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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
<< Canto 3, The Status Quo >> << 21 - Conversation Between Manu and Kardama >>
<< VERSE 4 >>
तस्यां स वै महायोगी युक्तायां योगलक्षणैः ससर्ज कतिधा वीर्यं तन्मे शुश्रूषवे वद
tasyāṁ sa vai mahā-yogī yuktāyāṁ yoga-lakṣaṇaiḥ sasarja katidhā vīryaṁ tan me śuśrūṣave vada
WORD BY WORD
tasyām in her; saḥ Kardama Muni; vai in fact; mahā-yogī great mystic yogī; yuktāyām endowed; yoga-lakṣaṇaiḥ with the eightfold symptoms of yogic perfection; sasarja propagated; katidhā how many times; vīryam offspring; tat that narration; me to me; śuśrūṣave who am eager to hear; vada tell;
TRANSLATION
| How many offspring did that great yogī beget through the princess, who was endowed with eightfold perfection in the yoga principles? Oh, pray tell me this, for I am eager to hear it.
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PURPORT
| Here Vidura inquired about Kardama Muni and his wife, Devahūti, and about their children. It is described here that Devahūti was very much advanced in the performance of eightfold yoga. The eight divisions of yoga performance are described as (1) control of the senses, (2) strict following of the rules and regulations, (3) practice of the different sitting postures, (4) control of the breath, (5) withdrawing the senses from sense objects, (6) concentration of the mind, (7) meditation and (8) self-realization. After self-realization there are eight further perfectional stages, which are called yoga-siddhis. The husband and wife, Kardama and Devahūti, were advanced in yoga practice; the husband was a mahā-yogī, great mystic, and the wife was a yoga-lakṣaṇa, or one advanced in yoga. They united and produced children. Formerly, after making their lives perfect, great sages and saintly persons used to beget children, otherwise they strictly observed the rules and regulations of celibacy. Brahmacarya (following the rules and regulations of celibacy) is required for perfection of self-realization and mystic power. There is no recommendation in the Vedic scriptures that one can go on enjoying material sense gratification at one’s whims, as one likes, and at the same time become a great meditator by paying a rascal some money.
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