Devanagari
कर्मभिगृहमेधीयैरिष्ट्वा मामेव भक्तिमान् ।
तिष्ठेद् वनं वोपविशेत् प्रजावान् वा परिव्रजेत् ॥ ५५ ॥
Verse text
karmabhir gṛha-medhīyair
iṣṭvā mām eva bhaktimān
tiṣṭhed vanaṁ vopaviśet
prajāvān vā parivrajet
Synonyms
karmabhiḥ
—
by activities
;
gṛha-medhīyaiḥ
—
suitable for family life
;
iṣṭvā
—
worshiping
;
mām
—
Me
;
eva
—
indeed
;
bhakti-mān
—
being a devotee
;
tiṣṭhet
—
one may remain at home
;
vanam
—
the forest
;
vā
—
or
;
upaviśet
—
may enter
;
prajā-vān
—
having responsible children
;
vā
—
or
;
parivrajet
—
may take sannyāsa..
Translation
A householder devotee who worships Me by execution of his family duties may remain at home, go to a holy place or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyāsa.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
A devotional householder who worships me by execution of his family duties may remain at home may take vānaprastha or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyāsa.
The householder desiring jṣāna can choose his āśrama. A devotee, leaving his family members, may also choose another āśrama, to attain an opportunity for bhakti.
Purport
This verse describes the three alternatives for a householder. He may continue at home, or he may take vānaprastha, which involves going to a sacred place with one’s wife. Or if he has a responsible son to take over his family duties, he may take sannyāsa, the renounced order, for a definitive solution to the problems of life. In all three āśramas, ultimate success depends on sincere surrender to the Supreme Lord; therefore, the most important qualification one can have is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.