Devanagari
विरमेत यदा चित्तं हित्वा वृत्तित्रयं स्वयम् ।
योगेन वा तदात्मानं वेदेहाया निवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
virameta yadā cittaṁ
hitvā vṛtti-trayaṁ svayam
yogena vā tadātmānaṁ
vedehāyā nivartate
Synonyms
virameta
—
desists
;
yadā
—
when
;
cittam
—
the mind
;
hitvā
—
giving up
;
vṛtti
—
trayam — the functions of material life in the three phases of waking, sleep and deep sleep
;
svayam
—
automatically
;
yogena
—
by regulated spiritual practice
;
vā
—
or
;
tadā
—
then
;
ātmānam
—
the Supreme Soul
;
veda
—
he knows
;
īhāyāḥ
—
from material endeavor
;
nivartate
—
he ceases .
Translation
Either automatically or because of one’s regulated spiritual practice, one’s mind may stop functioning on the material platform of waking consciousness, sleep and deep sleep. Then one understands the Supreme Soul and withdraws from material endeavor.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When the mind, gives up the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep by bhakti-yoga, and spontaneously enjoys the lotus feet of the Lord, at that time he realizes the Lord and gives up all material desires.
Having explained the ten characteristics of a Purāṇa, a verse is given to understand the topic. Similarly it has already been stated:
daśamasya viśuddhy-arthaṁ navānām iha lakṣaṇam
varṇayanti mahātmānaḥ śrutenārthena cāṣjasā
The great devotees such as Vidura and Maitreya describe properly the nine topics in order to impart the highest knowledge of the tenth topic, through the words of the scripture and stories to illustrate their meaning. SB 2.10.2
The power of bhakti has already been stated.
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ nigīrṇam analo yathā
That bhakti quickly destroys the subtle body, just as the digestive fire consumes food. SB 3.25.33
Giving up the three states of material consciousness by pure bhakti (yogena) consisting of hearing and chanting, the mind spontaneously becomes detached (virameta) from the guṇas, or the mind take great joy (viśeṣeṇa rameta) spontaneously in lotus feet of the Lord. Or, by aṣṭāṅga-yoga the mind becomes detached and reaches nirvāṇa. At that time the mind realizes Paramātmā (ātmānam) and becomes detached from material desires. (īhāyāḥ).
Purport
As stated in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(3.25.33)
,
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ nigīrṇam analo yathā:
“
Bhakti,
devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate endeavor, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.” The subtle material body is inclined to exploit nature through sex, greed, false pride and madness. Loving service to the Lord, however, dissolves the stubborn false ego and lifts one to pure blissful consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the sublime perfection of existence.