Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran- Canto: 11, Chapters: 2
King Nimi of Videha, having received the rare and blessed opportunity to behold the nine Yogishwars, humbly submitted, “O great souls! Human birth, though fleeting, is exceedingly rare, and rarer still is the association of saints such as you. Therefore, kindly explain in detail that Bhagavat Dharma, by following which the soul can easily attain supreme devotion to the lotus feet of Bhagwan.”
Pleased with King Nimi’s question, Kavi, the first among those Yogishwars absorbed in divine love, said, “O King! Constant worship of the lotus feet of the infallible Shree Hari is the highest welfare of the soul and the path of complete fearlessness. When a person identifies the body, home, family, and other perishable things as ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ fear, anxiety, and unrest arise in the mind. But through this worship of Bhagwan, all such fear is completely destroyed.
“Bhagwan Himself, through His own divine words, revealed a simple and accessible path by which even the most ordinary and innocent souls can easily attain Him. This sacred path is known as Bhagavat Dharm.
“O King! One who takes shelter of Bhagavat Dharma is never overcome by obstacles. Even if he runs with his eyes closed, that is, even if he makes mistakes in following prescribed rules and procedures, he neither strays from the path nor is deprived of attaining Bhagwan.”
kaayena vaachaa manasendriyair vaa
buddhyaatmanaa vaanusrita svabhaavaat
karoti yad yat sakalam parasmai
naaraayanaayeti samarpayet tat
A person should offer every action performed through the body, speech, mind, all the senses, intellect, the self, or even under the influence of one's innate nature, at the lotus feet of the Supreme Purushottam Bhagwan Shree Narayan, with the consciousness “All this is for Narayan alone.” (Bhagavat 11.2.36)
bhayam dviteeyaa-bhiniveshatah syaat
eeshaad apetasya viparyayo asmritih
tan maayayaa ato budha aabhajet tam
bhaktyaikayesham guru devataatmaa
When the soul turns away from Bhagwan, under the influence of His Maya, it forgets its true spiritual nature and begins to identify itself with the perishable body. From this mistaken identification arises the perception that “there exists another, separate from me”, the sense of duality that becomes the cause of all fear and suffering.
Therefore, a wise person should accept the Guru as one’s worshipful Lord and very Self, and with exclusive devotion continuously worship the Supreme Bhagwan alone. (Bhagavat 11.2.37)
Kavi says that in reality, there is no independent existence apart from Bhagwan. The soul and this world are both real, but both depend on Bhagwan. Yet, because of ignorance, the soul considers itself separate from Bhagwan and begins to regard the world as its everything.
Just as, in a dream, many scenes created by the mind appear real, or just as in the waking state a person becomes absorbed in imagination and desires and creates an entirely different world within the mind, similarly, the soul identifies the body, wealth, relationships, pleasure, pain, and so on as “I” and “mine.” This is delusion.
Therefore, a wise person should control the mind that wanders through worldly desires, intentions, and imaginations, and direct it toward Bhagwan. When the mind becomes firmly established in Bhagwan and is freed from worldly attachment and the delusion of “I” and “mine,” the soul attains the fearless Supreme Abode, that is, Bhagwan Himself.
Here is a simple example: suppose you watch a movie. The screen, projector, and moving images are all real. But if a viewer begins to regard the movie as the ultimate reality and becomes so absorbed in it that they forget their actual position, then that is delusion.
Therefore, one should give up shame and hesitation and constantly sing the divine pastimes, names, and qualities of Bhagwan. At the same time, one should live without becoming attached to any person, object, or place. When a person adopts such a pure way of life with firm resolve, the seed of divine love begins to sprout in the heart through the chanting of Bhagwan’s names. The heart melts in love for Bhagwan, and the devotee rises above ordinary ways of thinking and behaving.
