Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 5.6.19

nityanubhuta-nija-labha-nivritta-trishnah

sreyasy atad-racanaya cira-supta-buddheh

lokasya yah karunayabhayam atma-lokam

akhyan namo bhagavate rishabhaya tasmai

SYNONYMS

nitya-anubhuta -- due to being always conscious of His real identity; nija-labha-nivritta-trishnah -- who was complete in Himself and had no other desire to fulfill; sreyasi -- in life's genuine welfare; a-tat-racanaya -- by expanding activities in the material field, mistaking the body for the self; cira -- for a long time; supta -- sleeping; buddheh -- whose intelligence; lokasya -- of men; yah -- who (Lord Rishabhadeva); karunaya -- by His causeless mercy; abhayam -- fearlessness; atma-lokam -- the real identity of the self; akhyat -- instructed; namah -- respectful obeisances; bhagavate -- unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rishabhaya -- unto Lord Rishabhadeva; tasmai -- unto Him.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rishabhadeva, was fully aware of His true identity; therefore He was self-sufficient, and He did not desire external gratification. There was no need for Him to aspire for success, since He was complete in Himself. Those who unnecessarily engage in bodily conceptions and create an atmosphere of materialism are always ignorant of their real self-interest. Out of His causeless mercy, Lord Rishabhadeva taught the self's real identity and the goal of life. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who appeared as Lord Rishabhadeva.

PURPORT

This is the summary of this chapter, in which the activities of Lord Rishabhadeva are described. Being the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Lord Rishabhadeva is complete in Himself. We living entities, as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, should follow the instructions of Lord Rishabhadeva and become self-sufficient. We should not create unnecessary demands due to the bodily conception. When one is self-realized, he is sufficiently satisfied due to being situated in his original spiritual position. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (18.54): Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kankshati. This is the goal of all living entities. Even though one may be situated within this material world, he can become fully satisfied and devoid of hankering and lamentation simply by following the instructions of the Lord as set forth in Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam. Satisfaction through self-realization is called svarupananda. The conditioned soul, eternally sleeping in darkness, does not understand his self-interest. He simply tries to become happy by making material adjustments, but this is impossible. It is therefore said in Srimad-Bhagavatam, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi vishnum: [SB 7.5.31] due to gross ignorance, the conditioned soul does not know that his real self-interest is to take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. To try to become happy by adjusting the material atmosphere is a useless endeavor. Indeed, it is impossible. By His personal behavior and instructions, Lord Rishabhadeva enlightened the conditioned soul and showed him how to become self-sufficient in his spiritual identity.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Activities of Lord Rishabhadeva."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness