Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.69.18
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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saṁsāra-kūpa
—
the well of material existence
Compound: saṁsāra (cyclical existence) + kūpa (well). A standing Bhāgavata image — saṁsāra as a deep dark well into which the soul has fallen. Kṛṣṇa's feet are the rope dropped down. Gauḍīyas read this verse as the kernel of śaraṇāgati: the awareness of being fallen is the first half of being lifted.
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smṛtiḥ
—
remembrance
From √smṛ. Smaraṇa is one of the nine limbs of bhakti (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam, SB 7.5.23). Nārada's request is the request: not power, not knowledge, not even sight again — only the unbroken chain of remembering.
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apavargam
—
the source of liberation
From apa + √vṛj (to turn away from). The cessation of varga — the categories that trap. Kṛṣṇa's feet are apavarga because resting attention there severs the categorizing mind. The chapter will return to apavarga-mārga in the final verse.
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agādha-bodhaiḥ
—
by those of unfathomable intelligence
Compound: agādha (unfathomable, bottomless) + bodha (intelligence, awareness). Even great ṛṣis like Brahmā can only meditate on these feet within the heart. Nārada has seen them in person — a privilege whose only fitting use is to ask for their constant memory.
Lord Kṛṣṇa had asked Nārada Muni, “What can We do for you?” and here Nārada answers. Nārada Muni is a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus his request is sublime.
"O great sage, for what purpose have you come? Do you intend to stay here, or go and stay elsewhere?" Anticipating this question, Narada speaks this verse.
Your feet are the final result of meditation for your perfected pure devotees (janatāpavargam). Those feet are remembered with the greatest effort by the greatest person like Brahmā in the deepest workings of the heart. What to speak of those feet being suitable as the shelter for deliverance from saṁsāra for all those in this world of saṁsāra. It is my great fortune to have seen those feet. Thinking that such good fortune is very rare to be permanent, he prays. Meditating on those feet, let me wander about in this world. “That is to be achieved by your mind. Why do you have to pray?” Be merciful so that I can remember. Only by your mercy can this be achieved and not otherwise. Or, be merciful to me so that I can wander about meditating on your feet. Similarly be merciful so that you will always remember me.
Brahmā and others meditate on your feet, only with delay (vi-cintya). Some serve your feet with devotion to gain liberation. And even if they are liberated, they cannot see your feet. Persons desiring liberation take shelter of your feet to attain deliverance from the well of saṁsāra. Thus your feet are very rare. Nārada indicates that even he is not a devotee since as a great, humble devotee he does not identify himself as a devotee. Or his feet destroy (vargam) the pain of separation (tapa) of the devotees (jana), by directly being seen. They are attained by the devotee. I will meditate on those feet. Or I will wander from house to house here, because, having directly seen those feet, they always appear internally. But be merciful so that you will always remember me.
- If I could ask the Lord for one thing today, would it be this — to keep remembering Him?
- What small practice helps me remember Kṛṣṇa even amid distraction?
A pilgrim who has finally reached the high temple does not ask for treasure on his way out — he asks only that the memory of the deity travel with him. Nārada has seen Kṛṣṇa's feet; his only petition is that he never afterwards forgets them.
When the elephant-king Gajendra was being dragged into the lake by the crocodile (SB 8.2-3), he stopped struggling and offered prayers — not for rescue, but for remembrance: 'May my mind dissolve in the Lord who is the shelter of all.'
Kṛṣṇa came on Garuḍa and killed the crocodile, but the deeper rescue was the one Gajendra had already requested. Nārada here asks for the same gift Gajendra received: smṛti — the power to keep remembering the Lord whatever the body is doing.
My note
Source: vedabase.io