FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.9

जह्यासुरं भावमिमं त्वमात्मन: समं मनो धत्स्व न सन्ति विद्विष: । ऋतेऽजितादात्मन उत्पथे स्थितात् तद्धि ह्यनन्तस्य महत्समर्हणम् ॥ ९ ॥
jahy āsuraṁ bhāvam imaṁ tvam ātmanaḥ
[jahy aasuram bhaavam imam tvam aatmanah]
samaṁ mano dhatsva na santi vidviṣaḥ
[samam mano dhatsva na santi vidvishah]
ṛte ’jitād ātmana utpathe sthitāt
[rite ’jitaad aatmana utpathe sthitaat]
tad dhi hy anantasya mahat samarhaṇam
[tad dhi hy anantasya mahat samarhanam]
jahi — just give up āsuram — demoniac bhāvam — tendency imam — this tvam — you (my dear father) ātmanaḥ — of yourself samam — equal manaḥ — the mind dhatsva — make na — not santi — are vidviṣaḥ — enemies ṛte — except ajitāt — uncontrolled ātmanaḥ — the mind utpathe — on the mistaken path of undesirable tendencies sthitāt — being situated tat hi — that (mentality) hi — indeed anantasya — of the unlimited Lord mahat — the best samarhaṇam — method of worship.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jahy āsuraṁ bhāvam imaṁ tvam ātmanaḥ
jahi
just give up
āsuram
demoniac
bhāvam
tendency
imam
this
tvam
you (my dear father)
ātmanaḥ
of yourself
samaṁ mano dhatsva na santi vidviṣaḥ
samam
equal
manaḥ
the mind
dhatsva
make
na
not
santi
are
vidviṣaḥ
enemies
ṛte ’jitād ātmana utpathe sthitāt
ṛte
except
ajitāt
uncontrolled
ātmanaḥ
the mind
utpathe
on the mistaken path of undesirable tendencies
sthitāt
being situated
tad dhi hy anantasya mahat samarhaṇam
tat hi
that (mentality)
hi
indeed
anantasya
of the unlimited Lord
mahat
the best
samarhaṇam
method of worship.
Prahlāda Mahārāja continued: My dear father, please give up your demoniac mentality. Do not discriminate in your heart between enemies and friends; make your mind equipoised toward everyone. Except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world. When one sees everyone on the platform of equality, one then comes to the position of worshiping the Lord perfectly.

Unless one is able to fix the mind at the lotus feet of the Lord, the mind is impossible to control. As Arjuna says in Bhagavad-gītā (6.34) :

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram

“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, it seems to me, is more difficult than controlling the wind.” The only bona fide process for controlling the mind is to fix the mind by service to the Lord. We create enemies and friends according to the dictation of the mind, but actually there are no enemies and friends. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. To understand this is the preliminary condition for entering into the kingdom of devotional service.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Give up your demonic nature. Make your mind equal to all beings. There are no enemies except the mind which is uncontrolled and deviant. Worship the unlimited Lord. Give up your demonic nature and make your mind think yourself and others to be equal. “How can I make my mind equal to enemies?’ There are no enemies, except for the mind (ātmanaḥ), which is uncontrolled. When you control the mind and see everyone equal to yourself, you will not see any enemies. That is being equal everywhere. Smarahaṇam means worship.
Prahlāda urges his father to give up the demoniac mentality, drop the friend-enemy distinction, become equipoised. The only enemy is the uncontrolled mind. When you see equally, you worship the Lord perfectly.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'enemy' in your life is mostly the projection of your own uncontrolled mind?
  • What practice could move you closer to equipoise rather than reaction?
📝 My note

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