FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.63

द्वीपं रमणकं हित्वा ह्रदमेतमुपाश्रित: । यद्भ‍यत्स सुपर्णस्त्वां नाद्यान्मत्पादलाञ्छितम् ॥ ६३ ॥
dvīpaṁ ramaṇakaṁ hitvā
[dveepam ramanakam hitvaa]
hradam etam upāśritaḥ
[hradam etam upaashritah]
yad-bhayāt sa suparṇas tvāṁ
[yad-bhayaat sa suparnas tvaam]
nādyān mat-pāda-lāñchitam
[naadyaan mat-paada-laanchitam]
Word-for-word
dvīpam — the great island ramaṇakam — named Ramaṇaka hitvā — abandoning hradam — the small lake etam — this upāśritaḥ — taken shelter of yat — of whom bhayāt — because of the fear saḥ — that suparṇaḥ — Garuḍa tvām — you na adyāt — will not eat mat - pāda — with My feet lāñchitam — marked .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dvīpaṁ ramaṇakaṁ hitvā
dvīpam
the great island
ramaṇakam
named Ramaṇaka
hitvā
abandoning
hradam etam upāśritaḥ
hradam
the small lake
etam
this
upāśritaḥ
taken shelter of
yad-bhayāt sa suparṇas tvāṁ
yat
of whom
bhayāt
because of the fear
saḥ
that
suparṇaḥ
Garuḍa
tvām
you
nādyān mat-pāda-lāñchitam
na adyāt
will not eat
mat - pāda
with My feet
lāñchitam
marked .
Important Words
  • suparṇaḥ — Garuḍa
    Su (beautiful) + parṇa (wing). The Vaiṣṇava name for Garuḍa. Bhagavān's eternal carrier — and the natural enemy of nāgas. The relation between Garuḍa and serpents is one of the universe's structural antagonisms.
  • mat - pāda - lāñchitam — marked with My foot
    Compound: mat (My) + pāda (foot) + lāñchita (marked). The footprint itself is the protection. Gauḍīya: the dust of Bhagavān's foot is the supreme amulet, and its imprint is the supreme passport.
  • bhayāt — out of fear
    Ablative of bhaya (fear). Kāliya had originally come to the Yamunā out of fear. Bhāgavata diagnosis: action driven by fear is the asura's mode; the Vaiṣṇava who has taken śaraṇa is mucyate sarvataḥ bhayāt (verse 53) — freed from all fear.
  • upāśritaḥ — had taken shelter (in this lake)
    From upa+ā+√śri — to take shelter. The same word-root as āśraya, the technical term for shelter in Gauḍīya śaraṇa-doctrine. Kāliya had taken inferior śelter in a lake; now he is being given His foot itself as śaraṇa.
Out of fear of Garuḍa, you left Ramaṇaka Island and came to take shelter of this lake. But because you are now marked with My footprints, Garuḍa will no longer try to eat you.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Out of fear of Garuḍa, you left Ramaṇaka Island and came to take shelter of this lake. But because you are now marked with My footprints, Garuḍa will no longer try to eat you.
Commentary

"You will have no more fear of Garuda." This is the import of this verse.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Ramaṇakam means that which gives enjoyment. He mentions this to enliven Kāliya. But this place is only a few yojanas in breadth, small in comparison with the island. You took shelter here (upāśritaḥ). The word indicates that the shelter is not permanent. Garuḍa can no longer afflict you (nādyāt) since you are marked with my foot. Previously Kṛṣṇa danced on his head as play, and now this act became the remnants--marks of mercy.

Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Raksha (Protective Responsibility)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Satya (Truthfulness)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Discriminative WisdomAhimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)
Related verses
BG 18.1 BG 16.1 BG 16.2 BG 16.4
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Out of fear of Garuḍa, Kāliya had hidden in the lake; now, marked by the Lord's footprints, he is safe — Garuḍa will not eat him. The Lord's foot-mark is permanent immunity against the threats one was hiding from.
Reflection Questions
  • What past fear of mine has the Lord's mark already neutralized that I am still hiding from?
  • Where am I living in the lake when His footprint already lets me return to the open sea?
Analogy

You came here to hide from Garuḍa, leaving Ramaṇaka Island. Now that My footprints mark you, Garuḍa will not eat you. The marks of Bhagavān's foot are a passport — they testify that the bearer has been touched. What once made Kāliya a target of Garuḍa now makes him untouchable.

Stories
Garuḍa, Saubhari, and the snake's exile

An older Bhāgavata episode (mentioned by commentators) records that Kāliya had been driven to the Yamunā because Garuḍa had been devouring snakes on Ramaṇaka Island. Saubhari Ṛṣi, dwelling underwater in the Yamunā, had cursed Garuḍa not to enter that lake — and Kāliya hid there.

Gauḍīya reading: Bhagavān now seals the protection by His footprint. Kāliya leaves the lake but is no longer prey, because what marks him is no longer the curse of a ṛṣi but the foot of the Lord. The transition from ṛṣi-śaraṇa to Bhagavat-śaraṇa is itself the story of bhakti's superiority.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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