SB 1.6.35 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 35
Yamadivir yogapathaih kamalobha hato muhuh
Mukunda savaya yadbat tatha addha atmana shamyati.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Yamadivir—by the process of practising self restraint; Yogapathaih—by the Yoga (mystic power of the body to attain Godly stage) system, Kama—desires for sense satisfaction, Lobha—lust for satisfaction of the senses, Hato—curbed down, muhuh—always, mukunda—the personality of Godhead, Sevaya—by the service of, Yadbat—as it is, Tatha—like that, Addha—for all practical purposes, Atma—the soul, Na—does not, Shamyati—be satisfied.
TRANSLATION
It is true that by practising restraint of the senses by Yoga system one can get relief from the disturbances of desires and lust but as it is the same is not sufficient to give satisfaction to the soul as it is derived from the devotional service of the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
The system of Yoga means controlling the senses. By practice of the mystic process of bodily exercise in the matter of sitting, thinking, feeling, willing, concentrating, meditating and at last being merged into transcendence, are certainly useful for controlling the senses. The senses are considered like the venomous serpents and the Yoga system is just to control them as if by chanting mantra and herbal efficacy. On the other hand Narada Muni recommends another method for controlling the senses in the transcendental loving service of Mukunda the Personality of Godhead. Rather by His experience He says that devotional service of the Lord is more effective and practical than the system of artificially controlling senses. In the service of the Lord Mukund the senses are transcendentally engaged as such there is no chance of being engaged in the matter of sense satisfaction. The senses want some engagement. To check them artificially is no check at all because as soon as there will be some opportunity for enjoyment the serpent like senses will certainly take advantage of it. There are many such instances in the history just like Viswamitra Muni fell a victim of the beauty of Menaka. But for Thakur Hari Das who was allured at midnight by the well dressed Maya and still she could not induce the great devotee in her trap.
The whole idea is that without being administered with devotional service of the Lord neither the Yoga system nor dry philosophical speculative way of searching out the truth, can become ever successful. Pure devotional service of the Lord without being tinged with fruitive work, mystic yoga or speculative philosophy is the foremost procedure to attain self realisation. Such pure devotional service is transcendental in nature and the system of Yoga and Jnana are subordinate to such process. When transcendental devotional service is mixed up with the other subordinate process, it is no longr transcendental but it is called mixed up devotional service. Srila Vyasdeva the author of Srimad Bhagwatam will gradually develop all these different systems of transcendental realisation pure and mixed up, in the text.