Verse 2.65

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.65:

प्रसादे सर्व-दुःखानां हानिर् अस्योपजायते ।
प्रसन्न-चेतसो ह्य् आशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥ ६५ ॥

prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṃ hānir asyopajāyate |
prasanna-cetaso hy āśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate || 65 ||

prasāde–on attainment of that joyful state; sarva-duḥkhānām–of all miseries; hāniḥ–disspelled far away; asya–of that person (whose mind and senses are controlled); upajāyate–takes place; prasanna-cetasaḥ–for that person whose mind is content; hi–certainly; āśu–very soon; buddhiḥ–intelligence; paryavatiṣṭhate–becomes completely fixed (in attaining his heart’s desire).

When that self-controlled person attains the stage of joyfulness, all of his miseries are dispelled and his intelligence soon becomes completely fixed upon attaining his desired goal.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate means that in all respects, his intelligence becomes stable and fixed on the desired goal. Thus he remains happy, whether he accepts sense objects or not. Prasanna-cetasaḥ indicates that it should be understood that internal happiness will come only from bhakti, because without bhakti, the heart cannot become pleased. This has been explained vividly in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which describes how Vyāsadeva’s mind was not happy, even after he had compiled Vedānta-sūtra. However, when he followed the instructions of Śrī Nārada, his heart became blissful through the exclusive practice of bhakti.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The heart can be pleased only by bhakti, rendering loving devotional service to Śrī Bhagavān. Bhakti removes all miseries, and in a very short period, a person who practises bhakti easily becomes fully fixed at the lotus feet of his worshipful Lord. This is also described in the dialogue between Vyāsa and Nārada in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from dhṛta-vratena hi mayā (1.4.28) to yamādibhir yoga-pathaiḥ kāma-lobha-hato muhuḥ (1.6.35). “When the sādhaka practises yama and niyama (sense control by observing strict regulations), which are on the path of the eightfold process of yoga, the mind, which is always under the control of lust and greed, attains a certain level of happiness and peace. However, there is no comparison between this and the immediate and immense pleasure attained by service to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.35).

In this regard, it is worth deliberating on the examples of Saubhari Ṛṣi, Yayāti Mahārāja, Viśvāmitra Muni and others. Saubhari Ṛṣi was unable to control his mind even after performing austerities within the water of the Yamunā for ten thousand years. His mind became agitated by seeing fish engaging in sex life. He emerged from the water to marry the fifty daughters of King Māndhātā, but his lust remained unsatiated, even after enjoying with them by expanding himself into fifty forms. Eventually, he attained his desired goal by controlling his senses through the worship of Śrī Bhagavān.

Yayāti Mahārāja was not able to control his mind, despite various endeavours. He exchanged his old age for the youth of his son Puru and enjoyed for many years, but his lusty desires increased, just as ghee nourishes fire. He could only attain peace when he finally fixed his mind in the worship of Bhagavān.

Although Viśvāmitra Muni engaged in severe austerities by practising śama (mind control) and dama (sense control) and subduing his senses, he still abandoned his austerities upon hearing Menakā’s ankle bells and became absorbed in lustful activity. His agitated mind eventually only found peace in the worship of Bhagavān.

This conclusion is specifically verified in the dialogue between Vyāsa and Nārada in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vedavyāsa had already divided the Vedas into four parts and had compiled Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas and Vedānta-sūtra. Although he had described knowledge of religious duty (dharma) and other such topics, for the information of people in general, his mind remained unsatisfied. Unable to understand why, he inquired from his spiritual master, Śrī Nārada:

śrī nārada uvāca–
bhavatānudita-prāyaṃ yaśo bhagavato’malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṃ khilam
yathā dharmādayaś cārthā muni-varyānukīrtitāḥ
na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.8–9)

O great sage, you have described the processes of mundane religiosity (dharma) and knowledge (jñāna), which I consider to be incomplete and insignificant, but you have not clearly described the topics of Śrī Bhagavān’s most purifying pastimes and their glories. Śrī Bhagavān cannot be pleased unless one glorifies such pastimes, which manifest themselves in the purified mind by the performance of bhakti.

Following the instructions of Nārada Muni, by performing bhakti-yoga, Vyāsa was able to see in his pure heart all of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful pastimes, which are full of aiśvarya (opulence) and mādhurya (sweetness). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam consists of the activities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa which Vyāsa realized in his devotional trance, or samādhi.

yasyāṃ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṃ kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe
bhaktir utpadyate puṃsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.7)

By the culture of hearing and following this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotion to Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa immediately manifests in the heart, dispelling lamentation, delusion and fear.