FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.16.19

तरन्ति ह्यञ्जसा मृत्युं निवृत्ता यदनुग्रहात् । योगिन: स भवान् किंस्विदनुगृह्येत यत्परै: ॥ १९ ॥
taranti hy añjasā mṛtyuṁ
[taranti hy anjasaa mrityum]
nivṛttā yad-anugrahāt
[nivrittaa yad-anugrahaat]
yoginaḥ sa bhavān kiṁ svid
[yoginah sa bhavaan kim svid]
anugṛhyeta yat paraiḥ
[anugrihyeta yat paraih]
taranti — cross over hi — because añjasā — easily mṛtyum — birth and death nivṛttāḥ — ceasing all material desires yat — Your anugrahāt — by mercy yoginaḥ — transcendentalists saḥ — the Supreme Lord bhavān — You kim svit — never possible anugṛhyeta — may be favored yat — which paraiḥ — by others.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taranti hy añjasā mṛtyuṁ
taranti
cross over
hi
because
añjasā
easily
mṛtyum
birth and death
nivṛttā yad-anugrahāt
nivṛttāḥ
ceasing all material desires
yat
Your
anugrahāt
by mercy
yoginaḥ sa bhavān kiṁ svid
yoginaḥ
transcendentalists
saḥ
the Supreme Lord
bhavān
You
kim svit
never possible
anugṛhyeta yat paraiḥ
anugṛhyeta
may be favored
yat
which
paraiḥ
by others.
Mystics and transcendentalists, by the mercy of the Lord, cross beyond nescience by ceasing all material desires. It is not possible, therefore, that the Supreme Lord can be favored by others.

Unless one is favored by the Supreme Lord, one cannot cross over the ocean of the nescience of repeated birth and death. Here it is stated that yogīs or mystics cross beyond nescience by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many kinds of mystics, such as the karma-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī and bhakti-yogī. The karmīs particularly search after the favor of the demigods, the jñānīs want to become one with the Supreme Absolute Truth, and the yogīs are satisfied simply by partial vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, and ultimately by oneness with Him. But the bhaktas, the devotees, want to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead eternally and serve Him. It has already been admitted that the Lord is eternal, and those who want the favor of the Supreme Lord perpetually are also eternal. Therefore yogīs here means devotees. By the mercy of the Lord, devotees can easily pass beyond the nescience of birth and death and attain the eternal abode of the Lord. The Lord is therefore not in need of another’s favor because no one is equal to or greater than Him. Actually, everyone needs the favor of the Lord for successful understanding of his human mission.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Since by your mercy alone the detached yogīs cross over death easily, how can you say that you must get mercy from others? Among the brāhmaṇas, those who are detached from material enjoyment, the yogīs, are better than those who are fixed in their position as brāhmaṇas. The yogīs however cross over death only by the mercy of the Lord. How can you say that you get mercy from others? Kim svid indicates a question with astonishment.
Time is the Lord's instrument, quietly grinding every arrangement we trust. The verse asks us to befriend this fact now, before it forces itself on us at the wrong moment. Its centre of gravity is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Where are you behaving as though you, or someone you love, will not die?
  • Where could a small daily remembrance of death make today more honest?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 16