Devanagari
तस्मिन्निर्मनुजेऽरण्ये पिप्पलोपस्थ आश्रित: ।
आत्मनात्मानमात्मस्थं यथाश्रुतमचिन्तयम् ॥ १५ ॥
Verse text
tasmin nirmanuje ’raṇye
pippalopastha āśritaḥ
ātmanātmānam ātmasthaṁ
yathā-śrutam acintayam
Synonyms
tasmin
—
in that
;
nirmanuje
—
without human habitation
;
araṇye
—
in the forest
;
pippala
—
banyan tree
;
upasthe
—
sitting under it
;
āśritaḥ
—
taking shelter of
;
ātmanā
—
by intelligence
;
ātmānam
—
the Supersoul
;
ātma
—
stham — situated within myself
;
yathā
—
śrutam — as I had heard it from the liberated souls
;
acintayam
—
thought over .
Translation
After that, under the shadow of a banyan tree in an uninhabited forest I began to meditate upon the Supersoul situated within, using my intelligence, as I had learned from liberated souls.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In that desolate forest, sitting at the base of a pippala tree, I concentrated by using my intelligence on Paramātmā situated within my mind, as I had been taught.
Purport
One should not meditate according to one’s personal whims. One should know perfectly well from the authoritative sources of scriptures through the transparent medium of a bona fide spiritual master and by proper use of one’s trained intelligence for meditating upon the Supersoul dwelling within every living being. This consciousness is firmly developed by a devotee who has rendered loving service unto the Lord by carrying out the orders of the spiritual master. Śrī Nāradajī contacted bona fide spiritual masters, served them sincerely and got enlightenment rightly. Thus he began to meditate.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Sitting (āśritaḥ) at the base of an aśvattha tree (pippalopasthe), in the manner I had heard from the mendicants (yathā śrutam), not surpassing the meditation using the mantra given, using my intelligence (ātmanā), I contemplated Paramātmā (ātmānam) who was situated in my mind, and who resided there permanently because I had developed prema.