सन्न्यस्तदण्डः कृतभूतमैत्रः ।
असज्जितात्मा हरिसेवया शितं
ज्ञानासिमादाय तरातिपारम् ॥२०॥
rahūgaṇa tvam api hy adhvano 'sya
sannyasta-daṇá¸aḥ ká¹›ta-bhÅ«ta-maitraḥ
asaj-jitÄtmÄ hari-sevayÄ Å›itaá¹
jñÄnÄsim ÄdÄya tarÄti-pÄram
rahÅ«gaṇa - O King RahÅ«gaṇa; tvam - you; api - also; hi - certainly; adhvanaḥ - of the path of material existence; asya - this; sannyasta-daṇá¸aḥ - having given up the king's rod for punishing criminals; ká¹›ta-bhÅ«ta-maitraḥ - having become friendly to everyone; asat-jita-ÄtmÄ - whose mind is not attracted to the material pleasure of life; hari-sevayÄ - by the means of loving service to the Supreme Lord; Å›itam - sharpened; jñÄna-asim - the sword of knowledge; ÄdÄya - taking i n hand; tara - cross over; ati-pÄram - to the ultimate end of spiritual existence.
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, you are also a victim of the external energy, being situated on the path of attraction to material pleasure. So that you may become an equal friend to all living entities, I now advise you to give up your kingly position and the rod by which you punish criminals. Give up attraction to the sense objects and take up the sword of knowledge sharpened by devotional service. Then you will be able to cut the hard knot of illusory energy and cross to the other side of the ocean of nescience.
In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ Lord Kṛṣṇa compares the material world to a tree of illusion from which one must cut oneself free:
na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nÄnto na cÄdir na ca sampratiá¹£á¹hÄ
aÅ›vattham enaá¹ suvirÅ«á¸ha-mÅ«lam
asaá¹…ga-Å›astreṇa dá¹›á¸hena chittvÄ
tataḥ padaá¹ tat parimÄrgitavyaá¹
yasmin gatÄ na nivartanti bhÅ«yaḥ
tam eva cÄdyaá¹ puruá¹£aá¹ prapadye
yataḥ pravá¹›ttiḥ prasá¹›tÄ purÄṇī
“The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination, one must cut down this tree with the weapon of detachment. So doing, one must seek that place from which, having once gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything has begun and in whom everything is abiding since time immemorial.†(Bg. 15.3-4)
