FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.18.28

జ్ఞాననిష్ఠో విరక్తో వా మద్భ‍క్తో వానపేక్షక: । సలిఙ్గానాశ్రమాంస్త్యక్త్వా చరేదవిధిగోచర: ॥ ౨౮ ॥
jṣāna-niṣṭho virakto vā
[jshaana-nishtho virakto vaa]
mad-bhakto vānapekṣakaḥ
[mad-bhakto vaanapekshakah]
sa-liṅgān āśramāṁs tyaktvā
[sa-lingaan aashramaams tyaktvaa]
cared avidhi-gocaraḥ
[chared avidhi-gocharah]
jṣāna — to philosophical knowledge niṣṭhaḥ — dedicated viraktaḥ — detached from external manifestations vā — either mat-bhaktaḥ — My devotee vā — or anapekṣakaḥ — not desiring even liberation sa-liṅgān — with their rituals and external regulations āśramān — the duties pertaining to particular statuses of life tyaktvā — giving up caret — one should conduct oneself avidhi-gocaraḥ — beyond the range of rules and regulations.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jṣāna-niṣṭho virakto vā
jṣāna
to philosophical knowledge
niṣṭhaḥ
dedicated
viraktaḥ
detached from external manifestations
vā
either
mad-bhakto vānapekṣakaḥ
mat-bhaktaḥ
My devotee
vā
or
anapekṣakaḥ
not desiring even liberation
sa-liṅgān āśramāṁs tyaktvā
sa-liṅgān
with their rituals and external regulations
āśramān
the duties pertaining to particular statuses of life
tyaktvā
giving up
cared avidhi-gocaraḥ
caret
one should conduct oneself
avidhi-gocaraḥ
beyond the range of rules and regulations.
A learned transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of knowledge and thus detached from external objects, or My devotee who is detached even from desire for liberation — both neglect those duties based on external rituals or paraphernalia. Thus their conduct is beyond the range of rules and regulations.

This verse describes the paramahaṁsa stage of life, in which there is no further need for rituals, external paraphernalia or rules and regulations. A completely realized jṣāna-yogī pursuing liberation, or beyond that, a perfect devotee of the Lord who does not desire even liberation, has no further desire for material engagement. When one completely purifies the mind, there is no possibility of sinful behavior. Rules and regulations are meant for guiding those who have a tendency to act in ignorance or for personal gratification, but one who is perfect in spiritual consciousness can move freely, as described here by the Lord. One who tends to drive a car recklessly or who is unfamiliar with the local road conditions certainly needs the discipline of elaborate road signs and police enforcement of traffic laws. A perfectly safe driver, however, is thoroughly familiar with the local road conditions. He has no real need for the enforcement officials or the speed limits and caution signs meant for those unfamiliar with the road. A pure devotee of the Lord desires nothing except service to the Lord; he automatically fulfills the purport of all negative and positive injunctions, which is to always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. One should not, however, artificially imitate the exalted position of a paramahaṁsa devotee, for such imitation will quickly ruin one’s spiritual career.

In the previous verses the Lord has elaborately described various rituals, paraphernalia and disciplines for the various spiritual orders of life. The sannyāsī, for example, carries a tridaṇḍa and a waterpot and eats and lives in a particular way. A paramahaṁsa devotee, having completely given up all attachment and interest in the material world, is no longer attracted by such external features of renunciation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A person fixed in jṣāna and detached from external objects, or my devotee who is detached even from desire for liberation—both should reject the āśrama duties based on external rituals or paraphernalia and conduct themselves beyond the range of rules. The mature jṣānī and the niṣkāma devotee are beyond the rules of varṇāśrama. The mature jṣānī, devoid of expectations of even good position, should reject the rules. Complete indifference to things (anapekṣakaḥ) is not possible for the devotee who has not developed prema. Thus the devotee who has developed prema gives up the āśramas along with the all signs of āśramas (such as the stick and water pot). The devotee who has not developed prema (who is not anapekṣakaḥ) gives up the actions of the āśramas but not its external signs. However, for the devotees in general, giving up the actions of his sva-dhārma takes place to some degree from the beginning of bhakti: āvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service hearing and chanting, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions. SB 11.20.9 Because the matured jṣānī and the prema-bhakta have no tendency for sin, there is no fear of bad conduct. Thus they do not have to follow rules.
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 18