Shloka 55: तत् प्राप्य तदेवावलोकयति। तदेव श्रृणोति।तदेव भाषयति। तदेव चिन्तयति॥ ५५॥

tat prāpya tad evāvalokayati tad eva śṛṇoti, tadeva bhāṣayati tad eva cintayati.

तत् - that; प्राप्य - having attained; तत् - that; एव - alone; अवलोकयति - sees, feels, comprehends; तत् - that; एव - alone; श्रृणोति - hears; तत् - that; एव - alone; भाषयति - speaks; तत् - that; एव - alone; चिन्तयति - thinks, contemplates upon

When a person attains this supreme love, they see their Beloved everywhere, they hear of him everywhere, they talk only of him, and they think only of him.

Narad Ji says, for that person who attains this divine love, the whole world becomes Godly and all their actions become Godly.

A similar state is described in the Chandogya Upanishad, 7.24.1:यत्र नान्यत् पश्यति नान्यच् छृणोति नान्यद् विजानाति स भूमा । अथ यत्रान्यत् पश्यत्यन्यच् छृणोत्यन्यद् विजानाति तदल्पं । यो वै भूमा तदमृतम् । अथ यदल्पं तन्मर्त्यं । स भगवः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठित इति । स्वे महिम्नि यदि वा न महिम्नीति ॥

yatra nānyat paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā. atha yatrānyat paśyatyan yac chṛṇotyanyad vijānāti tadalpaṃ. yo vai bhūmā tadamṛtam. atha yadalpaṃ tanmartyaṃ. sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti. sve mahimni yadi vā na mahimnīti.

यत्र (yatra) - where; नान्यत् (nānyat) - not other; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; नान्यच् (nānyac) - not other; छृणोति (chṛṇoti) - hears; नान्यद् (nānyad) - not other; विजानाति (vijānāti) - knows; स (sa) - that; भूमा (bhūmā) - Bhūmā (the Infinite);

अथ (atha) - then; यत्रान्यत् (yatrānyat) - where other; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; अन्यच् (anyac) - other; छृणोति (chṛṇoti) - hears; अन्यद् (anyad) - other; विजानाति (vijānāti) - knows; तदल्पं (tadalpam) - that is finite;

यो (yo) - that which; वै (vai) - indeed; भूमा (bhūmā) - Bhūmā (the Infinite); तदमृतम् (tadamṛtam) - that is immortal; अथ (atha) - then; यदल्पं (yadalpam) - that which is finite; तन्मर्त्यं (tanmartyam) - that is mortal;

स (sa) - that; भगवः (bhagavaḥ) - O Lord; कस्मिन् (kasmin) - in what; प्रतिष्ठित (pratiṣṭhita) - established; इति (iti) - thus; स्वे (sve) - in its own; महिम्नि (mahimni) - greatness; यदि (yadi) - if; वा (vā) - or; न (na) - not; महिम्नी (mahimnī) - in greatness.

There where you see nothing else, where you hear nothing else, nothing else you know or feel, that state is called ‘Bhūmā’ – the infinite, the eternal, the immutable Brahman. That state in which you see other things, where you hear other things, where you feel and understand other things, that is the finite and limited (alpam). That which is infinite is immortal (amṛtam), that which is finite is mortal.

When we rise above the limitations of our senses and perceptions, and surpass the realm of emotions, and thoughts, we reach a state where only the Self is perceived. In this timeless state, there is no change or death. It is immortal, infinite, and deathless (amrtam).

Although Narad Ji has tried his best to explain this state, he has already told us that this state cannot be fully explained or described. It can only be realized and experienced. And Narad Ji has provided all the required knowledge. If we internalize this knowledge and practice the teachings, we shall eventually reach and experience this state.

I would again like to reiterate and remind everyone that the first requirement to progress on the path of bhakti is to renounce our ego and pride. The practice of all the yoga in the world will not help us progress on the path of bhakti yoga until we get rid of our ego and pride.

Saint Tulsidas has once said: जब लग अहंकार तजि न जाई। तब लग मोहि न प्रभु पतियाई|

jab lag ahaṅkār taji na jāī | tab lag mohi na prabhu patiyāī

As long as one does not renounce ego (ahaṅkār), they cannot truly know or realize the Lord.

We have to constantly practice humility. We should practice it with our parents, with our fellow devotees, with our teachers and anybody else who comes into our lives.

Pragmatic Bhakti Sutra, Introduction to the Narada Bhakti Sutra

Pragmatic Bhakti SutrasBy Vinayak RaghuvamshiDec 04, 2022