FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.51.57

चिरमिह वृजिनार्तस्तप्यमानोऽनुतापै- रवितृषषडमित्रोऽलब्धशान्ति: कथञ्चित् । शरणद समुपेतस्त्वत्पदाब्जं परात्म- नभयमृतमशोकं पाहि मापन्नमीश ॥ ५७ ॥
ciram iha vṛjinārtas tapyamāno ’nutāpair
[chiram iha vrijinaartas tapyamaano ’nutaapair]
avitṛṣa-ṣaḍ-amitro ’labdha-śāntiḥ kathañcit
[avitrisha-shad-amitro ’labdha-shaantih kathanchit]
śaraṇa-da samupetas tvat-padābjaṁ parātman
[sharana-da samupetas tvat-padaabjam paraatman]
abhayam ṛtam aśokaṁ pāhi māpannam īśa
[abhayam ritam ashokam paahi maapannam eesha]
ciram — for a long time iha — in this world vṛjina — by disturbances ārtaḥ — distressed tapyamānaḥ — tormented anutāpaiḥ — with remorse avitṛṣa — unsatiated ṣaṭ — six amitraḥ — whose enemies (the five senses and the mind) alabdha — not attaining śāntiḥ — peace kathañcit — by some means śaraṇa — of shelter da — O bestower samupetaḥ — who have approached tvat — Your pada - abjam — lotus feet para - ātman — O Supreme Soul abhayam — fearless ṛtam — the truth aśokam — free from sorrow pāhi — please protect mā — me āpannam — who am confronted with dangers īśa — O Lord .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ciram iha vṛjinārtas tapyamāno ’nutāpair
ciram
for a long time
iha
in this world
vṛjina
by disturbances
ārtaḥ
distressed
tapyamānaḥ
tormented
avitṛṣa-ṣaḍ-amitro ’labdha-śāntiḥ kathañcit
anutāpaiḥ
with remorse
avitṛṣa
unsatiated
śaraṇa-da samupetas tvat-padābjaṁ parātman
ṣaṭ
six
amitraḥ
whose enemies (the five senses and the mind)
alabdha
not attaining
abhayam ṛtam aśokaṁ pāhi māpannam īśa
śāntiḥ
peace
kathañcit
by some means
śaraṇa
of shelter
da
O bestower
samupetaḥ
who have approached
tvat
Your
pada - abjam
lotus feet
para - ātman
O Supreme Soul
abhayam
fearless
ṛtam
the truth
aśokam
free from sorrow
pāhi
please protect
mā
me
āpannam
who am confronted with dangers
īśa
O Lord .
  • vṛjina-ārtaḥ — distressed by troubles
    Compound: vṛjina (suffering) + ārtaḥ (distressed). The diagnostic state preceding śaraṇāgati. Gītā 7.16 catalogues four types of pious surrenderers; ārta is the first.
  • ṣaṭ-amitraḥ — the six enemies
    Compound: ṣaṭ (six) + amitraḥ (enemies). The classical ari-ṣaṭ — kāma, krodha, lobha, mada, moha, mātsarya. Six inner asuras that no outer victory subdues. Only bhakti subdues them — the Vaiṣṇava ethics implicit in the verse.
  • śaraṇa-da — O bestower of shelter
    Compound: śaraṇa (shelter) + da (bestower). Bhagavān's defining vocative in the moment of surrender. Gauḍīyas read this as the technical name for the act being performed — śaraṇa-grahaṇa, taking refuge.
  • para-ātman — O Supreme Soul
    Compound: para (supreme) + ātman (soul). Bhagavān as Paramātman — distinct from the jīva-ātman. Gauḍīyas firmly distinguish: jīva-ātma serves; Paramātma is served. Mucukunda's vocative honors the distinction.
  • pada-abjam — lotus feet
    Compound: pada + abjam (water-born, lotus). The same lotus feet of verse 27 — Mucukunda's first concern in the chapter, his final refuge here. The image arcs across the stuti.
  • abhayam — fearless, free of fear
    From a (not) + bhayam (fear). Bhagavān's lotus feet are abhaya. Gītā 18.66's promise — mā śucaḥ — is here read backward from the bhakta's side: the feet that grant abhaya are the feet I have approached.
For so long I have been pained by troubles in this world and have been burning with lamentation. My six enemies are never satiated, and I can find no peace. Therefore, O giver of shelter, O Supreme Soul, please protect me. O Lord, in the midst of danger I have by good fortune approached Your lotus feet, which are the truth and which thus make one fearless and free of sorrow.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
For so long I have been pained by troubles in this world and have been burning with lamentation. My six enemies are never satiated, and I can find no peace. Therefore, O giver of shelter, O Supreme Soul, please protect me. O Lord, in the midst of danger I have by good fortune approached Your lotus feet, which are the truth and which thus make one fearless and free of sorrow.
Commentary

