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Completely Devote Yourself To The Supreme Lord

न पारमेष्ठ्यं न महेन्द्रधिष्ण्यं
न सार्वभौमं न रसाधिपत्यम् ।
न योगसिद्धीरपुनर्भवं वा
मय्यर्पितात्मेच्छति मद्विनान्यत् ॥
– श्रीमद्भागवतम् ११.१४.१४

Na pārameṣṭhyaṃ na mahedradhiṣṇyaṃ
Na sārvabhaumaṃ na rasādhipatyam |
Na yogasiddhīrapunarbhavaṃ vā
Mayyarpitātmecchati madvinānyat ||
– Śrīmadbhāgavatam 11.14.14

Translation

One who has completely devoted himself to Me desires for neither the abode of Lord Brahma, nor the abode of Lord Indra, nor the emperorship of the whole earth, nor the dominion over the lower world, nor the attainment of yogic powers, and not even liberation (from the cycle of births and deaths). Such a person desires to attain Me and nothing else.

Points for Introspection

Everybody in this world wants material prosperity. Everyone seeks more and more of wealth, fame, recognition and prestige. The unending desires that human beings have always make them agitated and restless. Seeking happiness, they run after perishable gains. They feel that acquiring material wealth and prestige, they will be happy. Fools as they are, they do not know that achieving no material object, can one be happy.

There are a rare few who understand that peace and happiness cannot be had from the perishable objects of this transitory world. Such rare souls, instead, turn to the Supreme Lord who is the all-pervading, eternal, universal presence and is the source of all Creation. He is the sustainer and in Him dissolves the whole Creation. For human beings who are always under tension, anxiety and fear, He is the surest refuge and anchor who alone can take them across the worldly ocean of misery and fear.

As and when man recognizes the transitoriness of the world and also discovers the magnanimity of the Supreme Lord, his mind very naturally and spontaneously starts withdrawing from all the objects he so intensely desires in order to be happy. Slowly, his mind starts developing love and devotion for God considering Him to be the most near and dear one, the one who remaining closest to the heart delivers everybody from all misery, suffering and fear.

As the devotee’s mind withdraws from other objects of the world which were so far alluring to the mind, his devotion for God becomes one-pointed and wholesome. As devotion deepens, the devotee seeks and yearns for God more and more. His thoughts revolve only around God and His manifestations. He derives supreme delight and bliss in thinking about God, singing about His glories and exploits, and contemplating on His characteristics. In this way, a devotee’s mind becomes completely absorbed in the Lord and totally surrendered to Him in mind and intelligence. Experiencing within himself the presence of the Supreme Lord, who Himself is Bliss Supreme, the devotee enjoys such delight within and without that he desires nothing else in this world or in any other world. He does not even want Mukti (liberation). Except the Lord Himself, such a devotee wants nothing.

In this shloka, Sri Krishna himself tells Uddhava, his most dear devotee, about such a devotee who is completely surrendered to Sri Krishna, the Supreme Lord. He says such a devotee who in mind and intelligence has completely offered himself to the Lord, desires neither the abode of Brahma, nor the abode of Indra, nor the emperorship of the whole earth, nor the dominion over the lower world, nor even the attainment of Yogic powers. He not even desires Mukti. The sole desire of such a person is to attain the Lord Himself.

Chanting this shloka, especially the word ‘mayyarpitātmā’ (offering oneself heart and soul to the Supreme Lord), one gets the experience of a wholesome offering of oneself.

Word Meaning

न (na) = not; पारमेष्ठ्यं (pārameṣṭhyaṃ) = the abode of Lord Brahma; न (na) = not; महेन्द्रधिष्ण्यं (mahedradhiṣṇyaṃ) = the abode of Lord Indra; न (na) = not; सार्वभौमं (sārvabhaumaṃ) = emperorship of the whole earth; न (na) = not; रसाधिपत्यं (rasādhipatyam) = the dominion over the lower world; न (na) = not; योगसिद्धीः (yogasiddhī:) = attainment of yogic powers; अपुनर्भवं (apunarbhavaṃ) = liberation (from the cycle of births and deaths); वा (vā) = nor; मयि (mayi) = in Me; अर्पितात्मा (arpitātmā) = one who completely devoted; इच्छति (icchati) = wishes, desires for; मत् विना (mat vinā) other than Me; अन्यत् (anyat) = anything else

अन्वयः

मयि अर्पितात्मा न पारमेष्ठ्यं न महेन्द्रधिष्ण्यं न सार्वभौमं न रसाधिपत्यं न योगसिद्धीः अपुनर्भवं वा (न) इच्छति । मत् विना अन्यत् (न इच्छति) ।

mayi arpitātmā na pārameṣṭhyaṃ, na mahedradhiṣṇyaṃ, na sārvabhaumaṃ, na rasādhipatyaṃ, na yogasiddhī:, apunarbhavaṃ vā (na) icchati . mat vinā anyat (na icchati).