SB 3.14.46 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

योगैर्हेमेव दुर्वर्णं भावयिष्यन्ति साधव: । निर्वैरादिभिरात्मानं यच्छीलमनुवर्तितुम् ॥ ४६ ॥

Verse text

yogair hemeva durvarṇaṁ bhāvayiṣyanti sādhavaḥ nirvairādibhir ātmānaṁ yac-chīlam anuvartitum

Synonyms

yogaiḥ — by the rectifying processes ; hema — gold ; iva — like ; durvarṇam — inferior quality ; bhāvayiṣyanti — will purify ; sādhavaḥ — saintly persons ; nirvaira — ādibhiḥ — by practice of freedom from animosity, etc. ; ātmānam — the self ; yat — whose ; śīlam — character ; anuvartitum — to follow in the footsteps .

Translation

In order to follow in his footsteps, saintly persons will try to emulate his character by practicing freedom from animosity, just as the purifying processes rectify gold of inferior quality.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Just as inferior gold is purified by heating, the devotees will purify themselves by showing lack of animosity to attain qualities like Prahlāda. Just as inferior gold is purified by heating and other processes, devotees will purify themselves by processes such as freedom from animosity to attain (anuvartitum) his nature.

Purport

Yoga practice, the process of purifying one’s existential identity, is based mainly on self-control. Without self-control one cannot practice freedom from animosity. In the conditional state, every living being is envious of another living being, but in the liberated state there is an absence of animosity. Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father in so many ways, yet after the death of his father he prayed for his father’s liberation by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He did not ask any benediction that he might have asked, but he prayed that his atheistic father might be liberated. He never cursed any of the persons who engaged in torturing him at the instigation of his father.