Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.6
नैवोपयन्त्यपचितिं कवयस्तवेश
ब्रह्मायुषापि कृतमृद्धमुद: स्मरन्त: ।
योऽन्तर्बहिस्तनुभृतामशुभं विधुन्वन्न
आचार्यचैत्त्यवपुषा स्वगतिं व्यनक्ति ॥ ६ ॥
naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa
[naivopayanty apachitim kavayas tavesha]
brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ
[brahmaayushaapi kritam riddha-mudah smarantah]
yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann
[yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhritaam ashubham vidhunvann]
ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti
[aachaarya-chaittya-vapushaa sva-gatim vyanakti]
Word-for-word
na eva
—
not at all
upayanti
—
are able to express
apacitim
—
their gratitude
kavayaḥ
—
learned devotees
tava
—
Your
īśa
—
O Lord
brahma-āyuṣā
—
with a lifetime equal to Lord Brahmā’s
api
—
in spite of
kṛtam
—
magnanimous work
ṛddha
—
increased
mudaḥ
—
joy
smarantaḥ
—
remembering
yaḥ
—
who
antaḥ
—
within
bahiḥ
—
outside
tanu-bhṛtām
—
of those who are embodied
aśubham
—
misfortune
vidhunvan
—
dissipating
ācārya
—
of the spiritual master
caittya
—
of the Supersoul
vapuṣā
—
by the forms
sva
—
own
gatim
—
path
vyanakti
—
shows.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa
na eva
not at all
upayanti
are able to express
apacitim
their gratitude
kavayaḥ
learned devotees
tava
Your
brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ
yo ’ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann
īśa
O Lord
brahma-āyuṣā
with a lifetime equal to Lord Brahmā’s
ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti
api
in spite of
kṛtam
magnanimous work
ṛddha
increased
mudaḥ
joy
smarantaḥ
remembering
yaḥ
who
antaḥ
within
bahiḥ
outside
tanu-bhṛtām
of those who are embodied
aśubham
misfortune
vidhunvan
dissipating
ācārya
of the spiritual master
caittya
of the Supersoul
vapuṣā
by the forms
sva
own
gatim
path
vyanakti
shows.
O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features — externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul — to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.
Purport
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Lord Kṛṣṇa is ten million times more dear to a devotee than life itself. And according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, even by rendering devotional service for the total duration of one thousand universal creations, a devotee cannot repay the debt he feels to the Lord for having awarded him loving service to the Lord’s lotus feet. The Lord appears within the heart as the Supersoul and externally both as the spiritual master and as His literary incarnation — the supreme Vedic knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O my Lord! Intelligent persons cannot fully express their indebtedness to you, even if they were endowed with the lifetime of Brahmā, because on remembering what you have done form them, their joy increases even more: appearing externally as guru and internally as Paramātma, you reveal the goal of prema to the devotees.
“Because I give all benedictions to only persons who worship me, such bestowals are not unconditional. Rather they are conditional.” This is not so. Whatever worship they perform is actually given by you alone. You are the supreme unconditional giver of benedictions. People can never repay the debt even by serving you for thousands of Brahmā’s lifetimes.
Those with discrimination (kavayaḥ) can never become debtless (apacitim) in their worship, even if they worshipped you for a life span of Brahmā, because, on remembering what you have done, their bliss increases. What have you done? You appear externally as the mantra-guru and śikṣā-guru, by whom one receives your mantra and instructions on bhakti and you appear internally as Paramātmā. Dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te: I give intelligence by which the devotees come to me. (BG 10.10) Inspiring them with intelligence to attain you, and making them worship you, you reveal to them the goal of becoming an associate with prema.
Personal Guidance
Even with Brahmā's lifespan, transcendental poets cannot fully express indebtedness to the Lord, who appears externally as ācārya and internally as Supersoul. The double presence makes the debt infinite.
Reflection Questions
- When did I last sit with the depth of gratitude to my external and internal teachers?
- What practice honors both?
My note
Source: vedabase.io