atrāpy udāharantīmam
kavir mūkavad ātmānaṁ
sa dṛṣṭyā darśayen nṛṇām
Although a saintly person may not expose himself to the vision of human society, his purpose is clear. Though he is wise, he should externally present himself like a retarded child to human society, and though, eloquent, he should present himself like a dumb man.
He becomes like this in order to avoid falling from his concentration. He does not have the external characteristics of the sannyāsī, but he is fixed in his purpose of seeking ātmā.
|| 7.13.11 ||
atrāpy udāharantīmam
itihāsaṁ purātanam
prahrādasya ca saṁvādaṁ
muner ājagarasya ca
As an example of this, learned sages recite an ancient story, a discussion between Prahlāda Mahārāja and a sage who was feeding himself like a python.
Ājagarasya means “maintaining himself like a python.”
|| 7.13.12-13 ||
taṁ śayānaṁ dharopasthe
kāveryāṁ sahya-sānuni
rajas-valais tanū-deśair
nigūḍhāmala-tejasam
dadarśa lokān vicaran
loka-tattva-vivitsayā
vṛto 'mātyaiḥ katipayaiḥ
prahrādo bhagavat-priyaḥ
Prahlāda Mahārāja, the dear servant of the Lord, once went touring the provinces with some of his ministers to study their nature. On the bank of the Kāverī, on a plateau of the Sahya Mountains, he saw a person lying on the ground, covered with dirt, but having pure, profound spiritual radiance.
Sahya-sānuni means “on a plateau of the Sahya Mountains.” He had dust on the limbs of his body (tanū-deśaiḥ).
|| 7.13.14 ||
karmaṇākṛtibhir vācā
liṅgair varṇāśramādibhiḥ
na vidanti janā yaṁ vai
so 'sāv iti na veti ca
Neither by that saintly person's activities, by his bodily features, by his words nor by the symptoms of varṇāśrama status could people understand whether he was some person they knew.
|| 7.13.15 ||
taṁ natvābhyarcya vidhivat
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