Devanagari
भेजिरे मुनयोऽथाग्रे भगवन्तमधोक्षजम् ।
सत्त्वं विशुद्धं क्षेमाय कल्पन्ते येऽनु तानिह ॥ २५ ॥
Verse text
bhejire munayo ’thāgre
bhagavantam adhokṣajam
sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ kṣemāya
kalpante ye ’nu tān iha
Synonyms
bhejire
—
rendered service unto
;
munayaḥ
—
the sages
;
atha
—
thus
;
agre
—
previously
;
bhagavantam
—
unto the Personality of Godhead
;
adhokṣajam
—
the Transcendence
;
sattvam
—
existence
;
viśuddham
—
above the three modes of nature
;
kṣemāya
—
to derive the ultimate benefit
;
kalpante
—
deserve
;
ye
—
those
;
anu
—
follow
;
tān
—
those
;
iha
—
in this material world .
Translation
Previously all the great sages rendered service unto the Personality of Godhead due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions and thus derive the ultimate benefit. Whoever follows such great authorities is also eligible for liberation from the material world.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore the ancient sages worshipped Supreme Lord, beyond the material senses, composed of viśuddha-sattva. Those who follow the sages attain liberation in this world.
Purport
The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the
mahājanas,
or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own good may follow these
mahājanas
and thus attain the supreme benefit.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Thus (ataḥ), the sages in ancient times worshipped the Supreme Lord, who is viśuddha-sattva. Viśuddha-sattva means having a body composed of the cit-śakti arising from his svarūpa (not material sattva), because the śruti says vidyāvidyābhyāṁ bhinnam: the Lord is neither material knowledge (sattva) nor ignorance. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 2.20) Furthermore the smṛti says chāyātapau yatra na gṛdhra-pakṣau: in the Lord there is no ignorance or knowledge which causes prejudice towards the jīva. (SB 8.5.27) satya-jṣānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ: the viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time. (SB 10.13.54) Because the body of Viṣṇu is beyond māyā, one cannot say that viśuddha-sattva means the vidyā arising from māyā-śakti. The persons who follow after (anu) these sages are qualified for liberation (kṣemāya) in this world (iha).