Devanagari
इत्येतद् वर्णितं राजन् यन्न: प्रश्न: कृतस्त्वया ।
यथा ब्रह्मण्यनिर्देश्ये निर्गुणेऽपि मनश्चरेत् ॥ ४९ ॥
Verse text
ity etad varṇitaṁ rājan
yan naḥ praśnaḥ kṛtas tvayā
yathā brahmaṇy anirdeśye
nīṛguṇe ’pi manaś caret
Synonyms
iti
—
thus
;
etat
—
this
;
varṇitam
—
related
;
rājan
—
O King (Parīkṣit)
;
yat
—
which
;
naḥ
—
to us
;
praśnaḥ
—
question
;
kṛtaḥ
—
made
;
tvayā
—
by you
;
yathā
—
how
;
brahmaṇi
—
in the Absolute Truth
;
anirdeśye
—
which cannot be described in words
;
nirguṇe
—
which has no material qualities
;
api
—
even
;
manaḥ
—
the mind
;
caret
—
moves .
Translation
Thus I have replied to the question you asked me, O King, concerning how the mind can have access to the Absolute Truth, which is indescribable by material words and devoid of material qualities.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Thus I have replied to the question You asked me, O King, concerning how the mind can have access to the Absolute Truth, which is indescribable by material words and devoid of material qualities.
KB 10.87.49
In this way Śukadeva Gosvāmī informed Mahārāja Parīkṣit of the answers to his questions regarding the essence of Vedic knowledge and what is considered to be the ultimate goal in the Vedas. The supreme goal of life is to achieve the transcendental blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become engaged in the loving service of the Lord. One should follow in the footsteps of Śukadeva Gosvāmī and all the other Vaiṣṇavas in the disciplic succession and should pay respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. The four sects of Vaiṣṇava disciplic succession, namely the Madhva-sampradāya, the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, the Viṣṇu-Svāmī-sampradāya and the Nimbārka-sampradāya, in pursuance of all Vedic conclusions, agree that one should surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"I have replied to you how the mind can conceive of God who is beyond material conceptions and without material qualities." The answer is: the mind can perceive God by the power of bhakti arising from the mercy of the Lord.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The chapter now concludes. The question that you asked me has been answered here. Instead of ity etat sometimes tad etat is seen. What was the question? How can the mind approach the Lord by śrutis or by bhakti arising from the Lord’s mercy and the nature of the Lord? How can the śrutis approach the Lord? Tat tu samanvayāt: that the Lord iss the sole topic of discussion in the Vedas is confirmed by all scriptures. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.4) It has already been shown that the Lord is purport of the Vedas. Śabda-brahma paraṁ brahma mamobhe śāśvatī tanū: the scripture and Brahman are my two eternal forms. (SB 6.16.51) Since scripture and the Lord are one, they have the same śakti. Even without the śrutis, there is manifestation of very great śakti in Kṛṣṇa, Svayam Bhagavān:
nibhṛta-marun-mano-’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan
munaya upāsate tad arayo ’pi yayuḥ smaraṇāt
Simply by constantly thinking of him, the enemies of the Lord attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages fixed in yoga worship by controlling their breath, mind and senses. SB 10.87.23
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Thus has been described the answer to the question that you asked me (naḥ). How can the mind (manaḥ) or the Vedas (manaḥ) enter into the Lord or describe the Lord? O king! You are qualified to ask the question and receive the answer. He gives respect to himself by using the plural (naḥ).