Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.68.44
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
rāma rāma
—
O Rāma, Rāma
The doubled name — first cry of the surrendered. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Six Gosvāmīs taught the holy name as the primary refuge of Kali-yuga. The Kurus stumble into it here under necessity; the chanter takes it up by choice.
-
akhila - ādhāra
—
foundation of everything
Akhila = all, ādhāra = support. A direct epithet of the Lord — that on which everything rests. The Kurus name Him correctly in the moment of crisis, having failed to name Him correctly in the moment of comfort.
-
ku - buddhīnām
—
of those whose understanding is bad
Ku-buddhi — corrupted intellect. The standard Gauḍīya diagnosis of the conditioned soul. The Kurus apply it to themselves at last — confession is the seed of release.
-
atikramam
—
the offense
Ati-krama — 'overstepping.' The same word for vaiṣṇava-aparādha — offense against the devotee. Their actual offense was against Sāmba, devotee and son of Bhagavān.
Why did they surrender? O Balarāma who gives happiness to the universe (rāma)! Out of fear they repeat his name. “I give happiness to devotees only, not to others.” There is no other shelter for the universe except you. O shelter of everything (akhilādhāra)! Instead of atikramam, sometimes adhīśvara is seen. You are the lord of even Brahmā (adhīśvara). Therefore please excuse our offense. Or, you should excuse us. “Great offenders like you should not be excused.” We were ignorant and moreover filled with poor discrimination or false pride (ku-buddīnām), since we did not know your powers. Therefore you should not consider our offense since you are merciful to the fallen. Or O para brahman (rāma)! This is according to the words ramante yogino ‘nante satyānande cid ātmani: rāma means the supreme brahman, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, in whom the yogis take pleasure. Moreover you are Paramātmā (akhilādhāra) since you are the root of all power of all the senses. Moreover you are the supreme Lord (adhīśvara). Thus we do not know you. Forgive the offense of the foolish. They praise him as the Lord of the universe out of great fear or because he is non-different from Kṛṣṇa as an avatāra.
- Where could I let go of my certainties about Kṛṣṇa and meet Him fresh?
- What does 'we know nothing of Your power' open up that confident theology closes?
Children who broke a vase and now stand trembling before the master of the house — 'Rāma, Rāma, please forgive — we did not know what we were doing.' The same plea every conditioned soul will some day make.
My note
Source: vedabase.io