नात: परतरो लोके पुंस: स्वार्थव्यतिक्रम: ।
यदध्यन्यस्य प्रेयस्त्वमात्मन: स्वव्यतिक्रमात् ॥
nātaḥ parataro loke puṁsaḥ svārtha-vyatikramaḥ |
yad-adhy anyasya preyastvam ātmanaḥ sva-vyatikramāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgatavatam: 4.22.32)
[Translated according to the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā:] “There is no neglect of one’s own interest in this world greater than one’s own neglect of the self (ātmā) [i.e., of one’s true nature as an eternal spiritual entity distinct from the gross and subtle bodies], [the self solely] for the sake of which there is dearness of another [i.e., of any other thing, person, etc., e.g., one’s body gross and subtle bodies, family, wealth, etc.].”
[Translated according to the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā:] “There is no neglect of one’s own interest in this world greater than the innate neglect of the self (ātmā), in comparison to which there is dearness of another [e.g., the body, wealth, etc., alt., in regard to which there is no deliberation].”
Commentary
evaṁ-bhūto nāśo bhavatu, tataś ca kim? ity ata āha | yad-adhi yam adhikṛtyānyasya viṣayasya priyatamatvam | ‘ātmanas tu kāmāya sarvaṁ priyaṁ bhavati’ iti śruteḥ | tasyātmanaḥ svenaiva yo vyatikramo’pahnavas tasmād yaḥ svārtha-nāśo’taḥ parataraḥ svārtha-nāśo nāsti |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“[Someone may ask:] ‘Let such ruination occur. What of it?’ Thus he speaks [this verse]. There is no ruination of one’s own interest greater than the ruination of one’s own interest in the form of one’s own neglect, that is, denial, of the self (ātmā), [only] out of regard for which there is dearness of another object [of any and all sorts], as per the Śruti [i.e., BAU 2.4.5], ‘Rather, for the sake of love for the self (ātmā) everything is dear.’”
yad yasmāt ātmanaḥ sakāśāt anyasya dehādeḥ preyastvaṁ kīdṛśam? adhi adhikam | yad vā, na vidyate dhīḥ parāmarśo yatra tat | tac ca svenaiva svata eva yo vyatikramaḥ, tasmāt na tv anyad atra kāraṇam astīty arthaḥ | jīvasya tasyāvidyā-saṁsargo’nādir yādṛcchika eveti prāk pratipāditam | tasmāj jīvāśrayakaḥ paramātma-viṣayakaḥ prīty-atiśayo yujyate | tad-arthaṁ bhaktir eva kartum uciteti bhāvaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“What is the nature of that [i.e., the self (ātmā)] because of nearness to which there is dearness of another, that is, of the body and so on? It is greater (adhi) [i.e., the self is more dear than anything else, be it one’s body, relatives, wealth, or otherwise]. Alternately, [the meaning is] that [i.e., the self (ātmā)] in regard to which there is no deliberation (dhi) [when one is in the state of ignorance described ahead]. There is no other cause in this world of that innate (sva) neglect (vyatikrama) [of the self (ātmā), i.e., the neglect of the self that occurs automatically in the life of an uneducated conditioned jīvātmā]. This is the meaning. The existence of the jīva’s ignorance (avidyā) [i.e., unawareness and consequent neglect of the self (ātmā)] is beginningless (anādi) and of independent cause (yādṛcchika) [i.e., it has no cause other than itself, meaning, it just exists with any beginning]. This was established earlier [in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam]. Therefore, a profusion of love (prīti) focused on Paramātmā, the shelterer of the jīva, is proper. To that end, bhakti alone is appropriate to perform. This is the purport.”