"First you can enjoy all objects worthy of enjoyment, and then I will give you service to my feet. " Fearing such enticement from Krsna, Mucukunda offers this praye. Being afflicted by miseries, in the conflict with Indra’s enemies desiring victory, burning with repentence, such as "for so many days I have not worshipped the Lord," with no cessation of the desire for enjoyment of the six senses of eye, ear, nose tongue and skin and mind, I do not get peace either by my own intelligence or by knowledge given by others. If enjoyment is given by you yourself, even then I will become entangled. That is the nature of enjoyment. Therefore do not give that enjoyment. O paramatma, who resides in everyone, who therefore knows everything, I have taken Your lotus feet. In material treasure, there is fear of sickness, and enemies etc. In heavenly treusure there is impermanence. In the treasure of Brahman one is cheated of service to your lotus feet. Bur the treasure of your feet are without fear (abhayam), without impermanence (nrtam) and without lamentation (asokam). Therefore protect me, who am afflicted with calamity. Protect me at your lotus feet."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Now you should not disregard me. Protect me completely. He speaks with humility. Suffering from the experience of sins in saṁsāra (iha) for a long time, suffering from lamentation after exhaustion of pious results, I have not attained peace or steadiness of heart (happiness) by any means. Or, I have not attained peace by any cause discernable without effort, by any cause which can be directly perceived. I have come close to you (samupetaḥ). The Lord’s suitability is described. O giver of shelter! You give shelter according to your promise. Ārtānāṁ śaraṇaṁ tv aham: I am the shelter for the sufferers. (SB 11.26.33) You should not say that shelter is dependent on bhakti to you since you are the inspiration for bhakti. Parātman! You should give what is according to the glory of your lotus feet and nothing else. He describes Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet with three descriptive phrases: they are free from sorrow, free from fear and full of truth. Please protect me, by engaging me in service, since you are affectionate to the fallen. In humility he again speaks. I am surrendered. You alone can do this (īśa).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Now you should not disregard me. Protect me completely. He speaks with humility. I am suffering from the experience of sins in saṁsāra (iha) for a long time, suffering from lamentation after exhaustion of pious results. Or I am suffering from sinful karmas (vṛjinaiḥ) and actions of lust at the present moment (anutāpaiḥ). This means external and internal suffering. I have no peace at all, by which I can have steadiness and happiness. I have attained closeness (upeta) to your feet directly (sam) or in an indescribable manner with revelation of your form, without my endeavor (kathañcit). O giver of shelter! You give shelter according to your promise. Ārtānāṁ śaraṇaṁ tv aham: I am the shelter for the sufferers. (SB 11.26.33) You should not say that shelter is dependent on bhakti to you since you are the inspiration for bhakti. Parātman! You give impetus everywhere. You should give according to the glory of your lotus feet at this time, and nothing else. His feet are described with this intention. Do not give lamentable liberation or Brahma’s abode, or yoga-siddhis which are subject to fear of time. Your feet give fearlessness, are most proper, and have no lamentation. Protect me who have attained you from danger or from all obstacles since you are compassionate to the miserable. He repeats that he has attained the Lord out of great pain. Only you can do this (īśa)! Or protect me so I have no fear, no lamentation and have truth (abhayam, aśocam, ṛtam). You never give anything unpleasant. O dearest one (parātman)! The Lord as the dearest has been described at the beginning of Chapter Fourteen. You must protect the person who has surrendered (āpannam). You should not have shame or fear in giving mercy to a low person. O Lord, supremely independent (īśa)!

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
For so long I have been pained, burning with lamentation; my six enemies — lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, envy — are never satiated. Protect me, Supreme Soul; in danger I have come to You. Final petition uses both diagnosis and surrender.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of the six inner enemies is most insatiable in you?
  • Could you take the same shelter Mucukunda takes today?

The kṣatriya finally names his pain: long-burnt, six-enemied, never sated, never at peace — and now, by some good fortune, fallen at Your feet. The verse is bhakti's threshold-cry, the Vaiṣṇava-equivalent of 'sarva-dharmān parityajya' from the suppliant's side.

Gajendra's surrender

In SB 8.2-3, the elephant-king Gajendra, gripped by the crocodile in the lake, finally exhausts his own strength and cries out — 'O original Person, supreme shelter, deliverer of those in danger, please save me.' Viṣṇu descends instantly on Garuḍa and rescues him.

Mucukunda's verse 57 is the human-form parallel. Long suffering, the six enemies unsatiated, no peace, finally falling at the lotus feet of the Lord. Gauḍīyas read Gajendra-mokṣa and Mucukunda-stuti as the same prayer in two species — śaraṇāgati's anatomy is universal.

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