Verse Text
yuktāsya sphūrti-mātreṇa nirviśeṣeṇa kenacit |
hṛn-mīlanāt puro ’vasthā nidrā bhakteṣu kathyate ||176||
Translation
The state just previous to extinguishing of consciousness, in which there is the appearance of Kṛṣṇa without particular pastimes, is called nidrā for the devotees.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Nidrā has been described as absence of external consciousness. This is normally the state of consciousness under the influence of the mode of ignorance, which is not possible for the highest devotees, since their consciousness is beyond the modes of nature. Why then do they have this state of nidrā? This verse answers. This state of nidrā is a state of concentration on the Lord found in the highest devotees of Kṛṣṇa. It is not a material state of sleep. This is a state beyond the modes. The Garuḍa Purāṇa says:
jāgrat svapna suṣupteṣu yoga sthasya ca yoginaḥ
yā kācin manaso vṛttiḥ sā bhaved acyutāśrayā
All the states of mind—waking, sleeping and dreaming— of the practicing yogī take shelter of Acyuta.
Thus the state previous to extinguishing external consciousness in which there is a vision of Kṛṣṇa is called nidrā, not simply extinguishing consciousness. Though it was previously stated that nidrā was citta-mīlanam or extinguishing consciousness, that statement should be modified in light of the present verse.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
It may be questioned why devotees of Kṛṣṇa should be attacked by dizziness, which is usually considered a sign of the mode of ignorance. To answer this question, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has said that the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are always transcendental to all the modes of material nature; when they feel dizziness or go to sleep, they are not considered to be sleeping under the modes of nature, but are accepted as being in a trance of devotional service. There is an authoritative statement in the Garuḍa Purāṇa about mystic yogīs who are under the direct shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “In all three stages of their consciousness—namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep—the devotees are absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, in their complete absorption in thought of Kṛṣṇa, they do not sleep.”