Such a devotee remains immersed in divine love not for show, but because of spontaneous love for Bhagwan. Sometimes the devotee bursts into joyful laughter; sometimes tears flow in divine love. At times, the devotee calls out loudly to Bhagwan, while at other times, sings His glories in a sweet voice. And when the devotee experiences the presence of the beloved Lord, the devotee may even dance in love simply to please Him.
The sky, air, fire, water, earth, planets, stars, all living beings, directions, trees, plants, rivers, and oceans all these are manifestations of Bhagwan’s cosmic form. Realising this, the devotee beholds Bhagwan in every living being and even in seemingly inanimate objects that come before them, and respectfully bows to all, seeing everything as a form of Bhagwan.
bhaktih pareshaanubhavo viraktih
anyatra chaisha trika eka kaalah
prapadyamaanasya yathaashnatas syuh
tushtih pushtih kshud apaayo anughaasam
Just as, with every morsel of food, a person simultaneously experiences three things: satisfaction (contentment or pleasure), nourishment (an increase in vitality), and relief from hunger similarly, when a person takes refuge in Bhagwan and begins to worship Him, with every moment of devotion, three things arise simultaneously: love for Bhagwan, direct experience of the true nature of the beloved Lord, and detachment from everything other than Him. (Bhagavat 11.2.42)
Three Types of Devotees
King Nimi asks, “O Yogishwar! Now, please describe the characteristics of a devotee of Bhagwan. What are the duties and nature of a devotee? How does such a devotee conduct himself while interacting with others, and how does he speak? And by what qualities does he become dear to Bhagwan?”
- Uttam Bhakt: The Highest Devotee
Hari Yogishwar says that one who sees the presence of God in every living being and also realises that all beings and this entire universe exist within Him is an Uttam Bhagavat, the highest devotee. In the vision of such a devotee, there is no distinction between high and low, one’s own and another's, superior and inferior. He sees only Bhagwan everywhere.
Through the senses, he sees and experiences the objects of the world, yet he neither becomes excessively pleased when something desirable comes to him nor feels hatred when something unpleasant arises. He knows that all this belongs to Bhagwan’s Maya. Birth, death, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sorrow, fear, and desire are natural conditions of the body and mind. But one who remains so firmly established in the remembrance of Bhagwan that none of these can disturb him is an Uttam Bhagavat.
One whose desire for sense enjoyment, longing for fruitive actions, and worldly tendencies have come to an end, and whose mind remains absorbed solely in Bhagwan Vasudev, is the highest devotee.
One who has no pride in family lineage, birth, austerity, caste, varna, or ashrama is extremely dear to Bhagwan.
One who does not make distinctions regarding wealth, body, or any worldly possession by thinking, “This is mine” and “That belongs to another,” but instead sees the same Paramatma in everyone, and remains peaceful and equal-minded in every circumstance, is an Uttam Bhakta. - Madhyam Bhakt: The Intermediate Devotee
A Madhyam Bhakta has four kinds of relationships:
1. He loves Bhagwan.
2. He maintains friendship with the devotees of Bhagwan.
3. He shows compassion toward those who are suffering and ignorant.
4. He keeps his distance from those who are hostile toward Bhagwan. - Sadharan Bhakt: The Ordinary Devotee
One who worships the deity form of Bhagwan with faith but does not serve the devotees of Bhagwan and does not cultivate love and respect toward others is an ordinary devotee.
One who does not turn away, even for a single moment, from the service and remembrance of the lotus feet of Bhagwan and who would not abandon the remembrance of Bhagwan even if offered sovereignty over the three worlds, is the highest among devotees.
For one who has taken shelter of Bhagwan’s lotus feet, the pain of separation, sorrow, and the burning afflictions of worldly existence are destroyed forever; such suffering never returns. One who binds Bhagwan Shree Hari within the heart with the cord of divine love is never abandoned by Him, even for a single moment. Such a devotee is truly foremost among Bhagwan's devotees.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 03.07.2026
