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Loftiness of Devotional Qualities

निरपेक्षं मुनिं शान्तं निर्वैरं समदर्शनम् ।
अनुव्रजाम्यहं नित्यं पूयेयेत्यङ्घ्रिरेणुभिः ।।
– श्रीमद् भागवतम् ११.१४.१६

nirapekṣaṃ muniṃ śāntaṃ nirvairaṃ sama-darśanam ।
anuvrajāmy-ahaṃ nityaṃ pūyeya-iti-aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ ।।
– Śrīmad bhāgavatam 11.14.16

Translation:

I always follow that saintly person (muni) – who is given to non-expectation and composure, who bears no enmity towards anyone and has equal vision towards all – so that I may be purified by the dust of his feet.

Points for Introspection:

When a devotee grows supreme devotion towards God, he realizes God within his own heart. He gets freed from attraction towards worldly enjoyments. He not only realizes God within, but also finds God everywhere and in everything. His delight is then only in constant communion with God.

For such a devotee, all the worldly-desires fall off. He wants nothing other than to serve God by being an instrument of God in all activities.

Desires alone make the mind restless and agitated. When a devotee desires nothing, his mind becomes calm and tranquil. Such a devotee attains equal vision towards all, and has no inimical feeling towards anybody. Because his mind has no agitation, his whole being becomes very pure. He considers God to be the Supreme in his life and offers his whole being at the feet of the Lord.

This shloka is from Uddhava Gita, the last message of Sri Krishna to Uddhava, his friend and disciple. Sri Krishna tells Uddhava the traits of a real devotee or a Sage. When devotee has qualities like non-expectation, contentment, non-enmity, and equal vision, he becomes extremely dear to God.

What does God do then? God says: “I follow such a devotee walking behind his foot-steps so that I can purify Myself by the dust of his feet.”

This shloka tells us about the loftiness of true devotional qualities; how God Himself gives these qualities the highest position! When we chant the śloka and focus on the meaning of each word, we feel purified. The effort to gain these qualities then becomes the sādhanā for the seeker.

Word Meaning:

निरपेक्षम् (nirapekṣam) = one who is non-expectant, desireless; मुनिम् (munim) = one who is deep in his thoughts; शान्तम् (śāntam) = one who is inwardly peaceful; निर्वैरम् (nirvairam) = one who is free from enmity; समदर्शनम् (sama-darśanam) = one who has an impartial vision towards all; अनुव्रजामि (anuvrajāmi) = follow; अहम् (aham) = I ; नित्यम् (nityam) = always; पूयेय (pūyeya) = may I be purified; इति (iti) = thus; अङ्घ्रिरेणुभिः (aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ) = by the dust of the feet.

अन्वयः

निरपेक्षं मुनिं शान्तं निर्वैरं समदर्शनं अहं नित्यं अनुव्रजामि; (अहं तस्य) अङ्घ्रिरेणुभिः पूयेय इति ।
nirapekṣaṃ, muniṃ, śāntaṃ, nirvairaṃ, samadarśanaṃ, ahaṃ nityaṃ anuvrajāmi; (ahaṃ tasya) aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ pūyeya iti.

[Note : (pūyeya) = purified (pū dhātu, uttama puruṣa, eka vacanam, vidhi-ling. पूयेय + इति + अङ्घ्रिरेणुभिः = पूयेयेत्यङ्घ्रिरेणुभिः]