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Let Your Mind Rest in God

समृद्धकामो हीनो वा नारायणपरो मुनिः ।
नोत्सर्पेत न शुष्येत सरिद्भिरिव सागरः ।।
– श्रीमद्भागवतम् ११.८.६

Samṛddha-kāmo hīno vā nārāyaṇaparo muni: |
Notsarpeta na śuṣyeta saridbhiriva sāgara: ||
– śrīmadbhāgavatam 11.8.6

Translation

A Sage, whose mind steadily rests in Nārāyaṇa considering Him to be the supreme, is neither elated nor dejected by the plentiful supply or absence of the objects of desire, just as the sea neither overflows nor dries up due to plentiful or no water brought in by the rivers.

Points for Introspection

Once King Yadu Chakravarty happened to meet a young, brilliant and fearless avadhoota (a Wise ascetic wanderer) who was wandering about just like a small boy having no worry or fear. The King asked him: “O Brahmana! You seem to be free of all desires to enjoy worldly pleasures. Remaining in the midst of this world you seem to be unattached and free. Please be graceful enough to tell me the secret of the supreme delight that you seem to be enjoying in your own within.”

The avadhoota said, “O King! Using my own intelligence and discrimination, wherever I have travelled, whomever I have met, I have considered some as my Gurus, from whom I have learnt many a lesson in life. Following these lessons I attained freedom from all shackles of the mind and am moving about happily and freely in this world.”

This shloka describes what the avadhoota learnt from the ocean. An ocean always keeps its bounds. It does not overflow in the rainy season when rivers in spate flow into the ocean carrying enormous quantities of water. Again in summer, when the rivers dry up or reach the ocean with very little water, there is no change in the ocean as such; it does not go dry. The ocean neither feels exhilarated while receiving plenty of water nor does it complain while getting inadequate quantity of water. It remains as full and deep as ever.

The avadhoota tells King Yadu that observing this nature of the ocean, he has learnt that in order to be full, deep and calm in all situations, one must accept favourable and unfavourable situations alike. One should neither be overwhelmed and exhilarated on receiving pleasurable items in plenty, nor be depressed or dejected when such objects of enjoyment are not there.

Now, when and how can one become limitless and vast forever like an ocean, not being bothered by what one receives and what one loses?

The Avadhoota observes: A sage, whose mind relies completely on God, for whom God is the surest refuge, attains that state where he transcends all desires. The only desire which he has is to remember God constantly and serve Him and his devotees. Such a sage whose invaluable treasure is God Himself, wants nothing from this world. Keeping the Lord in his heart, absorbed in the joy which belongs to his own within, he moves about delightfully from place to place.

Our suffering in the world is because we are either elated or depressed by the happenings in life. Whenever our desires are fulfilled we are extremely happy. Similarly, when desires are not fulfilled we are in great despair. One can live in this world with pure delight, fearlessness and confidence amidst any situation, when he is able to accept every event in life as given by God for his own ultimate auspicious growth.

When the shloka is chanted again and again, the mind leaves all its constrictions, its preferences and prejudices, and experiences the fullness and vastness of the ocean in all kinds of situation faced in life.

Word Meaning

समृद्धकामः (samṛddhakāma:) = one who has desired objects in plenty; हीनः (hīna:) = one who is bereft of; वा (vā) = or; नारायणपरः (nārāyaṇapara:) = one who has the mind steadily resting in Lord Nārayaṇa; मुनिः (muni:) = a saint, ascetic; न (na) = not; उत्सर्पेत (utsarpeta) =swell up; न (na) = not; शुष्येत (śuṣyeta) = dry up; सरिद्भिः (saridbhi:) = by the rivers; इव (iva) = like; सागरः (sāgara:) = ocean;

अन्वयः

नारायणपरः मुनिः समृद्धकामः वा हीनः, सरिद्भिः सागरः इव न उत्सर्पेत न शुष्येत ।

nārāyaṇapara: muni: samṛddhakāma: vā hīna:, saridbhi sāgara: iva na utsarpeta na śuṣyeta.