FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.13.17

सृजतो मे क्षितिर्वार्भि:प्लाव्यमाना रसां गता । अथात्र किमनुष्ठेयमस्माभि: सर्गयोजितै: । यस्याहं हृदयादासं स ईशो विदधातु मे ॥ १७ ॥
sṛjato me kṣitir vārbhiḥ
[srijato me kshitir vaarbhih]
plāvyamānā rasāṁ gatā
[plaavyamaanaa rasaam gataa]
athātra kim anuṣṭheyam
[athaatra kim anushtheyam]
asmābhiḥ sarga-yojitaiḥ
[asmaabhih sarga-yojitaih]
yasyāhaṁ hṛdayād āsaṁ
[yasyaaham hridayaad aasam]
sa īśo vidadhātu me
[sa eesho vidadhaatu me]
Word-for-word
sṛjataḥ — while engaged in creation me — of me kṣitiḥ — the earth vārbhiḥ — by the water plāvyamānā — being inundated rasām — depth of water gatā — gone down atha — therefore atra — in this matter kim — what anuṣṭheyam — is right to be attempted asmābhiḥ — by us sarga — creation yojitaiḥ — engaged in yasya — the one from whose aham — I hṛdayāt — from the heart āsam — born saḥ — He īśaḥ — the Lord vidadhātu — may direct me — unto me.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sṛjato me kṣitir vārbhiḥ
sṛjataḥ
while engaged in creation
me
of me
kṣitiḥ
the earth
vārbhiḥ
by the water
plāvyamānā rasāṁ gatā
plāvyamānā
being inundated
rasām
depth of water
gatā
gone down
athātra kim anuṣṭheyam
atha
therefore
atra
in this matter
kim
what
anuṣṭheyam
is right to be attempted
asmābhiḥ sarga-yojitaiḥ
asmābhiḥ
by us
sarga
creation
yojitaiḥ
engaged in
yasyāhaṁ hṛdayād āsaṁ
yasya
the one from whose
aham
I
hṛdayāt
from the heart
āsam
born
sa īśo vidadhātu me
saḥ
He
īśaḥ
the Lord
vidadhātu
may direct
me
unto me.
Brahmā thought: While I have been engaged in the process of creation, the earth has been inundated by a deluge and has gone down into the depths of the ocean. What can we do who are engaged in this matter of creation? It is best to let the Almighty Lord direct us.
Purport

The devotees of the Lord, who are all confidential servitors, are sometimes perplexed in the discharge of their respective duties, but they are never discouraged. They have full faith in the Lord, and He paves the way for the smooth progress of the devotee’s duty.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
While I created the living beings, the earth sunk in the Garbhodaka Ocean. Though I have been engaged to create, what should I do now? May the Lord from whose navel I arose perform this task! Rasām refers to Rasātala. It actually means the general direction of Rasātala, the Garbhodaka Ocean. There would be a contradiction in saying that the earth was situated in Rasātala since it also said elsewhere that the earth was submerged in water. May the Lord perform this task (vidadhātu)!
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks.
Reflection Questions
  • How does it change your day to remember the universe was not built around your preferences?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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