FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.8

अहो सनाथा भवता स्म यद्वयं त्रैविष्टपानामपि दूरदर्शनम् । प्रेमस्मितस्‍निग्धनिरीक्षणाननं पश्येम रूपं तव सर्वसौभगम् ॥ ८ ॥
aho sanāthā bhavatā sma yad vayaṁ
[aho sanaathaa bhavataa sma yad vayam]
traiviṣṭapānām api dūra-darśanam
[traivishtapaanaam api doora-darshanam]
prema-smita-snigdha-nirīkṣaṇānanaṁ
[prema-smita-snigdha-nireekshanaananam]
paśyema rūpaṁ tava sarva-saubhagam
[pashyema roopam tava sarva-saubhagam]
aho — oh, it is our good luck sa-nāthāḥ — to be under the protection of the master bhavatā — by Your good self sma — as we have become yat vayam — as we are traiviṣṭa-pānām — of the demigods api — also dūra-darśanam — very rarely seen prema-smita — smiling with love snigdha — affectionate nirīkṣaṇa-ānanam — face looking in that mode paśyema — let us look rūpam — beauty tava — Your sarva — all saubhagam — auspiciousness.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
aho sanāthā bhavatā sma yad vayaṁ
aho
oh, it is our good luck
sa-nāthāḥ
to be under the protection of the master
bhavatā
by Your good self
sma
as we have become
yat vayam
as we are
traiviṣṭapānām api dūra-darśanam
traiviṣṭa-pānām
of the demigods
api
also
dūra-darśanam
very rarely seen
prema-smita-snigdha-nirīkṣaṇānanaṁ
prema-smita
smiling with love
snigdha
affectionate
nirīkṣaṇa-ānanam
face looking in that mode
paśyema rūpaṁ tava sarva-saubhagam
paśyema
let us look
rūpam
beauty
tava
Your
sarva
all
saubhagam
auspiciousness.
Oh, it is our good luck that we have come again today under Your protection by Your presence, for Your Lordship rarely visits even the denizens of heaven. Now it is possible for us to look into Your smiling face, which is full of affectionate glances. We can now see Your transcendental form, full of all auspiciousness.

The Lord in His eternal personal form can be seen only by the pure devotees. The Lord is never impersonal, but He is the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, possible to be visited by devotional service face to face, which is impossible to be done even by the denizens of higher planets. When Brahmājī and other demigods want to consult Lord Viṣṇu, the plenary portion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they have to wait on the shore of the Ocean of Milk where Lord Viṣṇu is lying on White Land (Śvetadvīpa). This Ocean of Milk and the Śvetadvīpa planet are the replica of Vaikuṇṭhaloka within the universe. Neither Brahmājī nor the demigods like Indra can enter into this island of Śvetadvīpa, but they can stand on the shore of the Ocean of Milk and transmit their message to Lord Viṣṇu, known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore, the Lord is rarely seen by them, but the inhabitants of Dvārakā, because of their being pure devotees without any tinge of the material contamination of fruitive activities and empiric philosophical speculation, can see Him face to face by the grace of the Lord. This is the original state of the living entities and can be attained by reviving our natural and constitutional state of life, which is discovered by devotional service only.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In you we have found our master. We have become successful, because we can see your form endowed with all good qualities, with a face smiling in love and glancing in affection, which is difficult to see for the devatās.
Commentary

Triaviṣṭapānām means “of the devatās.”

It is our good luck to be under Your protection by Your presence, for Your Lordship rarely visits even denizens of heaven. We can look on Your smiling face. Presence is the rarer mercy.
Reflection Questions
  • What ordinary 'visit' from the Lord have I been undervaluing?
  • Where could I be more grateful for present grace?
📝 My note

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