FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.4

किं चित्रमच्युत तवैतदशेषबन्धोदासेष्वनन्यशरणेषु यदात्मसात्त्वम् । योऽरोचयत् सह मृगै: स्वयमीश्वराणांश्रीमत्किरीटतटपीडितपादपीठ: ॥ ४ ॥
kiṁ citram acyuta tavaitad aśeṣa-bandho
[kim chitram achyuta tavaitad ashesha-bandho]
dāseṣv ananya-śaraṇesu yad ātma-sāttvam
[daaseshv ananya-sharanesu yad aatma-saattvam]
yo ’rocayat saha mṛgaiḥ svayam īśvarāṇāṁ
[yo ’rochayat saha mrigaih svayam eeshvaraanaam]
śrīmat-kirīṭa-taṭa-pīḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ
[shreemat-kireeta-tata-peedita-paada-peethah]
Word-for-word
kim — what citram — wonder acyuta — O infallible Lord tava — Your etat — this aśeṣa-bandho — O friend of all dāseṣu — for the servants ananya-śaraṇeṣu — who have taken no other shelter yat — which ātma-sāttvam — intimacy with You yaḥ — who arocayat — acted affectionately saha — with mṛgaiḥ — the animals (monkeys) svayam — Yourself īśvarāṇām — of the great demigods śrīmat — effulgent kirīṭa — of the helmets taṭa — by the edges pīḍita — shaken pāda-pīṭhaḥ — whose footstool.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kiṁ citram acyuta tavaitad aśeṣa-bandho
kim
what
citram
wonder
acyuta
O infallible Lord
tava
Your
etat
this
aśeṣa-bandho
O friend of all
dāseṣv ananya-śaraṇesu yad ātma-sāttvam
dāseṣu
for the servants
ananya-śaraṇeṣu
who have taken no other shelter
yat
which
ātma-sāttvam
intimacy with You
yo ’rocayat saha mṛgaiḥ svayam īśvarāṇāṁ
yaḥ
who
arocayat
acted affectionately
saha
with
mṛgaiḥ
the animals (monkeys)
svayam
Yourself
īśvarāṇām
of the great demigods
śrīmat-kirīṭa-taṭa-pīḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ
śrīmat
effulgent
kirīṭa
of the helmets
taṭa
by the edges
pīḍita
shaken
pāda-pīṭhaḥ
whose footstool.
My dear infallible Lord, it is not very astonishing that You intimately approach Your servants who have taken exclusive shelter of You. After all, during Your appearance as Lord Rāmacandra, even while great demigods like Brahmā were vying to place the effulgent tips of their helmets upon the cushion where Your lotus feet rested, You displayed special affection for monkeys such as Hanumān because they had taken exclusive shelter of You.
Purport

The devotees of the Lord become completely successful by the Lord’s causeless mercy. Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa accepts a position of subservience to His great devotees, as with Nanda Mahārāja, the gopīs, Bali Mahārāja and others. Although demigods like Lord Brahmā were standing in line to touch their helmets to the Lord’s foot cushion, still Lord Rāmacandra awarded His most intimate friendship to subhumans, such as the monkeys headed by Hanumān. Similarly Lord Kṛṣṇa’s affection for the deer and cows, and even for the trees of Vṛndāvana, is well known. Further, the Lord gladly drove the chariot of Arjuna and acted as the messenger and faithful subordinate of King Yudhiṣṭhira. Such devotees have no need for the elaborate jñāna-yoga systems or the process for achieving mystic powers. All these devotees are represented here by Śrī Uddhava, who frankly informs the Lord that the sophisticated systems of philosophical speculation and mystic yoga are not appealing for one who has developed a taste for direct loving service to the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O infallible Lord! O friend of all beings! It is not very astonishing that you are dependent on your servants who have taken exclusive shelter of you. As Rāmacandra, you displayed special affection for monkeys such as Hanumān while devatās shook your foot pedestal with the tips of their crowns, Those who worship only you become the recipients of your affection. That is not astonishing. You are dependent (ātma-sāttvam) on your servants devoid of performing jñāna, yoga and karma. The king’s city which is respected by brāhmaṇas becomes dependent on brāhmaṇas. Similarly you are respected by your servants, and become dependent on your servants. As Rāma, you relished friendly relationships with the monkeys. Or another meaning is: you took pleasure in herding the cows along with the deer of Vṛndāvana. Or you took pleasure in stealing butter along with the monkeys. Should we understand that they practiced the yoga you described? You are dependent on them. But you are not dependent on any of the Advaita jñānīs at all. This implies that Uddhava does not accept jñāna-yoga. Pīḍitam means shaken.
Personal Guidance
It is not astonishing that the Lord approaches His exclusive servants; even when Brahmā vied to place dust on the Lord, He distinguished His devotees. His preferential love for surrendered ones is a settled fact.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I doubt that the Lord prefers His surrendered ones?
  • How does this assurance reshape prayer?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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