Devanagari
त्यक्त्वा स्वधर्मं चरणाम्बुजं हरे-
र्भजन्नपक्वोऽथ पतेत्ततो यदि ।
यत्र क्व वाभद्रमभूदमुष्य किं
को वार्थ आप्तोऽभजतां स्वधर्मत: ॥ १७ ॥
Verse text
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
Synonyms
tyaktvā
—
having forsaken
;
sva
—
dharmam — one’s own occupational engagement
;
caraṇa
—
ambujam — the lotus feet
;
hareḥ
—
of Hari (the Lord)
;
bhajan
—
in the course of devotional service
;
apakvaḥ
—
immature
;
atha
—
for the matter of
;
patet
—
falls down
;
tataḥ
—
from that place
;
yadi
—
if
;
yatra
—
whereupon
;
kva
—
what sort of
;
vā
—
or (used sarcastically)
;
abhadram
—
unfavorable
;
abhūt
—
shall happen
;
amuṣya
—
of him
;
kim
—
nothing
;
kaḥ vā arthaḥ
—
what interest
;
āptaḥ
—
obtained
;
abhajatām
—
of the nondevotee
;
sva
—
dharmataḥ — being engaged in occupational service .
Translation
One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
If a person having given up his duties in varṇāśrama, begins the worship of the Lord’s lotus feet, and happens to deviate or not reach perfection, there is no misfortune for him at all in the future. But what does the person who follows all duties of varṇāśrama but does not worship the Lord gain?
Purport
As far as the duties of mankind are concerned, there are innumerable duties. Every man is duty-bound not only to his parents, family members, society, country, humanity, other living beings, the demigods, etc., but also to the great philosophers, poets, scientists, etc. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one can relinquish all such duties and surrender unto the service of the Lord. So if one does so and becomes successful in the discharge of his devotional service unto the Lord, it is well and good. But it so happens sometimes that one surrenders himself unto the service of the Lord by some temporary sentiment, and in the long run, due to so many other reasons, he falls down from the path of service by undesirable association. There are so many instances of this in the histories. Bharata Mahārāja was obliged to take his birth as a stag due to his intimate attachment to a stag. He thought of this stag when he died. As such, in the next birth he became a stag, although he did not forget the incident of his previous birth. Similarly, Citraketu also fell down due to his offenses at the feet of Śiva. But in spite of all this, the stress is given here to surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Lord, even if there is a chance of falling down, because even though one falls down from the prescribed duties of devotional service, he will never forget the lotus feet of the Lord. Once engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, one will continue the service in all circumstances. In the
Bhagavad-gītā
it is said that even a small quantity of devotional service can save one from the most dangerous position. There are many instances of such examples in history. Ajāmila is one of them. Ajāmila in his early life was a devotee, but in his youth he fell down. Still he was saved by the Lord at the end.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“But Bhagavad-gītā says:
na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed ajṣānāṁ karma-saṅginām |
yojayet sarva-karmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran ||
The wise man should not disturb the intelligence of the ignorant attached to results of work. Engaging in all work himself with detachment, he should engage them in activity. BG 3.26
Thus it is forbidden to give up karma.”
That is true. This instruction is given to one who is teaching jṣāna to another person. Practicing jṣāna depends on inner purification, and that purification depends on niṣkāma-karma. This is not an instruction for one teaching another person about bhakti, for bhakti is independently powerful, not depending on prior inner purification. Lord Ajita says:
svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān na vakty ajṣāya karma hi |
na rāti rogiṇo ’pathyaṁ vāṣchato ’pi bhiṣaktamaḥ ||
One who knows the highest good will never instruct a foolish person to engage in material enjoyment, just as an experienced physician gives his patient eat food injurious to his health, even if the patient desires it. SB 6.9.50
Therefore the Lord says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66) and as well:
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajeta sa tu sattamaḥ
Having taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities. SB 11.11.32
From the strength of these statements one should teach only bhakti to the Lord, while giving up attachment to daily and periodic duties in varṇāśrama. With this intention the verse is spoken.
Even in the beginning stage of bhakti, practice of karma is forbidden. Having given up ones dharma (tyaktvā svadharmān) even at the beginning stages of bhakti, a person who worships the lotus feet of the Lord will incur no sin by giving up that dharma. This is understood also from the following:
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
Anyone who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers. SB 11.5.41
And if the person dies without being qualified to attain the Lord, or (vā), if while alive falls down because of sinful acts, being attached to material pleasures, even then, there is no misfortune incurred by having given up karmas, because the impressions created by bhakti are indestructible, and remain in subtle form. In such a state one should not revert to performance of karma. Is there any misfortune somewhere (yatra kva), in his next life? No there is no misfortune at all. Vā indicates a remote possibility of falling. It is stated as a concession to the opponent (tuṣyatu durjana nyāya). His falling after leaving the present body is actually not a fall—one does not take a low body because of omitting karmas. This is shown by the following statement of the Lord:
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṁso mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ
O Uddhava! Because I have personally established it, this process of niṣkāma-bhakti is beyond the guṇas. Even by starting and not completing the process, there is no destruction of results. SB 11.29.20
This is because certainly the sprout of bhakti, being productive, will eventually bear leaves, flowers and fruit. Instead of the present or future verb, the past tense is used (abhūt). This implies a criticism of all those who object (by showing that the fact is already proven). And what is gained from performing all of one’s karmas (sva-dharmataḥ) by persons who do not worship the Lord (abhajatām).