SB 5.11.17
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 17
bhrātṛvyam enaṁ tad adabhra-vīryam
upekṣayādhyedhitam apramattaḥ
guror hareś caraṇopāsanāstro
jahi vyalīkaṁ svayam ātma-moṣam
SYNONYMS
bhrātṛvyam—the formidable enemy; enam—this mind; tat—that; adabhra-vīryam—very, very powerful; upekṣayā—by neglecting; adhyedhitam—unnecessarily increased in power; apramattaḥ—one who is without illusion; guroḥ—of the spiritual master; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; caraṇa—of the lotus feet; upāsanā-astraḥ—applying the weapon of worshiping; jahi—conquer; vyalīkam—false; svayam—personally; ātma-moṣam—which covers the constitutional position of the living entity.
TRANSLATION
This uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of the living entity. If one neglects it or gives it a chance, it will grow more and more powerful and will become victorious. Although it is not factual, it is very strong. It covers the constitutional position of the soul. O King, please try to conquer this mind by the weapon of service to the lotus feet of the spiritual master and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Do this with great care.
PURPORT
There is one easy weapon with which the mind can be conquered—neglect. The mind is always telling us to do this or that; therefore we should be very expert in disobeying the mind's orders. Gradually the mind should be trained to obey the orders of the soul. It is not that one should obey the orders of the mind. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that to control the mind one should beat it with shoes many times just after awakening and again before going to sleep. In this way one can control the mind. This is the instruction of all the śāstras. If one does not do so, one is doomed to follow the dictations of the mind. Another bona fide process is to abide strictly by the orders of the spiritual master and engage in the Lord's service. Then the mind will be automatically controlled. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:
- brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
When one receives the seed of devotional service by the mercy of the guru and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one's real life begins. If one abides by the orders of the spiritual master, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he is freed from service to the mind.
- Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Eleventh Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Jaḍa Bharata Instructs King Rahūgaṇa."