Devanagari
तस्मात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हृदिस्थं कुरु केशवम् ।
म्रियमाणो ह्यवहितस्ततो यासि परां गतिम् ॥ ४९ ॥
Verse text
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan
hṛdi-sthaṁ kuru keśavam
mriyamāṇo hy avahitas
tato yāsi parāṁ gatim
Synonyms
tasmāt
—
therefore
;
sarva
—
ātmanā — with all endeavor
;
rājan
—
O King
;
hṛdi
—
stham — within your heart
;
kuru
—
make
;
keśavam
—
Lord Keśava
;
mriyamāṇaḥ
—
dying
;
hi
—
indeed
;
avahitaḥ
—
concentrated
;
tataḥ
—
then
;
yāsi
—
you will go
;
parām
—
to the supreme
;
gatim
—
destination .
Translation
Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme Lord Keśava within your heart. Maintain this concentration upon the Lord, and at the time of death you will certainly attain the supreme destination.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme Lord Keśava within your heart. You will certainly attain the supreme destination by remembering the Lord with attention.
Since persons like Ajāmila remembered the Lord without being attentive, you will certainly attain the Lord from remembering him (tataḥ) with attention
Purport
Although the Supreme Lord is always in the heart of every living being, the words
hṛdi-sthaṁ kuru keśavam
indicate that one should endeavor to realize the Lord’s presence there and maintain this awareness at every moment. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is about to give up this world and is receiving final instructions from his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In the context of the King’s imminent departure, this verse has special significance.