Scriptures

Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam

BOOK 7 • CHAPTER 37
Ch 37 Verse 1 Verse
Sanskrit Text
७.३७ सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः । देवीगीतायां भक्तिमहिमावर्णनम् । हिमालय उवाच । स्वीयां भक्तिं वदस्वाम्ब येन ज्ञानं सुखेन हि । जायेत मनुजस्यास्य मध्यमस्याविरागिणः ॥ १ ॥
English Translation
The Himālayās said :-- "O Mother! Now describe your Bhaki Yoga, by which ordinary men who have no dispassion get the knowledge of Brahma easily.
Ch 37 Verse 2-3 Verse
Sanskrit Text
देव्युवाच । मार्गास्त्रयो मे विख्याता मोक्षप्राप्तौ नगाधिप । कर्मयोगो ज्ञानयोगो भक्तियोगश्च सत्तम ॥ २ ॥ त्रयाणामप्ययं योग्यः कर्तुं शक्योऽस्ति सर्वथा । सुलभत्वान्मानसत्वात्कायचित्ताद्यपीडनात् ॥ ३ ॥
English Translation
The Devī said:--"O Chief of Mountains! There are three paths, widely known, leading to the final liberation (Mokṣa). These are Karma Yoga, Jñāna Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Of these three, Bhakti Yoga is the easiest in all respects; people can do it very well without iñcurring any suffering to the body, and bringing the mind to a perfect concentration.
Ch 37 Verse 4-5 Verse
Sanskrit Text
गुणभेदान्मनुष्याणां सा भक्तिस्त्रिविधा मता । परपीडां समुद्दिश्य दम्भं कृत्वा पुरःसरम् ॥ ४ ॥ मात्सर्यक्रोधयुक्तो यस्तस्य भक्तिस्तु तामसी । परपीडादिरहितः स्वकल्याणार्थमेव च ॥ ५ ॥
English Translation
This Bhakti (devotion) again is of three kinds as the Guṇas are three. His Bhakti is Tāmasī who worships Me, to pain others, being filled with vanity and jealousy and anger. That Bhakti is Rājāsic, when one worships Me for one’s own welfare and does not intend to do harm to others.
Ch 37 Verse 6 Verse
Sanskrit Text
नित्यं सकामो हृदयं यशोऽर्थी भोगलोलुपः । तत्तत्फलसमावाप्त्यै मामुपास्तेऽतिभक्तितः ॥ ६ ॥
English Translation
He has got some desire or end in view, some fame or to attain some objects of enjoyments and ignorantly, and thinking himself different from Me, worships Me with greatest devotion.
Ch 37 Verse 7-8 Verse
Sanskrit Text
भेदबुद्ध्या तु मां स्वस्मादन्यां जानाति पामरः । तस्य भक्तिः समाख्याता नगाधिप तु राजसी ॥ ७ ॥ परमेशार्पणं कर्म पापसङ्क्षालनाय च । वेदोक्तत्वादवश्यं तत्कर्तव्यं तु मयानिशम् ॥ ८ ॥
English Translation
Again that Bhakti is Sāttvikī when anybody worships Me to purify his sins, and offers to Me the result of all his Karmas, thinking that Jīva and Īśvara are separate and knowing that this action of his is authorized in the Vedas and therefore must be observed.