FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.25-26

जलौकसां जले यद्वन्महान्तोऽदन्त्यणीयस: । दुर्बलान्बलिनो राजन्महान्तो बलिनो मिथ: ॥ २५ ॥ एवं बलिष्ठैर्यदुभिर्महद्भ‍िरितरान् विभु: । यदून्यदुभिरन्योन्यं भूभारान् सञ्जहार ह ॥ २६ ॥
jalaukasāṁ jale yadvan
[jalaukasaam jale yadvan]
mahānto ’danty aṇīyasaḥ
[mahaanto ’danty aneeyasah]
durbalān balino rājan
[durbalaan balino raajan]
mahānto balino mithaḥ
[mahaanto balino mithah]
evaṁ baliṣṭhair yadubhir
[evam balishthair yadubhir]
mahadbhir itarān vibhuḥ
[mahadbhir itaraan vibhuh]
yadūn yadubhir anyonyaṁ
[yadoon yadubhir anyonyam]
bhū-bhārān sañjahāra ha
[bhoo-bhaaraan sanjahaara ha]
jalaukasām — of the aquatics jale — in the water yadvat — as it is mahāntaḥ — the larger one adanti — swallows aṇīyasaḥ — smaller ones durbalān — the weak balinaḥ — the stronger rājan — O King mahāntaḥ — the strongest balinaḥ — less strong mithaḥ — in a duel evam — thus baliṣṭhaiḥ — by the strongest yadubhiḥ — by the descendants of Yadu mahadbhiḥ — one who has greater strength itarān — the common ones vibhuḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead yadūn — all the Yadus yadubhiḥ — by the Yadus anyonyam — among one another bhū-bhārān — the burden of the world sañjahāra — has unloaded ha — in the past.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jalaukasāṁ jale yadvan
jalaukasām
of the aquatics
jale
in the water
yadvat
as it is
mahānto ’danty aṇīyasaḥ
mahāntaḥ
the larger one
durbalān balino rājan
mahānto balino mithaḥ
evaṁ baliṣṭhair yadubhir
adanti
swallows
mahadbhir itarān vibhuḥ
aṇīyasaḥ
smaller ones
yadūn yadubhir anyonyaṁ
durbalān
the weak
balinaḥ
the stronger
rājan
O King
mahāntaḥ
the strongest
balinaḥ
less strong
mithaḥ
in a duel
evam
thus
baliṣṭhaiḥ
by the strongest
yadubhiḥ
by the descendants of Yadu
mahadbhiḥ
one who has greater strength
itarān
the common ones
vibhuḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
yadūn
all the Yadus
yadubhiḥ
by the Yadus
bhū-bhārān sañjahāra ha
anyonyam
among one another
bhū-bhārān
the burden of the world
sañjahāra
has unloaded
ha
in the past.
O King, as in the ocean the bigger and stronger aquatics swallow up the smaller and weaker ones, so also the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to lighten the burden of the earth, has engaged the stronger Yadu to kill the weaker, and the bigger Yadu to kill the smaller.

In the material world the struggle for existence and survival of the fittest are laws because in the material world there is disparity between conditioned souls due to everyone’s desire to lord it over the material resources. This very mentality of lording it over the material nature is the root cause of conditioned life. And to give facility to such imitation lords, the illusory energy of the Lord has created a disparity between conditioned living beings by creating the stronger and the weaker in every species of life. The mentality of lording it over the material nature and the creation has naturally created a disparity and therefore the law of struggle for existence. In the spiritual world there is no such disparity, nor is there such a struggle for existence. In the spiritual world there is no struggle for existence because everyone there exists eternally. There is no disparity because everyone wants to render service to the Supreme Lord, and no one wants to imitate the Lord in becoming the beneficiary. The Lord, being creator of everything, including the living beings, factually is the proprietor and enjoyer of everything that be, but in the material world, by the spell of māyā, or illusion, this eternal relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is forgotten, and so the living being is conditioned under the law of struggle for existence and survival of the fittest.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Among the aquatics, the big eat the small and weak and those of equal strength or size can eat each other.
Commentary

Among the fish (jalaukasām) the big eat the small, and the strong can eat an equally strong fish.

As stronger aquatics in the ocean swallow weaker ones, the Lord, to lighten earth's burden, engaged stronger Yadu to kill weaker, and bigger to kill smaller. The cosmic ocean has its own consumption.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'larger pattern' am I struggling against that may be cosmic, not personal?
  • Where could I stop personalizing what is patterned?
📝 My note

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