SB 1.10.23 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 23
Sa va ayam yat padamatra surayao Jitendaiya nirjita matariswanah Pasyanti bhaktut kalita amalatmanah Nanwesa satwam parimarstum arhati.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sa—He, Va—by Providence, Ayam—this, Yat—that which Padamatra—Here is the same Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, Surayo—great devotees, Jitendriya—one who has overcome the influence of the senses, Nirjita—thoroughly controlled, Matariswanah—life, Pasyanti—can see, Bhakyut—by dint of devotional service, Kalita—developed, Amal atmanah—those who are thoroughly cleansed of the mind, Nanwesa—certainly by this only, Satwam—existence, Parimarstum—for purifying the mind completely, Arhati—deserare.
TRANSLATION
Here is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead Whose transcendental Form is experienced by the great devotees who are completely cleansed of the material mind by dint of rigid devotional service and by full control of life and the senses. And that is the only means to purify the existence.
PURPORT
As it is stated in the Bhagwat Geeta that the Lord can be known in His real nature by dint of pure devotional service only so it is stated here that only the great devotees of the Lord who are enabled to clear up the mind from all material dusts by rigid devotional service only, can experience the Lord as He is. Jitendriya means one who has full control over the senses. The senses are active parts of the body and their activities cannot be stopped. The artificial means of yogic process to make the senses inactive has proved to be abject failure even in the case of great Yogis like Biswamitra Muni. Biswamitra Muni controlled the senses by yogic trance but when he happened to meet Menaka (heavenly society woman) he became a victim of sex and the artificial way of controlling senses failed. But in the case of a pure devotee the senses are not at all artificially stopped from doing anything but they are given different good engagements. As such the senses having been engaged in more attractive activities there is no chance of their being attracted by any other inferior engagements. In the Bhagwat Geeta it is said that the senses can only be controlled under circumstances of better engagements. Devotional service meanse purifying the senses or to engage them in the activities of devotional service. Devotional service is not inaction. Anything done in the service of the Lord becomes at once purified of its matetial nature. Material conception is due to ignorance only. There is nothing beyond Vasudeva. The Vasudeva conception gradually develops in the heart of the learned after a prolonged acceleration of the receptive organs. But the process ends in the knowledge of accepting Vasudeva as all in all. In the case of devotional service this very same method is accepted from the very beginning and by the Grace of the Lord all factual knowledge becomes revealed in the heart of a devotee on account of dictation of the Lord from within. Therefore controlling the senses by devotional service is the only and easiest means.