SB 9.8.15-16 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.8.15-16

असमञ्जस आत्मानं दर्शयन्नसमञ्जसम् । जातिस्मर: पुरा सङ्गाद् योगी योगाद् विचालित: ॥ १५ ॥ आचरन् गर्हितं लोके ज्ञातीनां कर्म विप्रियम् । सरय्वां क्रीडतो बालान्प्रास्यदुद्वेजयञ्जनम् ॥ १६ ॥

asamañjasa ātmānaṁ

[asamanjasa aatmaanam]

darśayann asamañjasam

[darshayann asamanjasam]

jāti-smaraḥ purā saṅgād

[jaati-smarah puraa sangaad]

yogī yogād vicālitaḥ

[yogee yogaad vichaalitah]

ācaran garhitaṁ loke

[aacharan garhitam loke]

jñātīnāṁ karma vipriyam

[jnaateenaam karma vipriyam]

sarayvāṁ krīḍato bālān

[sarayvaam kreedato baalaan]

prāsyad udvejayaṣ janam

[praasyad udvejayash janam]

Word-for-word

asamañjasaḥ — the son of Sagara Mahārāja ātmānam — personally darśayan — exhibiting asamañjasam — very disturbing jāti-smaraḥ — able to remember his past life purā — formerly saṅgāt — from bad association yogī — although he was a great mystic yogī yogāt — from the path of executing mystic yoga vicālitaḥ — fell down ācaran — behaving garhitam — very badly loke — in the society jñātīnām — of his relatives karma — activities vipriyam — not very favorable sarayvām — in the river Sarayū krīḍataḥ — while engaged in sports bālān — all the boys prāsyat — would throw udvejayan — giving trouble janam — to people in general.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

asamañjasa ātmānaṁ

asamañjasaḥ

the son of Sagara Mahārāja

ātmānam

personally

darśayann asamañjasam

darśayan

exhibiting

asamañjasam

very disturbing

jāti-smaraḥ purā saṅgād

jāti-smaraḥ

able to remember his past life

purā

formerly

saṅgāt

from bad association

yogī yogād vicālitaḥ

yogī

although he was a great mystic yogī

yogāt

from the path of executing mystic yoga

vicālitaḥ

fell down

ācaran garhitaṁ loke

ācaran

behaving

garhitam

very badly

loke

in the society

jñātīnāṁ karma vipriyam

jñātīnām

of his relatives

karma

activities

vipriyam

not very favorable

sarayvāṁ krīḍato bālān

sarayvām

in the river Sarayū

krīḍataḥ

while engaged in sports

bālān

all the boys

prāsyad udvejayaṣ janam

prāsyat

would throw

udvejayan

giving trouble

janam

to people in general.

Formerly, in his previous birth, Asamañjasa had been a great mystic yogī, but by bad association he had fallen from his exalted position. Now, in this life, he was born in a royal family and was a jāti-smara; that is, he had the special advantage of being able to remember his past birth. Nonetheless, he wanted to display himself as a miscreant, and therefore he would do things that were abominable in the eyes of the public and unfavorable to his relatives. He would disturb the boys sporting in the river Sarayū by throwing them into the depths of the water.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Formerly, in his previous birth, Asamañjasa had been a yogī, but by bad association he had fallen from his position. He was able to remember his past birth. Nonetheless, he wanted to display himself as a miscreant, and therefore he would do things that were abominable in the eyes of the public and unfavorable to his relatives. He would afflict the people and would throw playing boys into the River Sarayū. In a previous birth he had fallen from yoga. He performed condemned acts in this life to avoid bad association.

Personal Guidance

Asamaṣjasa was once a great yogī who fell through bad association. Spiritual altitude does not guarantee permanence — and association with wrong company has uprooted even those who could remember past lives.

Reflection Questions

What past spiritual progress of mine could be eroded by current company?
Where do I need to be more honest about whose presence I am marinating in?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io