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TEXT 53
etad rupam anudhyeyam
atma-suddhim abhipsatam
yad-bhakti-yogo bhayadah
sva-dharmam anutisthatam
SYNONYMS
etatthis; rupamform; anudhyeyammust be meditated upon; atmaself; suddhimpurification; abhipsatamof those who are desiring so; yatthat which; bhakti-yogahthe devotional service; abhaya-dahfactual fearlessness; sva-dharmamones own occupational duties; anutisthatamexecuting.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, those who desire to purify their existence must always engage in meditation upon Your lotus feet, as described above. Those who are serious about executing their occupational duties and who want freedom from fear must take to this process of bhakti-yoga.
PURPORT
It is said that the transcendental name, form, pastimes and entourage of the Lord cannot be appreciated by the blunt material senses; therefore one has to engage himself in devotional service so that the senses may be purified and one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here, however, it is indicated that those who are constantly engaged in meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord are certainly purified of the material contamination of the senses and are thus able to see the Supreme Lord face to face. The word meditation is very popular in this age amongst the common people, but they do not know the actual meaning of meditation. However, from Vedic literature we learn that the yogis are always absorbed in meditation upon the lotus feet of the Lord. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah (Bhag. 12.13.1). This is the real business of the yogis: to think of the lotus feet of the Lord. Lord Siva therefore advises that one who is actually serious about purification must engage himself in this type of meditation or in the mystic yoga system, which will help him not only to see the Lord within constantly but to see Him face to face and become His associate in Vaikunthaloka or Goloka Vrndavana.
The word sva-dharmam (as in sva-dharmam anutisthatam) indicates that the system of varnasramawhich indicates the occupational duties of the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra and which is the perfect institution for humanitymust be supported by bhakti-yoga if one at all wants security in life. Generally people think that simply by executing the occupational duties of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra or the duty of a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha or sannyasi one becomes fearless or securely attains liberation, but factually unless all these occupational duties are accompanied by bhakti-yoga, one cannot become fearless. In Bhagavad-gita there are descriptions of karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, bhakti-yoga, dhyana-yoga, etc., but unless one comes to the point of bhakti-yoga, these other yogas cannot help one attain the highest perfection of life. In other words, bhakti-yoga is the only means for liberation. We find this conclusion also in Caitanya-caritamrta in a discussion between Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya regarding a human beings liberation from this material world. In that discussion Ramananda Raya referred to the execution of varnasrama-dharma, and Lord Caitanya indicated that the varnasrama-dharma was simply external (eho bahya). Lord Caitanya wanted to impress upon Ramananda Raya that simply by executing the duties of varnasrama-dharma one is not guaranteed liberation. Finally Ramananda Raya referred to the process of bhakti-yoga: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih (Bhag. 10.14.3). Regardless of ones condition of life, if he practices bhakti-yoga, which begins with hearing (sruti-gatam) the transcendental messages of the Lord through the mouths of devotees, he gradually conquers the unconquerable God.
God is known to be unconquerable, but one who submissively hears the words of a self-realized soul conquers the unconquerable. The conclusion is that if one is serious about liberation, he not only should execute the occupational duties of varnasrama-dharma but should also engage in bhakti-yoga by beginning hearing from a realized soul. This process will help the devotee conquer the unconquerable Supreme Personality of Godhead and become His associate after giving up the material body.
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