FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.16

अहोरात्रैश्छिद्यमानं बुद्ध्वायुर्भयवेपथु: । मुक्तसङ्ग: परं बुद्ध्वा निरीह उपशाम्यति ॥ १६ ॥
aho-rātraiś chidyamānaṁ
[aho-raatraish chidyamaanam]
buddhvāyur bhaya-vepathuḥ
[buddhvaayur bhaya-vepathuh]
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ buddhvā
[mukta-sangah param buddhvaa]
nirīha upaśāmyati
[nireeha upashaamyati]
ahaḥ — by days rātraiḥ — by nights chidyamānam — being cut down buddhvā — knowing āyuḥ — the duration of life bhaya — with fear vepathuḥ — trembling mukta-saṅgaḥ — free from attachment param — the Supreme Lord buddhvā — understanding nirīhaḥ — without material desire upaśāmyati — achieves perfect peace.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
aho-rātraiś chidyamānaṁ
ahaḥ
by days
rātraiḥ
by nights
chidyamānam
being cut down
buddhvāyur bhaya-vepathuḥ
buddhvā
knowing
āyuḥ
the duration of life
bhaya
with fear
vepathuḥ
trembling
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ buddhvā
mukta-saṅgaḥ
free from attachment
param
the Supreme Lord
buddhvā
understanding
nirīha upaśāmyati
nirīhaḥ
without material desire
upaśāmyati
achieves perfect peace.
Knowing that one’s duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace.

An intelligent devotee knows that the passing days and nights are exhausting one’s duration of life, and he therefore gives up his futile attachment to material sense objects. Instead, he strives to achieve permanent benefit in life. Just as the detached bird immediately gives up its nest and goes to another tree, similarly, a devotee knows that there is no permanent opportunity for residence within the material world. Instead he dedicates his working energy to achieving eternal residence in the kingdom of God. Transcending the modes of material nature by attaining Kṛṣṇa’s own spiritual nature, the devotee at last obtains perfect peace.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Knowing that one’s duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace. Understanding one’ṣ life is being cut by the days and nights, one gives up material desires and attachment and attains peace.
Days and nights cut down our lifespan; this should shake us into fear, dropping attachment and reaching peace by understanding the Lord. Fear at the right object yields peace.
Reflection Questions
  • What does it do to me to recognize that days are subtracting?
  • What does the right kind of fear lead me to do?
📝 My note

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