SB 5.6.1 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ऋषिरुवाच सत्यमुक्तं किन्‍त्विह वा एके न मनसोऽद्धा विश्रम्भमनवस्थानस्य शठकिरात इव सङ्गच्छन्ते ॥ २ ॥

Verse text

rājovāca na nūnaṁ bhagava ātmārāmāṇāṁ yoga-samīrita-jṣānāvabharjita-karma-bījānām aiśvaryāṇi punaḥ kleśadāni bhavitum arhanti yadṛc-chayopagatāni.

Synonyms

rājā uvāca — King Parīkṣit inquired ; na — not ; nūnam — indeed ; bhagavaḥ — O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī ; ātmārāmāṇām — of pure devotees simply engaged in devotional service ; yoga — samīrita — achieved by practice of yoga ; jṣāna — by knowledge ; avabharjita — burned ; karma — bījānām — of those whose seeds of fruitive activities ; aiśvaryāṇi — the mystic powers ; punaḥ — again ; kleśadāni — sources of distress ; bhavitum — to become ; arhanti — are able ; yadṛcchayā — automatically ; upagatāni — achieved .

Translation

King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear Lord, for those who are completely pure in heart, knowledge is attained by the practice of bhakti-yoga, and attachment for fruitive activity is completely burned to ashes. For such people, the powers of mystic yoga automatically arise. They do not cause distress. Why, then, did Ṛṣabhadeva neglect them?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

King Parīkṣit said: For ātmārāmas who have burned up the seeds of karma by knowledge produced through yoga the mystic powers which arise on their own should not produce suffering again. The Sixth Chapter discusses the low position of the mind, the disappearance of Ṛṣabhadeva and the rise of heterodoxy in imitation of his activities. Hearing that Ṛṣabhadeva did not welcome mystic powers, Parīkṣit asks a question. O great soul (bhagavaḥ)! For the ātmārāmas who have burned up the seeds of karma by knowledge arising from best yoga, the powers should not be harmful, since enjoyment which arises suddenly is not harmful.

Purport

A pure devotee is constantly engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever is necessary for the discharge of devotional service is automatically attained, though it may appear to be the result of mystic yoga power. Sometimes a yogī displays a little yogic power by manufacturing gold. A little quantity of gold captivates foolish people, and thus the yogī gets many followers, who are willing to accept such a tiny person as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a yogī may also advertise himself as Bhagavān. However, a devotee does not have to exhibit such magical wonders. Without practicing the mystic yogic process, he achieves even greater opulence all over the world. Under the circumstances, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva refused to manifest mystic yogic perfections, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked why He did not accept them, since, for a devotee, they are not at all disturbing. A devotee is never distressed or satisfied by material opulence. His concern is how to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, a devotee achieves extraordinary opulence, he utilizes the opportunity for the Lord’s service. He is not disturbed by the opulence.