Devanagari
सध्रयङ् नियम्य यतयो यमकर्तहेतिं ।
जह्यु: स्वराडिव निपानखनित्रमिन्द्र: ॥ ४८ ॥
Verse text
sadhryaṅ niyamya yatayo yama-karta-hetiṁ
jahyuḥ svarāḍ iva nipāna-khanitram indraḥ
Synonyms
sadhryak
—
artificial mental speculation or meditation
;
niyamya
—
controlling
;
yatayaḥ
—
the mystics
;
yama
—
karta — hetim — the process of spiritual culture
;
jahyuḥ
—
are given up
;
svarāṭ
—
fully independent
;
iva
—
as
;
nipāna
—
well
;
khanitram
—
trouble for digging
;
indraḥ
—
the controlling demigod supplying rains .
Translation
In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the mind, mental speculation or meditation, as performed by the jṣānīs and yogīs. One gives up such processes, as the heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble to dig a well.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The yogīs and sannyāsīs, who concentrated their mind on brahman and Paramātmā, finally give up the sādhana of seeing non-difference, being indifferent to that practice, as much as Indra is indifferent to digging a well.
Purport
A poor man in want of water digs a well and undertakes the trouble of digging. Similarly, those who are poor in transcendental realization speculate on the mind or meditate by controlling the senses. But they do not know that such control of the senses and achievement of spiritual perfection are simultaneously made possible as soon as one is factually engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Person, the Personality of Godhead. It is for this reason that the great liberated souls also desire to be associated in hearing and chanting the activities of the Lord. The example of Indra is very appropriate in this connection. King Indra of heaven is the controlling deity or demigod for arranging clouds and supplying rains in the universe, and as such he does not have to take the trouble to dig a well for his personal water supply. For him, digging a well for a water supply is simply ludicrous. Similarly, those who are factually engaged in the loving service of the Lord have attained the ultimate goal of life, and for them there is no need of mental speculation to find out the true nature of God or His activities. Nor do such devotees have to meditate upon the imaginary or real identity of the Lord. Because they are factually engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the Lord’s pure devotees have already achieved the results of mental speculation and meditation. The real perfection of life is therefore to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The worshippers of Paramātmā and brahman are described as having the same general form. Sadhryak means “that which accompanies,” the mind. Masculine gender of yam is poetic license. The yogīs and sannyāsis (yatayaḥ), concentrating their minds (sadhṛyak) on Paramātmā and brahman, should give up the practice (hetim) of no distinctions (akarta). They do not respect it because it is considered unsuitable. An example is given of losing interest in a process because it is no longer useful. It is like Indra who is the very form of rain (svarāṭ), having no interest in digging a well (nipāna). Or svarāṭ can mean who exists by himself, with wealth. A poor man who becomes wealthy like Indra gives up his shovel which he used when he was a laborer. The devotees of the Lord however respect their sādhana twice as much when they attain prema. The devotees cannot be included in above statement at all.