katamaḥ api — anyone na — not venaḥ — the atheistic King Vena syāt — would adopt pañcānām — of the five (previously mentioned) puruṣam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead prati — in regard to tasmāt — therefore kenāpi — by any upāyena — means manaḥ — the mind kṛṣṇe — in Kṛṣṇa niveśayet — one should fix.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
katamo ’pi na venaḥ syāt
katamaḥ api
anyone
na
not
venaḥ
the atheistic King Vena
syāt
would adopt
pañcānāṁ puruṣaṁ prati
pañcānām
of the five (previously mentioned)
puruṣam
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
prati
in regard to
tasmāt kenāpy upāyena
tasmāt
therefore
kenāpi
by any
upāyena
means
manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet
manaḥ
the mind
kṛṣṇe
in Kṛṣṇa
niveśayet
one should fix.
Somehow or other, one must consider the form of Kṛṣṇa very seriously. Then, by one of the five different processes mentioned above, one can return home, back to Godhead. Atheists like King Vena, however, being unable to think of Kṛṣṇa’s form in any of these five ways, cannot attain salvation. Therefore, one must somehow think of Kṛṣṇa, whether in a friendly way or inimically.
Purport

Impersonalists and atheists always try to circumvent the form of Kṛṣṇa. Great politicians and philosophers of the modern age even try to banish Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā. Consequently, for them there is no salvation. But Kṛṣṇa’s enemies think, “Here is Kṛṣṇa, my enemy. I have to kill Him.” They think of Kṛṣṇa in His actual form, and thus they attain salvation. Devotees, therefore, who constantly think of Kṛṣṇa’s form, are certainly liberated. The only business of the Māyāvādī atheists is to make Kṛṣṇa formless, and consequently, because of this severe offense at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they cannot expect salvation. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in this connection: tena śiśupālādi-bhinnaḥ pratikūla-bhāvaṁ didhīṣur yena iva narakaṁ yātīti bhāvaḥ. Except for Śiśupāla, those who go against the regulative principles cannot attain salvation and are surely destined for hellish life. The regulative principle is that one must always think of Kṛṣṇa, whether as a friend or enemy.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Any of the five types of persons, but not King Vena, will attain their objectives in relation to the Lord. Therefore, one should somehow think of Kṛṣṇa, by one of the favorable methods. “But persons like Vena, who hated the Lord and criticized him like Śiśupāla went to hell.” This verse explains. Some persons will not be counted among the five moods previously mentioned in relation to the Lord (puruṣam), because of not being suitable receptacles for those moods. Some persons are not like the gopīs with affectionate conjugal feelings; they are not like Kaṁsa with fear; they are not like Śiśupāla, filled with hatred, and absorbved in the Lord, thinking that the Lord would kill him; not like Vṛṣṇis with some family relationship; and not like Nārada with vaidhi-bhakti. Persons not like Śiśupāla, for instance Vena, who simply nourish an unfavorable mood, go to hell. Therefore one should concentrate on Kṛṣna with a favorable method. The tense is in the potential as with verse 26, with the same meaning.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Somehow or other, think of Kṛṣṇa's form seriously — friendly or hostile. Atheists like Vena, who deny the form entirely, cut off every route. Impersonal denial is more spiritually fatal than passionate opposition, because at least opposition keeps the form in view.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does your spirituality drift into vague abstraction instead of personal relationship?
  • What form of the Divine can you take seriously today, even tentatively?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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