FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.12.29

तमधर्मे कृतमतिं विलोक्य पितरं सुता: । मरीचिमुख्या मुनयो विश्रम्भात्प्रत्यबोधयन् ॥ २९ ॥
tam adharme kṛta-matiṁ
[tam adharme krita-matim]
vilokya pitaraṁ sutāḥ
[vilokya pitaram sutaah]
marīci-mukhyā munayo
[mareechi-mukhyaa munayo]
viśrambhāt pratyabodhayan
[vishrambhaat pratyabodhayan]
tam — unto him adharme — in the matter of immortality kṛta-matim — the mind being so given vilokya — seeing thus pitaram — unto the father sutāḥ — sons marīci-mukhyāḥ — headed by Marīci munayaḥ — sages viśrambhāt — with due respect pratyabodhayan — submitted as follows.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam adharme kṛta-matiṁ
tam
unto him
adharme
in the matter of immortality
kṛta-matim
the mind being so given
vilokya pitaraṁ sutāḥ
vilokya
seeing thus
pitaram
unto the father
sutāḥ
sons
marīci-mukhyā munayo
marīci-mukhyāḥ
headed by Marīci
munayaḥ
sages
viśrambhāt pratyabodhayan
viśrambhāt
with due respect
pratyabodhayan
submitted as follows.
Thus, finding their father so deluded in an act of immorality, the sages headed by Marīci, all sons of Brahmā, spoke as follows with great respect.

The sages like Marīci were not in the wrong in submitting their protests against the acts of their great father. They knew very well that even though their father committed a mistake, there must have been some great purpose behind the show; otherwise such a great personality could not have committed such a mistake. It might be that Brahmā wanted to warn his subordinates about human frailties in their dealings with women. This is always very dangerous for persons who are on the path of self-realization. Therefore, great personalities like Brahmā, even when in the wrong, should not be neglected, nor could the great sages headed by Marīci show any disrespect because of his extraordinary behavior.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing their father having an inclination to sin, his sons, the sages headed by Marīci, gave him instructions out of affection. Out of friendship (viśrambhāt), since they were his offspring, they instructed him, not because of anger on seeing sin. Or the meaning can be “having faith (viśrambhāt) that even the sins of great persons are not sins, they gave instructions only out of fear of disturbance in the consequent population. This indicates that Marīci and others did not commit offense in speaking.
The verse describes a universe that is not a random stage but an arrangement with a purpose. Our work is not to engineer that purpose but to find our seat within it. The pivot here is self-realization.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been demanding outcomes from a system you did not design?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

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