FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.35

भवेऽस्मिन् क्लिश्यमानानामविद्याकामकर्मभि: । श्रवणस्मरणार्हाणि करिष्यन्निति केचन ॥ ३५ ॥
bhave ’smin kliśyamānānām
[bhave ’smin klishyamaanaanaam]
avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
[avidyaa-kaama-karmabhih]
śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi
[shravana-smaranaarhaani]
kariṣyann iti kecana
[karishyann iti kechana]
bhave — in the material creation asmin — this kliśyamānānām — of those who are suffering from avidyā — nescience kāma — desire karmabhiḥ — by execution of fruitive work śravaṇa — hearing smaraṇa — remembering arhāṇi — worshiping kariṣyan — may perform iti — thus kecana — others.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhave ’smin kliśyamānānām
bhave
in the material creation
avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ
śravaṇa-smaraṇārhāṇi
asmin
this
kliśyamānānām
of those who are suffering from
avidyā
nescience
kariṣyann iti kecana
kāma
desire
karmabhiḥ
by execution of fruitive work
śravaṇa
hearing
smaraṇa
remembering
arhāṇi
worshiping
kariṣyan
may perform
iti
thus
kecana
others.
And yet others say that You appeared for the sake of rejuvenating the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.

In the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā the Lord asserts that He appears in every millennium just to reestablish the way of religion. The way of religion is made by the Supreme Lord. No one can manufacture a new path of religion, as is the fashion for certain ambitious persons. The factual way of religion is to accept the Lord as the supreme authority and thus render service unto Him in spontaneous love. A living being cannot help but render service because he is constitutionally made for that purpose. The only function of the living being is to render service to the Lord. The Lord is great, and living beings are subordinate to Him. Therefore, the duty of the living being is just to serve Him only. Unfortunately the illusioned living beings, out of misunderstanding only, become servants of the senses by material desire. This desire is called avidyā, or nescience. And out of such desire the living being makes different plans for material enjoyment centered about a perverted sex life. He therefore becomes entangled in the chain of birth and death by transmigrating into different bodies on different planets under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Unless, therefore, one is beyond the boundary of this nescience, one cannot get free from the threefold miseries of material life. That is the law of nature.

The Lord, however, out of His causeless mercy, because He is more merciful to the suffering living beings than they can expect, appears before them and renovates the principles of devotional service comprised of hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, cooperating and surrendering unto Him. Adoption of all the above-mentioned items, or any one of them, can help a conditioned soul get out of the tangle of nescience and thus become liberated from all material sufferings created by the living being illusioned by the external energy. This particular type of mercy is bestowed upon the living being by the Lord in the form of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Some say that you have appeared in this world to help those suffering due to their actions arising from material desires arising from ignorance by engaging them in hearing and remembering about you, so that they can attain prema.
Commentary

This is the real reason for the Lord’s appearance. First there is ignorance (avidyā) and then desire (kāma), and then action (karmabhiḥ). You come to engage those suffering due to actions arising from material desires which are due to ignorance in actions for attaining prema. The destruction of suffering is incidental, because it is said in the next verse that the result of hearing about the Lord is seeing the lotus of the Lord. By seeing the Lord one attains prema.

Still others say You appeared to rejuvenate devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping — so conditioned souls can take advantage. The Lord makes Himself accessible through ear and memory.
Reflection Questions
  • What is the easiest practice I am refusing because I want a harder one?
  • Where could hearing alone become the doorway I keep waiting to find?
📝 My note

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