SB 11.20.15 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.15

छिद्यमानं यमैरेतै: कृतनीडं वनस्पतिम् । खग: स्वकेतमुत्सृज्य क्षेमं याति ह्यलम्पट: ॥ १५ ॥

chidyamānaṁ yamair etaiḥ

[chidyamaanam yamair etaih]

kṛta-nīḍaṁ vanaspatim

[krita-needam vanaspatim]

khagaḥ sva-ketam utsṛjya

[khagah sva-ketam utsrijya]

kṣemaṁ yāti hy alampaṭaḥ

[kshemam yaati hy alampatah]

Word-for-word

chidyamānam — being cut down yamaiḥ — by cruel men, who are like death personified etaiḥ — by these kṛta-nīḍam — in which he has constructed his nest vanaspatim — a tree khagaḥ — a bird sva-ketam — his home utsṛjya — giving up kṣemam — happiness yāti — achieves hi — indeed alampaṭaḥ — without attachment.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

chidyamānaṁ yamair etaiḥ

chidyamānam

being cut down

yamaiḥ

by cruel men, who are like death personified

etaiḥ

by these

kṛta-nīḍaṁ vanaspatim

kṛta-nīḍam

in which he has constructed his nest

vanaspatim

a tree

khagaḥ sva-ketam utsṛjya

khagaḥ

a bird

sva-ketam

his home

utsṛjya

giving up

kṣemaṁ yāti hy alampaṭaḥ

kṣemam

happiness

yāti

achieves

indeed

alampaṭaḥ

without attachment.

Without attachment, a bird gives up the tree in which his nest was constructed when that tree is cut down by cruel men who are like death personified, and thus the bird achieves happiness in another place.

Purport

Here the example is given of detachment from the bodily concept of life. The living entity resides within the body just as a bird dwells within a tree. When thoughtless men cut down the tree, the bird, without lamenting the loss of its previous nest, does not hesitate to establish its residence in another place.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

When a tree in which a bird’s nest was constructed is cut down by men cruel as death, the bird gives up the tree without attachment and achieves happiness in another place. An example of giving up attachment to the body is given. Giving up his nest built in a tree cut down by persons cruel like Yama, the unattached bird goes away.

Personal Guidance

A bird without attachment leaves a nest in a felled tree and finds happiness elsewhere. Loss is not a verdict — relocation is possible.

Reflection Questions

Where am I gripping a 'felled tree' instead of relocating?
What new nesting place is the Lord pointing toward?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io